courtnek

I've been puttin off reading this one, I dont like the sad stories, but it's oh so true..... Unfortunately, people often do the same thing with their children.... So why bother to have them (pets and children) if you dont want to take care of them? They're not toys that you can just throw away when you're tired of them. It just makes me SOO angry......... :cry:

Most of the points I was going to make have already been made. A chain has to be attached to something, and it gives the dog a bad risk of getting entangled in it. However, did you say you leave the dog out this way all the time, or just sometimes? I dont believe dogs should be chained out all the time, because of the above mentioned danger of ignorant neighbors, children and other dogs. For a short run, the better solution in a non-fenced yard is a chain run. A metal line attached to two places (not trees) with a 6-8 foot long "leash" on the dogs collar with a loop in it. He can run up and down the line, and the length of the leash can let him move back and forth. Depending on how wide the area is the leash can be even longer - Since it's not attached to anything but the wire it doesnt get tangled, and it's completely off the ground. THIS IS NOT AN ALL DAY CONFINEMENT MEANS. This is for letting him out to do his business and run a while. Like you said, dog runs are no better, especially if not cared for, and they tend to make the dogs feel locked up all the time. The best solution, if possible, is a fence. I still, however, do not believe in letting them stay out all day unless they have a warm, clean place to rest (like a doghouse with straw in it), blocked from the wind, and only providing the yard is tamper-proofed and the weather is tolerable. Mine would love to stay out all day, but winter in Chicago precludes that. So does summer, come to think of it.....there also has to be fresh water every day. I would never leave mine out all night, no matter how nice out it is. One other thing to think about - dogs that are outside all day tend to bark, at every little thing - even more so when they're chained, because they cant get closer to investigate. Be aware that a dog that barks all day will annoy your neighbors, who may decide to throw a peace of poisoned steak into the yard to put a stop to the noise. Antifreeze can be gotten anywhere, and dogs love the way it tastes....

I have been told they sholdnt eat "tubers" in general, potato's, onions, etc...but carrots seem ok. cooking tubers creates gas - maybe that's why? brocolli isnt the best either. I give mine leftovers now and again, but usually the meat and sometimes the macaroni or rice. They LOVE rice!! The leftovers are only enough to stir into their dry food though - not a complete meal at all. I just use it to spice up their dinners a little. However, mine are not purebred. My vet said that purebreds sometimes react differently to people food then mixed breeds do. It doesnt seem to have hurt mine any and the vet said they are very healthy, but i would check with your vet first. Did the grapes that dog ate have seeds in them by any chance? I will throw a seedless grape to mine every now and then as a treat....Should I not do that then?

It's tomorrow - Isaid I was gonna do it , and I did....\ Dear Cookeville; SOME OF US THINK DOGS ARE MORE THAN JUST ORNAMENTS, OR TRAILER TRASH; SOME OF US ***LOVE** THEM...YOUR POLICE DIDNT TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN THEY KILLED PATTON - THEY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN FOR THE HORRIBLE THING THEY DID. NONE OF US WILL EVER COME TO YOUR TOWN. aND **NONE** OF US WILL EVER STOP TELLING EVERYONE THAT **YOUR TOWN** IS A PLACE WHERE **DOGS** ARE AT RISK FOR THEIR LIVES!!!! NOT ONLY WILL IT NEVER BE FORGOTTEN., IT WILL NEVER BE ***FORGIVEN*** UNTIL HALL IS IN JAIL,!!!!! WHAT HE DID IS UNFORGIVABLE, and I dont care WHO in your police, government , or othewise SAYS otherwise... bottom line, F*** you and youe police dept and your local govt!!! I have made a great attempt to tell EVERYONE I know about this - your tourism is going to suffer, believe ME!! and YOU deserve EVERY MINUTE OF IT. You defended these BAST****... These firemen know the love that people have for their dogs knpw the bond that exists know that dogs feel. love and give their all your HALL is an idiot...I'm not surprised he cant bond with a dog - your average dog would consider him not worthy of his time.. .

It's tomorrow in my neck of the woods - DONE!!

