Dogs III - the return of the furbaby thread

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

37 minutes ago, A Horse Named Stranger said:

About 2 y.o. you say? Somehow I think you might have gotten a corona pup, from a owner that had no idea what they were doing.

Really hadn't considered this but it's a valid point.

[HexMachina]

On 4/6/2022 at 5:46 PM, Spockydog said:

Can anyone recommend a doggie seat belt to keep Maggie safe in the back seat of the car? 

Was driving along today when she saw some horses in a field, then immediately decided she needed a better view from the front seat. Stupid dog nearly killed the pair of us. 

 

My parents use something similar to this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SMARTER-Elastic-Headrest-Durable-Adjustable/dp/B09FXBBNDB/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=Car+Dog+Seat+Belt&qid=1650323086&sr=8-15

Not this exact one but same concept, its very easy to clip the dogs in as it just attaches to their collar/harness the same way a lead would. They have two dogs and it keeps them from leaping from the back to the front seats and stops them straying to opposite sides of the car and standing on each other without choking them. They are both smallish dogs (Spaniel and a Cockapoo) so I'm not sure how it would be for a bigger breed.

[aceluby]

Was very close to returning the puppy we got last year as we were having an incredibly difficult time w/ her, which was causing an incredible amount of stress on our family.  After about 6 months she came down with a really bad case of incontinence and was peeing everywhere, including on herself in her crate.  Took her to the vet for a month straight and finally got meds, but it gave her diarrhea, so we had piss and shit everyone instead.  We had to keep her on leash in our fenced in backyard because she found a weakness, kept escaping, and terrorized the neighborhood (she's also ridiculously fast!).  Her energy levels are through the roof and no matter how many walks I was taking her on she was just never tired.  Our walks were also the worst as she wasn't picking up how to be on a leash at all.  Then on top of that she is chewing up our entire house and started growling and nipping at our kids.  It was not pleasant and I was starting to hate her, and my wife disliked her more than I did.

Well, I think we've finally turned a corner.  It seems she's getting used to her meds, because the pooping inside stopped and the incontinence is only happening 1-2 times a week instead of multiple times a day.  I fixed the fence now that the snow is up, so now she can't escape when we let her outside (YAY!!!!).  I've also started taking her on longer bike rides instead of walks on most days, which give her a much faster pace - plus she's really responding to the leash now both on the bike and on regular walks.  It seems that this is tiring her out more too, because her chewing is much more manageable and she has really warmed up to the kids.  All in all, the last two months have gone from "I need to return this dog, this was a terrible idea" to "I can't believe I wanted to return this dog, I'm a monster!".  I'm very excited for some warmer weather to come so we can go on some longer adventures, but for now, I'm just loving that everyone is adapting and thriving.  My last 2 dogs were pieces of cake compared to this, but I think we're in a good routine and over this particular hump.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

A few months later...Bella, or Gumball as I call her, is such a sweet dog, except when she's constantly play biting your hands. 

[Spockydog]

Ah, the needle-toofed land shark. So pesky. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Spockydog

[A Horse Named Stranger]

9 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

A few months later...Bella, or Gumball as I call her, is such a sweet dog, except when she's constantly play biting your hands. 

So not snapping anymore? Good to hear, death by your pet dog is no way for you to go, that's a ramsayway to go. Unless you teach her how to use a crossbow. 

[RhaenysBee]

Heatwave knocked the doggos out. I let everybody in, because it’s gotten really bad outside after midday. It’s 26ishC in the house now and I’ll probably turn on the AC at some point as the outside temp gets even worse . I might also prepare some wet towels for them. Morning sprinkling in the garden did absolutely nothing and the ground was bone dry by 10am, water in their dishes becomes soup temp in an hour in the shade, so I don’t really see the point in making puddles for them. It’s just going to be a couple of indoor days. 

Chubbs is really suffering. I’m hoping it’s only the combo of heat, her age and her physique, but we will get her checked out next week nonetheless. Not sure if I should press going for an early walk tomorrow, the experience might cheer her and it’s only 20ish around 6am. Then again, days and days of extreme heat is really a strain physically, so maybe it’s a bad idea. 

Edited July 21, 2022 by RhaenysBee

[Spockydog]

With the North London Festival of Explosions In The Sky just getting underway, I today placed my annual order for two tubes of Sileo from the vet. 

It's a mild sedative, which the vet says probably feels like a nice Valium buzz, which is used it as part of noise aversion therapy. 

My Kolo used to be PETRIFIED by fireworks. Until we gave her this stuff when she was about five years old. In her final years, she was so nonplussed by the fireworks, she would go outside, sit down and watch the lights in the sky. 

Maggie's not at that stage yet, but we gave her some Sileo last year and she was absolutely fine with all the noise outside. 

