courtnek

I am very happy for you and Montie!! But I'm curious...why is Cassie being neutered after what sounds like one litter? The story said she threw two show dogs....did she just not quite meet conformation for breeding? If that's the case, this breeder deserves a lot of kudos. That is a beatiful dog, and if she is holding to standards that highly I greatly respect her. Hope to see pictures real soon. :angel:

atghylin... check with the vet who implanted it. Possibly you got lucky and he got the older, readable chip. It's worth a try at least.... best of luck and thanks Carol for posting this

yay HF!!! yay Fifty!! What great news, for eveyone.... :angel:

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!! I WANT TO FORM A S.W.A.T. TEAM TO TAKE THESE PEOPLE **OUT** !!!!!!!!!!!!! :agrue: :agrue: :agrue: :agrue:

OOOHHHHH!!! that's just MEAN!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

I got a letter from HELP asking me to send my story, and pictures of Laurel, to be used on their website, to encourage other people to adopt Foxhounds. I have kept in touch with the shelter people I adopted her from, and they were so happy with her progress they want her story!!! She is MUCH better, calmer, less afraid...becoming a really good dog, with all of her issues... I compiled a collage of pictures of her, in the winter (she hates the cold) and the final picture (which is my signature)....hope to hear something soon... this is the collage: I HATE snow.... [img]http://thumb5.webshots.com/s/thumb2/8/18/35/116781835vQLmUi_th.jpg[/img] WHAT? you want me to PLAY out here? It's FREEZING!!! [img]http://thumb4.webshots.com/s/thumb1/8/17/54/116781754gvnGTW_th.jpg[/img] Can I go IN now??? [img]http://thumb6.webshots.com/s/thumb1/8/16/16/116781616dMiDdB_th.jpg[/img] AHHHH...MUCH better... [img]http://thumb0.webshots.com/s/thumb4/8/39/50/96983950IZxlLG_th.jpg[/img]

[quote name='Lokipups']Another train of thought, small dogs can actually have more dominant traits than a large dog, simply because it gets away with behavior that we would never allow in a large dog. I tell my clients the same thing, "Don't allow your lapdog to do anything you wouldn't allow your big dog to do.". Dominance problems in small dogs can be curbed and controlled by using NILIF and obed training just like their larger bretheren :wink: .[/quote] and this was generally right on the mark. It is an issue with a small dog with a big head...the older brother, dad and mom spoil him, he has moved himself up above the girls in the hiearchy....I went to see them this morning. The dog was very pleasant and friendly to me. Tried to jump into my lap, and I wouldnt let him (part of the "breaking" process) and he sulked!!! he is used to getting his own way, obviously. The girls, on the other hand, are afraid of him, because they are young (5 and 6) and since he snapped, they wont go near him, which is just increasing his feeling he is dominant over them. I snapped him to my belt with a short leash, and ran him through a small obedience course. He is in obedience training at least. Once done, I rewarded him by letting him spend 3 minutes in my lap, then made him get off (he wont accept treats as rewards...he wants laps and petting) and went through the whole thing again. I then had the girls approach him, take his leash, and do the same thing. At first they were afraid and he was resistant, but while I stood there and corrected him he learned that if he obeyed the girls as well, I would let him sit in my lap for a few minutes. We did this for 3 hours. At the end, he was much better (although still somewhat reisitant, but not snapping at least) and he actually reared up and licked one of the girls with his front paws in her lap. So I'll go there again tomorrow morning, and work with them. My problem is the mom....she resists everything I do, saying "he just wants you to LOVE him, why are you being so hard?" **sigh** until I finally snapped and said BECAUSE I DONT WANT HIM TO BITE YOUR DAUGHTERS..... AND THAT'S A REAL POSSIBILITY!!! At that point, dad and brother stepped up and took care of mom's interference, they both agree with me (thank God). So I think in a few weeks we'll have this under control. :agrue:

some dogs have "softer" jaws then other. Freebee loves rawhide, but wont chew it until it's been softened first, usually by Laurel, who could chew up a rock if she wanted to....kibble is smaller and easier for them to chew then say, milk bones or hard treats. Also, they swallow a lot of kibble whole without ever chewing it up. A large, hard treat cant be swallowed whole. Freebee takes a long time to eat a milkbone...she crunches it up little bits at a time, so I dont think there's anything wrong with your dog. Just a different tolerance to hard foods is all.