:evilbat: :evilbat: :evilbat: :evilbat:

all right you guys - I WILL do this without consensus... any opposing votes - speak now or forever hold your peace.... tomorrow is the day!

hhmmmmm.....no takers? I'll do it if everyone agrees.... hehehehehehehe :evilbat:

I tried to post this before and the site went <poof> on me So how is it pronounced? bah-CHEE-oh maybe? or BOTCH-ee-oh? How did I do? LOL congrats on your new pup! :D

Insects dont bother me except for roaches - those give me the screaming meemies...I lived in an apt that had them and I moved out FAST.... My neighbor had roses growing, and had bought some mantis' to keep the aphids and stuff away. I found one in my yard one morning. It was staring Jarvis down. He was barking at it, and it wouldnt move (scared, defiant?) I came out to see what was up, and found this huge bug staring down my dog....I busted out laughing. It let me pick it up (that really surprised me) and return it to it's garden.... Why would a mantis let me pick it up? Scared of the dog maybe?

OH Daisymom! I am SOO sorry..... I have the ashes still from all my pets. In decorative containers. It is hard at first - you might want to put them "out of site" for a little while. Eventually, a time will come whe you will want to put them where you can see them. When my first dog, Taurus, died (the Golden R) I was devastated, I also had a cat at the time, Isis, who loved Taurus as much as I did. Isis and Taurus slept together every night - Isis would curl up next to Taurus' belly and they would sleep that way. I had Taurus cremated, and brought the ashes home in a sealed decorative can. I put them on the bookcase headboard on my bed. The following Monday, I came home from work to find the can on the floor in the living room, and Isis sleeping next to it!! (True, I swear!) Somehow he knew his friend was there. It didnt matter where I put the can, he found it and dragged it out. Since it was sealed, I eventually gave up and let him keep it in his kitty bed. When he died, I had himn cremated and now both of them are on the bookcase headboard. It makes me smile to think of how much two "natural enemies" refused to be parted from each other. My thoughts are with you - this is hard, I know. Know that you are doing what is best for your pup - that's our job as pet owners. You will always remember; and so will your pup.

Someone sent me a quote once, and unfortunately I cant remember who said it, but I have it pasted to my PC at work. "If dogs dont go to heaven, then when I die I want to go where they are". Amen to that!

ok the natural troublemaker in me has come out again...... Maybe we should copy/paste our firemen stories into an emal with a title of something like "How It Should Be Done!" and fire it off to Cookeville..... hehehehehehehehe....... :evilbat:

Greetings and Welcome! :D :D :D :D :D

My Malamute/BC mix had on of those extra claws too. The vet said it was a "dew claw" and was used in the working dog breeds for extra traction. He had one on each foot

you did fine. you werent going to get her to agree with you anyway - her mind is fixed. as far as her story - you were correct. The dog that bit her and Blake had issues of some sort. It could very well have felt threatened by her putting her hand towards it's head; although that's not usually enough to make it bite without warning. There could be things she didnt point out as well.... It's more likely this dog had problems. I dont agree with the breeder/wolf-dog mix part either. I think there was something wrong with this particular dog. I have a problem with the thought that the dog felt threatened when she got too close to to it's head, did nothing, then let her pet it on the back - THEN bit her. Usually, if they're gonna bite, they let you know that at the beginning, before you ever get close enough to touch; at least in my experience. The wolf story tho - I dont buy it as told. Wolves tend to stay away from people in general, especially if they're on a loud machine, unless they feel threatened; are rabid, like you said, OR you have just gotten way too close to the den. Wolves have been known to both warn and then attack if you get too close to the babies....they key word here is WARN - So the only way I can see thiss happeneing is if he was warned, either didnt know it or ignored it, and blundered directly into the den area. Wolves are pack animlas, so unless this particular one was a loner, there would have been more than one seen before any attack happened. They are actually more afraid of us then we are of them, except in certain cicumstances they try hard to stay out of our way and unnoticed.... All in all, I have to say both of these stories just dont ring entirely true as told...Either there are facts that have been left out, or the story has been embellished. And reading back over this, I just realized I have fallen into my VERY bad habit of thinking out loud....sorry if it seems kinda convoluted. Yes, I do argue with myself, and sometime out loud too, whilc I'm getting my thoughts in line. I will try to stop doiing that... :oops:

Thank you Behle - I copied that story and sent it to some people at work. Freebee cant stand to see people sad, even those she doesnt know. No one beleuves me when I tell them she is like that. My Golden, Taurus, was like that too. Beckett did something wonderful for that man - br reminding him that Dogs love is forever.

