alicat613

True. I just couldn't find where that came from! Thanks, and sorry my last post sounded kinda rude, I really am working on putting in smileys! :) I don't mean to come across rudely, I'm just usually pretty short with words...I hate typing LOL

Oh argh!! That is such a pet peeve of mine. WHY is there so much broken glass everywhere?? Because of RUDE people. I hate when we are walking and see glass. Sometimes it is very difficult to get around a big mess of glass and then I'm stuck because if there's traffic on the road, depending on where I am it is a real pain. Parker's only 6 months and now 90 some pounds and I can't carry him over glass much longer considering I'm about 120. Hope poor Gladis feels better soon.

Thanks K! Keep us updated!

Oh no, you didn't!! I need to start adding smiley's to my posts!! :D I just wanted to add my own experience or beliefs because I think that a lot of the things made for dogs, like chains and crates, are being abused. They are tools, not babysitters. PS though my dog is never out there for a few hours! Maybe for some dogs that would be ok but Great Danes are very sensitive emotionally and to the weather. Typically on a nice morning we have breakfast together outside and then I read with him. We go out on activities during the day, and then we may sit outside again together in the evening depending on weather and he'll have a bone. My dog is ONLY outside when I am right there with him.

[quote name='courtnek']I tried mine on: Pedigree Science Diet Iams Eukanuba I couldnt find one that both dogs could eat So in answer to "why no chicken but yes eggs?" it's possibly because the chicken we eat has been injected with 'growth hormones" and stuff even WE shouldnt be eating....so have a lot of the eggs being produced, but the mother hen's body screens out a lot of the crap first. By no means all of it! and natural (brown) eggs are the best choice anyway. Beef is injected with the same crap however. In the wild the animals arent subjected to that. But yes, red meat is their natural diet for the most part, but they do eat fowl, sheep, (which gave them their bad name) and other types of meat. Hope that helps! :D[/quote] That's because ALL of those foods are complete crap. Sorry, but there's no better way to say it in the long run. You're paying for food that is worse than just letting them hunt for garbage and prey. The second part...who are you responding to? Are you talking about all dogs? Different breeds have different diets historically so for all dogs, your answer is wrong.

Must've felt comfortable around them. My pup likes everyone, but to different degrees. I think some people and some animals just have better "auras" about them, something that says to your dog, hey that's a nice person! Or maybe I read too much into things LOL. Glad Diva had fun!

K - permission to cross - post? Thanks for all that great info. Thank goodness I have New Balance tennies, no Nikes or I'd be walking my dog barefoot.

I don't have a fenced yard and it isn't an option right now. I do "chain" my dog. He has a very nice setup with a safe metal rope encased in plastic I think. But he is NEVER out there alone. It's just so he can have a little freedom and we can hang out without me holding a leash on him. It's very safely set up and has a spring so it has some give, and he knows how long it is and not to run like a maniac to its end, which could hurt his neck. We use it for having breakfast together outside or sitting out on a nice day and he'll have a bone. Or sometimes we even have a little picnic. There's too many fun things to chase in my neighborhood so even when I'm right there, I can't trust him off lead. "Chains" have gotten so abused it's disgusting. The products are made so people like me can have their dog out while they are gardening or enjoying the sun TOGETHER. Not so you can buy a dog and leave it outside like a plant and ignore it.

I was wondering why is she getting rid of the dog? Very odd...her response about she wouldn't give her away but anything could happen?? Whew...did you say BC/heeler?? Whoa girl, hope you have a lot of energy and patience!! What is this chain link kennel you are building? Is she not to be a house dog (as all dogs should IMO)? Oh and what is Wildlife Safari?? It sounds very fun!

Try to keep them away from her. I know a dog who got undies stuck in their intestines and had to have surgery!! Also the elastic is very dangerous if swallowed. I have no idea why certain dogs like certain things. My dog sleeps with us, and is with me 97% of the time. But boy does he love our shoes or socks. Couldn't care less about underwear though. I guess he has a foot fetish!!

My male is similar. He worries about any tension, and if you whimper he comes running to comfort you. He's a real sweetie, sounds like yours is too!

People food? What is that?? :lol: To understand my beliefs read this (it's short). I don't want to copy and paste for copyright reasons. [url]http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/common/feeding.html[/url] I do a raw meat and veggies and fruits diet with cooked grains, almost 99% locally grown new potatoes or sweet potatoes. I would say I pretty much use a Pitcairn style diet, although custom. I don't follow his recipes or do healthy powder. I am lucky to have a vet who is a holistic practitioner and nutritionist who studied under Pitcairn to help us. Breakfast is generally just fruits and yoghurt, occassionally a cold cooked new potato with a sunny side up egg (cooked in homemade chicken stock). Lunch and dinner are each about 3/4 lb raw meat with about 1 -2 cups veggies, supplements (including bone meal - essential), and a cooked sweet potato or new potatoes. My dog has no real problems with grains either, but I do not believe refined foods are good for anyone. At one time he was getting more rice and other grains, but I find that he has less eye and ear discharges with just the more natural grains/carbs. This is NOT a diet style you just hear about and do. One can incorporate the ideas into a kibble diet, but before changing to ANY style of a natural diet one must understand the dietary needs of the canine and really research and plan the diet. It is not hard or expensive in any way and offers great emotional, physical and mental benefits to your pets.

