JackieMaya

My girls and I are going to meet Hogan this weekend! The MN Golden Retriever rescue organization is having their annual picnic on Saturday, so we RSVP'd. The foster dogs will be there, and they'll have a silent auction, food, doggy games and swimming in the lake. I just bought a harness and 50-foot check cord for Maya so that I can take her swimming! I've been wanting to take the girls swimming anyway. Anywho, this way they can all meet on neutral ground! I'm so excited! This will be great! I'll be sure to bring a camera along!

Thank Dog for people like you who will foster unwanted dogs and give them a happy life. I've known a few 3-legged dogs, and it certainly didn't slow any of them down any! It's more of a "disability" for prospective owners than it is for the dogs! You're a very special person!

Doesn't it just amaze you when dogs who have been abused and neglected will still be so loving to people? It just breaks my heart to hear about stories like this. The rescue shetler where I adopted Maya and Jackie just had me fill out a one-page application and asked if I had ever been accused of animal abuse. I paid my fee and got my dogs the same day. But the Golden Retriever rescue site where I'm trying to adopt an 8 year-old dog (Hogan), has to get your application and application fee, then have a home visit, then a meeting with the foster, etc. They're very thorough, which is good, but it's hard to wait when the dog I want it out there waiting for me! I would rather have them be thorough to ensure that the dogs will be placed in their forever homes, and that they'll be taken care of and be happy and healthy. Thank Dog for people like you who save these wonderful dogs!

Well, I'm thinking of getting #3, so I'm in the same boat as you are. My brother and sister (who live in other states) will think I've completely lost my mind (well, I have, but that's another story :wink: ) if I get another dog. I also will be competing in horse shows next year, so that will be a challenge to either get a housesitter or save up money to kennel the dogs when I'm gone. But I'm in doggie heaven. They're my kids. They're my best friends. So have fun with #4! He's just adorable!

Well, they have my application and my application fee, so I guess I'll just have to try to be patient and cross my fingers and toes that Jackie and Maya will have a big brother in about a month (which is probably how long the entire process would take). I hate waiting!

Hey, I just checked and I'm a Dogomaniac too! I wonder when that happened? Congrats to both of us! Now we can both be mental!

This is what they have to say about Hogan on their website: Hogan arrived on Saturday, 7-24. He is a beautiful, massive boy, around 100#. He is a German Shepard/Golden Retriever mix with a very handsome face, cute ears, and full of fur. Hogan is 8 years of age, still has some of that puppy in him, but is slowing down a bit - he has a little stiffness in his right leg. After settling in, Hogan has warmed up to my dog. He was acting tough at first but yesterday they play wrestled and it was hilarious. I think they both were trying their best to lose! So far he is good in the house (no accidents). Hogan will be scheduled for a vet check soon - more updates later. UPDATES: 8/14/04: Hogan has a date with the Vet next week - hopefully everything goes well. I have started brushing him because of a few matts, but now it has become my obsession. He has to be the furriest dog I have ever seen! Hogan would be best suited in a house with no kids (in my opinion). He's so big he doesn't know his own strength. He also has a history of not liking cats. Now if we can find someone who loves big furry Teddy bear type dogs, we'll be on to something. Everyone who sees him says he's just beautiful. I will try to send some pictures in. 8/26/04: Hogan had his trip to the Vet this week. He is 113# and could lose just a couple of pounds - other than that he passed with flying colors. He is just a big playful teddy bear - everywhere we go people ask what kind of dog he is and say how good looking he is. Most say he looks like a Newfoundland. He would be a great dog for someone who doesn't need a purebred and wants a dog that will bond with you. More later. 9/18/04: Hogan has adjusted very well to the household. I've trimmed him up the best I can and he looks great. He loves his tennis balls, loves the company of people and walks good with the Gentle Leader. I have not noticed any more stiffness in his leg. I started supplementing gloucosamine into his diet, seems to work. It would be nice if Hogan could find a home with a fence since he dislikes cats (so I've been told).

Jackie and Maya don't live outside, but probably spend 4-6 hours outside playing and pottying. The only problem I might have is that Maya has to be on a cable when she's outside or she'll jump the fence. But Maya and Jackie have the whole cable thing worked out just great. They said that oftentimes it takes 2 weeks before the wheels get set in motion. I'll keep everyone updated!

My girls LOVE greenies, even though I haven't bought any for a while. Neither one ever had any adverse reaction from it.

