Carolk9s

Nutrical is not SUPPOSED to be a meat source, it is used to stimulate the appetite of animals who are off their feed mainly for medical reasons. It also provide trace nutrients and vitamins that the animal is not getting. I agree with Rosebud, stick to your guns with Miko or he will be spoiled forever. You need to also crack down on the family, no more table scraps, nothing! Just a good quality dog food. Now I am not adverse to adding some cooked green beans or cooked or raw carrots but this is simply a treat in their food, not incentive to eat it. Only if Miko's health is suffering by not eating would I consider Nutrical or some other supplement. You might moisten his dry food with a scant bit of warm water to bring out the scent of the food better. How old is Miko? Are his teeth in good shape?

My suggestion is to listen to the dog. Especially with warmer weather coming, perhaps she does not need more than 1/4 cup a day. If her weight is stable and she appears fit and happy, try going her way for a bit and just observe for any changes in weight, energy, coat condition, alertness, etc. Then too, perhaps she'd like lunch and dinner, not breakfast and dinner? Or dinner and a late snack?

Jesse was neutered at 6 months. While he is a bit mellower than some intact males we've encountered, I don't think the operation was the direct cause. He certainly still acts STUDLY around the ladies. At agility class, a female golden was ringside, Jesse pranced up to her, practically stood on his tip toes and was most definitely whispering lewd suggestions in her ear as she nipped his muzzle. This golden gets along famously with both my girls and is very laid back with other dogs. Jesse has challenged other males and been challenged, I intervene before serious threats come about. He's 11.5 years old, he STILL thinks he is lord and master of his domain.

The first time I offered my dogs raw chicken wings they looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. Once they bit for the first time, they were gung ho.

Now that you mention the Hovawart....I can see some real resemblance!

English Shep/Golden? Aussie/Golden? Very pretty whatever the parentage!

Whew, I have to go against the flow here, I really don't see too much Berner in this dog. Perhaps some English Shepherd or a collie type mixed with some heavier built dog. Just don't see any bone structure of a berner.

Of course the less evolved humans who continue to fight their dogs and insist on the right to do so will NOT see that their actions are in part responsible for such bans. I don't care if they are back alley fighters or well organized, the REPUTATION of the Pit is, IN PART, derived from the aggressive nature that these cretins promote.

Sorry, I don't know too much about cancer except that yes there are various kinds. I would suggest if you have any specific concerns, get you and the dog to the vet pronto. Either your fears can be put to rest on if there is a potentially cancerous situation, early detection and treatment is so very important.

[quote]It's almost gotten to where I could use cookie as my recall word.[/quote] I have NO problem with that! :D It CAN backfire at the dogpark now and then as I yell COOKIES to haul my dogs in and 10 other dogs fly in as well. COOKIE is my secret weapon word in the agility ring, if Candy seems to be ready to go the wrong way, I call out COOKIE and she turns right back to me. Of course I reinforce that once we are OUT of the ring by saying cookie and delivering cookies!

Laduenda, And you are directing your reply to?

Crossposted with permission from Sarah whose email address is: [email]Tervsitter2@AOL.COM[/email] Please send any replies to Sarah. I work at an emergency clinic in Kansas, and we had a very sweet, very healthy (now) pitt bull puppy dumped on us. She had parvo, but is now very healthy. Since she's been with us for about a month (had to go through all that legal stuff about notifying the owners they need to pay us and get their puppy), we have all become very attached to her and don't want her to go to a shelter where she may well be euthanized. She is very friendly and sweet, does fine with other dogs (needs to be taught some manners), is a typical, wild , 'I've been locked up in a run for a month and need to play' puppy, about 3months old, beautiful brindle and white. If anyone has any leads on someone wanting a dog of this description, who will spay and be a responsible owner, please contact me, I would be so grateful! Thanks Sarah Stanley, Ks

Congratulations Nancy! You all did indeed have a great weekend! I've only run 2 dogs at a time in trials, I cannot imagine running 3! Sure the course stays the same but the dog and the fine tune adjustment needs change with each. I am truly impressed, you all deserve a big treat!

