Horsefeathers!

Oh, there are so many ways to go about it! You don't actually need to sew anything. That was just a suggestion if you were wanting something a bit more "customized." You could just take the two halves of the foam mattress pad and cover them with sheets. There are a variety of ways to secure it. After all, the only part that really needs to look "neat" is the part facing upward, right? The underside is where it all goes together. You can fasten a sheet by way of pins (I don't care for them, personally... I'm afraid I always have the rogue who would want to think it's a playtoy and try to remove it), velcro straps, those little old lady girdle snaps, or any of a number of other fasteners that don't require actual sewing and would only take a few minutes (I'm all about cheap and easy, no comments, please :o ). Also, if you're making one for each, absolutely "new," it seems it would offer a level playing field. I know you're already good with behavior and training stuff, so perhaps these points may be moot, but maybe take whatever you would intend to cover each's bed with and let them sleep with it a few times before actually making it into a bed. You know... catch Freebee asleep on the couch and just bunch up "her" sheet with her. Same with Laurel, where ever she is asleep. Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but I don't see how the dog knows the difference between a $50 bed and one significantly cheaper. I'd just hate to be out the 50 bucks and the dog still ignore it. By the way, many of mine nap on the couch, too. :oops:

Just my two cents... Go to Wally World (or any of the cheapy, sell for less stores) and get a twin sized foam mattress pad... the egg crate kind. Cut it in half and wrap a sheet or blanket around each half and you'll have TWO very comfortable dog beds for just a few bucks. If you want it super thick, just double stack the two halves. The sheets are easy to take off and sling into the wash. If you want it really decorative, you can buy whatever kind of fabric appeals to you and just sew what will basically look like a big pillowcase to slip the foam padding into. I have a variety of dog beds and bedding around here, including hammock styles, and all, except one, are homemade. I think it's ridiculous to have to pay $50 for a piece of foam and a piece of fabric. Then again, I'm a tightwad.

Good to see you, Rowie! :)

Geez, what a dumbaxe. Surely, this is an open and shut kind of thing. I mean, your dogs didn't actually attack him and his dog was running loose and on YOUR property. Here's the thing that scares me about stuff like this. I am always SO worried about p*ssing someone off and having them come by late at night, or sometime when I'm not home, and doing something like throwing poison bait over the fence. I'm not afraid of confrontation, per se, but I would be worried about people seeking revenge on me through my dogs. Maybe this creep won't do something like that, but just be extra careful. He sounds like a real jackass. :x

I think it all just happened so quickly. She was probably startled by Perry's sudden presence, followed by my sudden presence. I was really trying hard to apologize. I would love to have visited with her little pup if I'd had the chance (depending on what she was there for... I know I'm somewhat of a germophobe, but I usually don't have contact with patients with contagious illnesses... too many critters in my house to risk an outbreak), but by the time I got my gang herded out the back door, she was leaving. I really didn't mean to make such an impression. Still, I don't think I'll try to contact her. I reckon some things are better left alone. Glad you like the pic! The bad news is that I can no longer get photos uploaded onto my computer. The digital camera still works fine, but something is wonky between it and the computer. I even tried uninstalling the software and reinstalling it, but it doesn't work. I am sick without my digital camera. I am going to try to upload the software on my best friend's computer and if it works, look out... I'll be bombing y'all with photos!

I'm not really that bothered by it. I mean, I'm really super embarrassed that it happened, but the woman's response stunned me more than anything. I'm not concerned enough about it to contact her. I can understand how she feels. After all, I have a Pit(ish) Bull, too, but common courtesy should be, well, more common. Even with all the media hype and things PB owners have to contend with, I don't think it excuses them, or anyone else, from basic manners and courtesy. If she wants to get herself that hysterical ASSUMING I'm removing my dog because I'm afraid hers is going to tear his head off rather than believe I'm just trying to be considerate, then it's her problem. I never had a chance to respond to her, so I reckon I think she's as rude as she thought I was breedist. If I had said one thing to give her that impression, I might feel differently, but I never even saw her dog until I caught up with Perry. Anyway, I think it's kind of funny in retrospect. I feel for the woman, having to feel so defensive. I guess what's funny to me is just imagining how embarrassed she might be if she knew I had a similar dog (though I've NEVER chewed someone out for avoiding Penny... for all I know, some people may fear brown dogs, or dogs with white blazes on their chests and white paws...ok, I ain't buying that, but I still wouldn't chew them out unless they SAID something stupid :-? ). That lady's going to eventually have a stroke if she gets THAT worked up so easily. :o

