imported_Cassie

I have a 150 lb Newfoundland which is recooperating from cruciate ligament surgery...he is recovering wonderfully. The breeder took arranged to have the surgery done and paid for it so I'm not sure of which method they used. The most important issue is the care the dog receives while he is recovering. I had to leave my Newfoundland dog with the breeder where she kept him in a run with rubber matting underneath so he wouldn't slip, she also put a top on the kennel so he couldn't jump up...this is very important...don't let your dog jump after the surgery (or before for that matter) It has been 6 months since the surgery and he is putting full body weight on that leg now...he is taken for leash walks only until he builds up the muscles in that leg..then, he'll be back to his old self. He is the second Newfoundland which I have owned which has gone through the surgery...each one was operated on by differnt vets at different hospitals...I have no complaints about either. My other Newf. which is 9 years old now is doing wonderful she stayed with me after the surgery as she is not hyper like my younger boy who was just operated on, I was careful about her exerise as well after the surgery and slowly built that leg back up ...I have both dogs on Glucosamine & Chondroitin, vitamin C, MSM, and yucca root as an anti inflammatory. The chances of arthritis building up after the surgery is very high....you'd never know it with my old girl...she acts just like a pup and has never had a lame day since the surgery...my boy is the same.

One more thing...if you have to take an item away from Taurus..make sure you have some thing better to offer. For example if Taurus has gotten a hold of one of your childrens toys and starts gaurding...offer a tasty treat...this rewards the dog for dropping the valued item.

I have found with the dogs I have taken in which at first guarded their resources etc. I use the nothing is free in life policy and I also taught each of my dogs "off" and "take it". I really think this is a valuable training tool...it shows the dog that yes, I; as your owner have access to every item...I choose to share my stuff with you because I am just such a nice person... :wink: when I taught my Rottie "off" and "take it" I took a really great treat (a piece of boiled liver) and put it in my hand....I made my Rottie sit in front of me and showed her the piece of liver in my hand and told her "off" when she went to grab for it I made my hand into a fist to cover the treat...I told her once again "off" opened my hand and showed her the treat...this went on and on until she finally gave up and just looked away...at this point I opened my hand and offered the treat by saying "take it"....I still practice this excerise all the time...playing a game of fetch...she MUST bring the toy back to me...I tell her "off" she gives it to me knowing that I am going to throw it for her again...I try to reinforce this exercise at all times...when she has a bone, I will walk over and say "off" take the bone away for a moment and then give it right back to her...and offer it to her by saying "take it"...I have found with some dogs they can become especially guarding if they think some thing is going to be taken away and not brought back to them. With the meals for all 6 of my dogs I prepare their meals and make them all sit before giving them their meals...then I place their dishes down in front of them and let them eat...I don't sit there and watch them as they eat or intimidate them by putting my hand in their food...although I could do this if I wanted to...I wouldn't think that would be a good idea as the dog is being challenged while its eating and it may even suspect you are begging for his dinner or trying to steal it! :lol: It's best to be straight forward with a dog and make him say please before getting his dinner...but, once he starts eating let him enjoy his meal...if a dog feels there is a reason to guard, then he will...I found with my dogs that they are not guarding their food any more, they know I'm not going to steal it...I have also used differenct tactics such as while my dogs are eating...I might take out some yummy treats and offer it to them while they eat...basically showing them that they may have a great dinner...but, I may have something better... I also use the nothing is free in life policy with all my dogs..good or evil...it basically gives your dogs house rules to follow and gives them better manners. At the grooming/boarding facility I work at we have had great success with alot of our clients who were going through the same problems as you are experiencing, the nothing is free in life policy worked great for them...I would have all members of the household practice this policy and make it a life long commitment. Its basically you & family members control all resources...and you are also showing the dogs that you will share your items cause you are just so nice. I would have the dogs sit before play time, sit before going out side, site before eating, sit before getting a treat....etc. etc. The book suggested by TDG is a wonderful book as well and there are other books that were suggested to me when I attended dog aggression seminars... The culture clash by Jean Donaldson Calming signals by Turid Ruugas Dog behaviour by Dr. Ian Dunbar PhD, DVM I would also seek the advice of an animal behaviorist...some one who practices "positive training methods only" difficult to get through...for this I would seek expert advice.

