Horsefeathers!

[quote name='Highspeed']Have you ranting fools stopped to read your own senseless e-mails? [/quote] No, I haven't checked my email yet; I usually come here first. *shrug*

*Note 2 self* Fling off bra and grab that glass of tea BEFORE flipping on Dogo, or you'll be uncomfortably bound and thirst to death before ever getting back up.

[quote name='mnp13']A big problem... ok, a 25 pound problem... I have this foster dog named Tribble. He's a pomeranian. I [i]hate[/i] small dogs. [/quote] First of all, a 25 lb Pomeranian is NOT a small dog. Make you feel better? :lol: :wink: As far as letting them go, it always hurts my heart to see them leave, but the joy that you get from seeing others enjoy them and watching them eventually evolve and thrive in their new surroundings make it worth it. Trust me, that hurt will eventually turn into a sense of joy and sometimes relief :oops: . It also opens up your home and resources to that one more out of so many who could use your help. If it makes you feel any better, despite all the broken hearts I've had when I "lost" (placed) any of my fosters, I never once regretted it later. By the same token, there are those fosters that I simply couldn't let go of that are still here, so sometimes it happens :oops: .

Sounds like a great time. I thought about you recently, actually. As much as you get out and do with your dogs, I couldn't help wondering if perhaps you and my Rocco might have crossed paths at some time. He was in obedience and agility in his former life and he's from Richmond, VA. I thought about you when I found out.

[quote]many people in my area who have the boarding kennels wish they had just opened up a dog grooming shop instead...[/quote] From what I hear on the grooming forums, it isn't much better. I hear all the time that people will often show up late at night, or on Sundays and basically demand to have their dogs groomed since "you're home, anyway!" Also, from what I hear, people dicker with you much more when you work from home. They think they shouldn't have to pay much since you're working from home. Au contraire, my prices will probably go UP if I move my business here as the cost of living in the town I reside in is higher than where I currently work. I'm considering moving my grooming business from the vet clinic where I lease space and into my home for various reasons. This is the very thing that worries me because I am such an incredibly private person at home and have very little company as it is. The idea of people trampling in and out all day bugs me to begin with. Still, I'm pretty good at being assertive and I've fired pain in the butt clients before, so I guess I'll just have to make the rules and keep them. The first time ever someone shows up at my door at 10 pm will be the last time I ever groom that dog unless it's a REALLY good established client with out of the ordinary circumstances. I'm not much of a pushover and am not afraid for people to think I'm a real butthole. Whatever it takes to maintain whatever little sanity I have left. Cassie, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, but at least you didn't get committed to it before you found out it wasn't your cup of tea. :)

Yes! We're obviously not trying hard enough! Let's keep posting! [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0YQDnAlMgSoMnKnQkv4xh!0o2wZXX8UeyVzFDCDFLvVqYh!72i5ZyBS9Rh1lBDaeiaRymdA!l8bMNiUhw!5xvZJm1QR0aeLAC3UhxJ09NK!x83KmqkKYmjDlGTKR*EZSVqZoLralRwtoHE9ivAP!wQw/womancomputer.gif?dc=4675445993878350693[/img]

I'm still taken aback that any such character would dare defame the Poodle name *snort*. There's a place in h*ll for people like that. See what happens to those who take the name Poodle in vain. This is you on the right. I know it happens because I saw it in a cartoon. You just wait and see! HF PoodleSnob [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0agDpAiAje6T03IXZPkCpnl18PdNiFp18EXlvmsGEZ4Kf56iVCsQQN6QR*nQqlXO6KQ4MyI1BXoeO3OvXacmH!ikWARWxEr64RwIrtmKegbA3g947R*xOeDNyCNFVsE2gQ8THdCusCD0w0ZtdL3qEcozixvV5egzK/Standard%20substandard.jpg?dc=4675460972060852207[/img]

[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0YQDzAucfuVxVyAXdyr4d6uhufNbwvSmES03jguMC6B0nRjlG5KSAdLNDUYIuEEoc*HMJTNzr!*vzsaveRScNOIxfDCtiL30e*jOuP5nnL0sBPODlvQ4q*RUADChBB4pzx0ft60G8x!kJVY27Gvv0Yw/HelpIamonline.gif?dc=4675445992152064943[/img]

[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0cwCJAu0jiRyoX6FikDfzhUSVgKwZzdUN0wbA*g6*tLLoyPlMk0l96Us*YHv8!D*CIcwmV0XcuGVoCBWFkE9Jf20071A2vNt6YroMjzjzpdPD2moMYD2KrPE0WldoUu15eR1pZz4kpzVMXtbKIzYyoDmniWvgePuwpwRYNud9OfI/had%20a%20life%20got%20a%20comp.gif?dc=4675445992141052329[/img]