I swear, the last couple of days have nearly made me reconsider my dog owning qualifications. I have my own grooming studio located inside a vet clinic. I'm not a clinic employee... the grooming part is an entirely separate business. I have been there four years. My beloved Perry (my original Standard Poodle), bless his pea pickin' goofy heart, goes with me to work every single day, so the clinic is just a second home to him. I usually leave about half an hour after the clinic has closed, so I always just turn Perry (and Peanut and Pauly) loose and let them romp through the building to the outside (opens to a fenced courtyard). We have been doing this forever without any problems. Until today. :-? The clinic was closed, lights out and we all headed for the door, Perry romping about like he usually does. What I didn't realize was that there was a client in an exam room. In four years, this has never happened. You'd have to know this vet and his staff... when it's quitting time, you'd better not be standing in the door, so for a client to be still there was WAY out of the ordinary. Perry being Perry saw people and immediately shot into the room to say hello. I freaked out and went barreling in there behind him, calling him to come out. He responds to me well and he did come out, but the client in there was furious with me. It was a client with a young Pit Bull puppy (about 4 months old, I believe). The lady kept trying to tell me that her dog was friendly, but I only wanted Perry out. I didn't even see what kind of dog it was until I caught up. It could have been anything, for all I knew... alligator, big mean dog, little dog, I didn't care. I was trying to be considerate by keeping Perry out. Besides, I don't know what they were there for... mange, worms, parvo, euthanasia for an old beloved dog, or what. I don't let my dogs interact with patients. Seems like common sense to me. Soooooo... this lady got all irate with me, telling me that I was a victim of media bias for believing her dog was a threat to my dog (I never said that!) and that her dog was friendly and that I was a breedist and wouldn't have snatched my dog out of there if it had been any other dog and blah blah blah. I was stunned! Geez, I was trying to be polite and undo the mess I had made. :siara: What I learned was to NEVER assume the building is empty again until I walk through. I shudder to think of if it HAD been some really big, mean (any breed) dog :wallbash: . Perry doesn't know enough to be afraid of other dogs, or people. He's a VERY social dog. Don't worry with lectures. Lesson learned. I'll walk through from now on. I don't usually leash them at the clinic (I do elsewhere!) because I usually have my hands full when I'm leaving and the building is always (until today) empty. The last couple of days, I'm wondering if I should have just stuck with cats. Now I'm a breedist? :-? :drinking:

Malamum, thanks for the kind words. :oops: Just to clarify, li'l sis (25 years younger than me... we share the same father) and her mom live in a different household. After I placed Devin the first time and it didn't work out (remember, he ran away and was missing for two days), they decided to take him. I was kind of hesitant because I am fully aware that Devin is a brat and can be snappy if he's antagonized. I do not believe him to be beyond hope (he's still a puppy) and he had responded marvelously to socialization and training. I had really worked with him on that and li'l sis's mom was doing wonderfully with him as well. Also, in her defense, li'l sis, I think, wasn't INTENTIONALLY being mean. Well, I guess in a way she was, but it's hard to explain what I mean. I believe that when she does these things, she thinks the dog is having as much fun as she is. I believe she thinks they're playing back. She had never been bitten before, so never really took the threat of being bitten seriously. She is a bit of a brat, herself, and has had to learn many other life lessons the hard way... the kind of kid who actually has to touch the stove to know it's hot rather than take your word for it. The good thing in all of this is that my sister is extremely remorseful. I suppose that's a good thing. I have always fussed at her about the way she wants to rough house with these dogs. The more the dog reacts, the more "fun" she thinks it is and I believe she really thought the dogs were playing back. I believe now she'll rethink that. In hindsight, I'm thinking it may have been a mistake to agree to place Devin there, knowing his behavioral problems and knowing my sister's knack for being aggravating, but we had sat down with her and talked to her about these concerns. She agreed to be responsible. Maybe I should have just taken the "kids will be kids" attitude and kept him with me, but she always complains that I don't trust her (well, gee, ya think??). I guess what really bugs me is that I was kind of worried about something like this happening and it did and now I'm feeling guilty. :oops: :-? This kid has more insight into dog behavior and handling than most kids her age. She has not only helped me care for mine in the past and grown up around them her entire life, but she started working summers with me in my grooming salon when she was six years old! She KNOWS! That's what makes it so frustrating for me. If I could just pin it on ignorance, it would be easier. That's what makes me want to just take her down behind the woodshed and smack her around (ok, I wouldn't, but I can bitch at her about it). Anyway, I'm not seriously considering putting Devin down. I would take him back and keep him, myself, first. I was just wondering how many people WOULD consider putting him to sleep in this circumstance. I know there are those people who believe ANY dog who bites for ANY reason should be put down.