OK, here is a statement about heart worms from a Vet manual I have... Microfilariae MUST go into a secondary host , the mosquito, to continue their life cycle. While waiting for a mosquito, they can remain alive and viable in the bloodstream of the dog for as long as 3 years. So this answers the question that NO heartworms are not passed from mother to pup. What is interesing as well is most healthy dogs build up an immunity to heart worms as do wolves and coyotes etc.

I just want to add...this is not a rule that just because some people show fear of a dog...it does not mean the dog is going to turn on humans... :lol: but, it does make sense that it can help push a dog into becoming a bit of a bully...heck, if I was walking down a street with chains and leather and every one avoided walking past me...I'd get a little bit full of myself as well and think I was pretty darn tough...its the nature of the beast...survival of the fittest. With my Rottie, she LOVES people...but, with fearful people she can be a little bit of a dominant creature...they pick on fear...but, if a person is confident and walks boldy up to my Rottie, she will get very excited and almost wiggle out of her skin with excitement.

This is interesting and will be a good question to ask my fellow workers on Monday. :wink: The reason I think they cannot be transmitted to the pups as most roundworms...is due to only being transmitted by the intermediate host the mosquito...the microfilariae only develop into larger larvae in the mosquito's mouth and are then transmitted from mosquito to dog via mosquito bite....they have a different life cycle from ordinary round worms... The round worms which can be transmitted from mother to pup are Toxascaris leonina, Toxocara canis and hook worms. If you live in an area which is heavily populated by mosquito's which may carry the heartworm...it is advisable to have your pup's blood tested at about 6 - 7 months of age for heartworm...its also a good idea to put your pup on a preventative heartworm medication which will also protect for other types of roundworms and hook worm. Kat, I also live in an area where we do not have a problem with heart worm.

One thing I will agree with which dogsgalore mentioned...a dog with uncropped, undocked tail "look" gentle. I owned a purebred Dobie years ago with tail and ears done...people would take extra precautions before approacing her even though her stub tail was wagging so hard it was funny...the cropped ears and docked tail made her look macho.. :-? if that explains it! :lol: now, my current Dobie mix...which looks more dobie than any thing...has natural ears and a long long long tail...he looks like a goofy cartoon dog :lol: now with him even though he is Dobie (has all the same traits as a Dobie such as check stuck to your check when driving, trying to get as close to owner as is physically possible etc.) people are not intimidated by him in the least...mothers will let their children run up to him (which I do not approve off) before they would let them see my Newfoundland dogs...because he is just so darn cute with the au natural look. Now, my Rottie on the other hand has the docked tail...people will move to the other side of the street to avoid having to walk past her...yet, a friend of mine has a Rottie which did not have its tail done, people do not think twice about coming up to see him and they will pat him. I find some times the docked tails and cropped ears can make some breeds look mean...and I was reading an interesting article about human aggression in dogs...it mentioned that the fearful responses of people to a perceived aggressive breed "teaches" the dog to be aggressive with people. As the dog walks the streets, some people, almost imperceptibly, will take a step back or away from the dog. In time the dog can become aggressive toward people. I thought that was pretty interesting.

Good question! :wink: I am only guessing...and I am sure some one will correct me if I am wrong! :lol: I would say no, heart worm cannot be transmitted from bitch to pups. Adult heartworms lay very tiny larvae called microfilariae. The microfilariae can live up to three years in the dog's bloodstream. These microfilariae enter a mosquito when it sucks blood from an infected animal. In 2-3 weeks, the microfilariae develop into larger larvae in the mosquito and migrate to the mosquito's mouth....when the mosquito bites another animal then the larvae enters the animals skin. The larvae grow and after about three months finish their migration to the heart, where they grow into adults, sometimes reaching a length of 14 inches. The time from when an animal was bitten until adult heartworms develop, mate, and lay microfilariae is about 6-7 months in dogs and 8 months in cats. If I am wrong, I do apologise...I will check with the vets I work with on monday as well...unless some one else on here knows the answer.