[quote]16. The cat is not a squeaky toy; so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing. [/quote] ROFL!!!! My cat has now "owned" 4 dogs....(he's 13 years old)... Once an adult, the first time a dog made him "squeak" the dog's nose got used as a claw sharpener....hasnt happened since. They all obey HIM... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I dont mind mixing if there is a purpose behind it, Like Golden Labs for the handicapped...but what is the purpose behind this dog? other than profit? **sigh**

[quote name='Mei-Mei'][quote]AND second oldest said she would ask them really loudly "How many trees did YOU kill to make these daft hand outs ?"...gotta love 'em![/quote] [b]SMART[/b] girls. Shocking children is not the way to get your message across. If my child was given that handout, I can guarantee that there would be some PETA idiots in serious hurt. Outrageous. :x[/quote] serious HURT is a @#$%^& UNDERSTATEMENT...... love your kids, K. You've taught them rationality, and thats a good thing. Small children would be horrified by this.... freakin' PSYCHO's........ :chainsaw1:

good lord...... :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[quote]Yeah, I can see how this would be true. I've never had a dog used for hunting so I have no idea if bonding with them would make them a worse hunter or not. Although, I did see a hunting trial on ESPN once and the guys participating were VERY bonded with their dogs, but maybe it's different in a competition instead of a real hunt? [/quote] yes. competitive vs. field trials is very different. I am just learning all of this since adopting Laurel. The only real bonding allowed is between the hunter, the alpha and the beta in the pack. This is a real pack...unlike bird hunting where there may be one or two retrievers, these dogs run in packs of 15 to 30, depending on area needed to be covered. The dogs purpose is to find the prey (in this case fox) and chase it down, and corner it so that the hunter can get a clean shot at it. Bird hunters usually only need a pointer, and a retriever. As was mentioned the hunter will bond with the pack lead (below himself) to insure that all the dogs will follow him back, and not wander off. Even the kennel hands, who feed and water the dogs, are usually not allowed to touch or play with them. Fox hunting is generally done on horseback, because hounds can run like the wind. They have to catch up with fox, who also run extremely fast. I agree that these people are doing this wrong. There should be spacious kennels, straw and cedar chips and other dogs, to keep them company, and to keep each other warm. They all snuggle up to each other in the cold and share body heat. I have found that even in the house, Laurel will push herslf up hard against me when she sleeps, even though she doesnt need the warmth. does that help? :)

I'll go with you, K and Hmmm...I have a 22 semi auto and a bolt-action rifle. The bullets are small, they inflict a lot of pain...shots to the knees are always good...but I can think of another place I would take them out as well...and I'm a crack shot....then they wouldnt have kids like them.... :evilbat: :evilbat: :evilbat: :evilbat:

what's the site for the petition? I want to sign too....with comments on PETA... thanks :evilbat:

as Alpha, you need to be able to make them obey you. Feed one, if that's what you want, but when its time to feed Zeus, leash Apollo to you and stand there and watch Zeus eat. a short two feet leash attached to a belt is all you need. If Apollo acts up, a stern SIT and then Good dog, when he does. Make him watch Zeus eat, and if he behaves, then reward him. Same with treats. Apollo needs to learn that YOU are top dog, and you wont tolerate any squabbling... good luck :)

I have a hound, an English Foxhound, who was field trialed and raised in a kennel. Hounds do very well in kennels PROVIDING there are other dogs around. These are hunting pack animals, and prefer the company of other dogs when raised this way. The kenneling is to keep them focused on their job, and not on people. Mine now lives inside, and requires an extensive amount of attention. She has discovered the joy of being "peopleized" and wants to be petted, played with and generally made a big deal over. She wont chase a squirrel to save her life, but hunted fox for 6 years. I doubt she would be willing to hunt anymore, she now knows what sleeping on a bed feels like. They are very sensitive, even an angry look will make them slink off, and that could be part of the kennel life too.