*gasp* How dare you use the name Poodle in vain?? You're not worthy! :o

Are we defining a difference between temporarily tying out, or chaining to an affixed object, or what? While I'm opposed to solely "outside" dogs, especially dogs left tied out day in and day out, I'm not opposed to temporary tie outs. We have a cable that runs between two trees in our yard about 50 ft apart. There is a length of cable on a little trolley wheel on that overhead cable that runs from that to a dog. Before we had a fence, we used to use it to contain our Lab and then our Pit/Boxer mix. They had room to run without being in danger of running into the road (we are close to a major four lane highway). It was great when standing outside holding a leash wasn't practical (gardening, swimming in the pool, being outside with them without actually being able to stand there and hold a leash). We finally installed a fence and the Pit mix and Lab stayed outside most of the time (not ALL the time) and seemed fine with it because we were outside a lot. When my Lab had hip surgery, he needed to be kept inside and monitored and became a house dog. Of course, Penny couldn't be left outside alone, so she became an indoor dog as well. Even when he recovered, the Lab and Pit mix remained house dogs. Now I can't imagine having ever let them spend so much time outside. I don't think I could sleep at night now if one of my gang was outside. My Lab is ALL house dog. I'm glad it changed because he's getting older and I know he's more comfortable inside. Clear? Mud? I can see tying a dog outside to keep it secure for a short period of time, but not as a longterm lifestyle. I know I won't ever keep a dog primarily outside again and I've long since adopted SEVERAL more large breed dogs.

Being the almighty and all powerful K, I reckon you could. I bow before you. :wink: :P

[size=2]The only reason I post hidden is because there used to be someone here that would pm me harrassing messages every time I logged on.[/size] :oops:

[quote name='K']...and HF you ask what we can do about him breeding his sub standard,non conformational, overweight, fad BLUE dogs..well I for one will go around and put this kennel on the bad breeders lists...and I will explain why..and YES I [u]will[/u] put my name and contact details for further inquiries...there are WAY too many bad breeders out there...which as an owner of Pits he should be aware of..and I intend to make it hard for him to join thier ranks... :evil:[/quote] K, go get 'em. You are the first in this whole mess that I've seen actually say they're making an effort to do something. I admire your passion for taking action on your beliefs and I don't mean just in this case, but your general energy and drive. Give 'em h*ll. 8)

Say, here's a thought. Now, I might be oversimplifying, or just plain simple minded, but here goes, anyway. I don't get why some are beating this to death. I can understand that it's all about caring what happens to the dogs, but it seems way more personal than that. It seems like it's more of a hate for RnP rather than a genuine concern for the dogs. I have no allegiance to anyone or any side, but I prefer to pick and choose my battles based on what I can actually do something about. If RnP is selling or studding or breeding his dogs, what can we do about it? Is there a letter writing campaign, a petition to sign, a way to change his mind, a way to rescue these dogs (assuming they need it)? Has anyone who is so upset initiated a rescue effort? Let me know and I'll gladly volunteer my time and efforts to help. As it is, it seems that all we can do is voice our opinions and then, well, what? Am I just being simplistic? Is there a reason for it to go on and on and on and...? Don't get me wrong; I don't care if this is "debated" until the cows come home. I just don't understand why if, in reality, there's nothing you can accomplish by it. You can't change his mind, you can't help the dogs (or can you?), you can't change anything. It just seems like a lot of wasted energy to me. I'm sure there are plenty of dogs nearby any one of us who could use this energy. If I'm missing something (which is entirely likely), let me know and I'll be the first to jump in to help. Debate away. I'll happily read along. I was just curious about what the goal was here. :)