I used to keep mine in an air tight container as well...but, now I put enough food in a baggy for an indivudual serving...put each dogs name on the baggy so I don't get confused... :lol: and put them in the deep freeze. I worry about the food going rancid.

[quote]It is not necessary with all dogs, and with yours, obviously, they wre cracked down on from day one....the proper way to train them. You have already established the pack rules, from the beginning. Some people are not that headstrong...and they let the dogs get the upper hand. Thats where demotion comes in. The "I eat first" and "no sleeping on my bed" are not necessary when someone with a strong hand has control from the beginning. You're a good Alpha...If everyone was, there would be a whole lot less problems with their dogs[/quote]. I guess in my situation where I have taken in other peoples problem dogs...the nothing is free in life policy workeds great for me. Even for the dogs I have taken in which were fearful etc. but, if other tactics have worked for you Court then that is great. At the grooming shop/boarding facility we have alot of poeple who have let their dogs get out of control by spoiling them...one lady even had her face biten trying to take her little Lhasa off the couch. We told her how to apply the nothing is free policy and it has worked for her and many other clients and their dogs. Dogs respond best to an owner who is firm and consistent but benevolent(kind) , dogs also respond best to positive training...the dog learns to communicate with you instead of being frightened of the owner. Current and more indepth behavior studies have shown that in wild and domesticated dogs, its not true that the pack leader always eats first, goes through doorways first, or routinely rolls othe rpack members onto their backs to keep them in line...she may be able to do all those things if she wants, but it really is in the pack's best interest and hers to be in a state of equal balance that doesnt show a constant show of force. When there is plenty of food to go around there is no need for the pack leader to assert herself at the at feeding time. If she is eager to go through a door, she may choose to go first, in which case lower ranking pack member defer to her. So in my opinion and the people I have helped with their out of control dogs which have taken over the house hold...I have found that just by controlling the resources and making the dog do some thing simple like sitting before he gets to do any thing fun or sits before he eats his supper...reward good behavior...and your right courtnek...the benevolent leader concept comes naturally for some people. These are the folks who always wseem to end up with well mannered dogs without appearing to think much about it - it just happens. Some people are born with good "animal instincts" or they had good human models to imitate from at an early age...I think I had good role models :wink: my mom grew up in the country and her dad was a big animal lover as well...he was the drop off depo for unwanted animals and wild animals which were orphans....at one point they had 2 black bears, 3 raccoons, a skunk, ground hog, 3 red fox , 2 crows and a moose and a white tailed deer....my grand father was very good with the animals and was kind and patient...those wild animals would do any thing for my grandfather! the black bears even got loose one day and followed my grandfathers scent to where he was working in the woods...all the other lumber jacks were trying to climb up trees etc. trying to get away from these 2 adult black bears at a fast trot up to them....my grandfather walked over and greeted the bears (they were just about as excited as bears can get!) and he walked them home again, he also let some of the animals loose back into the wild when they matured and he taught they would be able to make the adjustment...they always came back to visit...and the crows...they were amazing...I was very yound but I remember him standing out side and whistle at a flock of crows go over (actually I think its called a murder of crows! :lol: ) 2 of the crows would swoop down and land on his shoulder. He also took in a neighbor's cross Chow Chow...and made that into a wonderful pet as well. As well as having all these animals he had a farm as well...chickens, pigs, cows, horses, and a mule. So perhaps my dog sense has been passed down. :wink:

