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Horsefeathers!

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  1. I've seen that stuff on tv and it looked like a total scam to me. Also, what I didn't get is why they had people spraying this stuff all over supposed "urine" on toilets and floors and such instead of just cleaning it off. "Oh, there's pee all over my toilet. I can't be bothered getting it off; I'll just spray over it!" Do people really do this?? :o That kind of advertising pretty much convinced me that it was a scam. I'm sorry you got taken, BM, but I'm kinda glad to hear some feedback on it. :oops:
  2. My doggers won the toy lottery this year. Thanks to the generosity of my Secret Santa, and then the generosity of an even more secretive Santa, my dogs are set. I'm just going to pass the goodies around on Christmas day. Hey, they don't know that *I* didn't buy them! :oops:
  3. What creative use of words you have there! Am I a bad person for admitting that I giggled out loud at the image of you threatening to stab someone in the eyes with your grilling fork? :oops: Perhaps it is time for Snoopy to disappear into the hands of a more responsible owner (or group). :o
  4. Most of my dogs love people, nearly all people. PJ (Toy Poodle) is probably the absolute most friendly, people lovin' dog we have. Tucker is a typical friendly Lab who adores people which is what made him perfect as a therapy dog. Peaches the Dobe is the least menacing, most friendly attention ho you could imagine in a dog. Peanut (other Toy Poodle) really likes people, doesn't care much for strange dogs. Perry and Pauly (Standard Poodles) LOVE people. Perry loves people onsite, completely and unconditionally. He'll greet you as if you are a long lost friend that he hasn't seen in forever, even if it's his first time ever meeting you. We've really had to work hard on curbing that enthusiasm. Pauly loves people, too, but he tends to be more cautious. He has trust issues stemming from his past, but he loves people as long as he doesn't perceive them as threatening. He seems to be a little more intimidated by men. Devin (the youngest Lhasa) likes people ONLY if he isn't in a crate or in the car. He has a split personality. He will not let anyone (other than hubby or me) else near a crate or the car if he's in them, even people he knows. He says he will bite, and he means it. As soon as his feet hit the floor, he's the most loving, happy, outgoing dog. Weird. Our Simon Schnauzer is a people lover, too. If we don't keep him on a short leash (literally), he can be very intimidating and "in your face," but he's just very exuberant and vocal. He sounds menacing (people with terriers can probably relate) with his grunts and snorts and guffaws (can be perceived as growling by people who don't know better), but he LOVES people... a little too much sometimes. About the only dogs we have that do not like people are Chico (Chihuahua), Missy (Lhasa) and Fred ('nother Lhasa). We didn't socialize them well in the early days (didn't know any better), and it shows. Chico and Missy will try to get away from you, but Missy will bite if someone were to reach for her. I mean, neither of them are coming after you as long as you don't corner them. Chico isn't "yappy" and ill mannered as far as aggressively going after people. He's pretty well behaved. He just doesn't like to be cornered by strangers and unfortunately many people can't resist picking up the Chi since, of course, they are meant to be held and all :roll: . Chico is just fine on all fours being left alone. I almost hate to admit that he's not very well socialized and doesn't like people because it seems to fan the flames of "nasty little ankle biter" and "yappy little dog" when he really isn't. He's well mannered and tolerant as long as strangers respect his boundaries. :oops: Fred will try to get away from you and then freeze in his tracks and poop where he stands if a stranger comes too close. :oops: So only three out of eleven of mine don't like people, but it's totally our faults for not socializing them when they were young. The rest of the gang are people lovers.
  5. Court, really keep an eye on that sore. Cats are known to get abscesses, especially from things like bite wounds. You'll just want to really pay attention to it. Sorry Ford had to learn the hard way.
  6. It doesn't seem like a year. I'm so sorry you're feeling down. It has been a really rough year for you. :(
  7. You know those egg crate type of mattress pads? You can cut those to whatever size you need and then make a really simple cover for it... think of a glorified pillowcase with one open end. You can either leave the end open, or use velcro fasteners (I don't bother trying to do zippers... too much trouble). It really only takes a few minutes to make, and it's simple as falling off a log. We like to cut those pads to size and then double or even triple them over so that they're really thick and plush. Another thought is to see if you can find some old furniture that still has halfway decent cushions. You can recycle those cushions as dog beds and cover them the way you want to.
