courtnek

a 24 hour fast is ok, and in this case necessary. They need to determine if the food is causing him illmess, or if there is something else going on. Doctors will often recommend a fast when a dog is throwing up but still seems happy and is going outside normally. If you dont feed him and he doesnt vomit, it could be something in the food that is causing him distress. If he DOES vomit, then they need to run the other tests. Your vet may actually be trying to save you some money - xrays and blood work are expensive, and this will tell if it's food or not. I know it seems harsh to not feed him, but he'll be ok. It's only one day and it's not something you'll need to do all the time. Good luck with Miles!! :D

Sanvean is right. I have a question however...most dogs will bark when a stranger comes by, and most theives avoid houses with dogs, because of the barking. Is it possible your dog knew this person and that's why he made no noise? I got robbed once by someone I considered a friend, and my dog let him in as well.

He'll be fine. Coal's (and most dogs) guarding instincts dont hit full force until they are about 8 months old. Right now he's just a baby still... You might see a different tune if a strnager showed up. He knows Jared and he is still a puppy. When he grows up a little more you may see a change, but remember, Labs are not a guarding breed. Most dogs will warn, Labs included, by barking, but dont expect him to act like a guard dog. That's not what he was bred for.

and I just realized I really didnt answer your questions.... Dogs see differently than we do - they use their eyes to follow, watch, guard, protect. If you play light games with them too much, they become addicted to it, and want to play all the time. They often become angry if you dont want to play...it's like a drug to them. It's ok a few minutes a few times a week, and it IS funny to watch, but the light has no corresponding smell or sound, and they beome very intense about the game.

The intensity of the light is so strong that it can cause blindness if shined directly in the eyes. Laser is an acronym. It means Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation..... It's regular light a hundred-fold....They take basic light, super charge the molecules so that they are screaming against each other, and then pull it all into a small beam that gets directed out. With a strong enough frequency, you end up with something very similar to Star Trek Phasers. Light strong enough to kill. In the hand-held laser lights, the beam is extremely concentrated by the battery in the device. If shined in the eyes, it can burn out the retinal core, causing blindness.

Y'know, the owner could have ALOT of fun with that..... "What kind of dog is that?" "Oh, HIM? he's a Nodandrador (noDANdrador). He's a relatively select breed, bred specifically to be hypo allergenic, and both intelligent and strong....he's my eyes y'know.....he SEES for me..." People would be searching for "nodandradors" in no time.... 8) 8) 8) 8) I'm SOOOOOOO bad..... :evilbat:

DAL, Please!! just chill a little....MM was not trying to insinuate that you didnt know what you were doing, or that yu dont take good care of your dogs. Neither was I. She (and I) were just offering a warning of what could happen in an overly intensive play situation with these laser lights. A lot of people DONT know the risks, and we were just offering guidelines about the games. Please dont take it so personally, it was not intended as an attack, from either MM or myself.... Truce? Friends? :fadein:

You are all in my thoughts as well..... Even if it means leaving your homes and belongings behind [color=red][/color][size=7][/size]BE SAFE!!!!! Property can be replaced. YOU cannot..... :angel:

I CAN sympathize!!! Laurel has never seen stairs, and has fallen down them a number of times..... Hope Pauly is all better soon!! :D

I worked for a breeder/trainer many many years ago. He bred Golden Retrievers, and one of his assignments was for the Seeing Eye. Goldens were very popular guide dogs back then, the only problem being the continual grooming necessary. The Seeing Eye (and Hearing Ear, etc) contract with certain breeders to produce puppies for them. They have first pick of all the litters. I met a lady there (named Judy) who told me all about the Seeing Eye and how it works. They carefully check out all the credentials of the breeder, the dog records and how many of their puppies reach complete potential for the breed. Labs, Goldens and certain Shepherds were the preferred breeds for Guide Dogs back then. The dog has to be strong, healthy, intelligent and eager to please. The problems were grooming, allergies, and basic fear of dogs, which the blind person had to deal with. Now, the Seeing Eye is trying to "develop" dogs (and they DONT call them pruebreds) so that the person needing the dog is both comfortable, and able to care for it. They were one of the first to develop the "Golden Lab" because grooming is easier, and the dog has the physical strength of the lab, and the gentle personality of the Golden. They look for dogs that specifically meet those charateristics. Same with the Labradoodle. That one is being bred specifically for allergy issues. The intelligence of both the lab and the poodle, the physical strength of the lab, and the hypo-allergenic coat of the poodle. I dont think the BYB labradoodles will ever make it to the Seeing Eye, they are very critical and particular on which dogs they purchase. However, they are becoming a $$$$$$ for unscrupulous breeders, as everyone has said. I still think we should change the name of the Labradoodle to Nodandrador (no dander Labrador). :lol: :lol: :lol:

