Carolk9s

What do you all think of the San Francisco show? I do not like personally, I don't like the camera work and the show just seems off. Did anyone see the one where the woman went out to suppposedly empty apts., went in, found that someone WAS upstairs and went on up without backup? How stupid is that? Drugs ARE an issue, someone is 'squatting' in the house, she goes on up by herself to check it out. Well just my .02!

Thought I had heard it all, buying from a petstore=rescuing a dog? If this was not so twisted, perverted, it would be funny. It is NOT funny and NO you did not 'rescue' your dogs. As others have said, you simply made it possible for the petstore to reap the profits of selling irresponsibly bred pups, made it lucrative for them to CONTINUE selling more pups, many bred under terrible, horrific conditions. The process is called supply and demand, if there is NO demand, there is no need for supply. The more 'demand' there is, i.e., the more people like yourself delude themselves into thinking 'just one dog' won't make the problem worse, the more 'supply' will be generated. It's really so simple. If a petstore sells 10 pups in a week, just what do you think are going to do with those now empty cages? 1. Go to the shelter and ask if they can help find 10 tossed away dogs a loving home with responsible owners by featuring them in their haven of hell? 2. Decide they don't wish to traffic in puppies anymore, suddenly get a clue that what they are doing is morally wrong? 3. Perhaps you think the petstores will donate a percentage of their profits to existing rescue organizations to help other dogs? Or, hm, perhaps: 4. The petstore will simply 'place an order' with their favorite miller(s) to send in a fresh batch of living, breathing, warm blooded creatures so that some other sucker can come along and get all warm and fuzzy because they 'saved' a dog. DING DING DING, I do believe option #4 is by far the most likely scenario. NO ONE is saying that YOUR dogs don't have a right to live and be loved and cared for etc. Every life is precious, yes indeed. But by buying from a petstore, one simply keeps that wheel in motion, empty cages equal ZERO profits for a petstore, they will fill those cages very quickly with yet another pup from a miller. I have 3 dogs, a thoughtfully bred Belgian Sheepdog and two rescues. REAL rescues mind you, from REAL rescue organizations. Lets see, I paid $50 dollars for my Belgian, his breeder knew he was not 'show ring' worthy and simply wanted him to go to a responsible pet home. She screened me pretty thorougly before entrusting me with his care. He had all his puppy shots before I got him. She sure as heck did not make any money off of him, that was not her goal. She surely took a financial loss on him. What was important to her was that he went to a good home. I paid $50 dollars for my first rescue, she was spayed and up to date on her shots. That shelter org. did not make much if any money from me! I paid $40 for my second rescue, she was spayed by the org. before I took her home for good. Granted I had fostered this dog and taken her to the vet on my dime before adoptiong her but nonetheless, the org. did not rake in big bucks by adopting this dog to me. The money the rescue orgs got from me for adopting my two girls was plowed right back into rescue, purchasing food, having vet care done, spaying and neutering, housing dogs and cats and ferrets and bunnies etc. Most rescue orgs. have volunteers that use their time, their own vehicles, their own gas, their own homes, to take care of these animals. Some, like myself, provide vet care out of our own pocket if needed. So I wonder how much profit the petstore made on your purchases? I hope you will open YOUR mind and NEVER purchase another animal from a petstore, if you know the facts, there really is NO excuse.

just voted for travis, he is 8 votes behind, anyone who has not voted today, DO IT! 8)

Voted, Travis is now just 9 votes behind, lets keep it up folks!

Just to add my .02 worth, if you go with an open wire crate, stay away from those that are lightweight and flimsy. I once bought what I thought was a super crate for a low price, it was not a 'bad' crate by any means but any dog could have gotten out fairly easily. I could have fixed the 'problem' by clamping all edges together permanently but did not want a crate that could not be folded down. The 'suitcase' style are all one piece and fold down quite easily for transporting, taking along on vacation etc. Some wire crates at petedge.com come with a free divider panel so your crate can 'grow' with the pup. There are drop pin wire crates, kind of a pain to put together the first time but if you are going to put it together and LEAVE it put together, might be an option. I would definitely NOT recommend a soft sided, fabric crate as your first one for a pup. I have a plastic vari kennel for my smaller dog, it serves as an end table next to my loveseat. That one I can easily put in my van without taking it apart and take it to shows and such. Some dogs do like a 'den like' crate, for them a plastic kennel or a wire crate with a blanket draped over all but the front are nice. Do beware though, a bored pup or dog might decide to drag said blankie INTO the crate and chew it to bits or even eat some of it! If you have not already gotten a crate, you might try looking at [url]www.petedge.com[/url], [url]www.sitstay.com[/url], [url]www.petsmart.com[/url], or just visit your local pet store.