Bensam, you are in my thoughts....this is SO hard....I have had to do it as well. I wrote a post on it. They are always with you (I sound like the Pet Psychic...) but mine have never faded. Know that you gave your pup the best of you, the best of your heart, and know that your pup appreciated it and loved you. A dog is the only love money can buy.... I am SO sorry... Will this help? My son has Jarvis' collar in his room...and still believes that Jarvis is looking after him, like he always did when he was alive.. I still believe that Taurus is here as well. I probably shouldnt say this. but Alex is so much like Taurus I see him every day. Even the facial expressions are the same... do they "come back"? I dont know. I'd like to believe they do... Sometimes, things turn out a certain way..we dont know why.. Dont let this deter you from gettng another dog - yours would want you to.

:D :D :D :D I liked the one about communicating - they do seem to try harder, dont they? LOL

I gotta agree. I come home from work, the dogs greet me at the door, give me puppy kisses and wag tails so furiously it could clear tables (lab trait, that). My kid says "hi mom" and goes to his room.... LOL :D

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: was that from the "Far Side"???? thanks for the giggles

I have two lab mixes, I'll do what I can. 1. They like to run, including escapism. They arent trying to run away, they just like to move around in the world, but you gotta keep an eye on them. 2. They need good training and exercise. They are very obedient when trained, and reliable, but they are a hunting dog breed and need the stimulation of training. 3. Unfortunately, they will eat ANYTHING - some of them need to chew as well. Get them good chew toys to keep them content. Diet should consist of a good dry food, and then combine in a SMALL quantity of canned food or oil, to keep their coats glossy. They do not develop much of an undercoat in the winter, and keeping the coat glossy helps keep them warm. It waterproofs the coat and provides protection from the winter. 4. They often tend to be "one man dogs" - they like everybody (not the best guard dogs) but they will bond with one person and everyone else comes second. They are marvelous with children. 5. They like to work. I have read that in Australia they are the number one dog chosen for people-assistance dogs. This goes along with the training note from above. They need to feel useful. 6. They want a lot attention....a good run before bed will make them a little less itchy to do something. 7. They tend to be very friendly and loving. They have given their hearts to people and are completely happy o do so. Hope that helps some. If you have specific questions, let us know.

by the "little pads", do you mean the toepads that line up in front of the bigger pad? On both my dgos they're in the same place. little ones at the front of the foot and big one towards the back. Alex's nose is always wetter than Freebee's....hers is black and his is pink - correlation? As far as bristly or smooth, I would think they might be more bristly after a walk, cuz they're being worn...I'll have to check mine after they come in from their next run. didnt help much, did it? :-?

I talked to her tonight. She doesnt understand it either.....they were all doing so well, and then this.... We have agreed to watch each other and make sure Freebee and Cody are not out at the same time until spring, when I can get the new fencing up. Cody is a rescue, and has not yet been fixed. That's due to be done this weekend....maybe that will make a difference... The funny thing is that when she moved in. she was afraid of the BC being able to leap the fence and get in my yard,,, I would take the BC in my yard anytime. I'm sure they'd all get along fine. I just dont want a fight with Cody.... I think Cody and Freebee are just "notright" in each others company... maybe after he's fixed that will change. I'm still doing the fence reinforcement tho...

Prong collars work well with strong dogs who have become desenstiazed to the choke. But the same issues apply - the dog will become desensitized to the prong as well, with out training. Mei's suggestions were all VERY good. Your pup needs to be trained to pay attyention to you - NO MATER WHAT - and a little bit of dominance training wont hurt either. Dominance training involves making the dog understand that YOU are the alpha.... they do NOT walk ahead of you, ever. especially during training. The prong collar will help in the begining, as yuu already noticed, because it curbs them from pulling. As simple as it sounds, teach him to heel. Under those circumstances, he never walks ahead of you. In a pack situation, no one walks ahead of the alpha. He leads, they follow. In the heel mode, you can use your 180 degree turn tactic to youR advantage during training. When he tries to get ahead of you, stop, order him to heel, and turn 180 degrees and go the other way. The prong collar will help in this situatin because it makes it harder to pull. EVERY TIME he tries to get ahead, order him to heel and turn. Eventually, he will realize that his world will be turned upside down every time he pulls ahead. Once he understands that, the rest is easy. It's just getting THAT down that takes time. Once he has learned "his place" you will find the prong collar unnecessary. A simple leather collar will do. I have web collars on mine, to cut down on fur displacement (web collars breathe) but I had to train them using chokes...