Peng1zrule

I see the logic behind filling the bowl and leaving it on the counter. If the dog has a dominance problem, sleeping on the bed is off limits. As for the crate...I usually put mine in it only when I'm in the room with them, that way, I can verbally calm them, or use a spritz from a water bottle to tell 'em to hush up. The only other way they're in the crate is if I'm leaving. I put them in with a cookie or two, say a firm but loving goodbye, and leave immediately. There's never any whining to be heard--they know I'm gone and it's doing NO good! I tiptoe in when I can, and listen to the silence. As soon as I speak out loud they go nuts because then they know for sure I'm home. As long as they don't realize I am not home, they are silent.

I see people agonizing over these things every year (especially people with larger dogs) a quick cover up for a five minute outing (like for the bathroom) ---go to walmart or super k or target or whatever. find the men's clothing section. buy hunting vests. you can also get those padded women's or childrens vests, if you like patterns or need smaller sizes. put them on so that they velcro or zip or snap up the back. ta da! dog's vital organs are warm enough while the dog goes out to pee. For longer outings, I go to dr foster and smith or jeffers and order from the catalog, those four-leg coverage sweat suits or sweaters. even the pajamas for the smaller babies.

I'm such a cold fish (or a mean b*tch) but I think the kid finally learned a lesson! Aggravating a dog until it feels forced to defend itself with vocalization and snapping is NOT NOT NOT playing. It is agitation training in a crude form, and agitation without actual training is animal cruelty. Especially as she was told repeatedly not to do it and she replied with that age-old catchall, "I'm JUST playing" I hope she walked away a little smarter. I think the dog should be removed from the home to protect the dog from any retaliation from a young child--pinching, kicking, bullying, because of a resentment carried over from the bite.

1. Where can I find the dog bite statistics, or what are they? the center of disease control has a dozen or more sociological reports on dog bites. 2. What breeds do this concern? What breeds do people want banned? "bully" breeds and "pitbull type" breeds. the last one is so vague and all encompassing it's hilarious. or not. 3. How do these breeds help people? (like if they're police dogs, etc.) I beleive in "Bandit..." Hearne writes about an area that approved the destruction of pitbulls and pitbull types. one teenage boy came home and found his pitbull hung from a tree. he went in a deep depression and wouldn't speak. he spoke once, when a therapy dog, a PITBULL was brought into his hospital room. he spoke about how much he missed his pitbull and asked if it would be possible to get another pit that looked like his dearly departed. I beleive he ended up committing suicide. this is anecdoctal but I think it speaks volumes as to the love these dogs give and receive. 4. Which shelters put to sleep pit bulls and pit bull mixes just because of the breed they are/have in them? How do these shelters reson that? Any run by the beloved PETA puts down pits as a mirror to Ingrid newkirk's personal vendetta against pitbulls. I don't beleive PETA has any shelters of thier own, but they sponsor a few and either refuse or euthanize any pitbull that comes thier way. The Animal Cops shelter has that policy, too. 5. What was that about a pomerian or something that killed a kid? not that I remember...a pom left on a bed beside a baby. mom left the room, the pomeranian for no reason apparently, killed the baby. this has happend with ferrets, too. In "Pets and Thier People" Bruce Fogle tells about a woman who gave away her terrier mix. She was 8.5 months pregnant and found the dog in the pound. She brought it home, and a few weeks later, brought the baby home. The dog was walking around the room while the baby lay on the couch. It began crying, and the dog jumped straight up, grabbing the baby by the head. the dog drug it away, but when the horrified parents ran up to save thier child, it simply let the baby go and moved away, showing no aggression. the baby died later that day. (this was in england, I think) 7. What are some really dumb articles about it that idot reporters have written? (I want to quote some to show how rediculace (sp?) it can be) to me, when the san francisco dog mauling case came about and everyone called presa canarios overgrown pitbulls, almost the whole country became a big, steeping, mass of ignorance. presas are presas and pitbulls are pitbulls. and our dear friends peta claim that the only way to make sure pitbulls never hurt anyone is to make sure there are no pitbulls. you can find that article online if you search a little while, I beleive. Ms. Newkirk even lets it slip that the reason she hates pits is that she was bitten by one. 8. What breeds are already banned in what places? Have the number of dog bites gone down in those areas? If you can get on AOL and look at thier pitbull message board (american pitbull terrier) you can find several areas where they are being banned or are banned or are fighting the ban legislation. also, lots of experienced dog people. Rottweilers, dobermans, mastiffs, pitbulls and other bull terriers, are all labeled under the ban in most instances. usually, there's a stipulation that if the animal control officer or whoever beleives that your short coated whatever is a pit, he can take it, too. If you get on the aol board, ask for the "can you identify the pitbull" website. Print it in color and show it around--it REALLY hits the nail on the head as to how easy it is for a casual observer to mix up a pitbull with an anything else. In fact, see if you can find this page just by searching the net, I really like showing it to people. 12. Could someone who has one of the dog breeds that this concerns write something that I could quote? I just have Calliope (pronounced KUH LY UH PEE) but I know she is such a sweetheart. All I have is one more anecdote. I live in a community where the houses are spaced far apart, and between me and one neighbor is this forest-y area that actually dips down, it used to be a big creek bed but dried up and all sorts of things started growing in it. Right after I moved here, my patio umbrella (you know, those huge umbrellas you put in the middle of those outdoor tables) got blown away. I thought it was gone forever but found it in this area. It was all overgrown with ivy and honeysuckle and morning glory, but it was mine, so I went down in there and was trying to cut it free. My neighbor's mentally disturbed chowchow charged me, frothing and snarling. I wouldn't trust this dog with a dead log, she's so unstable. Little Calliope, who had NEVER had a problem with this dog before, whupped her, but good. She came out of nowhere and just lit into that chowchow. I lost track of the two of them and ran out of the forest, and around til I was in the clear. I could hear one whimpering and I started screaming for Calliope, who came up to me without a scratch. Of course, I told my neighbor and had him check his dog--no injuries, (whew) but Calliope is not "game" she once picked a fight just to pick one with a shepherd-mix (not one of mine) and gave up ten seconds into it. What she did for me was PURELY out of love, and a lesser dog wouldn't have done it! Also, when she went into the vet to be spayed, she was the place's darling for the day. I got a five minute waxing of praise on my little dog--on how everytime they went into the recovery room, her tail could be heard banging on the cage bars. They didn't muzzle her either before the operation when she was given a quick once over, and I expected that once I was gone, she would be more trouble-more likely to act up, and if a dog even seems very nervous, the doctor muzzles it. (he even muzzled gypsy, a ten pound maltese-shih tzu mix) anyway, NO muzzles have ever touched my little girl. she didn't even get muzzled when they removed the stitches, they all loved and beleived in her temperment so much I know I rambled on and on, but I have to do the same paper (and am planning the same topic) later on this year--I hope I helped you!