Mouse, I'm so sorry to hear about Poppy. :(

A couple of questions... Is Miles a Lhasa or a Shih (I don't remember? :oops: ). Also, how often is he fed, or does he free feed? The breed thing may not matter (more curious than anything), but both of my Lhasas will bile puke on an empty stomach. It is really similar to what you describe... yellow, foamy stuff. They only do it on an empty stomach. I feed them at least two meals a day, three when I am home all day. I have seen this happen even with free fed dogs who simply don't eat often enough, even though the food is available to them. I would suggest (after following the vet's advice, of course), putting food down for Miles at least twice a day (more would be preferable if practical). Leave it down for an hour and if he doesn't eat it, take it away until the next mealtime. He may still go through a couple of episodes of the puking, but it should establish the habit of eating proper portions at designated times and therefore (hopefully) dramatically reduce or eliminate the puking (if the problem is similar to that of my dogs). Just something to consider after following the vet's advice.

Courtnek, I've used that mousetrap trick, only I tossed some newspaper over it. I was using it mainly as a diversion to my counter creeping cats. Thankfully, my cats are all now FLOOR dwellers (I don't mind sharing furniture with any of my critters, but my kitchen counters are OFF LIMITS... kitty gritty cat crap feet and surface where food is prepared.... yick). Regarding surfers and chewers, anyone else ever give up and just start leaving around non-edible, yet harmless, items? Things like toilet paper rolls, bits of plain paper and such? My interior decor is interesting, to say the least (nothing says class like tp rolls on coffee tables). :oops:

Thanks for the thoughts. Doc G. believes it's just a bit of a sprain. He manipulated it and found that the discomfort is in Pauly's hock area, but he doesn't think it's anything serious. He dispensed some pain medication for him for about a week or so and then we'll check it again. Doc G. is pretty sure that I'm just crazy. That diagnosis was free. :P

Goo, if they start talking evacuation and you live in such an area virtually surrounded by water, I think you'd better scoot. I live in an area not too far off the Gulf Of Mexico and we get our share of bad weather from tropical storms and hurricanes. Mostly tornadoes and high wind here, but we aren't in a flood area. We did have to evacuate once several years ago when a hurricane stalled out and caused the Flint River to flood. Our entire neighborhood was under water and all I could do was watch on the news. I couldn't even get to my house. It's really scary stuff. Fortunately, we had no animals at the time, so it was only us that had to evacuate (one of those spooky movie scenes where the officials were riding through neighborhoods with bullhorms screaming to get out). Our contingency plan with all our animals is to have them boarded with our vet (very secure brick building and further inland than where I actually live and about as good a plan as I can have with so many animals) if we ever have to evacuate. Of course, it really takes some planning, so our plan is to board them at even the suggestion of evacuation (within a couple of days of a storm coming ashore). The worst that could happen if nothing comes of it is that we have to pay a boarding fee, but with so many critters, we just can't risk waiting until we are in actual emergency status. I don't know if boarding your critters somewhere a little further inland is an option for you to consider. It also eliminates the worry of finding pet friendly places to stay, or even if you do, there's no telling how many other pet owners may beat you to them. Good luck to you folks who are in the path of this thing. We will likely be missed by the worst of it, but we always get the bands of weather from them that spawn off tornadoes. I am extremely afraid of tornadoes. :-?