I too think the "dominance" issue is very over rated :lol: I have owned many many many dogs over the past 40 years...and I have always had more than 4 dogs at a time...I have owned many dominant dogs. I have always been able to have a happy house hold with no issues with any of my dogs...even having more than one intact male in my home...no issues and I feed my dogs before I eat. With my dominant Rottweiler (which even my friend who is an animal behaviorist was very doubtful I would be able to make into a good pet) all I did with her was just use the nothing is free in life policy...this does not mean that you have to eat before your dog :lol: just that you make your dog do some thing before getting it...basically telling the dog that this is my food...and I am soooo nice...I am willing to share this with you! I currently have 3 male dogs and 3 females...there are no problems between the dogs or other people...they live together very peacefully. My dogs all sleep with me, including my Rottweiler...I just make sure that all of my dogs KNOW basic obedience and will jump off the bed when I ask them to....I once had a Husky that once in its life growled at me when I asked it to get off my bed...I did not back down and made him get off....then we practiced obedience for about 15 minutes where I made him get up and down off my bed...after that he was fine and he continued sleeping with me and my border collie, German Shepherd and Doberman. I feed all of my dogs before I eat...I make all of my dogs sit before they get their meal...and all 6 of them eat side by side with no issues. It's mainly controlling the dogs resources in the house hold which is important for dominant dogs and it also helps fearful dogs gain confidence. :wink: Although chocolate is not good for our dogs...its ok for us humans...thank dog!!!! :lol: here is some reassuring news from Dr. Andrew Weil who is the leading holistic doctor in North America. [quote]I do recommend a piece of good quality dark chocolate as a healthy snack as long as you don

[quote]Can't the people running the show do something about this? I don't know anything about dog shows, but it would seem like they could have a few people wandering around just to make sure the dogs are being treated fairly.[/quote] kendalyn, nothing is done...for the most part its quite the norm. I have seen some things done at dog shows which I found very cruel. Every one is so busy making/keeping their dog beautiful they really don't care what the person at the next table is doing. I have been going to the shows for over 20 years...and I have seen some pretty disturbing things done to the poor dogs.

Maybe PETA should be waiting around human hospitals and stopping all human male infants from being circumcised as well... :lol: I have watched a few litters of pups being docked...its not a pretty sight...but, they only do it to pup's between the age of 3 - 5 days old...no older than that...I firmly disagree with an adult dog getting a late tail dock...that is considered amputation....when you think of all the breeds which get their tails docked still its amazing...from Cocker Spaniels, Weimaraner's, Standard Schnauzer, Pembroke Welsh Corgi's, all sizes of Poodles, Yorshire Terrier...alot of terriers...its amazing how many breeds go through this process all for the sack of looks. I'm with every one else, if it is a case of working then by all means have the tail docked to prevent injury...but, just for looks...then it should not be done. If PETA really wanted to catch some acts of cruelity at the dogs shows they should have hung around the owners of the losers...I can't count how many times at a show I have seen people yelling at their dog for losing a conformation class, throwing it in the crate then kicking the crate...or the poor little poodles left in a head brace for most of the day while the owner scissors its head...goes to do some thing else...leaves the poor little thing on the table for hours and hours in the head brace...the Standard poodles left on tables standing on the noose for hours of the day. Dogs being yelled at due to messing up their coats...the many show dogs which do not lead a normal doggy life and are left in kennels...alot of breeders find that the dogs enjoy the show much more this way as they are just so excited to get out of the kennel for awhile.

Lets see...some pretty hige dogs.. The Akbash Dog can be 29-32 inches at the should (male) and weigh 100-130 pounds. Scottish Deerhounds are pretty big...28-32 inches at the shoulder (male) 75-110 pounds. Dogue de Bordeaux can be 27 inches at the shoulder and about 120 lbs. Great Pyrenees 27-32 inches at the shoulder, 90-125 lbs Great Dane 30-32 inches at the shoulder...I don't have a weight.. Greater Swiss mountain dog...25-28 inches. 130 lbs. Irish Wolfhound 32-34 inches at the shoulder, 120 lbs. Leonberger about 27-30 inches at the shoulder. Perro de Presa Canario 21-26 inches at shoulder weight approx. 85-125 lbs St Bernard about 27 inches at shoulder for a male. Tibetan Mastiff where bigger is the rule. Tosa Inu at the least the height should be 25.5 or more...weight 100-200lb Thats all I can think of.