LOL! my parents used to have an american pitbull terrier. One day, at a party, my dad made the dog wait in the car 'til they were ready to go home...the pup shredded exactly half the car--my dad's half. from the steering wheel to the back seat, there wasn't a saveable item on that side!! he didn't TOUCH my mom's side. it was a clear message....I beleive this pillow massacre was a message, too!

All I can tell you is that you described my ten pound Gypsy to a "T". She is half maltese and half shih tzu. (and either one of those dogs are good dogs) Along with basic obediance, (well....we compromised on "down" because she WOULD NOT DO IT) she can shake hands, sit up on her haunches, back straight, and display her front paw pads--either to beg or stick 'em up, and one hilarious time she kept trying to eat my bowl of soup right from under me and I went to shaking my finger and she "surrendered"-----she can spin in a circle as if she's chasing her tail, stand up on her back feet and spin. She can, if I clap my hands and then hold out my palms, place both paws, one on each palm. She will also "kiss" me by bumping what I assume to be her lips against my lips. This is not lick or nibble-it's a KISS. She can come and go as I point her. She will help me in all aspects--one time she rushed to my defense, teeth snarling, voice a growling scream. If I have a grudge against someone, she won't let them near me. One time my shepherd mix and my siberian husky got in this monster fight. I was trying to drag the two apart and I was making sure everyone was out of the way. Labs? livingroom. doxie? hall. gypsy? hanging onto the sibe's foot, trying to drag him backwards, off of buddy, whom I had ahold of. she was trying to help me break the fight. She has personality and when she feels she knows better, she will move heaven and earth to make it happen. Now, she needs attention but not in that pushy way--she only wants to lay on my lap or curl up beside the keyboard while I work. I can leave her for looooooooong periods of time and she will amuse herself and not wreck anything. ANYthing! she can figure out almost any problem--she is not allowed to put her feet on the cockatiel cage, so she figured that a) if she's behind the cage I can't reach her b) if she touches the wall, she's not actually touching the cage and she can't be in trouble. I've even seen the mutt put one foot on the wall and one foot on the cage, just so that she's not actually in trouble. She is trained to be quiet and to hush on command. She also will not bark at inconsequential things--stray dogs, rabbits, cats--but will sound the alarm if any person comes up to the door. She even knows how certain people's feet sounds on the steps. As for excercise--we play fetch inside for a half hour every day, and walk for about twenty minutes or so. she is a small dog, and a full blooded maltese is expected to be half her size--but i think your uneasiness with small dogs is that they are so breakable. I know this is why I disliked small dogs for so many years. However, Gypsy feels very solid when I hold her, and I know she is more fragile then my husky or shepherd or lab, but she can also hold her own in most dog situations. One thing is that she IS a "baby" If she is hurt, or scared, or intimidated, she comes to 'mama' (me) and wants to be held--I could NEVER give her to someone or allow someone else to become her primary caregiver--she needs ME too much!

a standard poodle is medium to large sized, doesn't shed, isn't vocal, and can be trained to do just about anything. if you buy a good, expensive set of clippers and have a groomer show you how to keep the dog neat and trim, you'll save yourself tons of money. Because of thier popularity in the show ring and those elaborate hair cuts, people don't take poodles, even the standards, seriously, but they are incredibly smart dogs.