Oh I am glad to hear Paddy is ok!

I've been meaning to update the board on our use of Synflex here. I've been giving it to my dogs, mainly Jesse, for about 6 weeks now. Honestly, I have not seen ANY true difference or improvement. BUT, Jesse has been on glucosamine for a number of years so I doubt there was the ability for any dramatic change. I am certainly not saying the dogs do not benefit from Synflex, just that I have not seen anything different since using it. Jesse is also sneaking up on 13.5 so I certainly cannot expect BIG changes. I have had no problem at all with putting it in their food, my dogs still very eagerly lick their bowls clean. Jesse is my 'picky' dog, even he eats his food with the synflex in it. Most of the time, I add a bit of fish or cooked meat to their food but I've also just put the Synflex in, added a tiny bit of hot water to thin it, then added their kibble. I usually just drink it 'straight up' from the bottle, make a face, then drink some water or whatever. The taste does not linger.

Ajax or Jax I also like Leo or Neo Frosty

I have 15 collars and 9 leashes for.....3 dogs. I've even donated collars and leashes to the SPCA before, still have the above! Each has their everyday collar, rolled leather for when I take them out. Each has a breakaway collar that they never wear. Each has their own (old) training collar, the choke type, those are somewhere in the laundry room. Candy has her 'agility' collar, it has no tags on it and is required for UKC agility. Brittany has her prong collar ONLY for leashed walks, I rarely walk them on leash. I have bought several leashes over the years and was given a pretty red one for each dog with their name on it. I have leashes and collars that are NEVER used, time to round them up and take them to the SPCA again. And of course the dogs have more beds than I do. 8)

Please let us know if Meg gets to go and how the session goes. All of my dogs have been to the chiro vet, Jesse has had the most 'hands on' with her. She always gives him a lovely massage as well as any little adjustments she feels he needs.

[quote name='TDG'] their intention is to cause pain by putting the collar in this nerve rich, muscle poor area of great sensitivity.[/quote] [color=red]Well gee, I certainly had and have no intention of deliberately hurting my dog. 8) My INTENTION is to make her aware of my requirement that she not put her chest to the ground and pull like a raging bull. And it works. She is not hurt and neither am I. I will modify my statement of 'high up right behind the ears', you are right in that the collar does not need to be that high. My actual intent was that the collar should not hang down at the base of the dogs neck. Brittanys DOES sit high and she has never been injured by it. I guess that's where I come in, using it properly once it is on her. [/color] [quote name='TDG'] while that is correct, many advocates of prong collars who also suggest they should be fit high up on the neck do use leash jerks as a correction, openly stating that the pain they cause high up on the neck is exactly the desired effect they should have on a dog, and that the correction is not painful enough if the prong is fitted lower on the neck because of the muscle protection. [/quote] [color=red]Obviously, we've talked to different trainers. NONE of the trainers I have spoken with jerk on their dogs necks. Not one. [/color] [quote name='TDG'] so you are saying for you the prong collar is a permanent solution? [/quote] [color=red]For this particular dog, yes it is. Or at least it is as long as she still gets bug eyed with excitement and wishes to drag me down the street. She is the only one of my dogs that I feel a prong is needed for. Yes, I am sure I could work more extensively with her and use a ton of food and praise and PERHAPS she would stop pulling but she is 11 years old and has pulled for the 10.5 years that I have had her. Believe or not, I have even trained her! She went through multiple obedience classes and was trialed and earned scores towards her title. In class and in trials, she never pulled, our issue there was actually lagging! There are times when my elderly mother needs to hold the dog briefly for me, with a flat or choker collar, mom is in danger of being yanked off her feet. With the prong, it does not happen. The dog learned to respect the prong in a controlled way and does not pull against it.[/color]