[quote]Cassie - you should tell your story to the newspapers, now ain't that an Oxymoron vers attacking a Rotweiler[/quote] HazelNutMeg, These dogs live in my parents neighborhood...I hate to start any bad feelings between my parents and these people....especially where my parents are in their 70's and cannot handle conflict... and I live quite aways away from them....beleive me, I have told many people in my area about this! :wink: my Rottweiler became very "offensive" after her attack...perhaps she was on the road to dog aggression any how...but, after that attack she became really bad....so usually when I tell people my Rottweileer was attacked by 2 Golden's and people see my dog acting offensively on lead toward their dog...they tend not to believe me. :roll:

Good for Josh! I don't think any one in the Newfoundland dog club is surprised. :wink:

Poor little Meg, I really hate it when people disobey rules! :evil: Keep Meg's confidence up, as you know after an attack "some" dogs can become offensive or fearful...I have had many of my dogs attacked by other dogs...the worst was with my Rottweiler...she was attacked by 2 male Golden Retrievers...she has severe hip dysplasia and when attacked her legs buckled and she fell to the ground....the darn dogs just kept on tearing at her! she was on lead and I was beating the leash over the 2 dogs heads...I finally had to drop the lead and forcefully throw the dogs off my fallen down Rottie...I find that with alot of dogs once the "victom" has fallen down the attack can escalate...at least from the attacks I have seen. The owners were no where in sight...they just open their front door and let the dog exercise them selves! :evil: people have complained about them....but, nothing has been done. :evil: I hope every thing goes alright for you...and don't feel as though you did any thing wrong...we all go by instinct...and instinct is usually right. :wink:

[quote]Hemi has started to socialize with him and our cat Ozzy. I have already signed him up for Obed. classes, he starts on April 6th. I know with a dog this size he will need to be trained very well. We plan on taking him through puppy school and then on to beginner and advanced classes, my opinion is there is no such thing as being trained to well correct?[/quote] What a great home Hemi got into!!! :angel: We have raised Shepherd pup's from 3 days old (due to mom dieing) and they turned out great without mom. We made sure they were well socialized (of course after they got all their vaccines) and we took them many places to meet people and subject them to noises that they will hear when they get older. When your pup is older and has all his vaccines try and take him to busy areas with lots of noise...etc. and practice your obedience on walks. So the best thing you can do for this pup is to go to the puppy school classes as you are doing...this is not just for training...this class will mainly be for socialization. People tend to forget how important it is to socialize your pup. Make sure he meets plenty of wonderful people including children other than your own and make sure every experience is positive. With other dogs make sure you introduce him to "friendly dogs" :lol: I know this sounds stupid...many people will say...of course I would only do that! :lol: but, one bad experience can make a pup fearful or offensive towards other dogs...and with the mixture Remi has...you'll want to make sure he learns to be social with other dogs and pups and learns to play properly. Any thing your pup is doing now that will be unacceptable as an adult...don't let him do it as a pup...it may be cute to have a small pup jumping up on you...but, when he gets big...it will not be so cute...and your children and neighborhood children could be harmed. Teach your pup basic house rules and use the nothing is free in life policy...once your pup is trained to sit of course... :wink: have all members of the family make Remi do some thing before he gets fed, treats, walks (sit then put leash on, sit at the door...wait until you open it then...OK, for when you are ready for him to go through) nothing worse than a large dog pushing you aside while racing out the door. :lol: One more thing...don't allow your pup to mouth on you or your children...or any human for that matter...if he does redirect the mouthing with one of his toys...they will help you with all of this in puppy classes any way...sorry for going on so. :wink: Here is some information on Hookworms... [quote]Hookworm larvae can penetrate the surface of a person's skin (usually through bare feet) and migrate through it, causing a disease called 'cutaneous larva migrans' or 'creeping eruption.' The lesions appear as red lines under the skin and sometimes break open at the skin's surface. These lesions cause severe itching. Usually, the larvae will die in several weeks and the condition will disappear. In severe cases, the larvae may make their way through the skin and enter deeper tissues. This may cause lung disease and painful muscles. There have been some reports of humans having intestinal infections with canine hookworms. Generally, these infected people do not show clinical signs of disease. How is an infestation with hookworms in dogs diagnosed? Diagnosis is made by finding the eggs in the feces. In very young animals, severe disease may be present before the adult worms have started to lay eggs. Diagnosis must then be made by evaluating the signs of disease. The eggs of different parasites of horses and deer can easily be confused with hookworm eggs. Sometimes, it is necessary to confine the dog away from any tempting manure or droppings for 24 hours and then repeat the fecal exam. If the eggs are still there, they are most likely hookworm eggs. The adult worms are small,