I got this off of a corgi list. There was no author's name attached, but if you could find it, I'd love to have it! I just thought it was cute (and so, so, true) and figured other dogomaniacs would love it! Letter to My Dogs Dear Dogs: When I say to move, it means go someplace else, not switch positions with each other so there are still two dogs in the way. The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run. I cannot buy anything bigger than a king size bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping. They can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing but doggy sarcasm. My compact discs are not miniature Frisbees. For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. In addition, I have been using bathrooms for years; canine attendance is not mandatory. The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog's butt. I cannot stress this enough. It would be such a simple change for you.

I'm in North Carolina. The news reports for my area keep fluctuating...thirty mile an hour winds. one hundred mile an hour winds. we'll get it! no, we won't! well, we might. Can't they just make up thier minds so I know whether to find a friendly basement owner or something?

You can touch the pups the day they are born. Wash your hands before and after as general rule of sanitization. DO NOT allow strangers, children, or other dogs near the mom and her pups. (A dog with pups is justified in biting, and she could out and out attack another dog) If she's outside, bring her in. It's kind of cruel to leave a new momma and her puppies outside, no matter what the weather. I don't beleive he will eat the puppies as dogs are not induced ovulators and I have NEVER heard of a male doing that. ever. Also, always let her know where her pups are, all of them...it's really distressing to her if you pick up a pup and she can't find it. Research whelping and have everything you will need on hand. You may not have to help the whelp but you don't want to have to leave her in the middle of the night to go buy hemostats or gloves or iodine.

I would discipline the attacker, I take this as possessiveness of ME. I do not allow my dogs to prevent other dogs from coming to me. I do allow dogs to run another dog away from me--this is simple pack order. (such as, I am petting one, dog two comes up, I allow dog one to walk away) But for a dog to try to train the other that I am "off limits" is unacceptable.

this is a highly unscientific answer based on limited knowledge of the marketing world--but my guess is that the bigger bag has corn (or whatever he's allergic to) mixed in with it because it's bigger and they need to make it "cheaper" to market it at a price people will buy--smaller bag costs less, but you get a smaller amount, so you buy more often. Big bag can't be same price per pound as smaller bag or there wouldn't be a real profit. I am GUESSING the bigger bag is a slightly less high quality food--that it is "stretched" with some low quality ingrediant.

Sandy was full grown. Buddy was six months old...he was only a few pounds from his adult weight. India, too. She gained only ten pounds since I got her. Gypsy was around four months old...she must've weighed the same amount of pounds. She was as long as a soda can from her shoulder to the base of her tail. Calliope was smaller than some of my shoes. She could fit, shoulder to tail, in my hand. her feet were the size of quarters. Now she's not even thirty pounds, but it takes two arms to lift her, when I could first stuff her into my jacket pocket and go. Fang was sixty-six pounds when we got him as a pound puppy. He was all bones. Age is taking it's toll--at one time he was over seventy pounds, now he's only sixty five pounds again.

sandy used to love water...I used to have a duck pond, and for the longest time I never knew how she was getting wet. Turned out she was literally sneaking into the pond and submersing herself by inches, I don't know where she got the idea she wasn't supposed to be IN the pond! If she was just a few inches in and heard me coming, she would pretend to drink, but if she was soaking wet, she'd hi-tail it far away and then act nonchalant as she slogged her way back down toward the house. Now she can't stand rain or wading or even wet grass, but will still go swimming. Buddy and India apparently hate baths but go swimming, too. They would come back dripping ice cold crystal clear water, and for awhile I thought they were getting in the creek. (it was the neighbor's above ground pool, actually) Fang will lay in a kiddie pool after his walk, soaking it up like a big sponge. Calliope I have not been able to get her in water at all. Gypsy HATES swimming and baths but rainy days are days that you couldn't pay me enough to let her out without a leash--I end up chasing her for about a half hour, bare foot, half dressed, soaked to the bone, muddy, miserable, scared half to death. Then the soggy mutt comes back pleased as peaches at her run!