I live basically in tornado alley, and there is no "early warning" availabe for evacuation or shelter. I think the idea of boarding your pets is a good one. A lot of kennels will allow them to room together so they dont feel lonely or afraid. The kennel should be well inland, and you'll probably have to make reservations, but at least you know they'll be safe.... My prayers are with all of you on the east coast, in Isabel's path.... Be safe! :angel:

You can touch the puppies as soon as their born, but dont take them out of the eyesite of the mother. Make sure she can see them while you are handling them. The male will not eat the puppies, but the mother and pups should be kept away from him for a while. She could very easily feel threatened by having him there and might become snappish towards him. In the pack, the male is not allowed in the den while the mother whelps. Another female would be allowed in, but no males.

Look at that list!! I think we've covered every territory of dog type there is. Toy, Hunting, Snow, Retriever, Guard dog, from tiny (chihauhau) to Huge (St. Bernard).....what a diversity!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[quote]The first labradoodle i saw was a rescue dog, it was fat, brown and had a curly coat - probably what labradoodles are supposed to be, but still at the pound all the same. Since then I have seen a variety of labradoodles, from dogs with labrador hair, that shed every where, hyper active, tall... all sorts of mixes, so how can you breed these dogs and pretend that you know what they will turn out like? Although Labradoodles are the ONLY designer breed that I see a valid future in, I believe that 99% of their breeders have no clue what they are doing, nor do they really care [/quote] and I agree with all of that. It comes down to the breeder, always, in the end. But in defense of Labradoodle Breeders, the GOOD ones, they are trying to create a dog that can work with the disabled without issues. And, unfortunately, there are bad breeders of every breed in the world..... even the AKC and BCK recognized ones. I am a diabetic. At some point in my life, I could very well go blind. My father did. If that happened , I would want an Assistance Dog. Canes dont suit me, I could easily trust a dog to guide me around. I would want a Golden Lab. The gentle, even disposition of the Golden, with the short hair of a lab. Less shedding, less grooming (difficult for the blind) yet just as strong as a lab and just as gentle as a Golden. I owned one. Alex convinced me that this would be a good breed for the disabled. He was strong, thick chested (to pull a wheelchair if necessary)intelligent, friendly, gentle and calm. And he had been abused by his previous owners, it took a little time to make him trust me, but once he did he was as loyal as the sun rises every day... so my original contention remains in place. If crossbreeding a dog for a specific purpose, then go for it. However, dont call it a purebred until IT IS...and that means passing the test of time.

They breed them here in the states too, for the same reason. Like I said, I have no problem with that. GOOD breeders look for dogs that dont have a large quantity of animal dander, which causes allergies. There is some way to test for that, but I dont know what it is. I can completely understand the use for that (although the name LABRADOODLE just makes me cringe.....find a decent name please!!! even Labodle would be better!!! how about Nodandrador???? lol) I understand, especially with Assistance dogs, the need to make the dog as compatible with it's owner as possible. Alergies would definitely be an issue, so I cant say Labradoodles (I HATE that name!!!) are a bad thing. This is a dog being bred for a specific purpose, and I wont fight that, or say it's bad. But it's still not a purebred. Not yet.

DO I HAVE TO STOP THIS CAR?????? Mary was only trying to help, but sometimes comes off a little abrupt. Deaf, I know you know alot about your dogs, and really try to be as good to them as possible, but the warnings are correct. Dogs dont see the same way we do....and their minds react differently to different stimuli, as you all know. I know people who play light games with their dogs, but it's very limited and for short periods. Maybe a couple times a week for 15 minutes or so. I have a friedn with Border Collies who used to play laser light games with them every day. For a few hours. One of her Borders literally got addicted to it (she was playing herding games) and would snarl when she wouldnt play anymore. He actually tried to bite her when she took the laser light down (to move it where they couldnt see it, it was starting to badly affect all of them) and he jumped up to play and she put it away. He snarled at her, full teeth face. She had to have him see a behaviorist to get him back in line, so a once in a while light game is ok, bit not everyday and not too intensely. ALSO, those laser lights are VERY dangerous if shined in the eyes. They can cause blindness.....