Ugh! This just made me remember some people I know (and despise) locally who saw some broadcast somewhere that said that people are paying $1500 for Labradoodles. These people are already breeding VERY poor Labs (white blazes on chests and feet, one extremely aggressive before being hit by a car, the rest are nervous as pregnant nuns), and were breeding very poor, mangy Cockers (one of them also killed by a car), but the lady made the statement that she was planning to get a Standard Poodle for Christmas for the sole purpose of cashing in on the Labradoodle craze. All they see is dollar signs. If they think anyone in this podunk town is going to pay $1500 for ANY dog, they're crazier than they look. I didn't hear one word about researching Standard Poodles, any attributes about them they like... no, just that they can get rich quick breeding these freaking mutts. I have no problem with a well thought out breeding program, but people like this make me want to just slam my head on the ground repeatedly.

Gawd, people who would steal a dog right out of someone's yard are one of the worst kinds of people. I had a Rottie stolen from me many, many years ago and not only does your heart break from the loss, but the feeling of violation is overwhelming. Just something to perhaps give you hope... one of the fosters that I had placed recently went missing and was gone for two days before he was finally returned. It can happen. I know the agony of wondering and not knowing, but it's possible you will see Snow White again. Don't give up! I didn't get a chance to read every post in this thread, so if someone already suggested this, I apologize for repeating it, but don't just call the shelters often. GO! Many shelters are staffed by volunteers and some are even staffed by prison inmates and you never know who is going to answer the phone. I know of at least two shelters near me where I've actually been STANDING THERE when the phone rang and some distraught owner was searching for a lost dog. The person who answered the phone could not be bothered to even look, or ask someone else before telling the owner that the dog wasn't there. They have photos there, on a bulletin board, but no one ever really checks it. I remember once when, just by chance, I saw a beautiful Sheltie and remembered seeing an ad in the paper for several days where someone reported a Sheltie missing. The Sheltie had been at that shelter for about a week and they were getting ready to adopt him out... no one had even thought to keep check on the lost and found ads in the paper. That dog could have gone home a week earlier and not been put on an available for adoption list. Many of these places are overworked/understaffed and too many things can slide by. Even with photos, your best bet is to actually visit area shelters within a pretty wide radius in person. I can't begin to count how many times I've seen someone answer the phone at the shelter and just not care that someone was looking for their beloved family member.... I think sometimes, too, these people have seen so much that they become numb to it. Anyway, I'm rambling, but I really just wanted to strongly suggest that you actually visit these shelters yourself and not rely on photos and phone calls. Again, I'm so sorry you've lost your baby, but don't give up hope yet.

I'm a little less traditional than most when it comes to crating and smaller breeds, or tiny puppies of any breed, for that matter. I've heard all about how they're only supposed to have enough room to be able to turn around and all that, but I'm a bit more (what's the word I'm looking for here) lenient in regard to small dogs and puppies. When any of mine were small puppies, I always liked the idea of having a crate big enough to put a potty area in. I've always used a small makeshift litterbox (can be anything from an old casserole dish, to a rubber storage container, to an actual small cat litter pan) and plain litter... never the scoopable stuff because if they ever ingest it, it can be deadly. I know others believe that this inhibits housetraining, but it never did with any of mine. Even past the crating, I litter box trained a couple of my smaller dogs and never had any problem with them going in inappropriate places. Even when I finally did away with the box, they never pottied where they ought not. I like the idea of my smaller dogs having access to a designated potty area within the house, as weird as that sounds. If, by chance, I don't get home as quickly as I'd intended (doo doo happens), the dog isn't left pinning his knees and crossing his eyes until the inevitable happens. I never have subscribed to the theory that a puppy needs a crate only big enough to turn around in to discourage pottying there. I would rather have it big enough to put a potty area in. As the dog grows and becomes more reliable, you can put the potty box where ever you'd like, or just get rid of it altogether. I just hate the idea of thinking we have to train them to be able to hold it for so long. Most people INTEND to be able to let puppy out every few hours, but what about if something comes up? I'm more comfortable offering an alternative. I'm certainly no trainer and I know that lots of books and "professionals" would disagree with this thinking and I also know that small dogs CAN be trained to hold it for long periods of time (mine can if need be), but I would rather see a puppy (or any small breed) in a crate big enough to have a play/bed area (toys, blankets) and a potty area. I think that, otherwise, it's too much like potty training a toddler and then expecting them to be able to hold it all day until they are "allowed" to go. Besides all that, I like the idea of being able to confine my dogs without actually feeling like I'm imprisoning them. I guess I just like the idea of them having space to move about freely... not just be able to turn over. There has also been the occasional episode of upset tummy where a dog may have diarrhea, or vomit, and at least they have somewhere to do it and not have to lay in it (not often, but again, doo doo happens... anything can get an upset tummy). That's just my out-of-the-box thinking and what worked for every puppy I've ever raised.