Well, I put in my application online. Now after they contact me, they'll schedule a home visit and go from there. It always breaks my heart when I see senior dogs up for adoption. They've been someone's pet for their whole lives, and all of a sudden they're not wanted any more. I would like to give a senior dog a happy rest-of-its life. I really fell in love with Hogan, so I hope it all works out to get him. If not, maybe I'll end up with another senior Golden. Wish me luck!

Yeah, Hogan definitely looks like there could be Leonberger in there. Whatever breed(s) he is, he sure is gorgeous, isn't he?

This big adorable boy ("Hogan") is an 8 year-old German Shepherd/Golden Retriever cross (with maybe some Newfie in there) who weighs 113 pounds. He's just adorable! He's up for adoption on the Minnesota Golden Retriever rescue site. I just keep going back to his picture. I can't stop thinking about him! [img]http://www.ragom.org/pictures/Pictures2004/Hogan04135b.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.ragom.org/pictures/Pictures2004/Hogan04135c.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.ragom.org/pictures/Pictures2004/Hogan04135d.jpg[/img] [I love big hairy dogs!] How hard is it to introduce a new dog into a two-dog family where the dogs are best buds like Jackie and Maya are? As many of you know, Maya is on a cable in the back yard since she's a fence jumper. Jackie and Maya have the whole cable thing figured out and it works just fine. But I wonder if there would be jealousy with a new dog or if they would welcome him. [He's so adorable!] I need another dog like a need a hole in the head! Then I would have 3 dogs and 1 horse! But if I got Hogan, then I could go back to taking Jackie out to the barn with me, because she stays away from the horses and I totally trust her out there. Then Maya and Hogan would hang out at home when Jackie and I were gone. [Just look at that face!] And unless I got someone to housesit for me when I'm gone (I'll be showing my horse next year), the kennels costs are going to be no fun. [Wouldn't he look cute with Jackie and Maya?] Is it much harder to have 3 dogs than 2 dogs? Oh, what's a bighairydog-loving girl to do...

I use the gentle leaders on Jackie and Maya when I take them for walks, and they work fantastic! As long as they're not pulling, I usually let them go to the end of the leash for most of the walk so that they can smell stuff and have fun. And they will walk right beside me (one on either side) just beautifully with the gentle leaders. After I take the gentle leaders off, I rub their faces and make a big fuss over them. Good luck!

This is why I want to get their feet clipped. Here is a picture of the bottom of one of Jackie's feet. It looks like the abominable snowpuppy! Maya's feet are the same. [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0UgAXA*8ZZVTbqI0TW38v1GXwe*S0XJnheTJr*M8b2faomGAjaLJzbs4yYliKNiKcsm!3OVR0orFvNKUPi5qaTUijj2QxTf!2vCr7X*cw2t0warkJ1R*rqSXjYk*qobLK/bigfoot.jpg?dc=4675489258110986784[/img]

I'm taking Jackie and Maya to "doggie camp" on Saturday so that I can go to the Renaissance Fair and not have to worry about getting home to take care of the girls. I'm going to drop them off Saturday morning and pick them up on Sunday morning. They're also going to get baths and get their toenails clipped and get their furry feet clipped. They'll have adjoining kennels, and then they'll go outside together to play. They get 5 outside play times. They're always happy when I pick them up, and I can always tell that they had a good time. They also have 14-foot chain link fences there so Maya can be outside without having to be on a cable. I'll have to take a picture of my clean girls when they get back, before they get a chance to get dirty again!

I'm so sorry your babies are so sick! Jackie and Maya and I have our fingers and paws crossed for a quick and complete recovery!

I leave Jackie's and Maya's collars all the time, except for when they come in after their last outside time of the night. Then I take them both off. They're both microchipped, but I always thought that if something happened to the house and someone had to get them out (fire, tornado, whatever), if they didn't have their collars on, it would be easy to lose them.