My dogs are priceless to me, but I could not come up with that amount of money. My house is mortgaged to the hilt to pay off my sons medical bills, and I have to have my car to go to work, (There is no public transportation out here that goes to where I work) I also do not want to encourage thieves to think that they can get away with this. It would absolutely break my heart. If I had easy access to the money I might pay it, just like I would pay it to save my son, but I would hate giving in to the bastards that stole them..... I might volunteer to drop off the money, with my 22 semi-automatic in my pocket.....that's how angry I would be.

p.s. call your insurance company and have them push the police as well. You can file a claim for the loss of a purebred dog.

[quote]Thats terrible! Those goddamn assholes! [/quote] My sentiments EXACTLY.... Rott, my heart goes out to you but listen to me..... How is your gate to your yard designed? Is it wood, metal, does it have a metal latch or handle? QUICK!! Before it rains....INSIST the police come out and take prints off the gate, and run them through the police database. Tell them this may be their chance to stop a dogfighting ring... If they have prints, they could have a suspect. And you could get Snow White back that much faster. If Snow White is purebred, she's probably valued at at least $300.00 - that makes it more than just dog-napping, it's theft. You will need to push for this - the police dont really get real excited when a dog is stolen, so you may have to go all the way up to the captain to get it done, BUT INSIST ON IT. You have the legal right to have an investigation run into the theft of your purebred dog. Definitely put up the signs and call the shelters, but do this as well. Snow White is in my prayers. I hope you get her back soon, safe and sound.

[quote]What I do think is wrong is the fact that, as Courtnek said, it would take many generations and many years of breeding and selecting the best dogs to create a pure strain of these dogs. But what happens to the thousands of puppies that are not selected to carry on the line? They're mutts, and they're either going to be sent to the pound, or they're going to be pawned off as ideal dogs[/quote] THANK YOU!! This NEEDED to be said... A GOOD breeder will realize that these animals are not "breed standard" (not capable of prolonging the traits in the breed they want to encourage) and would be sold as pets. As pets, they should not be bred, and not encouraged to create more puppies like them. The problem is the definition of "good".... some breeders just dont care.... A GOOD breeder will require neutering of these pets, so that they dont procreate....to keep the line pure...in a perfect world... there are to manu BYB's to make this a perfect world/setup, unfortunately....

LuckyChaos may be trying to prove his dominance in the pack. If he considers yuou the pack leader, and Riley is trying to "butt in" and get in good with you, he could see this as a reason to prove his dominance again. Are you the main alpha over Lucky? That's what it looks like. and, yes, it is a form of jealousy, though not like we know it. Lucky does not want to lose his place to this youngster.....and if Lucky considers you alpha then your attention to Riley is a threat to his place in the pack. You might want to take the time to pet Lucky first, play with him first, etc...to let him know you will maintain his role in the pack. Then play with Riley. see if that helps..... :)

Lab/Germain Shorthair Pointer Mix (Freebee) Purebred Foxhound (Laurel) mix breed. ill tempered, short haired cat called PushyCat. His name well chosen once his traits came to the surface. He started out as "muffy".....

You wont find us squabbling here about which breed is better. We ALL have different breeds. different situations, different lifestyles. We all agree to make our dogs lives the best we can. THAT'S the bottom line....

with Freebee - the fact that she watches over me and stands up for me no matter what. She also cleans my feet, and my other dog, she would have made a good mom dog. Laurel - still settling in - but she obviously loves me and looks happy to see me every time.

I have lost many dogs, most to old age and complications, one to illness I couldnt do anything about..... Taurus (my First dog, Golden Retriever) died of old age. Jarvis (died of old age and kidney complications) Alex (died of blastomycosis - a fungal infection he breathed in) They all go sometime. I just hope to make their lives easier and as long as possible.