Go figure that Pauly (as he has come to be called), the new Standard Poodle, is having to learn how to handle different surfaces from absolute scratch... kind of like a baby learning to walk. Like Perry, he has never seen stairs, so we've had to teach him how to walk up and down them by placing his feet where they should go. Of course, he's not very graceful and usually just leaps off the top step and belly flops on the ground. It's not much better coming up them. He just kind of flounders up them, legs flying everyway. I think he sees my "help" as resistance. Anyway, tile flooring is also new to him and he can't even hardly stand on it without his feet skidding out from under him (I thought to get some of that show foot stuff to keep him from skidding, but I figured he'd kill himself for sure with the sudden stops). Sooooooo last night, he was romping through the kitchen on the way to the back steps of death and wiped out. It was good for a laugh (he's certainly not the first to do it), but he came up limping. I had a look at him last night and tried to figure out what hurt (knee, hip, WHAT), but the more I messed with it, the better he seemed to feel. In a minute or two, he wasn't favoring it at all. Today I was grooming him and he really didn't want me bothering that leg, though he still wasn't limping. Tonight, I noticed that when he first gets up from a nap, he's limping again. Go figure. He's only been here less than a week and I've already maimed him! Tomorrow, I'll go ahead and have the vet look at it. I'm SO super paranoid. The last time one of my dogs had a bit of a limp, it ended up in major hip surgery. Oh well, wish Pauly luck. Let's just hope it's a bit of a pulled muscle and not something like a freaking blown out knee. :( :niewiem:

I reckon now I can comfortably say [size=7]CONGRATULATIONS!!![/size] without fear of jinxing you. He really is a cutie (I'm very partial to black and white parti colored ANYTHINGS). I love the name Montie. That's cute without being too cutesy, ya know? Again, congratulations! 8)

Let me take a head count here. Let's see.... 2 Standard Poodles 1 Toy Poodle 2 Lhasa Apsos 1 Mini Schnauzer 1 Chihuahua 1 Black Lab 1 Pit Bull-ish =9 :D

[quote name='Your Special Guest']Do you always walk your dog(s) on a leash? If you walk your dog(s) sometimes without a leash does he/she always obey your commands? If your dog(s) don't obey your commands, how do you handle that situation?[/quote] First question, no, I don't [u]always[/u] walk my dogs on a leash. There are some who will always need to be leashed and there are some I trust implicitly. Still, it also depends on the environment. If I'm in a public area with other people and dogs, mine, no matter which one it is or how much I trust them, will be leashed. I feel safer that way. While I trust the ones that go with me everywhere, I don't know that another dog wouldn't attack them and I have more control with them on a leash. Besides, we go lots of places (home improvement stores, bank, insurance company, any place that doesn't sell food and then even to some restaurants with outdoor tables) and it is better to have them leashed in these places. At work, I very rarely ever leash my dogs. Second question, yes, the ones I don't leash WHEN they aren't leashed have always obeyed my commands. It's hard to explain. It's not even so much obeying commands as much as they seem to know what to do. Even still, I can tell these particular dogs (not ALL of them) to stop, stay, sit, down, or whatever and they will reliably do it every time, regardless of the situation at the time. Third question, again, I do NOT take ANY of my dogs in public places unleashed, but at home, when someone starts what we like to call "having problems with memory skills", we go right back to square one basic training boot camp. I had to do this with several just this weekend as they seemed to lose their freaking minds. Must be the full moon. :-?