P.S. Punishment is the LAST thing you want to do, she would not understand why she is being punished and it would only increase her anxiety. I'm not sure about Chi's being hard to train, I'm sure with patience, persistance, and praise you can train her quite well. Chi's bond very tightly to their people, you are her god or goddess and that bond will continue to grow as time goes by.

Kudos to you for adopting! Crate training is the BEST thing you can do for her at this stage. Please CONTINUE to be very patient with her, she has had a huge amount of confusion and instability in her life, she does not know yet that this is her forever home. Time will help her to understand that she is HOME and that you will return. You may well be the VERY BEST PERSON she has encountered in her life, naturally she wants to be with you all the time. I would recommend a plastic airline type crate, like a vari kennel, they are semi closed in and will give her more of a 'den' feeling. The crate is her refuge, her safe place, her snuggle down and relax place. Perhaps you can sacrifice an old tshirt or some other clothing or just cloth, wear it or sleep with it so your scent is strong on it. Put it in the crate with her along with a kong stuffed with a little peanut butter and a crunched up cookie or two. Her anxiety is probably the highest JUST after you leave so if her worry can be diverted for even a short time there is a better chance of success. My sister adopted a chi/corgi mix some time back, her dog will go get one of my sisters shoes and carry it around. She will also jump on the couch and sleep with her head on the shoe. So far, she has not chewed them, just wants to cuddle with them. Best of luck and please remember, be patient with your little girl. It is going to take a bit of time for her to truly understand that you are not abandoning her and that is HOME at last.

I am for the removal of dewclaws IF it's done pretty much when they are newborn, a quick snip and it's over. This is one exception to my opinion on leaving dogs as nature made them. Brittany has front dewclaws, in 9 years she has only had a cut or tear once, it was minor, I cleaned it and put neosporin on it, all was well. Candy has front dews, no problems so far. Jesse has NO dews at all. Meant to add, if the dewclaws serve ANY purpose whatsoever for a breed, then of course I'd leave 'em on.

[quote name='alicat613']I've never heard of that being an issue and they sell prepackaged BARF meals for convenience for times like that. [/quote] It depends on the kennel, some are willing some are not. It's not just a question of whether THEY believe in feeding BARF to a dog it's whether they are willing to expose their employees to raw foods. Some kennels are more flexible than others. Best to find out well before dropping Fluffy off.

Snip: [quote]BUT he's very outgoing and I'm worried he'll decide the judge is his new best friend and act like a complete doofus. [/quote] So what! Have a ball! Better an outgoing dog that is a bit too friendly than one who wants NOTHING to do with the judge and appears pissed off that a stranger would dare try and touch them! DogPaddle had a great idea, see if you can get someone you know but is relatively unknown to the dog to act as a judge. Instruct the person well BEFORE they touch Kato. YOU practice your smile and staying calm and collected. Hey, its JUST A SHOW. There are plenty more of them. No matter the outcome, you will still be taking home the VERY BEST DOG in the place.

Depends on the kennel, they might not agree to feeding dog a raw diet while in their care due to possible liability issues.

This is copied from a post on BELG-L Millie's Pressure Cooker Chicken. You take a whole chicken (if it has one of those little baggies full of icky things inside, remove the baggie, leave the icky things) and about a pound of veggies (chickens are usually 3-4 pounds--you're going for a 1:3 ratio of veggies to chicken). Put into pressure cooker with about a cup of water. Pressure cook on high for 80 minutes. Take out contents and mash well (the bones just fall apart). The beauty of this is that you can leave the pressure cooker sealed overnight if you don't have room right then in the fridge or you don't have the energy to pack it into yogurt containers right then. It sterilizes the contents of the pressure cooker and so long as you don't break the seal, it will keep just fine overnight. You can also do this in a crockpot--put all the above in a crockpot (add enough water to get the water level about halfway up the crock), cook on high for 4-8 hours and then on low for 16-24 hours (whatever suits your schedule).

