courtnek

I dont like the cropped ears either. I know they were probably done professionally, but that face and those ears just dont look good together. The ears are WAY to small IMO....

:D both of mine prefer to play outside, and the hound runs at warp speed. My house is too small for that. I think they both know that, so when inside they chew, or sleep. They're all grown up though.

My hound doesnt play with toys either, and my labs only and favorite toy is her throw-handle ball. which is kept outside because it could break things otherwise. They both have "chewies", but not toys per se. I never give squeaky things to my dogs simply because they've always been large dogs, with the capability of removing and swallowing the sqeakers. And I dont buy rope toys because they destroy them and leave pieces of rope fiber laying all over. So really all they have are their chewie bones. and both seem content with that. Now maybe your puppy just doesnt like toys or maybe like Kat said, he has to be introduced to them and encouraged to play. as far as lifting his leg, some dogs never do. He wont until he is older anyway, but if there are no other male dogs around that he feels he needs to pee higher up then, he may never lift.

I agree witht he spoiler alert, but on the other hand, it seems that with the TOC, the poodle wins more often than anything else. I dont remember which show it was, but the Newfie won and I was extremely surprised. That may have been Crufts, though, I dont remember. I dont see the real big 'uns, like Newfies and Mastiffs win too often. And I like Standard Poodles, but I cant stand the fru-fru cut. I prefer them natural, or better yet, somewhat shaved. Like HF's picture of Perry....that's a really pretty dog.

possibly Peanut is feeling territorial. The car he might consider "neutral ground', but now you brought this animal into "his" house....The dust should settle in a few days. They will sort it out themselves, but if it's too tense here in the beginning, I would seperate them with a baby gate. Let them get used to each other (The can commune thru the gate) without being able to touch each other. That way neither one feels threatened or powerful. Its a little inconvenient at first, but I have found it the best way to introduce pets to each other.

Kendalyn, that's an excellent thought. I knew that, but never really thought about it, or paid attention to hers. I dont really even think about it on the surface, I just interact to what the dog is "saying" from years of knowing how. But thinking back, she does seem a little stiff around him (his name is Lark) and when he doesnt respond, she tightens up. I;m not sure if she's angry, or embarassed.....of course I dont know what she does when I'm not there. This is her first dog. Thanks. I think I'll call her later and will talk about it without the dog being around. Her husband is somewhat afraid of dogs (he was bitten as a child) and she wants to make this work out right. Lark is not taking over, just not listening real well. thanks for all the suggestions.

maybe I'm an overpowering presence, without even realizing it :lol: :lol: she seems to do fine when I'm there. Its when I'm not that issues arise... but she is a gentle soul, so maybe she is afraid of him and not admitting it. he's a shepherd/dobie mix, a headstrong dog anyway, but he seems so mellow when I'm there. thanks. maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. the more I think about it, the more it seems that when she asks for help, I take over and correct the dog. and he listens, so obviously he needs a firmer hand than she has....hmmmm...I have tried to teach her NILIF, but now I wonder if she's caving when I'm not there....and not admitting it when I am....she brought this whole thought to my attention, wanting to know why dogs "just listen to you"....I never thought about it before really...I just expect them to. Poor Laurel. she's a timid, gentle soul, and she has been my biggest training issue ever....

strange question, I know. I have NEVER been bitten by a dog. Even the most dominant ones back down when they see me. They lick me. love me.obey me after I have trained them. WHAT am I doing that enforces that? I have a friend with a dog who WONT obey. I have given her training tips, suggestions, even worked with her to train this dog. He obeys ME, not her. He never acts bad, or disobeys in my presence. I have trained her to train him. he doesnt listen to her. .....WHY???