[quote]how tall is your fence? and are they jumping it or climbing it? there are "hoods" you can get for chain link that lean out into the yard, usually preventing the climbers from getting over, but I dont know if they would stop a jumper.... [/quote] Courtnek, my fence is maybe 3'6" on the sides, and only about 3 feet at the back of the yard (which is where Maya likes to jump out). She puts her feet on the top of the fence and basically pulls herself up and over. I'll have to check out the "hoods" to attach to the fence. No matter what, Jackie won't jump out, even if Maya jumps out. So far, the stake is working out just great! It's a two-foot long orange metal stake (looks like a t-post) with claws that open if it's pulled out of the ground. It's holding tight and fast. But if it eventually starts to come out, putting cement in the hole sounds like a good idea (which someone suggested on another site) Thanks for all the ideas![/quote]

I have Maya's cable attached to a harness instead of to her collar, which I think is a lot safer. Maya definitely knows where her boundaries are, and she's really good on her cable. But I'm still thinking that a tall fence would be my best solution. I just hope I can get a good deal. Can't they just put "sleeves" over the existing fence poles and then put on the new chain link? The fence company who gave me the $3,800 estimate wanted to dig new holes, pour cement, etc., just like putting in a completely new fence. That sounds ridiculous to me. I'm hoping to get another estimate this week from a different company. It looks like my brick patio will have to wait until next year!

Courtnek, I would LOVE to have the chain link fence raised, but the estimate I got for raising it to 6 feet was $3,800! I'm going to get another estimate from the company that put in my friend's fence for a very reasonable price. If I can get it done for a reasonable price, that would be my preferred way too. I don't really have anything that I can attach to to do the trolley method, unfortunately.

As Maya is a fence jumper, I've been attaching a 40-foot cable to the railing on my back steps, which has worked great. But yesterday she actually pulled the railing away from the steps! I think the posts had probably rusted where they met the concrete and just broke off. So... I bought a "Big Dog Stakeout", which is a 23-inch metal post that's hammered into the ground with an 18-inch chain attached to it, which you attach your cable to. I bought one and installed it yesterday, and it seems real secure, and there's nothing for her to get tangled on. She and Jackie can run and play and wrestle together just fine. The information says that it's for dogs up to 100 pounds. Maya is about 75 pounds, but she REALLY pulls at the end of it if she sees a squirrel. So far so good, but I don't know if this is going to be a temporary fix (which means I'd have to get a higher fence) or if this will work as a permanent solution. Jackie and Maya are usually outside around 5 hours or so a day (depending upon the weather). Who has experience with dog tie-out stakes? Which one is the best? Do they REALLY stay in the ground?

Try a citronella bark collar. I use one on one of my dogs, and it works great! If she barks, she gets sprayed with citronella, and then she stops. I put it on her when I let my girls out at night, and she doesn't bark at all.

I got the citronella anti-bark collar for Maya, and it works like a charm! I just put on her when I turn the girls out at night (because I get home from work after midnight and don't want them any barking then), but I go ahead and let her bark (within reason) during the day when they're outside. Maya is so cute too when I get out her "special necklace." I get it off the counter, blow into it (so that she knows what it is). She sits down in front of me and I put the collar on her. Then I get out her harness (which is attached to a 40-foot cable because she's a fence jumper). If she isn't already sitting, she sits, I hold the harness up to her, she lifts her right foot and puts it in the harness, and then she lifts up her left foot and puts it in the harness. And she has a big smile on her face the whole time. She knows that if she's getting the spray collar and harness on, that means she gets to go outside! But if your regular collar has tags on it, you need to take that off when using the citronella collar, because the tags bouncing against the citronella reservoir will set it off (I found that out the hard way)! And if one dog barks at the one wearing the collar, they'll both get sprayed (Jackie found that out the hard way). I highly recommend the citronella collar! Good luck with your barkers (and your awful neighbors).

I've always had good luck when I took Jackie and Maya to PetSmart or PetCo. I've never seen unsupervised kids there. I firmly believe, like many others, that if you can't keep your kid under control, and if he/she can't be trusted around dogs, DON'T take them to PetWhatever, since you know that there will be dogs there. One time I was showing my very big horse at the state fair, and some idiot lady was going to push her stroller (with a little baby in it) underneath my horse!!! My horse was quite spirited anyway, and very big, and I told her "Don't do that! Do you want your kid to get hurt?" And she called ME a bitch! Now I won't even show my horses at the state fair any more because of all the stupid non-animal people you have to deal with there.

Jackie and Maya LOVE pillows! My uncle had never seen a dog actually use a pillow before he saw my girls. They're both couch potatoes who definitely use the pillows on the sofas. And look at this picture of Maya snuggling up into the pillows on my bed! [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0UwDVArEYKPSdQwmWD!oqYh*6XHLnKR3VpQI!AQCll8hO2Aqqj4HR5sLUuyyjOFZNtxjqSOKwVQ9CBGiJ6!1Wk09eqtbd3a8mC6Q0KkdJrcU0MYHEWNFla6WffB09K!JM/DCP_0013.JPG?dc=4675461490783947788[/img]