Good for Josh, I didn't get to see the show last night...but, I'm sure my friend taped it! :lol: Josh is the father of one of my my Newf's...actually all of my Newf's have Pouch Cove in them.

All of my dogs do fantastik recalls! at the obedience trials people make a point of staying to watch my Newfoundlands do their recalls...they are so excited to come running back to mom! :lol: It also depends on what breed of dog you have as well...I used to own a Husky which did wonderful recalls as well...he did really well in obedience...but, some people have a hard time training a horizon dog to come on command..it depends on the dog. I make the experience a very happy one. When I first adopted my dogs they were already adults and did not have any freedom before I took them in...I would take my dogs out into a ball field which was completely fenced in and have a baggy full of wonderful liver treats. When my dog got running around the field and having a great time I would call the dogs name and run the other way...this promted the dog to chase me...when he caught me I would reward him big time! I would then play a bit and let him run around more with out putting him on lead...I would continue to do this and my dog started realizing that when he came back to me he was not always going to be put on lead and taken home...some times they start to associate the come command with being put on lead...I also made sure that when I was walking around the field with him I would pass him every once in awhile when he was busy sniffing a great urine mark...this way my dog did not associate my walking up to him as an assertive behavior...unless I am competing in a trial I find this is the best way I found to train a dog to come to you. I also found that using a whistle helps a great deal as well (unless you are training for competition...) my dogs ( I own 6 dogs currently) will stop what ever they are doing when I blow my whistle and come running to me as fast as possible...I trained them to sit in front of me before they get their treat...I couldn't handle have 4 Newfoundland dogs, a Rottweiler and a Dobie mix all jumping on me when they come back! :lol: I find this method is wonderful..they get so conditioned to the whistle and the treat (basically like clicker training) that they do not fail in their recall when I blow my whistle....I use a whistle as I live by the ocean and when we are walking on the shore the waves drown out my voice etc. the only thing which can be heard above the waves is the whistle. I also have taught my dogs never to let me out of their site...when out walking in the country if they get too far ahead I hide in the bushes...when they find I am no longer in site they get upset and come running back to find me...they usually go right past the first time then realize they can't get my scent...I let them find me and then they get a wonderful big praise and treats... The only dog I really had a hard time training to a recall was my Great Pyrenees...they are quite the horizon dog :-? I was only able to let her loose in a well fenced in area...or keep her on a lunge line made for horses (I owned her long before flexi leads where invented! :lol: ) What ever training method you choose...make the lessons short and sweet and make it fun. Dogs are conditioned to repeat things which bring them pleasure...and positive training makes for a better companion. :wink:

I would have that pup looked over by a Vet....it may have "health problems" which are making it uncomfortable for the pup to be handled. I also would consider returning the pup...you have a 2 1/2 year old daughter to think about...if you are having problems now...its going to get worse later. In one post when you were looking for training books I had mentioned group obedience classes which you mentioned you were unable to attend with your St. Bernard...and now you have gotten your self a Rottie which requires early socialization, and would be the type of dog which would require obedience training...? I own a Rottweiler, and more so than any other breed I have ever owned...this breed requires alot more training and socialization.