I loved that...I have a queen size bed and share it with four of mine, plus one of the cats...I used to be a "side sleeper" or a "stomach sleeper" now I'm a which-ever-way-I-can-fit sleeper. I sleep diagonally across the bed, face up, face down, on my side, bent around two or more dogs, you name it...I've slept that way!

I don't give my support to shelters that automatically put down pitbulls...I guess I think it's unconstitutional, or something. Or maybe it just offends me...

My "new" neighbors moved out. Now, they were never friendly to me and I had wondered why until I realized I was NEVER outside without a dog, and these are not 'pet people' I saw thier kid kicking a stray cat, and they got two pups that they took off to who knows where after they ripped up the trash. Anyway, yesterday afternoon was so beautiful, and warm but not hot or humid, I had all my dogs out, enjoying it. Gypsy and India in thier pen, Buddy tethered to a tree, Sandy and Calliope chasing each other, Fang sitting in my lap (Fang is a siberian husky...not a very comfortable lap dog but he doesn't know it) I was watching them move in and then I realized how I must look to everyone else...you know, I didn't even think about it until I noticed all the cars passing were going extra slow to get a good view of the "dog lady" and her fur kids...I always knew I was rather entertaining, LOL.

It's a "jumbone"...any bells ringing yet? the one with the airedale..."a big dog don't wanna chew a small bone any more than he wants to play a trombone..." it kind of stays with you, you know?

Get them ALL fixed. Keep them crated EVERY TIME you are not there to see them. Whether they were friends or not, dogs do not dwell on the past. They may carry ideas and attitudes from the past, but a dog will not look at another dog and go "where did we go wrong? we used to be so close, now look at us" dogs do carry grudges, especially 'game' dogs. keep leashes on them. strong leashes. And install eye hooks in your walls at the studs, or in other sturdy places, spaced far apart. When a fight breaks out, use the attached leashes to loop over the eye hooks and thus break up the fight. (take off the leashes and collars when you are not there, of course) If you are comfortable with the idea, let the male help you break the fight. My dominant female will help me break a fight, and I love her all the more for knowing how to step in and break it up. It may be easiest to keep them seperate.

Some dogs are slow on the uptake...Buddy and Sandy know to stay in a down if the hope of food is ever to be realized. The others get a mist of water in the face, so that they back off. After ONE time, all I have to do is lay a finger on the bottle, and they all back up ten paces.

I beleive in treating dog equally...I've seen some real beasts, truly horrible dogs, that are not put down just because they are too small to kill a capable, human, adult. Worse yet, they're used for breeding sometimes! But, if a dog has attacked a human, no cause, and not just a snap or nip, put it down. To deal emotionally...know that you are a RESPONSIBLE dog owner. Being responsible doesn't just mean food, water, shelter, training. Responsible means protecting your animal AND the public. You have to shield the public from harm from your dog, just as you have to shield your dog from harm from the public. Putting down a dog that is human aggressive is as common sense as not driving a car with no brakes. It's dangerous. It could endanger you, it could endanger others. Just not having it around is safest, and unlike a car, a dog is not fixable with some new parts and a bit of tinkering around. It won't be easy to do it, especially if you love the animal (and I KNOW, I've been in this situation) but it must be done if the dog is human aggressive--and there are some dogs that are just "born bad," and no amount of loving and gentle training can fix it.

hey...Gypsy is ferocious when cornered, thank you. I daresay she can beat off ANY ankle that crosses her territory in a threatening way....an entire leg, though, may be out of her aim...

seeing as you live in southern california, I bet the prices are exponentially higher than north carolina...I pay sixty for a full set of adult shots. ten for the rabies shot. And nuetering is between sixty and eighty, depends on the dogs weight. I am not sure what you mean by license-I quoted the rabies price only because that's what goes for a license in my area...I don't think you need a kennel license since you are planning to nueter him (good for you!)

You can get her spayed now. In general, it takes 63 days for the pups to be carried to term. Taking care of a litter is HARD WORK. Not to mention messy, heartbreaking work. A whole litter of pups constantly crapping in your house...and waking you up at three am when the mom gets up to get something to eat or drink and you're listening to six screaming, squeaky, scratchy voices telling you how upset they are over the whole thing. And then they might be sickly and start getting ill and fading away. Or you give them all away and six months later one gets dumped in your yard, a humongous dog with NO manners and a fear of children. It really would be just easier to spay her quickly, before anything results from the locking up...

I would boil chicken, add it and the broth it makes to some cooked rice, and give that to him. Take him to the vet to see if he needs antibiotics, ...try and get him clean with a warm, damp rag. I think if he "feels" better he'll start to feel better...and let him sleep! put him in a bathroom or bedroom that's not being used, keep the lights off and water nearby, and put down a towel or blanket...some good rest may make alot of difference...