Mary's Mama

Well rats!! I thought I could change my name but it doesn't seem to be working. K???? Am I not allowed to change my name? Stewie and Finny are feeling left out :cry:

So I changed my user name. I was feeling bad cuz since I signed up I have gotten two more pups so I am not just Mary's Mama any more. I decided to go with 2 Guys & a Grrl. Hope I dont screw anyone up too bad. Oh and my name is Erin and I dont mind being called by my name :lol: Hopefully I will get some new pics of Finny soon and post them right away.

If you catch her in the act of poo'ing in the house, give her a "ah ah ah", pick it up and take it outside where you want her to go, put it on the ground and praise her like crazy as if she did right. That will let her know inside is a no no but outside is GOOD!! It usually works pretty well as long as you are consistent. Also remember that they are more likely to poo soon after they are feed. Try to keep track of when she is going and get an idea of her schedule and then try to make sure she is outside when she normally has to go.

It is normal but the way to avoid it is to [u]very[/u] slowly add the new food to the old. Some dogs are more sensitive than others. Some require a transition very gradually over weeks, some only a few days. In this case I would feed one meal of the old food only. Then start over, add maybe 3-5 kibbles of the new. Do that for two days, then add 3-5 more and so on and so on. It may take a while but the first few days are usually the worst.

Two things. The diarrhea from the change could be that you simply changed to quickly, some foods/dog require a more gradual approach. I dont see anything wrong with putting Bella on the same Nutro that Ben gets. I have raised two puppies in the last year and both of them ate adult food. I think puppy food is not necessary, they grow too fast and get too fat! When you feed a puppy regular food, you just need to feed more than an adult would eat. I think that the problem with the larger bag vs smaller bag was probably mold of some kind. I bet Ben does not have a food allergy but a mold allergy. It is better the buy less food more often so that you can be sure it stays fresh. Dog food can spoil and grow mold just the same as human food. I would stick to the smaller bags, feed Bella the same food (just a little extra, or if you free feed as much as she wants) and call it a day. Good luck.

I love both my dogs for different reasons because they are so different themselves. Mary is so kind caring and loving. She is such a little lady and does her best to take care of everyone. Stewie is a clown. He is a laugh a minute. Always happy and ready for game. Haven't met Finny yet but I am sure he will have his own personality as well and I can't wait to find out what it is.

[quote name='mommacat'][quote]If you can change, I would. This food actually made the WDJ List of Least Recommended Food. There are much better foods than this. It is your decision though.[/quote] Thanks, MM! I think I will. she has been not eating much lately, and now has taken to stealing food off the table and counter when we turn our backs! VERY frustrating, when she has a full dish!!:evil: I think she doesn't like the taste of it, either. Can you tell me, what is the WDJ List? (sometimes I feel so ignorant on here, thank you all for educating me!!) :oops: I know my pet store carries Innova and Natural Balance, so I may try one of those.[/quote] WDJ (Whole Dog Journal) is a publication/magazine for dog owners. They do an analysis of many different dog foods and then make a list of the ones they recommend and ones they dont. Both Innova and Natural Balance are great foods and I highly recommend them both. Does you dog have any allergies or anything? Natural Balance makes and excellent Duck and Potatoe formula that is fantastic for allergies. However, if you dog does not have allergies you should not use the alternative protein sources. They can develop allergies at any time and you will want to save those special proteins for just in case. That is why I am not an advocate of Lamb and Rice. Too many people feed it and now there are alot of lamb allergies and people are having to turn to venison and duck to find food their dogs aren't allergic too. So try to stick to Chicken or Beef if you can.

All of the Halo products are fantastic. The food is called Spots Stew and the dogs LOVE it. But it is far too expensive to feed exclusively. You could however make your own stew. In fact, if you would be interested in something like that, there is a book called "The Barker's Grub". Fantastic book with many recipes for home cooked food. However, I do not agree that wet food is better than dry. And there are many great dry foods that work well for allergy prone dogs.

Thanks everyone. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Just hope he fits in, although his grandma says he will and she should know. Right now we are at Griffin or Findley, and we are thinking about other names as well. Throw out your favorite boy name if you like. We had Stewie's name picked out before there was a Stewie, we are stumped with this one.