[quote name='anne3149']Unfortunately this breed does have a reputation of being 'yippy and snappy' whether we like it or not. This is because owners do not seem to see the need to train such a small dog.[/quote] Agreed. Probably my biggest pet peeve is people who don't see the need to train their small dogs and think it's "cute" when the little darlin's turn into little canine terrorists. [quote]They occasionally end up in pounds, not very often though. [/quote] Disagreed, but then can only speak for shelters in my area. Through our clinic, we've placed many Chis and Chi mixes because they do frequently end up abandoned along with Poodles, Shihs, Maltese and other "cute" breeds. Chihuahuas and their mixes are a dime a dozen around here and are frequently surrendered/abandoned. [quote]It's a pity that bad owners are responsible for the breed having a bad reputation but they do indeed have that. Perhaps if the breeders were more selective with prospective owners or impressed upon owners the need to train these little ones. [/quote] Agree wholeheartedly. Again, I get so angry with people who don't think little dogs need much training, or who think it's cute to have a little demon, or they have the dog as some sort of weird fashion accessory and just carry it around treating it like a little baby in a fur lined suit. I'm not talking about anyone here... just people in general. I wish more people would realize that little dogs need every bit as much training and socialization as bigger dogs and that it's not cute at all when they are encouraged to be "feisty." [quote] I have never met an obedience trained chi.[/quote] Please say hello to Chico (I know, unoriginal name for a Chi.. blame it on hubby). Now you know an obedience trained Chihuahua (he's still yappy, though, but no more so than my Lab who barks at EVERYTHING... :oops: ). 8) [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0ZgDbAiggpnYfvkNs**CiXn17vTNMc94qVkI!cqXect5l7uUqYbqnZpqBxufPx7QYD7C0wqxEFootHI*o6ieO98ere1P4xCd!M8XUYs00gf3QudQnv9UnnGKUoSait7iPzTNMdTQkSmPnVm40uj3MBg/1-26-03Chicobasket1.JPG?dc=4675454634218635929[/img]

[quote name='doggylover']I'd pick up the poop and take over to the neighbors house, ring their bell and give her the poop back to her. Advise her that her precious little taco dog should only leave "cash" deposits in your yard..other wise all other deposits will be returned. :wink:[/quote] The only thing that bothers me about doing something that could be perceived as smart*ss is the consequences. I don't mind confrontation at all and I'd love to do something like that, but keep in mind that some people aren't wrapped too tight. In my area, it's nothing for people to set out poison (or throw it over your fence) as a form of revenge, or for "nuisance" dogs. The black pepper thing I could do, handing them a baggie I can do, but I try my best not to be confrontational with my neighbors where dogs are concerned and I do have some really crappy neighbors. Having a sense of "revenge" is not worth the risk of having someone vandalize my property or try to harm my dogs. A neighbor situation is tricky because these people already know where you live. Not the people I want to pick a fight with if I can avoid it. Do you really want to start a neighbor war? Be the better neighbor, let the first incident slide and call her on it if it happens again (confront without being confrontational). Some people are truly clueless and she may be a nice person who genuinely didn't know any better. What's common sense to us isn't always so common to others. Doggylover/Cassie, are you having sign in problems? If you're not Cassie, I apologize, but I was just wondering if there's a problem. I'm sure K or someone could help.

I have actually handed a few people a plastic sack to pick up poop when I see them let their dog poop in my yard. The back is fenced, but the front is open and people walk on the private roadway in front all the time, but NO ONE has their dogs on a leash. If they decide to pee on my car tires or poop right at my front door, I'm not supposed to mind because I have so many dogs, I reckon (though MY dogs don't poop there). I've actually watched people let their dogs pee all over my car tires and poop right at the foot of my stairs... they don't even make an effort to call them away. I sometimes run out of the house screaming like a mad woman if I see a dog wandering my yard marking this and dumping on that, but when I see poop, I'm handing the passerby a sack. Sometimes all it takes is making them aware that it is a problem. Some people honestly think you don't mind if you don't tell them. I mind it a LOT. I freak out because most of the dogs around here are just your basic garden variety yard dogs, meaning they don't usually get shots, wormed, or any basic health care. Since an episode recently where I had several dogs in the house with diarrhea, I'm particularly paranoid about what other dogs are dropping off in my yard whether that had anything to do with it or not. Next time you see your neighbor let her dog leave a package on your lawn, be the "good samaritan" and offer her a baggie to pick it up. That way, you confront her about the problem without being confrontational, ya know?

My favorite is one I have framed by my front door. ================================= My Dog's House This is my dogs' house They live here You'll find they roam freely From the front to the rear I'm glad you came to see us My dogs are also glad you're here I hope that in their own way They bring you a degree of cheer But if my dogs upset you Or you simply find them a bore Remember this is my dogs' house And I'll gladly show you the door by Theresa Clark

[quote name='drjeffrock']Seriously though, this business of saying "There are no bad dogs, just bad owners" is a half-truth. Its apparent none of you have ever raised a dog with a questionable temperament. YOu would def. be singing a different tune if you had a dog from puppyhood, socialized it and did everything in your power to raise it properly, and it ended up with behavioral issues. I agree that 8 times out of 10 behavioral problems are due to the owner, but dont forget about shmucks breeding dogs that have no business being bred. Socialization is VERY important, but sometimes it cannot overcome genetics.[/quote] Just wanted to nod from the amen corner and shout out a hallelujah. It really irks me when people jump on a pedestal or their personal soapbox to spout off that dogs are SOLELY a product of their upbringing and environment and that ANY behavioral issue can be cured with enough "love." They just haven't met the right dog yet. [quote]PETS NEED LOVE AND CARE AND THE BIGGER THE PET, THE MORE LOVE AND CARE IT NEEDS![/quote] I'm glad you love your big dogs, but that statement is ludicrous. Perhaps this kind of logic explains why your Maltese/Poodle is a biter.