[img]http://www.akc.org/images/breeds/blkntan.jpg[/img] definitely black and tan coonhound. maybe mixed with rottie, but maybe not. look at the similarities.....

thanks everybody! Pushy only gets dry Iams Senior. about 2 years ago he started throwing up, every day, all the time. we tried other cat foods, only people food, canned tuna, you name it we tried it. The vet was up in arms. she didnt understand what was happening. he was 5 lbs overweight, which is a lot for a cat. He started losing weight in a bad way, since none of his food would stay down and he was throwing up daily. She was afraid he would become diabetic, his blood sugars werent good. But now his food wouldnt stay down. I tried Iams, and it worked. It stays down, he lost the 5 lbs, his blood sugars are more normal. It's a senior food, not meant for a kitten. since he can only eat dry, his coat is also dry, and he sheds alot. Brushing him has helped, but the senior food also helps with hairballs. he also has thyroid issues. This food seems to work well for him, he is healthy and losing les hair. I was just afraid it would hurt the kitten, who should be eating "growing" food and not maintenance food. She does eat her own (she eats continuously) so I guess its ok if she snacks on Pushy's food.

I live 15 minutes from work, and get an hour lunch, so I can go home if I choose to let them out. I dont allow mine outside because of both weather (it gets very cold here in the winter, often below zero) and because I dont feel comfortable about their escaping. The gate is locked, and Laurel would probably be fine outside all day (with adequate shelter) since she was raised in a kennel. But Free was raised indoors, and Laurel doesnt want to be out without Free. *sigh* I would love to let them be out, during the summer, but ir just wont work...

Push gets Iams Senior (I know, but its the only food he can keep down) with anti-hairball stuff. He's almost 15. Ford is a 4 month old kitten. She has kitten food in her bowl, but when I feed Pushy, she insists on eating out of his bowl as well. Will this hurt her? She eats her kitten food too. :o :o :o :o

I know a lot of people who think crating is "cruel"...but in puppyhood, and when grown up, the dog often sees the crate as his place of security and quiet. I dont crate either of mine...Free is claustrophobic and destroyed the crate. Laurel I got full grown. They have free run of the house. Laurel had a belly upset today. She had to GO but no one was there to let her out. She went down to the landing by the back door, all tile, and went there. You could tell she was sick. I think this was a good thing on her part. She knew to get to the door, but couldnt get out. She didnt go upstairs on the rug, or the hardwood floor, but on the tile by the door. Messy to clean up, yes, but much easier than upstairs. I would love a doggy door, but I agree HF. Laurel is afraid of people she doesnt know, and Free would bark and stand them off, but you never can tell.

my dogs are home 10 hours a day, M-F.....I work full time. It's why I have so many pets, in a way. They keep each other company and dont destroy stuff out of boredom. I have always had at least one dog and one cat. Cats are good company for a dog if they are used to each other. I can come home at lunch, and often do. but even if I dont, they're fine here. Malamum, I dont let them outside because my neighborhood isnt the greatest. and being hunting dogs, if the gate was opened they would be off like a shot. following their noses. I have always wanted a doggy door, where they could go out when they wanted to and come in when they wanted to. I have recently heard that there is a door you can get that is coded to an electronic device in the collar, that will open it when the animal approaches, but wont open any other way.....

your dog may be allergic or sensitive Mattie. I used it on the cat and the dogs. since they all live in the same house. I dont think its more dangerous or less helpful on dogs...

see the vet (or call 1-800petmeds) about getting Advantage or Advantix. One of them kills the fleas in the house as well as on the dog. treat all the animals with it. I used it once cuz my cat brought in fleas and never had another issue with them afterwards.

what we now call purebreds were bred that way for a reason, a purpose. The original intent was not Crufts, or the AKC, or UKC or any other dog club. The purpose was to develop a dog that could do the job it was developed for. Certain traits/characteristics were necessary for the dog to do it's "job". Labs were bred to be basically waterprrof, with an otter like tail used as a rudder and short hair. double coated with an oily undercoat. they began their heritage dragging fishing nets to shore. Collies were bred to herd. shepherds to herd and guard. Foxhounds to hunt fox. terriers to rid the world of rodent-type creatures. etc. Back in those days, it really wasnt important what the dog looked like, providing it had the necessary skills to be a good worker. Times change. Dogs became show pieces more often than workers, and the clubs set standards on how the dog should look. IMO this changed alot of the dogs as we know them today. I agree that line and inbreeding is not good, and that the healthier dogs come from mixed "stock", but they cant guarantee the look that way. or the show prize. Even some of the working dogs suffered from this, because they thought that this kind of breeding would make the working traits better. It usually doesnt, but you dont see that for a few generations. It has always been my take that the gene pool can only be closed in so far, before genetic defects pop up.

