Carolk9s

Is the leash leather? Nylon web? A good leather or quality nylon leash can last many many years. Your pup will probably grow into the leash fairly quickly, if you still feel it is too heavy, what the heck get a lightweight nylon leash for her puppy days! Just keep it away from puppy teeth, they can chew through these things in a hot minute!

How about Shimmer? I also like the idea of taking your time in naming her, let her suggest a name to you. Now if she whispers it in your ear, you might call her MoneyTrain! :D Just be patient, let her personality and actions help you decide on her name.

You might want to consider staying AWAY from canned or 'wet' food for your chi. If you can feed a quality kibble I think that is a better idea. Why? Because of their teeth. Canned or wet foods can increase the tarter build up on those tiny teeth. If the dog you get is already on a certain kind of kibble and doing well, probably a good idea to stick with it. Little dogs have just as many teeth as big dogs, all crammed into a tiny little mouth. Yes the teeth are smaller too but there is still just so much room in there and tarter builds up quickly.

My pack LOVES their yogurt, they get plain yogurt with breakfast. At the recent agility trials, I had a Frusion, a smoothie of yogurt and fruits. I shared it with Candy by pouring a bit of it into the cap. She loved it!

What a shame. Esp. the poor Peke who was tossed out the window, disgusting. I am going to sit on the fence a bit and not judge those killing the animals out of fear that they MAY help spread SARS. While I agree it sounds far too extreme a measure, if there is any chance of the animals being able to 'transport' the live virus, all care must be taken. It does SOUND like a kneejerk overreaction...but this virus has people terrified. If I were there and had a dog, I'd not let it leave the house for a very long time.

It could be kennel cough, I'd call your vet FIRST before just taking Ben in. The vet may want you to be the last client of that day and have all other dogs out of the waiting room before you bring Ben in. Kennel cough can be VERY contagious. It would be best for you to carry Ben as this virus sheds easily. MOST dogs recover from the kennel cough virus with no ill effects in 7-10 days. You vet may prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary infection and a cough suppressant. Kennel cough is similar to the cold virus in people in some ways. The vaccine does not always prevent it. There are many mutations of kennel cough. I have been seeing a lot of msgs lately on my other list regarding kennel cough, perhaps new strains out there. Now if Ben is having ANY trouble breathing, I'd of course rush him right to the vet. Are Cresteds susceptible to respiratory illnesses? Candy came from the SPCA with a case of kennel cough. She was VERY underweight and not in the best shape but she recovered nicely. Neither of my other dogs came down with it.

Partly why, ok mostly why I've been too busy lately is that I was practicing and practicing with Candy for the UKC Agility trials we attended this past weekend. Had a great time, mixed results but overall I am quite pleased and of course eager to do more! Ran her a total of 8 times, we qualified in all of our runs. A perfect score is 200, we had [color=red][size=6]3![/size][/color] perfect scores, a 198, two 196's and two 194's. The score of 198 was a pleasant surprise, I had thought the judge would have taken a couple more points from us but we got lucky! We got two 2nd place ribbons, 1 third and 1 fourth. In her BEST run of the weekend, we missed getting 1st place by LESS THAN 1/2 second! Our time was 42.51 seconds, the 1st place winner did it in 42.08. A blink of the eye! We are working towards her Agility Champion title, we must accumulate 100 pts to get that. We collected 36 points this weekend, already had 6 so now have 42. I was rather hoping to get to the 1/2 mark at least but there are always other opportunities. It's the perfect runs that get you there the quickest, you earn 10 pts for a score of 200. Score 199=6 pts, 198=4, 197=2, and 196=1. Anything lower, no pts! She ran by a couple of things that caught me off guard, she also ducked UNDER the pause table once. Silly girl! I hope to snap a photo later of her with her ribbons and I'll put that up later. Now it's time to play catch up, catch up the laundry, the dishes, the vacuuming. sigh.....

[quote name='Presa4ever']Maybe Giardiasis. Try panacur.[/quote] Unless you know exactly what you are dealing with and safe dosages, I would not medicate the puppy yourself. Sounds like your pup should SEE the vet along with you taking a fecal sample as others have suggested. Following the advice in the quote can do FAR more harm than good if you are not well versed on what the problem is and what the cure should be and at what dosage.

Ooh I'm late on this but Nancy, WOW! What a super time you all had! Makes all the time and sweat training and the traveling and the entry fees and the worrying worth it!