So we decided to just take the leap and get the puppy. Here is Finny (that's his litter name). We need to pick a new name for him but would like it too include "fin" somewhere. I'm so excited!!! [img]http://www.jrtzone.com/P9071097.JPG[/img] Heres a good pic of his spots: [img]http://www.jrtzone.com/P9071082.JPG[/img] Look at how tiny his legs are LOL!! [img]http://www.jrtzone.com/P9071086.JPG[/img] Wish me luck with [color=red][size=6]3 Jack Russells!![/color][/size] Have I just made my death wish?? :wink:

My Mary has the same problem. It is just her natural coat tho, not that she is not getting good nutrients. However, I am using Dr. Krugers Show Dog formula (specifically formulated for coats) to help supplement and get her ready for winter. Her problem is her coat is always thin so she freezes in the winter. I am hoping it will help her coat fill out for winter. [url]www.dockruger.com[/url]

Scottylvr - I have to respectfully disagree with information you shared from the other board. It is quite clear this person does not have the kind of knowledge they claim. I could highlight but that would take too long. For excellent nutrition information I hightly recommend i-dog.com They *really* know their stuff.

If you can change, I would. This food actually made the WDJ List of Least Recommended Food. There are much better foods than this. It is your decision though.

[quote name='mydogroxy']no i haven't tried canidae. i haven't seen it in any of the pet shops i frequent and the ingredients (although good) don't wow me enough to go searching for it.[/quote] I'm actually kinda shocked you are not wow'd by the ingredients. All in all, it has to be about the best dog food out there. There are four different protein sources in the first 7 ingredients. You might want to consider researching it more. It really is much better than Wellness. I used Wellness and while I did I felt it was an excellent food. But subsequent research has changed my mind. While I still believe it is a good food, there are somethings I dont like so much anymore. It really does have too many grains, not enough protein. I dont believe their ingredients are any better quality than other super premium brands. IMO the top 3 brands would be Canidae, Solid Gold, and Innova (or Cal Nat, same company). What are the results you seeking to achieve, what other foods have you tried, what was unsatisfactory about them?

I suggest Dr. Krugers. Check out their website: [url]http://www.dockruger.com/[/url] They are an excellent company with excellent products. I really can't say enough about them. I believe strongly in their product. And as an added bonus, they will send you a free bottle (you pay $5 s/h, but what a deal). Good luck with your kibble troubles. Just curious, did you try Canidae?

[quote name='Lolita4Life'] as for marys mama, i think she needs something else to complain about. i see some of her points but most are alittle overboardm just my opinion... [/quote] You're free to have your own opinion and not agree with mine. I am not complaining I just think you all should find something better to do with your time. To me, we have a responsibility to take care of our animals the best way possible, and I dont believe dying them is included in that. [quote name='Lolita4Life']when i dye Tinks fur i MYSELF will also get pink chunks in my dirty blonde hair to expierence the same torture" lol [/quote] I never said it was torture, that is ridiculous. Also, you are making that choice for yourself, as you have a right too, your poor dog has no voice. For people who think this is a perfectly fine thing to do, you are being awfully defensive. [quote name='Lolita4Life']as to everyone that disagrees with dyeing a dog i am very curios on this... how do you all feel about dressing up a dog, painting its nails, giving it a bath, cropping its ears, docking it tails????? [/quote] I think clothes are fine, they are temporary. Painting nails (while being very strange to me) is okay too I guess, its pretty temporary also. Baths are a necessity for some breeds, others not. I do think they are necessary to maintain proper health, part of our responsibility to our pets. Docking and cropping are completely different. Cropping ears is very cruel, but docking I dont have such a big problem with. It is done before the nervous system recognizes the tail and causes no pain or other negative impact. It is quite necessary in some breeds, especially those that work for a living. I dont have to like to dying and you dont have to care what I think. My main point was that there were quite a few that I could tell didn't agree but didn't want to go against the grain. I wanted to give them an opening to express their feelings and let them know they are not alone.

HF - I think you are over reacting just a little. I did not intend to offend you, I was simply surprised it is so widely accepted. And that there are competitions at that. I really didn't think much of it till I saw the pictures you posted. Those poor dogs is all I could think. I have not said one thing about safety or harmfullness. I believe that you all are doing what you can to make sure you do it in the safest manner possible. You love your dogs very much and it is quite evident. To me it is more of a moral or ethical issue maybe. I guess I dont have a concrete safety issue or something to say it is detrimental, I just think it is plain wrong. To me there has to be a line some where. Collars and clothes stay on for a short amount of time and dont physcally alter the dog, they are like accessories. But to make your dog look like a dragon??? I am baffled by this. I think it is just going to far. And just as much as I dont know if they hate it, you dont know if they like it. Just cuz they dont protest doesn't mean much, they are well trained aren't they? I do hand strip my terriers. I have nothing against grooming, it is necessary for the dogs proper health, you want to keep their skin and coat healthy. I bath them to get the dirt off of them, not cuz they smell. I dont want to change your mind, I know that I wont. I could tell from reading that there were people who didn't agree but were just afraid to ruffle your feathers (no pun intended :fadein: ). And there are folks that did speak up once I broke the ice. So my point is, I think there is a line and dying a dog to make it look like a spider or dragon, IMO is a disgusting representation of how humans take advantage of their position over dogs. We dont have to agree. I just get worried about people who are so ingrained in a subculture that they can't step out and look at it from a general perspective. I find the same to be true about alot of dog subcultures. People get so deep into they can't see out of it to the reality of it.

