courtnek

OMD!!!! KARMA is back at the shelter!! (I started surfing again after the lab was gone) - they said he was only good with SOME dogs, but Freebee is only good with "some" dogs too.....he was adopted, and then the husband was transferred and cant take the dog, so he's back!! I am going to take Freebee tomorrow to meet him. This is TOO weird!!!! :drinking: Karma was one I wanted to adopt earlier on, but they said he wasnt good with all dogs and I worried about Freebee and her attitude, then he got adopted out....

thanks Abker and Malamum - I had a REALLY bad moment there - I let her play with Freebee, they got along just wonderfully - running and playing - I had just decided I was going to keep her, when the phone rang. The owners had called the police. I almost lied and said she excaped, but then I thought "What if it was Freebee?" so I gave them my address and her owners came and picked her up....she has kids, and the kids were in tears that the dog was missing. Is God testing me? One good thing came out of it - I know that Freebee is not adverse to ALL dogs (I was beginning to think so) so I guess I'll just keep looking.... :(

I just found a stray - yellow lab, with teats, but no milk. Thin, eating everything in sight, has a collar on but no tags....friendly as can be, somewhat timid.....Freebee has sniffed her thru the door and so far no confrontations....I have called the police, in two different towns, and she has not been yet recorded missing. She has a sore on one of her paws, although not real serious looking. I dont want to have to have her taken away, because if no one claims her I want to keep her, but I havent introduced her formally to Freebee yet.... I dont know what to do!! She is SOOOO friendly, just wants attention... She doesnt look sick or extremely thin, her coat is well cared for and shiny, someone owned this dog and she hasnt been missing that long....

[quote]I didn't say she was alone It was in front of me, and I stopped him, but in that minute space of time he had knocked her over. It was literally a split second, and he's not done it again. Bear in mind that this was when he was very new to us, he now knows that the kids come higher up than him. I would never leave my children alone with a dog, not even Sky who we've had for 2 years. I dont know where you got the impression I did [/quote] I apologize Lisa, I didnt mean that the way it came out. It was a generalization on how I feel about kids and dogs alone, not any kind of chastisement for you..... :cry:

It's been installed for 5 years. At the time, it was about $35.00

there is a screen cage you can get at Home improvement stores. It's metal, and it looks like a heavy metal screen with wide holes, so the air can come in through the regular screen. it attaches right to the door and stays there. you put it on the outside of the door. The dog cannot break through it and cannot reach the screen. My lab did the same thing, that's how I came across the screen cage.

[quote]I can also change a confrontation between two of my dogs from tense to playful by playgrowling...it's weird, but it works.[/quote] as it should!! they see you as Alpha, you said KNOCK IT OFF in their language, and they understood. This is actually how they should behave. If they've PO'd the Alpha, that's what will happen.... :D

the best way to discipline a cat is vocally - they dont like loud noises, so if you say NO stern and fairly loud (dont scream) they will get the picture. Do not hit them, I wouldnt advocate the squirt bottle because they hate water, altho it works on some cats. Do not be surprised if after a vocal discipline they run, or hunch up. They are very independant, and you have to start training them at a young age. AND it takes longer than with a dog. You really need to work on the reward program with a cat. more so than a dog. They respond much better to positive input than negative. If you see them scratching on their post, using their litter box, pet them gently and talk to them in a quiet voice. They do respond to treats. They like to be cuddled if you started them early being held. Those are the best rewards, and they provide the best results. Pretty much everything with a cat has to be positive.

I saw this before, but with one extra, that just cracked me up Whimper and shake during thunderstorms, especially at night. I f they throw you out of the bedroom than howl and whine. After a few nights like this, they might let you up on the bed. As soon as you're up there, quiet down immediately. Still shake, but dont make any noise. They will feel sorry for you and let you sleep up there whenever it storms....

I have heard both good and bad things on Iams, Eukanuba and Science diet. depends on which article you read. I dont like Iams testing strategy, which I understand they have agreed to stop. And I have to feed my cat Iams because nothing else will stay down, so I wrote letters and stuff. I feed my dog Purina Lamb and Rice. She is very healthy, has a beautiful coat, and clear eyes. A lot of people have told me that Purina is junk food, but the lamb and rice one works wonders on Freebee. It just depends on the dog.

it doesnt matter how big or small they are - they all are lap-dog wannabe's!!! mine is 75 lbs and wants to be in my lap all the time. or on my bed, or the couch, anywhere there is a human.... :D

[quote]Neutering is such a common procedure now a days. I would be more scared of spaying my dog then neutering.[/quote] I agree - neutering is basically an in-and-out procedure - just have to wait for the anesthesia to wear off. Spaying is a total hysterectomy... I was more concerned getting my female spayed than my males neutered. However, I would not want to use a new drug either - not without extensive testing and a trail period to see what happens.

shaving is not good, the fur actually protects them from the heat. instead, have him "thinned" - get the vet to cut out the undercoat, leaving the top coat intact. They need the top coat to deflect the heat and protect them, but they dont need the undercoat. I had Jarvis (the malamute) thinned every summer, because it took so long for the undercoat to fall out on its own... Once thinned, and with a plastic baby pool, he'll be in seventh heaven!! once thinned, the undercoat grows in stronger and protects them in the winter. If you dont have "winter" where you are, you can have the undercoat thinned every six months....

