courtnek

How big is your kitchen? There isnt a lot in there they can destroy (put the garbage up) and a baby gate should be fine. Put a bed and his kongs in there for him - he;ll have room enough to move around, and if he has an accident it's easy to clean up. Would it help if you put his crate in your room? At least until he gets over the seperation anxiety? When mine were puppies I always put the crate in my room until they were housebroken. Then they dont feel quite so alone

I'm allergic to bee stings - my throat will close up inside of minutes if I get stung. I have a syringe with a special "adrenaline" type solution in it that I have to carry everywhere... as far as the dogs - Alex will watch bugs go by and not move. Freebee will leap off the floor and try to catch them. But the funniest thing is the cat. He will kill them, then go get Freebee to eat them. He wont eat them under any circumstances, but he'll kil them for her... :D

Thanks Newfiemom! Like I said, outrageously curious... I need to know everything about everything!! please put up with me.. :D

Thats the problem, and probably my fault - I ddnt watch them closely because everything seemed fine - until today.... they were playing all along - no problems - and then today I went to call them in and Freebee wouldnt come - on the third call I went out to see.. Labs are notorious runners, but they usually come back from the yard... she was running along the fence as usual; except this time she refused to come in and her hackles were up..and no command would bring her back. She's usually good about coming in when called... I had to use the emergency call - "get IN now" to bring her back... Her hackles were up high, until she got in the house. She settled then, but it disturbs me..... I have nothing against PB's, but I dont want my laid-back labbies in a fight with them....and she's so sure of herself she would probably fight, and lose......

Emmit and Emma? are they brother and sister? thanks for all the info - I am outrageously curious about everything....

I have two chihauhas (sp?) next door ont he other side, and they DO seem to think they rule the world...They bark at my dogs all the time, like they could DO anything if they ever met - it's really funny! I cant put the reinforcements or the new fence up until this spring - the ground is frozen..It's all of 7 degrees here ! I keep telling my friend Izzy in Canada to get her wind/weather and her geese OUT OF HERE! LOL - we are swamped with Canadian Geese down here... Do I need to keep Freebee in then until Spring? I dont think either of them can get through the fence - although Alex is very cagey about escaping....How good is a chain link against a potentially angry PB? He actually doesnt SEEM angry, only Freebee has her hackles up.... Is that ok then? I've never raised a PB and dont know their body language real well...

geez...I would have guesstimated 140 at least - must be the fur.... thanks! :D

No I wouldnt blame the PB...Freebee is a bit of a "do it my way" type of bitch....The fence is chain link so he cant really "get" her through it, and she has taken to not getting to close to it when she runs. How high can they jump? It's only about 5 feet tall, and I was thinking of replacing it with cast iron to make it stronger, but now maybe I should go with wood so they cant see each other.....I was going tall cast iron because Alex is so strong I can see the chain link move when he pushes on it, and he is the escapist supreme. I really think he could break it sometimes....

I have to make a point here - yes APBT's are known to be fighting dogs. Yes, it has been bred into them. Yes, they can be dangerous. BUT - every dog is an individual, just like every person. They are more likely to be dog aggresive, yes. Some things are breed-specific. Labs like to run...mine escape whenever they get the chance. that's breed-specific.... but...if you want to inbtroduce a PB into your family, then I would go with the suggestion that you get one who's personality has already been determined. A slightly older one. The PB next door has a border collies as a playmate and they never fight. The BC is the submissive of the two, that's why. If you have dogs that are very dominant and wont be willing to give up the top position, it may be an issue. You have to take all these things into consideration before making a decision. And letting the dogs meet (supervised) would be your best bet. Good luck!

It's ok for the dog unless 1. they get too close to the light - it can cause vision problems and 2. if they get frustrated about not being able to catch it. I let my labs chase it, and in the end I stop it right where they can get up to it and sniff it. (on the wall, not at the source) I guess they feel they've caught it then....they've shown no frustration about it. I have heard that it's an excellent game for the herding breeds. You kinda let them herd it around and tell it where to go. I've played it with my friends BC's and they love it. Never let your dog get too close to the pen itself. The closer they get to the source the stronger the ray is, and that can cause serious problems. They've been banned at the local schools because the kids were shining them into each others eyes.....

Thank you - I appreciate the info! I dont know what caused this to start up - they were fine together for the longest time. She is not nearly as laid back as Alex is - he still runs the fence with no issues - but she definitely doesnt like this PB for some reason, and it appears to have just started..... And I know it's him she doesnt like, cuz she can run with the Border and no issues..... Thanks again

If you dont intend to breed her, get her spayed. That will cut down on a lot of the dominance behavior. Vet's will sometimes tell you it makes no difference in a female, but it sure did in mine!! A little dominance on your part would help too. Make her understand that YOU are the alpha, and when she misbehaves make her sit at your side, until she stops misbehaving. Hope that helps some :wink:

The rules arround here are "fuzzy" - The law states one dog per apartment; but you can have multiple cats. I also have my own home, (with all of the above listed problems) and there are rules for h ouses too. 3 pets maximum without a kennel permit. I say fuzzy because none of them are ever enforced, unless a problem occurs. However, water pets and reptiles that are caged are not included in the list. I have neighbors with 4 dogs and 3 cats...we have a "cat lady" here... (dont know if she has a "safehouse" permit....)so I guess if you stay out of trouble no one really cares....