I feed carbs, but I use diabetes glycemic ratings to choose what carbs. I don't feed any refined carbs like pasta, bread, refined rices. I buy unrefined brown rice at natural shops and feed that rarely. Otherwise he gets sweet potatoes and new potatoes (like reds, yellows), which both convert slowly to sugars. Refined grains and things like russett (baking) potatoes have little nutritional value and convert quickly into simple sugars.

Also duck, lamb and fish are often what we resort to when allergies happen. By exposing your dog to every protein source out there, you run out of new protein sources to go to if there's ever a problem. Otherwise, not a big deal so long as it doesn't seem to upset your dog.

Bensam, my dog wouldn't either as she got older. We went and got baby booties, the kind with the no-skid bottom, and put them on all of her paws and that helped her immensely. It's like giving them a small no-skid rug for each paw!

[quote name='Anonymous'][quote name='alicat613']You can't tell anyone how to grieve. When my dog passed, our newer dog really helped us through that time. And a friend of mine recently got a new dog right after hers died, and has found it to be very helpful for her grieving process.[/quote] There is no way i would even think about telling someone how to or when to grieve, I dont think there is anyone who would try. thats not even the idea of this post. I just wanted ppl's ideas and thoughts on "me getting involved", I really dont want them to get a dog "just because". These 2 dogs are their first real pets, the never really knew what it was like to live with a dog, (or any animal) over the years with Joe and puffy, they learned to realize that animals DO have personalities...etc. i think in a way he thinks he gonna find another Joe, and i told him there will never be another Joe because every animal is just like a person, different. I did talk to him tonight and he decided to get an older dog, and he said he wont rush it, he said hes gonna just look around, and i told him that he will know when he has found the right one. ~pawpaw~[/quote] OH I am sooo SORRY!! I should be more careful with my wording, I did not mean to say that you were trying to tell anyone that. That was just my way of saying different people grieve differently. I am really sorry about how it came across and hope you'll accept my humble apologies! I'm a dummy sometimes and forget to read my posts and see how they might be interpreted by others. I think they should get another dog. As you say they learned a lot of dogs and loving dogs. Maybe he is looking for another Joe, but he will soon learn that while there is no other Joe, that the new dog has a special personality too, and dogs can let you cry to them without it being embarassing. Again, sorry for my poor wording.

Keep doing that stuff, but never baby her. My dog is a bit of a chicken. He knows that if I say "it's ok" that it's ok. But I say that normally. Never coddle them, that will only encourage the behavior. Good luck!

[quote name='Shannon_C']I buy Hero from my local Asda superstore now, which my dogs like better than any other brand. (Suprising I know) but I am not going to feeds my dogs on anything that isn't suited to them...especially the Bullmastiff has he is prone to allergies which include wheat and dairy products etc, which Hero is free of. What brand does your dog/s get fed on ?[/quote] Oh I just noticed you are English, which is why I don't know that food. Not that I know all foods LOL but we have different brands here. I feed naturally, as in my dog gets food. He eats raw meat, veggies, fruits, yogurt, supplements, and some cooked potatoes (new potatoes) and sweet potatoes. So I'm pretty anti-all-kibbles. :)

Cairn mom, can you tell us more about your dog, and what kibbles (like which kind of each line, whether it was a chicken and rice etc) you've tried, and with what results. Why are you switching and what results are you hoping for? K, I think it has to do a lot with the dogs. Small dogs have a larger ratio of digestive system to body, while big dogs are reverse. Also different breeds have evolved eating different things. Many people feed Danes pork just fine (although I agree that and salmon should always be cooked), and since they were bred for boar hunting I'm sure historically they ate a lot of pork. I'm a strong believer in breed specific nutrition.

You can't tell anyone how to grieve. When my dog passed, our newer dog really helped us through that time. And a friend of mine recently got a new dog right after hers died, and has found it to be very helpful for her grieving process.

Ok...I have gone through the 97 page PDF file. There's nothing about a cat! What are you guys talking about?? Very interesting reports. All I can say is that the officer himself stated that the 'suspects' were screaming about their dog and closing the door. There is a reported (officially) time lapse between securing the car, and closing the doors, despite the fact that they could see a large loose dog inside. Officer's excuse for feeling in danger is that he yelled "get back" at the dog? Does anyone here have a dog that knows that command??? Very badly handled and I think the cop should be punished. But I'm glad to see the new measures they are implementing as well as contacting PETA for help.

Get well wishes from all of us here!

He might just be confused - think of his past! But he might also just be a talker. I have the most spoiled dog in the world and he's been so since birth, but boy is he mouthy! He does moan and whine a lot, even though he certainly isn't bored. I'm at home with him all day and he gets a ton of attention. Sometimes he lies there and moans because he wants me to let him go back to bed (he can sleep whenever he wants but if I'd let him, he'd never get out of the real bed!), or because he wants to snuggle, etc.

Pedigree is the 29 cent McDonalds burger of pet foods and it's no surprise that your dogs do better on just about anything. I've never heard of Hero food nor can I find it on the internet?

There are many different ways to feed your dog better. All people should do some research and do what they feel is best that works in their lifestyle, be it super premium kibble, cooked, or one of the numerous raw styles.