[quote name='sixjollydogs']:oops: :oops: :oops: ...hmmm...ah...hmmm..its the cats fault..yep...all that sneaky cats fault!! :oops:[/quote] Yep, I gotta get me a cat so I can blame it all on him! :D I'm still trying to figure out who sneaks into my house and spoils my dogs rotten behind my back.

[quote name='sixjollydogs']:-? hmm...what site could you not reach? You don't need a password for [url]www.putnampit.com[/url]. Let me know and I will pass it on to the above.[/quote] The reason you all are having trouble clicking on the link is that a period is included in the link itself, there is no period in the actual address. I first clicked on the link, got the err not auth to view, I took the period out after com and it worked fine.

If cooked properly and LONG enough, chicken bones will practically turn to mush. I have a pressure cooker recipe somewhere that does just that, bones and all are mashable, not hard or brittle at all. My dogs love pasta, they don't get it very often but act like it's better than liver. They also like rice, white or brown. We all have our own ideas and preferences, personally I'd keep the broth, bet the dogs would love it! Could freeze that too, think broth cubes.

Such pretty pictures! He is really a beauty. We don't have quite that much in Richmond, but we have lovely ice! On everything! I rather like chilly weather and I've always loved snow. But ya know, I am OFFICIALLY sick of winter! It does not help that I cannot even go out and play as I have a nasty cold right now. I had to pry the doors open on the van this morning, plan was to go out every couple of hours and do it again as I was scheduled to work the holiday shift tomorrow. Ain't gonna happen, I decided with this weather and my cold, I'm staying home! I have been shoveling the back step every few hours so the dogs are tracking so much in. Candy likes to go out, get well dusted, then come in and jump on the bed! I've closed off the doggie door to keep them in for a while.

Fitness Program You've seen those ads on TV promising amazing results from all sorts of contraptions. Well, there's no need to invest in fancy equipment. If you have (or can borrow) a dog, you have everything you need to get in shape now!!! The following exercises can be done anywhere, anytime. Inner Thighs: Place the dog's favorite toy between thighs. Press tighter than the dog can pull. Do not attempt bare legged - dogs who favor shortcuts to success will just dig the toy out. You could be damaged. Upper Body Strength: Lift the dog - off the couch, off the bed, out of the flower bed. Repeat, repeat, repeat. As the dog ages, this exercise is reversed - onto the couch, onto the bed, into the car and so on. Balance and Coordination, Exercise 1: Remove your puppy from unsuitable tight places. If they're too small for him, they're certainly too small for you. Do it anyway! Balance and Coordination, Exercise 2: Practice not falling when your dog bounds across the full length of the room, sails through the air, and slams both front paws into the back of your knees. Balance and Coordination, Exercise 3: (for use with multiple dogs) Remove all dogs from lap and answer the phone before it stops ringing. Balance and Coordination, Exercise 4: (alternate) For older dogs, attempt to cross a room without tripping over the dog. Get off your couch without crushing any part of a sleeping elderly dog. Upper Arms: Throw the ball. Throw the squeaky toy. Throw the Frisbee. Repeat until nauseous. Upper Arms: (alternate) Tug the rope. Tug the pull toy. Tug the sock. Repeat until your shoulder is dislocated or the dog gives up (we all know which comes first). Hand Coordination: Remove foreign object from dog's locked jaw. This exercise is especially popular with puppy owners. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Remember, this is a timed exercise. Movements must be quick and precise (think concert pianist) to prevent trips to the vet, which only offer the minimal exercise benefit of jaw firming clenches. Calves: After the dog has worn out the rest of your body, hang a circular toy on your ankle and let the dog tug while you tug back. WARNING: This is feasible only for those with strong bones and small dogs. Have you taken your calcium supplement today? Calves: (alternate) Run after dog - pick any reason, there are plenty. Dogs of any size can be used for this exercise. Greyhounds are inadvisable. Neck Muscles: Attempt to outmaneuver the canine tongue headed for your ear, mouth, or eyeball. This is a lifelong fitness program. A dog is never too old or too feeble to "French Kiss" you when you least expect it.