Gosh, the one that stuns me the most is my Pit-ish, Penny. She weighs exactly 50 lbs, but when she first came here at only a few weeks of age, I was able to put her in a [u]small[/u] cat carrier AND put a tiny little litter box in one end of it as a potty area. She was that tiny. I used to have to sleep with her on my chest because she would cry all night (ok, not the best training method, but geez, a puppy THAT tiny... I didn't have the heart.... :oops: ). I still have that crate and I look at Penny and... wow. She's not an enormous dog, or even really large, but it's hard to even imagine she was that tiny. :o

I have never hurt as much in my entire life as I hurt last year when I lost my beloved ol' dilapidated Yorkie (seen in my avatar). He was only with us for a little over a year (he was old when we adopted him), but we could never have prepared ourselves for the impact he made on our lives and the heartache we would feel over losing him. We knew we were basically just there to make him as comfortable as possible until the end, but there was no way I could have known how much his loss would hurt. You'd think we would have been prepared, knowing how old and frail he was. He was old, deaf, blind, jawless and had to be handfed, virtually senile, had seizures, had lived through the worst life could throw at him and cast off in his old age. His tenacity and his will to not only survive, but THRIVE despite the worst will remain with us always. I swear he was sent to us as a gift. It's hard to explain, but it's been exactly a year (9-1) since he left us and his impact lives on. I am a much better person than I was before him. Yorkies were never my breed of choice, but THAT Yorkie will always be a part of me. There will always be dogs in my life and I love them all, but I just can't imagine ever being moved in that way again. I could be wrong, but it just seems impossible that I could ever feel that kind of hurt again. :puppydogeyes:

[quote name='Your Special Guest']These questions are not intended to provoke fights, just to get everyone's honest opinions. Thank you. Which would you say was the best all around dog breed to have? [color=red]Welllllllll... that's kind of a tricky question. I think it depends a lot on individual circumstances. Fenced yard, acreage, no yard, apartment, house, other animals in the household, children or not, level of commitment (some breeds do require more "commitment" than others in terms of grooming requirements, or exercise), region (nothing bugs me more than seeing northern breeds like Huskies here in the deep south... almost no one here keeps a Husky inside the house). I just can't think, even generally, of a best all around breed since there are so many variables.[/color] Which would you say was the worst all around dog breed to have? [color=red]Pretty much same as above.[/color] Please be honest about how you feel or think or see. And no fighting over each others opinions.[/quote]

I found a picture of some of the working showdogs. Same pattern, but much less extreme. Is this a little less fru fru? :lol: [img]http://www.geocities.com/huntingpoodle2000/joycecarellihccxsm.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.poodlesinaustralia.com/trimsimages/hcc2.jpg[/img]

I signed a really similar contract when I picked up my Perry from a Poodle rescue group last year. I can't give/sell/rehome him unless I turn him back over to the rescue people (as if...). There were lots of things I had to agree to. He can't ride in the back of a pick up truck (again, as if...) and lots of other things I can't think of now. There were several pages of that contract. Also, my contact from that group stays in constant touch with me to ask how it's going and likes to see pictures. She is also a major Poodle exhibitor. I love it when breeders are so active in the rescue of their chosen breed. It sounds like that breeder is truly concerned for the welfare of her pups. That's a good thing. That's much better than the ones who will turn over a pup to anyone with a credit card or enough cash. You can bet she'll be in constant contact, wanting updates and pictures (so have them!). She'll also likely be the best source of information when you need to pick someone's brains regarding anything from training and temperament to, well, anything. It's great to have someone to call on like that. I'm not going to say congratulations yet because I'll just jinx you. I'll just say good luck. We had a beautiful little Papillon at our clinic today for a bath. She's the only one we see regularly and she's a wonderful little dog. If she's typical of the temperament of the breed, I can see where they'd be so hard to resist.