I have been working with Belgian Rescue and last weekend went to do a home check. Gal was interested in adopting an older male Malinois. I spent two hours with her and actually liked her quite a bit. I thought with a few 'adjustments' she would provide a good home for this dog. She currently has an older female spayed Lab. While I was there, we spoke of vaccinations, HW prevent, pest control etc. I asked her how often does your dog see a vet. She said last time her lab was in to see the vet was sometime last summer, otherwise it was on an as needed basis. Ok, reasonable answer. Well of course the rescue org. calls her vet as a reference check. This is the vet info SHE gave to rescue. Found out her dog has not been in there or vaccinated since 1995. Vet even checked to see if titers had been pulled to account for no vacs. in 8 years. Nope. Her application to adopt the dog was denied. Rightly so based upon the info rec'd from the vet SHE supplied to rescue. Now she is disappointed and 'sour' on the whole rescue experience. Said she is trying not to be angry. Also said her dog rec'd vaccinations from SPCA clinics. Er, why did she not provide that info or at least mention it to me? I would have certainly included it in my report. Documentation to verify would have made a world of difference also. sigh... I am disappointed too, in her. Ok rant over.

Thank you Hobbit for that excellent reply to moodyblues! I too was thinking along those lines, heck I don't generally second guess my own dr. and would apply the same basic trust to my vet. While I do agree that an informed consumer is generally a safer consumer, I do NOT have extensive knowledge or background when it comes to veterinary medicine.

[quote name='shorty']It cost $160.00 to neuter Shorty. :([/quote] Wendy, was this a normal, no complications neuter? Were both testicles descended? If so, $160 is outrageous. Jesse was monorchid and his neuter cost $110 almost 11 years ago. I can understand that as they had to go into his abdomen for the retained testicle. Maybe here is Richmond VA we are really lucky to have such a strong petfix coalition that puts their money where their mouths are.

Amazing how costs vary. It cost me $40 to have Candy spayed AND adopt her. Granted, I was fostering her and had already taken her to the vet on my own to have her treated for kennel cough. My vet was a champion himself, he cut me a HUGE break for her exam, a rabies shot and meds for the kennel cough. She is also a smaller dog, the Richmond SPCA charged me what they paid for her spay. I just wonder, all the donations that do go to humane societies and rescue orgs, is too much of it going to admin cost in some cases? Please don't think I am trying to slam these groups, I bow to those who put their heart and soul into rescue, I am also involved in rescue too. But when spay/neuter is so heavily promoted and advertised, there HAS to be reasonable cost involved. WE ARE DOG PEOPLE! We understand and embrace the responsibility and know the ramifications of having intact dogs about. Not everyone, say your 'average' pet owner, can afford or is willing to shell out that kind of money to spay/neuter dogs! The economy is tight and many simply don't have that kind of money, lets see, pay the rent, feed the kids or spay the dog. Oh the dog will stay in the backyard, then if she gets pregnant, off to the shelter she goes with her litter.

$177 to spay? That is ludicrous! This is an expected normal spay? I am amazed the local humane society does not offer more help, not everyone would search for a lower cost alternative. Some would simply give up and not spay when faced with such a high cost. Good for you and good for Chelsea.

ABSOLUTELY YES! I don't know of ANY registry that would prohibit neutered dogs, I know AKC, UKC, USDAA, NADAC, CPE all welcome neutered dogs. You can also compete in obedience with a neutered dog. Most if not all canine sports welcome neutered dog, it's only conformation that requires an intact dog. All of my dogs are neutered/spayed, all have competed.

I have picked up a stray while I had my own dog with me. I got my weekends mixed up, had Brittany in the car thinking we were going to an obedience trial. I get to the site, no one is there! I noticed a dog lying in the grass across the street. After verifying that indeed no one was at the show site, I cruised over to check out this dog. She was still in the grass, appeared ok but I was not sure if she'd been hit or not. I parked, got out, sat on the curb and started talking to her. She crept over, not sure at all, then decided I was ok and launched herself into my lap. Oh heck, now what do I do!!! No one was around, she had a collar but no tags. I knew there was an Animal Control facility just up the road. I had my new van, still had temp tags on it. Brittany was on the back seat, I put the stray into the well that is behind the rear seat. Of course Brittany wanted to sniff noses, the stray snapped at her but no real serious issues...yet. I seat belted Brittany into a middle row seat and hoped the stray would not climb/leap over the back seat. Off I go to Animal Control, they are CLOSED! It was only about 9am and they did not open til noon. Thankfully there was an emergency # on the door, I found a pay phone and called them. They came out and picked up the dog, by then I was able to have Brittany and the stray out of the van on leashes and they got along just fine. Funny, when the lady from AC got there, the dog barked at her and tried very hard NOT to leave me. Gave me a look like 'why are you letting her take me!!' Looking back, not the smartest thing to do but it DID work out ok. I was VERY glad this dog did not poop or vomit in my new van, after all it still had the new car smell!