Remeber I told you all my dogs like to run the fence with the PB and BC next door? A probelm appears to have arisen..... Freebee has taken somewhat of a dislike to him...She still runs the fence, but with hackles raised. They aren't snarling, the bark tone hasnt changed, but her hackles are definitely up there the whole time.... Is this a beginning of a problem? Also, someone told me I could get stuff to weave through the fence so they couldnt see each other...If I needed it, where would I get it? Thanks..... :Dog_run:

I just remembered your telling me that dog wasnt Mas.... is the one in the commercial bigger then? or is that what a 120 lb Newfie looks like?

I was reading a magazine at the dentist that had the Eukanuba ad with Mas in it. They say she was only 120 lbs!! Is that true? She looks MUCH bigger than that - or am i being "fooled by the fur" again?

I completely agree with you Six....the police have to be responsible forheir actions in all situaions. They are supposed to protect us. If they allow personal feelings, personal grudges or dislikes; to impar their judement, they are not doing their jobs..

GOOD FOR YOU!! All ANY of us can do is try..... and sometimes the "poorer" shelters need the most help.... I gotta ask - does your science get you caught up in all the hoopla about stem cell research? You dont have to answer if you dont want to.... Glad to know you - and chat with me anytime!!

I have an old cat, who was here first before the current dogs. Freebee was a puppy, and Pushy "whipped" her into shape in no time...the adjustment period was practically non-existant. Alex was another story. He was full grown when I got him and had no experience of cats. Pushy hid from Alex for weeks, and really all he wanted to do was sniff him and know him, but Pushycat wasnt budging. After a few weeks, I put a baby gate up in the ktchen doorway. Pushy's food and catbox are in the basement so the dogs cant get to them. With the gate up, Pushy was able to "get to know" Alex without feeling threatened. They sniffed through the gate and got used to each other. Now, Pushycat rules the roost. He reclaimed his dominance of the house, and both dogs answer to him. It's really quite funny - together the dogs are 10 times bigger than the cat; he weighs 18 lbs and they are almost 180.... He walks in the room, tail high, and they move out of his way. They will literally GET UP to let him walk by...of course, he has bitten both of them on the nose as a reminder of "whos' the boss" when they "get out of line..." I love dogs, but this is so funny I cant pass it up. They could easily hurt him, but they give him his way.......Pack mentality with an animal that has no pack...cats arent stupid...LOL I think everyone who has a dog should own at least one cat - to show them how it's done.... LOL :D

Which one is "top dog"? Mounting is a dominance behavior when they are arguing over who gets to be Alpha.... Mine do it all the time, and they're both fixed. They cant seem to decide who should be "top dog" so they do this when the question comes about... Eventually they would work it out. My female was here first, and so thinks she is Alpha - my male has other ideas....he's bigger, stronger and male. he's just too laid back to push the issue; and she takes advantage of it.

It looks loke a rip, or a tear...any loose fencing, chain link, that sort of thing? It has one spot on it (the red one) that looks "angry" - that's the spot I'd watch. when they're red like that, its got blood directly underneath the wound. That's where an infection will start if it does. I would say neosporin, except you then have to cover it and make sure she cant get at it. I ued it on Alex's ears (from the infected fly bites) and it works very well, but you have to make sure they cant get at it. They're not supposed to take it internally. (lick it off) You might want to try neosporin and a "wound collar"...to keep her away from it. Neosporin works very well on topical wounds. I would also have the vet look at it before doing anything....just to be sure. Poor Hazel!!

One more note on Jarvis and then I'll shut up When Kyle got old enough to roller blade, and Jarv was getting up there in years too, he used to put Jarv on his leash and have him pull him around the block on his 'blades....It was SO FUNNY - to see the two of them screaming down the sidewalk, Jarv running and Kyle holding on the leash... Kyle would come blading by me, throw me Jarv's leash, and then let the momentum carry him down the sidewalk.... Jarv would sit down and wait for him to blade back - we COULD NOT go in until he returned.....

BEAR problems??? where the heck Are you?? LOL Jarvis always considered Kyle HIS problem...since he was born. He was so overprotective it used to annoy me, until the stair incident. Then I let his instincts take charge, and all turned out well. There were a few moments....some old man stopped on the sidewalk and patted Kyle on the head (WHY do they do that?) and it sent Jarv into a tizzy... he leaped over the fence and charged and I had to tackle him to stop him...NOW I have a 6-foot fence to prevent that kind of thing.... He loved Kyle, and would never allow anyone to hurt him. Even the landlord came up against his wrath. Kyle was laying in a baby seat on the couch when the landlord came by, Jarvis was on the floor beneath him. The landlord reached over to "tickle" him (be it known I DID NOT like this man) and found his hand up against a nasty set of snarling teeth.... I dont know if the landlord was "bad" (I would have said yes, if asked) or if Jarvis was just being his usual overprotective self....or if he felt my distrust... but the landlord pulled his hand away (Jarvis never bit.. his demeanor was enough to make people pull away) and said "you need a rope on that dog..." to which I answered "DONT touch my kid....then it WONT be an issue....." It's funny - in every other respect he was as gentle as they come. Only Kyle could make him get that protective....

Poor Kato! (love the name) when will his bandage come off? yea, it's territorial...."spread the wealth" as it were..... I want o know why my CAT will NOT cover up his droppings!!! He just leaves them there!!!!! :D \

I gotta agree with BK - the dog is better off without him. What kinda dog? Some people seem to think that they will attractattention if they have the "right"pet...they buy exotic dog breeds because they stand out in a crowd, even tho they havent a CLUE about how to take care of them.... It makes me really angrytoo. Get a dog for A reason!! You love dogs, you'e willing to put the time into them, you want your kids to know them nd learn from them. DONT get one cuz this particular breed is "cool"....