[quote]My dog doesn't look like that. He's 95 pounds and looks like a wolf.[/quote] you may very well have gotten a hybrid...wolves dont bark, unless they are exposed to other dogs alot (like live with them) and then eventually they will learn to bark..the closest a wolf comes to a bark is a little chuffing" sound they make, kinda like a dog "barking under his breath".... Your vet shuld be able to tell you if it's a hybrid. Check the teeth (If he'll let you, that is) wolves canines turn under more than a dogs. they have a curve under to them, provided by nature for ripping flesh. (sorry if that's too graphic) that was bred out in most domesticated dogs. They're teeth and jaw structure are also generally bigger than a domesticated dog. obviously for hunting. I had a malamute, border collie wolf mix (try to imagine that in your mind) and that's where I learned this. The vet almost refused to treat him, because here you are not allowed to own a "wild animal" without a license, but she relented because the wolf in him was minimal. He did have the teeth though, and he was very dominant and very pig-headed.

thanks HF!! I will make a point of watching it. the sad part is, they started out with good ideals...that got corrupted over time...

If they can stop PETA from releasing Beagles into the "wild" (because they should be free'") and releasing lobsters into the ocean with their claws STILL RUBBERBANDED!!! I will back them up. These people are animals "public enemy no.1" :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[quote]Another train of thought, small dogs can actually have more dominant traits than a large dog, simply because it gets away with behavior that we would never allow in a large dog.[/quote] ya got THAT right...the two Chi's next door are spoiled to the point of threatening my 60 and 70 lb. dogs,,,thru the FENCE... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

actually HF it's been VERY helpful...Having a Lab mix with pratically NO normal Lab characteristics, I always check first. I know each dog is an individual, I always try to find out as much as I can before I advise. And I dont trust the AKC ratings...they all say Labs are wonderful....mine isnt. But a general overview always helps. Some dogs are just not good with kids, genetically, some are more prone to dominance issues than others. I realize they are all different, but I needed a place to start. Thanks. I have a place to start now, and I will go with Divine's advice on training out the dominance issue. If the dog is generally easy going, then dominance is easy to train out. If not, it can be an issue. This person is not dog saavy, and thats another reason I wanted to check the dogs general characterisitcs before advising. Thanks, everyone!! :D

thanks Divine....I'll wait for more info first. I prefer to know something about the dog before I make suggestions in a case like this... :D Malamum, the girls are about 4 and 5 years younger than the son. The lady did not go into specifics (I wanted some info first) but said that the dog is just "nasty" to the girls....Dont know yet if the girls are teasing it, or what. Once I got a general overview of the dog itself, I was going to ask more specific questions. I dont like to answer questions like that without knowing something about the dog first... I dont like to give bad advice, especially where a dog is concerned...they can bite 5 times faster than we can pull away.... Especially since I kinbow nothing about the dog. If it was a Shepherd, or Lab, or Dobe, I could ask for body language and stuff, but I know nothing about this dog, That's why I asked. Thanks.

temperament? I read up on them, a friend has one and is having issues with him. The dog snaps and growls at the two youngest daughters, but accepts the son and dad and mom fine. I looked them up and it said Gentle mannered, sensitive, playful and affectionate. A cheerful attitude is the hallmark of the breed and one should settle for nothing less. this dog isnt cutting those traits. But since I'm not familiar with the dog at all, before I go into lecture mode on dominance breaking, can anyone tell me about them? It's a lap dog, I know...but that's about ALL I know about it.... thanks!! :D

now, this is just me, and some will disagree, but I have always fed my (numerous) dogs a mix of good dry food, and a little wet. The wet provides enough fat to keep their coats nice, and makes the dry taste more like meat. I use Purina Lamb and Rice dry, and it has worked wonderfully on both my dogs. Sometimes, though you just have to test difffernt foods until you find one the dog gets along well with. Mixes tend to be less fussy about their food then purebreds (as far as health issues goes) and I have found this food makes their coats glossym stools are firm and they really enjoy eating it. You could also try (because of the diareah problem) dry mixed with just a tiny bit of cheese. Cheese is a natural constipator (take it from someone who KNOWS.... :lol: ) and that might help get the pup used to the new food. Once settled, introduce some canned for good coat.