[quote name='kendalyn'] Thanks doggylover! (BTW, why don't you join? :) ) [/quote] I was under the impression that doggylover = Cassie. I just thought maybe she was having some sign in problems or something(?).

I successfully litter box trained two of my small dogs (a Toy Poodle and a Lhasa Apso). Initially, I had grand images of keeping them both in show coat and didn't want the little darlin's to be exposed to the elements. Boy, did I get over that! Anyhoo, litter training was the easiest thing I've ever done in regard to training a dog. All I had to do was put some of their waste into the box and then put them in there with it any time I saw a sign of pottying (circling, sniffing, that sort of thing). It didn't take long at all for them to catch on and it was soooooo convenient. I never had a problem with smells, but you do have to keep it cleaned out just like you would a cat box. It's easy enough because there's not much sifting involved... dogs don't typically bury it like cats do, so you just pluck it off the top and get rid of it. [quote]Also, get scentless litter. I know of a dog that was allergic to the flowery-smelling litter.[/quote] Not only that, but it just smells right like someone took a poopy in a flower bed. Odorless is better. You can always sprinkle some baking soda in it if needed. Also, be sure NOT to use the scoopable clumping litter. When it gets wet, it virtually turns into cement. Not a good thing if you have a pup that would like to play in it. I nearly lost my Lhasa when she was a pup because she was playing in it and scooped up a whole mouthful of it and nearly choked to death. Between her salivating and my attempting to flush it out with water, it just got worse and worse. Not only that, if it's actually ingested, it can cause blockages. Stick with the non-clumping litter and you should be ok. It's cheaper, anyway. In a pinch, I have used plain sand. :)

[quote name='kendalyn']So yeah, if anyone knows why he goes so nuts about me on the floor, I'd love to know![/quote] Me, too. My Tucker Lab gets so boisterous if I get on the floor that he hurts me sometimes. He wants to play sooooooooo bad, but he doesn't realize that his middle name isn't Grace and that he's a pretty big boy and sometimes all four of his legs and feet decide to go their own way and do different things which usually leads to some form of pain for me (a toenail skewered into the meatiest flesh it can find, an elbow dropped into my temple putting me into a momentary state of suspended animation, the obligatory butthole swipe across my forehead I can do without, not to mention the biggest Kong toy I've ever seen that must weigh about 40 lbs that he drops right across the bridge of my nose in an effort to initiate a game of fetch...). I feel bad "fussing" at him for being so rough because he's all heart, but he sure does mangle me up trying to play. He's the most obedient dog I've ever known and is usually all manners, but if I get down on the floor, he gets a case of the stoopits. :oops: [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0ZgDzAp8gh6uHJusLSR!3T4Eo8GBmLmvxTkqjk73irC*67l4J1wMlzoisQSOR!XHGqTevCBhZwCZP7JJeP7uFJpAZa79mBHBjYk2YwHrBi1J4*k1*obPkNk11tVqQAZfeBJE5Ia34kAleSR2NXzRg9A/good%20boy%20Tucker.JPG?dc=4675379077582745599[/img]

Yes, be blunt and be persistent with this vet, another vet, even another if it takes it. One of my recently placed Standard Poodle fosters went downhill very quickly when he stopped eating and became shaky, emaciated and in general poor health. He also became "confused." The vet could find nothing that gave us a clue of what was causing these problems. The dog did not make it. He was only 2 1/2 years old. In the end, I wish we had sought more opinions. I love my vet, but wish we had gotten a second or even third opinion. We truly never expected it to get bad enough for him to die. :( I don't mean to be an alarmist, but I would just like to urge you be very persistent. Good luck and I hope your Standard baby is ok.

Well, I gave the thing a try this evening just for kicks and grins only after staring at the box for an hour trying to decide whether to open it or take it back. I didn't have a stain to get up (go figure), but still picked out a little high traffic area and had a go at it. I like it, but it takes a LOT of elbow grease to get the soapy stuff back up (or maybe I'm just lazy). You have to tilt it forward so the brushes aren't touching the floor and kind of press down hard and move slowly. Our floors are shampooed at least twice yearly, but I didn't have a problem with foamy stuff as long as I pressed that vacuum part thingy down. When I didn't, the brushes just beat it and it foamed right up. It did a good job, though, and made me realize from that one little spot that our floors are due to be cleaned again. :oops: All in all, it gets the HF stamp of approval and I'll be keeping it. :) Thanks for the input. 8)