she's a mix. She has Foxhound and coonhound in her. she looks more like the TWC though. she's a little thin, but they want me to keep Laurel thin too. as far as the accident...it all depends on if this lady has a 'record' of leaving her dog loose. She could argue that the dog escaped, and she tried to get it back, yada yada yada. I'd have to verify with an insurance company, but I believe Homeowners policies consider dogs "property" so they might cover it. It may never be necessary though. Unless it can be proved that she let this dog roam it's likely she wont be convicted.

awwww what a sweetie. I dont blame her trying to get out. I wouldnt want to be in there either. **sigh** I wish I could adopt all of them.... :(

super glue is good as emergency first aid. It "seals". literally, and stops blood flow. in a bad pad accident, super glue could be the difference between an emergency vet visit, and major blood loss. I used it once on my Golden when I had cut his qwik while trimming his nails. I stopped the flow with flour, but then put super glue on it till I could get him to the vet next day. She laughed and said he needed no additional help....

He is a doll, but I had to laugh...WHO would name a Golden "Brutus"? The name implies a huge tough guy with an attitude....Goldens are (when raised and trained properly) about as tough as dust....I know the Shakespeare connotation, but in today's lingo, Brutus would not be the sweet faced love he is.... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have two hunting dogs. A lab/pointer mix, and a foxhound. Neither have docked tails. You should NEVER dock a lab, while they are retrievers, they do water retrieval, and that strong, kill-you-with-its-wag tail is used as a rudder in the water. Labs originally brought fishing nets to shore, and that tail was an absolute necessity. In their original form they had webbed feet as well. There is also a purpose to the goldens tail. Labs have an oily undercoat, and very short hair. that second oily undercoat kept them warm in the frigid waters of Newfoundland. Kept them dry too. The water would stay on top, and not soak into the fur. It's not quite that cold in England, where the Golden was bred. Still the dog spends a lot of time in the water doing retrieval. The golden coat, and the tail, were both "sight signs". The hunter could see the dog easily because his coat contrasted so sharply with the surroundings, something hard to do with a black Lab. The tail also serves as a "flag" - held up high and easy to see in the brush. If you ever watch a Golden work, the dog will get low down in the brush, but the tail will be held up. The coat is a nightmare in briar country, everything sticks to it and the fur wraps around it. But it keeps the dog warm. Now my foxhound has a tail very similar to the lab. Hard, no excess fur, and it can cause bruising when she beats it against your legs cuz she's happy to see you. They arent water dogs, like labs, but I can see where her tail could also serve as a rudder in the water. It's the same basic tail a Lab has. so after all that ramble, not all hunting dogs have, or should have, docked tails. There is a purpose for them the way they are. Labs and pointers and Foxhounds and setters also have floppy ears to protect them from the brush. The last thing you'd want is to get those above mentioned briars stuck in an ear. The ear also serves, especially in bloodhounds, to "funnel" the scent to the nose. I cant think of a scenthound with natural cropped ears. Greyhounds are sighthounds. I think they're cute with their long ears, personally.

the home depots here dont allow it..... :( :( :( I guess its up to the individual store managers whether to allow pets or not. For some reason, around here its a big no-no..... :roll:

my two dogs have floppy ears....Lab Mix and Foxhound. sometims I want to crop the hounds ears, to prevent any more ear infections.... :o :o :o :o :o

[quote]Yes, dogs with brown spots are hideously wrong.[/quote] y'know, for the longest time, I never knew Dalmatians spots were any color but black.... (dont hit me Hill, I just didnt know.... :lol: :lol: ) there's a LOT of things I didnt know. I LEARN here. I teach here too. BOP, be a part of us, but know that we are a group of people who came together to learn and teach. We dont bash each others dogs, even if we dont particularly like them. we try to learn from each other whenever we can. there is a lot of wisdom on this board, and training, and experience. I KNOW Hill wont hit me, but cracks like that are common. Please get used to it, and us.... (You WONT hit me will ya Hill? :lol: :lol: :lol: ) 8)