[quote name='ShadyLady']Hobbit , Carol to be honest if I'd have had a gun on me I would have shot the dog right there and then with out a second thought , thats what I was screaming for my husband to get unfortunately we werent quick enough. [/quote] And under the circumstances you would have been completely justified.

The following in NO WAY is intended to say that anyone should or should have tried to physically stop a strange dog attacking livestock, I am merely using this as an analogy. If a dog jumps my fence and is on my property attacking any one of my dogs, I will do ANYTHING necessary up to and including killing that dog to stop the attack. Being that I would be at home, I would have, um, tools nearby to assist me in this. If I have not killed the dog but can restrain it, I will do so for animal control to come and get it. If my dog is injured, I will take my dog to the vet. THEN I will go after the owner of the other dog, if possible, to verify rabies vaccine status AND for reimbursement of any vet bills. My point is simply this, yes ULTIMATELY the owner of the dog is responsible. But as Hobbit said, at the time of the attack, if a weapon with which to stop the attacking dog is handy, then the second to pay the price will be the attacking dog. The first was the animal attacked of course. The third will be the owner of said dog.

:oops: You are so right NancyB! Can't believe I forgot that! Shame on me! :oops:

Your friend should first contact German Shepherd Rescue if there is any such in her area. She can also go online to find them, perhaps there are people in her area who can help.

[quote name='laduenda'] Also WHY did you not go and get the owner of the dog while it was attacking your animal? Did you try calling the dogs name and telling it no or did you just stand there screaming? Why do you think you will get reimbursed for the cost of the animal if you say that you shot it. The Apbt only wounded it YOU decided to euthanize it. You decided not to take it to the vet who could have written a statement saying it was to bad to fix and that it was caused by an attack by a dog. You did not do that. [color=red][b]GEEZ COULD YOU BE JUST A BIT MORE CALLOUS AND CONDESCENDING? SURE, LETS KEEP THIS GROSSLY WOUNDED ANIMAL ALIVE THEREBY PROLONGING ITS SUFFERING TIL WE CAN GET TO A VET. [/b][/color] Who said "what if it is a child next time?" APBT's ARE ANIMAL AGGRESSIVE BUT NOT HUMAN AGGRESSIVE! The dog would not do that to a child because it would know that it was a HUMAN! If it would have been human aggressive it would have went after the SCreaming crazy woman but it did not did it? [b][color=red]AGAIN YOUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE SHINES THROUGH, HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS PARTICULAR PIT WOULD NOT GO AFTER A CHILD? DO YOU KNOW THE DOGS BREEDING? SORRY, I DON'T BUY THIS AT ALL. [/color][/b] [color=red][b]GOES TO SHOW, SOME THINGS DON'T CHANGE, YOU STILL DISGUST ME[/b][/color]. [/quote]

I'm so sorry to hear about your goat being attacked. Years ago a friend of mine had a pet goat, it got attacked by a dog, we tried to save it but could not. At the minimum, I would take the neighbor up on the offer to at least pay for the goat. I know money will not replace your pet, but the owner having to pay for his dog's activities is a start in teaching the OWNER he must ensure his dog is securely contained at all times. It would depend on your relationship with this neighbor as to if you want to take him to court or not. As has been said too, ANY dog might attack and kill livestock. Perhaps this dog has never given the owner reason to believe he would stray and attack your goats, now that he knows, I hope he takes it seriously and works to ensure it does not happen again. Talk with the neighbor but do try at first to give HIM the benefit of the doubt, he may feel very remorseful and embarrassed that his dog got loose and attacked your goat.

When I took Candy to the SPCA, I told them I had been calling her Candy. When I went back to see if she had been adopted, I found out they renamed her Skittles as they already had a dog named Candy there. When I brought her back home to foster..er stay forever, tossed the name Skittles.

Almost forgot, as you can see the girls both have 'Rescue' in their names. I adopted Brittany through local rescue and found Candy. I did take Candy to the SPCA then (silly me) agreed to foster her. So of course I then adopted her.

Before I got Jesse the Belgian, I knew I wanted a purebred big black hairy dog. And I knew his registered name would include either, Rolling Thunder, or Heavy Metal Thunder. As it turned out, Rolling Thunder rather fit his style of running from the very back of the yard for the door so that is what it became. I always liked the name Jesse as a call name. I also liked Magic but felt Magic was more suited to a female. Brittany was already named when I adopted her, I did briefly consider renaming her but my choice was shot down by my family. See, my choice would have been PUSHY BITCH or PB. Hey, it suited her. Candy, well the name just popped into my mind. It suits her, she's sweet and bubbly and bouncy. My sister and I found her at night, by the next day my mom was calling her Sandy, I was calling her Candy. I told my mom since she was the first to give the dog a name, the dog was going home with her. Didn't turn out that way now did it!