[quote name='iceyshiver21']But who said we have to have an smart convo with sombody who acts so dumb. :-? Besides Thanks to this convo I found the lyrics to my fav. kids song :D And to tell the truth if he would just say sorry for is harmful behavoir to my eyes that I read with I would gladly forgive being the person I am.[/quote] Well I guess no one did. But I just feel like sometimes you have to decide to let things go, be the bigger person and move on.

Really this should have been locked a long time ago. There is no intelligent discussion going on any more, it has become personal and that is not what this is about. I say leave the post up cuz it has some very good info in it but really we all need to stop this. [color=red][size=7]DON'T FEED THE TROLLS!![/color][/size]

[quote name='Peng1zrule']seeing as you live in southern california, I bet the prices are exponentially higher than north carolina...I pay sixty for a full set of adult shots. ten for the rabies shot. And nuetering is between sixty and eighty, depends on the dogs weight. I am not sure what you mean by license-I quoted the rabies price only because that's what goes for a license in my area...I don't think you need a kennel license since you are planning to nueter him (good for you!)[/quote] Where the heck are you going in NC?? I pay about $100 for all vaccs, $250 to spay/neuter, and I think rabies is like $27. I do have to admit I go to the holistic vet, so I understand it will be more expensive but I have never heard of prices that low around here. Oh do you not have a county license?? A countly license here is $7 if they are altered and $25 if they are intact. The rabies license comes with the shot.

Just because it is not as bad as being abandoned or abused does not make it okay. They are all bad, just different degrees. It's not about picking battles, its about fulfilling your responsibility to your pet. I understand they probably do enjoy the attention they receive while they get groomed but that doesn't make dying them right either. There is not one good reason to do it, that does not include selfish human desires, that is why it is wrong.

I was gonna post a topic about this soon as well. We finally bought a house (YEAH!!!) and will be moving in 3 weeks. We will have possession for a week before we move. I think I am gonna take them over there each night (we will probably starting moving little things anyway) for that first week. Maybe walking them around the neighborhood is a good idea too. Is it really stressful for them to move? If they were going to a new family I could understand. But as long as they are with me (the pack leader) shouldn't that make it okay? Are there any things we should do to make it easier for them?

This isn't going to be popular but.... I am appauled! I can't believe people are so accepting of dying dogs. I think no one would condone dying a childs hair. Say I have a daughter that has blonde hair but I really wanted a dark haired child, it would be crazy to dye her hair. The reason I see dogs as children is because they dont have a voice, just like kids. If a teenager decides to dye their own hair that is one thing, it definitely is a personal decision. We are hear to do what is best for the dogs and take care of them. Not play with them like dolls. I am surprised some are so willing to accept this.

Just looking for some personal opinions, no right or wrong answer here. Some of you may have seen the new jack pups I posted on the picture board. Well we are trying to decide if we should get one. Let me give you some info on our situation. We close on our first home September 19 (the pups will be ready to go home the first week of Oct.). We are and have been saving a lot of money to be ready for the closing, then once we get in we have a number of things to purchase (refridgerator, guest bed, armoir, lawn mower, etc, etc) We also need to install a fence at the new house. We both really want to get another pup, but we are not sure now is the time with all the money issues. We aren't broke, but just not sure if we should add another expense. There will be another litter in Dec, however I am not really found of the female they are using for that litter. I will probably fall in love with those pups just as easily. So in our situation would you wait or go for it? And for fun, if you got to name a pup tomorrow, name your favorite boy and girl names. Here are the two candidates: Boy [img]http://www.jrtzone.com/Videos/ce369.jpg[/img] Female [img]http://www.jrtzone.com/Videos/ce377.jpg[/img]

We are healing from our loss of Bo and have decided our next dog will be a rescue. We do not plan to go forward with this until we are in our new house and have a fence. Also we are unsure if we want to rescue a jack or another breed. So this is all very preliminary but I was looking at petfinder and realized I know how to pick a puppy but I have no idea what to look for in a shelter dog. Do you all have any advice on things to look for that will indicate the dogs personality. I suppose I could use some of the puppy selecting tools, just curious if there are other signs I should look for. I would hate to adopt a dog and it not work out with the two we already have. I want to make the best decision possible.