:D in case anyone else has drain issues peel a lemon and keep the peels. About a third of the peel is good for cleaning out the garbage disposal. Put the rest in the freezer, for use later on. Start the disposal, run water and it will grind up the peels, and the whole kitchen will smell like fresh lemon...REALLY fresh lemon,not Mr. Clean lemon - LOL - then take the lemon and juice it, and make lemonade!! fresh lemonade is the BEST!! ok, I'm done doing the Martha Stewart thing now.... :D

[quote]i am so glad to hear he's doing better, if it makes you feel any better lady has gotten sprayed but skunks like three times in the last several months, you'd think she'd learn, but no........[/quote] my malamute mix got skunked twice in two weeks - I was really PO'd, and actually considered shooting the skunk....(i target shoot for sport) It got old staying up till all hours of the night, washing the dog in tomato juice.... I opened the back door one night, and there she was, in my yard AGAIN, waiting for the dog, so I thought...then I realized that there was a ripped open garbage bag in the yard...my son had been leaving the garbage in the yard rather than putting it in the garbage bin...and the skunk was nursing and trying to feed her pups. I COULD NOT shoot her, knowing that she was only trying to survive.....and keep her kids alive.... Suddenly I felt sorry for the skunk, not my dog, He was a victim of circumstances, SHE was trying to survive, and keep her kids alive... I made sure from that point that my son put the garbage in the bins, but I would make a point of leaving food for her outside the yard where she could easily get it. At some point they moved on, and I never saw her again. My friends said I was nuts. But I couldnt bring myself to take her life, knowing she had pups, and knowing that she was just trying to keep them fed.... ok, so I;m an animal lover.....So SUE ME!! :D

It's Eukanuba - Iams owns Eukanuba, and since most vets will recommend either those, or Science Diet, Iams makes a killing. there are issues with the tests they did on dogs to determine muscle and tissue growth after being fed Iams/Eukanuba....From what I understand it is in litigation now....and yes, vets will recommend the food that they get "kick-backs" for...a good vet will not sell the food unless he believes it is a good food....but there are a lot of bad vets. And others really believe it is a good food. It's business as usual.... Just FYI - neither of my dogs could eat either Iams or Eukanuba - it upset them badly. My cat requires Iams because its the only old cat food that will stay down, and not cause hairballs, so for his sake, I do buy it. he cant eat any wet food, or people food at all..and I have tried other brands of cat food, none of them work for him.

[quote]You don't go to happy hours with co-workers any more because you need to go home and see your dog. [/quote] [quote]You go to the pet supply store every Saturday because it's one of the very few places that lets you bring your dog inside, and your dog loves to go with you[/quote] guilty as charged - and proud of it!!! :D

it's probably just the heat. My malamute mix wouldnt do anything in the summer except lay on the couch under the air conditioner ( no lie!) let the first snowfall come though, and he was up and running and screaming around the yard. He just couldnt take the heat. see if he acts different once it cools off a little....

some frogs do have poison sacs in them, but I dont know exactly what kind. It's better not to let him eat them.... and I may be confusing them with toads as well, so dont take this at face value. still, reptiles carry diseases they are immune to, like salmonella, best to not let him eat them.... you could try praying mantis'....but I'm not a gardner.... glad he's better.

[quote]I'm not sure I'd wait in line for the other ...unless maybe they were Chippendales [/quote] I'D wait in line for that!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[quote]I hate tuna. The smell is awful! My husband is always making tuna sandwiches, and he pores the juice out in my drain. Yuck! Talk about smelly. And he wonders why he don't get none anymore? [/quote] DO you have a garbage disposal? if so, put lemon peels in it and turn it on - the smell is wonderful!! If not, pour a little lemon juice down the drain and it will dispatch the smell for you

[quote]Cool! Courtnek..i have a book called "Why Do Dogs Do That" it sounds like the one u have...its funny! [/quote] yea, so is mine. This guy ia a behaviorist, and tells funny stories thoughout the whole book...how the dog is humping "George" the cat, and he is in the middle of watching his favorite show.....it's really funny and fun to read...and it has a lot of good advice on dog behavior... :D

BULLYGIRL! I CONGRATULATE YOU!! anyone willing to admit that there is a genetic problem in their heredity and go forward from there...that;s a BIG step, and a painful one. When I had my son, the doctors swore up and down that he wouold NEVER become a diabetic, because only I carried the gene...they found out later that his father carried a versin of it as well, and he is a diabetic now.... Had I known that going in, I would not have had children.... It's a horrendous thing to go through, loss of limbs, sight, kidneys... I would not have wished that on anyone... and I basically gave it to my son, because the doctors didnt know.... :(

FYI - ACD'S tend to be smart, stubborn, and intelligent, which you already knew. It's a curse, I tell you!! Lab's are intelligent, intelligent enough to know that if I call her in the yard she comes right back, because she knows she cant escape, but if she gets out, forget recall!! since they are working dogs, ACD's would probably learn better in a working environment....they like to herd, chase, run. You could try this, I have a friend with BC's that trained them this way. She has a laser-light pen (NEVER shine it in the dgos eyes, it's detrimental) that she runs along the fence outside. Th dogs try to "herd" the light, and in the process she instills, sit, stay, come, using the light. She makes them sit, shines the light, they attune to it immediately. She then runs them thru a complete obedience trial using the light. When they have obeyed sufficiently she then runs it across the fence and lets them chase it, and watches to see where they want it to go. She then lets them "herd" it as a reward. It works good for her.

not alot, actually, unless you are there...the one dog may be trying to move "up the ranks" and showing position by humping. Only the alpha can stop that. Sometimes, tho, you just gotta let them work it out amongst themselves, unless it looks like an injury is possible.