[quote name='TDG'] it's easy to do a lot of damage that way, especially if someone is using a pinch (prong) collar, which should absolutely [b]never[/b] be put up "high on the neck behind the ears". that area is not well protected at all and the larynx can get damaged. [/quote] First off, a prong collar should NEVER be used without proper instruction, especially by a novice. However, a prong IS properly fitted high on the neck, just behind the ears. Otherwise, with a prong riding low on the neck, many dogs will pull just as hard as they would on a flat collar. When using a properly fitted prong collar, you NEVER correct the dog by jerking on the leash, you let the dog correct itself in a controlled manner. By that I mean: NOT letting the dog run out and hit the end of the leash in a harsh manner, you let the dog WALK out slowly so they feel the collar tighten slowly. The dog learns that pulling results in discomfort without the damage that could result from a hard slam. A hard and dedicated puller can do far more damage to their throat on a flat or choke collar than on a prong. Since the prong applies pressure evenly around the neck, it is not concentrated on the front of the throat as with other collars. My older girl wears a prong for leashed walks, it is a wonderful thing for me in her case. She no longer pulls and I can walk her without feeling like my shoulder is being dislocated.

Just voted for Jake, that naughty little doxie is running away with it though.

I've had people ask me, in all seriousness, if Jesse is a long haired black lab. Yep, one them rare one with upright ears too! I've been asked if he is a black collie too. Brittany has been confused with a Catahoula Leopard dog. I've been asked if Candy is a Lab puppy.

A dear friend and longtime breeder of Belgian Sheepdogs is looking to rehome a young male into a pet/performance home. He may even have potential as a service/assistance dog. He's a BIG boy. He's between 27.5-28 inches at the shoulder and he's just shy of 1 year of age. He could easily weigh 90 lbs when fully grown. He has not panned out as a conformation dog but would make a wonderful pet for the right person. He is in NO danger, if she cannot find a suitable home for him, she will keep him but would like to see him get the attention he deserves. I met the dog today, he has an absolutely LOVELY temperament. Quite happy to meet me, very gentle and extremely huggable. Took treats gently from my hand even though there was competition from some of her other Belgians. I was tempted myself but there is only room in my house for one male dog and that's my Jesse. If I had more resources, I'd take him in a minute just based on meeting him today. He is a beautiful big black shaggy dog with a warm, outgoing personality. She is hoping to find a home locally for him so she might be able to still see him once in a while. He is still intact, neutering would be discussed though with a responsible home, it may not be mandatory. Though it cost her quite a bit to import him, she is not looking to sell him, simply wants to find him a loving home nearby. If you know of anyone who might be interested and they live in the Central Virginia area, please respond privately to me and I will hook you up with her. Thanks,

I'm so sorry to hear this scary news, will keep you and Haley in my thoughts.

Oh I am SOOOO glad you were able to quickly retrieve Rowie before something awful happened. Please buy Sunitha a nice flower or card to thank her!

Even being partial to Belgian puppies, I think Papillons and Tibetan Spaniels are way up there on the cutie pie chart. .

[quote name='Mutts4Me']Carol and Gigi - [url]http://www.retropets.com/submit-your-dog.asp[/url] You can submit a picture of one of your dogs, and tell her about its personality, and if she decides to use it, your dog will be featured on the site next to its likeness. Worth a shot! (I should tell Jeff to submit Kira so there's an Akita, too)[/quote] Thanks! I know just the photo, ya'll see it each time I post! 8)

No Belgians!

Best wishes to all celebrating a birthday!

Petedge is usually where I buy the greenies, I too buy the bulk box of 150 as I will go through them in less than two months. With shipping, they cost me about $75.

Just a heads up, if you give greenies to your dogs KV Vet has them on sale right now. Buy 5 16 oz bags, get one free. I just bought 5 bags of the petite sized, cost was $54.75, no shipping fee! I'll get 6 bags or 144 bones. Works out to .38 each. Not a bad deal at all.

I'm very sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved Boonie boy. :(

Mason's owner is NancyB! She is a member of the forum but I don't think she has posted for a while.