Sileo. Order it from your vet today. 

 

[Spockydog]

 

 

[Week]

Does anyone have recommendations of books/training programs for pups? We're planning on getting a dog in the next year -- boxer, mastiff, or something similar -- and I've never raised and trained a dog before. Starting with the 'Art of Raising a Puppy's by the monks of New Skete and I'm interested in anything that may be newer or offer a different perspective. TIA!

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Not exactly beginner dogs, are they. I suppose you'll takae them to puppy school (or whatever you call those things in English) anyway, so that should help you out quite a bit.

[Week]

I should clarify, my wife had a boxer when we met that she had since he was a puppy. 

Definitely, will be going to training and, eventually, agility training and the like (assuming we'd get a boxer).

[Ran]

Boxers are wonderful dogs, very socialable and often just big goofballs. 

[SeanF]

11 minutes ago, Ran said:

Boxers are wonderful dogs, very socialable and often just big goofballs. 

Staffies are even better.

I had a Staffordshire Cross from 2007-13, who was daft as a brush, but great fun.

Now I have a cat, so a dog’s out of the question.

Edited November 25, 2022 by SeanF

[dog-days]

In my teens, I co-habited with a cat and a dog. (Reworded: The cat and dog allowed me to share their house). The rescue tabby cat was getting on in years and grouchy when our eight-month old CKC spaniel arrived. It was like living in a strange sort of Cold War. They'd sniff each other's noses in a cautious, stage-managed sort of way if they met each other in the hall. We should have called them Kennedy and Krushchev. Or Nixon and Mao. 

But sometimes, the dog fell asleep next to my dad on the couch. Then the cat felt jealous, so also fell asleep on the couch, and gradually stretched to take up more space. When contact with the dog inevitably occurred, the cat sprang up in hissing, clawing outrage, terrifying the dog and everyone in the room. 

Cat also had the habit of helping herself to dog's biscuits at dinner time, despite having a more expensive brand of food of her own waiting for her in her bowl. It felt a bit like watching the first stirrings of a peasants' revolt when dog finally found the courage to bark at her as she was masticating Pedrigree Chum (very slowly; she was an old cat and short of teeth). 

Dog lived until she was ten; cat until she was twenty-something. I think cat missed dog, though it was rather hard to tell. She was a very grumpy, difficult animal. 

Anyway, cats and dogs can live together, depending on the breed and the age of introduction, if not always in instagram-worthy cwtches. 

Edited November 25, 2022 by dog-days

[Spockydog]

8 hours ago, Week said:

Does anyone have recommendations of books/training programs for pups?

I've had five dogs. The first three were nutters.

My fourth and fifth were trained according to the methods laid out in this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2325306.Gentle_Dog_Training

Kolo was a sweetheart, and Maggie is turning out to be the loveliest puppy I've ever known.

ETA: And yeah, Boxers are lovely dogs.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by Spockydog

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

7 hours ago, Week said:

Definitely, will be going to training and, eventually, agility training and the like (assuming we'd get a boxer).

Rocky didn't need training like that, at least not at first. 

[Which Tyler]

16 hours ago, Week said:

Does anyone have recommendations of books/training programs for pups?

TBH, I wouldn't bother, especially if you're a newbie to dog rearing (I also wouldn't start with a mastiff as the first pup for either human).

Do the puppy socialisation, find a good puppy school, do you're due diligence beforehand, and you should get all the resources you need; whilst going in with too many of your own ideas in advance CAN lead to confusion, for yourself &/ the puppa.
There's a balance between thinking about how what you're doing seems to a dog, and overthinking things.

 

The main thing to look for is rewards-based training - lots of carrot, no stick.
A good puppy school will offer puppy classes, first classes for adolescents, first classes for adults, and more advanced classes for dogs who've already done the basics.
The classes should also offer plenty of chance for socialisation, both at the class, and most of them would also do puppy walks at least once a week; and plenty of them also do arranged walks for various personality of dog (puppy, adolescent, reactive, just social etc).

[Spockydog]

1 hour ago, Which Tyler said:

 (I also wouldn't start with a mastiff as the first pup for either human).

This. So much this.

Mastiffs are big, strong, scary looking dogs. They were bred to fuck things up.

Other dog owners will be wary of you and your dog. People will cross the road when they see you coming.

And if you don't know to handle such a big dog - including socialising it properly with humans and other dogs, and teaching it that YOU are the alpha in the pack - then you are almost guaranteed to get into some kind of trouble. And then someone else's dog could get seriously hurt.

Don't get a fucking mastiff.

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by Spockydog

[Spockydog]

First rule of buying a pet: Do not purchase any animal that is big enough to overpower and eat you.