  8. I reckon you really do need to start again. In my own experience, whenever you've had aggression issues with dogs, you have to constantly be on your toes. I don't think dog aggressive dogs are really ever cured as much as they are controlled, you know? If you stay on your toes, you can usually see the signs of trouble brewing (posturing, hackling, whatever body language) before it ever reaches boiling point. Good luck starting over. If you were able to do it before, you should be able to do it again. Only this time, don't let your guard down. :wink:
  9. This guy was boarding at our clinic and I thought of you. He's such a ham, a clown and a real love. I took 382948267203846 pictures, but he is in constant motion, so everything else was a blur. I could see me falling in love with one of these. Anyway, just a share. :) [img]http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c360/HFeathers/Bulldogboarder.jpg[/img]
  10. [quote name='drjeffrock']I dont get it. I only read a few posts, so correct me if I am wrong. You guys are advocating taking aggressive dogs to Petco, as long as they are on-leash and "under control?" Sorry but around here you cannot just assume that Muffin's owner is going to ask "Hi, is your dog aggressive. Can we come over to say hi?" What ends up happening is that Muffin's owner ends up checking out a new super-duper dog toy while Muffin rounds the corner on her Flexi-leash and walks right up to a dog-aggressive dog without her owner even knowing what here dog is doing. [/quote] Doesn't that make Muffin's owner the irresponsible one? I do not see the point in keeping my dog confined his entire life because of the possibility that others might do something irresponsible. [quote]I really disagree with a lot of you here, aggressive dogs do NOT belong in Petco or another pet store with small aisles. Its the same deal at dog parks. I have had to risk getting bitten numerous times for breaking up a dogfight (which my dogs were not even involved in) only to hear a girl crying that "I cant believe my dog bit your dog. I can usually control her fine." Or whatever the case. And R2, I dont understand how you had a problem with me handling my bud's dob (who I had control of at the dog park) yet its ok to bring an aggro dog to a dog store with tiny aisles? [/quote] Maybe the PetWhatevers in my area are different, but the aisles in our stores are not "tiny." There is plenty of room to keep two well leashed dogs separate, even when passing. Maybe we need some clear cut definition of "aggressive." If I had a dog that was obviously on egg shells and uncomfortable, or a dog that was strangling itself at the end of a leash all the way through the store trying to get to other dogs, well, probably not going to take him into PetWhatever. Other than that, Muffin's owner is irresponsible if she's letting Muffin wander around out of sight on a flexi lead. The dog I have that is dog aggressive loves to go out. He isn't stressed by being out, and he loves to travel. He just doesn't dig having other dogs in his face. He's not going to go out of his way to approach them. I'm perfectly ok with that. I'm not going to keep him confined his entire life just because other dog owners might be irresponsible and let their dogs wander unattended. Even if Muffin's mom is being a total airhead and not paying attention, I can promise you that I am totally aware of what's going on 360 degrees around MY dog. Muffin would never have a chance to make it to him unless she was totally off leash. Granted, mine is a Schnauzer and not a Pit Bull, so I'm not worried about harming the breed's reputation. I don't know if that would make any difference to me, anyway. I worry enough about how irresponsible people affect my dogs. It's why I have a fence, it's why they aren't allowed as much time outside as I'd like, it's why I walk the perimeter of my yard daily looking for "treats," and I'm sure there are many other aspects of our daily lives that are affected by other people's irresponsiblity. I draw the line, though, at keeping mine confined 24/7 and not allowing any of them to leave the house because someone else *might* do something irresponsible like let their dog wander around unattended. Anyway, while we're debating this, how about a clear definition of aggression, and how much is tolerated? We may be debating different things entirely. Again, I wouldn't take a dog that was straining at the end of its leash, [b]uncontrollable[/b] or unhappy.
  11. [quote name='Oscar The Grouch']And yeah, ordinairly, while cautious, I typically dont just out right ask. I think the owner bears some responsibility to protect other dogs from their own dog also given that petsmart is somewhere where you EXPECT to see other dogs.[/quote] Other than keeping the dog under control, leashed at their side, what else should they do to protect other dogs? I expect to see other dogs in PetWhatever, but I do not expect anyone to just let their dog approach mine. I'm responsible for keeping my dog under control, as anyone is with theirs, no matter how friendly they think their dog (or mine) is. I expect you to keep YOUR dog under control. Doing rescue work, I might be socializing a nervous dog, or a dog with some degree of dog aggression, by taking them into places where there are people and other dogs. PetWhatevers are often the perfect, and sometimes just about the only place to do this. It isn't fair to label a person irresponsible just because someone might do something silly like assume my dog is friendly just because he's there, and let their dog approach it. Each owner is responsible for their own dog, and that means keeping your own dog under control. IMO, it should be basic doggy and owner manners to never let your dog approach another without the consent of the other owner.
  12. I'm with Mal, too. I have at least one dog that absolutely would go at another dog if it got too close. It wouldn't keep me from taking him into PetWhatever or anywhere else. I have him under control. He isn't roaming the store and he isn't allowed to actually approach another dog. As long as other people respect OUR boundaries, all will be fine. Besides, how would you ever socialize an aggressive/non-friendly dog if you didn't take them out around others? People would consider you irresponsible if you didn't attempt to socialize your dog, but they consider it irresponsible when you try. I think Mal is 100% dead on target.
  13. It still sounds like so much fun. One day, when I don't have 8389472013750 dogs, I think I'd love to do something like that.
  14. Wonderful news, and one more step on the road to normalcy. :)
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