[quote]1. About how many times do you take your dog/dogs out in a day? A. 1-2 times B. 3-4 times C. 4 times or more[/quote] [b]B...my dogs get out for a hike in the morning, noon, before supper, after supper. [/b] 2[quote]. About how long are you out with your dogs in a day? A. less than 30 minuts B. between 30 and 60 minuts C. between 60 and 90 minutes D. between 90 and 120 minutes E. between 120 and 150 minutes F. between 150 and 180 minutes G. more than 180 minutes [/quote] [b]G, more than 180 minutes a day...lucky for me I work with dogs during the day so I am able to take all of my dogs with me to work...this allows me to take them out on my lunch etc. nothing I enjoy more than a good hike. [/b] [quote]3. What do you do to give your dog mental excersise (?? I have no idea what to call it... I guess the options explain it.) you can choose several ones. A. Train/compete in one or several sports (Agility, competetive obedience, flyball, etc.) B. Train basic obedience (Come when called, heel, sit, lie down, etc.) C. Teach tricks D. Make up games that requires the dog to use its head. E. Real work (for example herding, etc.) F. All of the above [/quote] [b]I trained all of my dogs basic obedience, and I compete in obedience trials with my Newf's ...but, mainly I just let my dogs be dogs and let them run and play with each other...they keep each other stimulated. There is nothing I enjoy more than walking by the ocean and having them running and playing and going for a swim...I do play games of fetch with them...my Rottie especially loves going out in the water after objects.[/b] [quote] 4. What do you think of the dog "hobby" or whatever it can be called? A. Dogs are my life! B. Dogs are one of my many hobbies C. I am for one reason or another not very interested/involved with the dog hobby[/quote] [b]Dogs are my life, my work revolves around dogs...working at a boarding kennel and grooming shop and vet clinic...I am surrounded by dogs all day and night. I am very fortunate I have jobs I can take my dogs to work with me. [/b]

If your dog ate the bird then there is a protozoan disease which could be transmitted if the birds are infected this is called Toxoplasmosis...alot of animals especially cats usually build up an immune antibody level to deal with this disease once they have had it. West Nile encephalitis disease....now as far as I am aware there have been no dogs infected by this virus....and the way to become infected is by the bite of a mosquito infected with West Nile virus. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which may circulate the virus in their blood for a few days. Infected mosquitoes can then transmit West Nile virus to humans and animals while biting to take blood. The virus is located in the mosquito's salivary glands. During blood feeding, the virus may be injected into the animal or human, where it may multiply, possibly causing illness. As far as contracting West Nile virus directly from birds or infected animals....There is no evidence that a person/dog can get the virus from handling live or dead infected birds or animals. However, persons should avoid bare-handed contact when handling any dead animals. If birds or other potentially infected animals must be handled, a protective barrier (e.g., gloves, inverted plastic bags) should be used. And starfox, my dogs have all gotten around dead animals in my yard that the cats have killed. I think the worst case scenirio I have come across is finding the dead animals in my bed at night! :o yes, one of my Newf's Dilon just loves to drag in the dead animals and play with them in my bed! his mouth is so big the animal can be hidden in his big mouth with out my being able to detect it :lol: he has drug in rabbits, mice, rats, birds but only bigger birds like crows and pigeons and he hides them in my bed....I have to be very careful with him! :lol: my cats are mainly indoor cats..but, there are many neighborhood cats which seem to think my yard is a great place to drop their kills! Birds especially pigeons can be very dirty. I am sure that some one else on the board may know of different diseases that birds can harbour and transmit...my mind is blank right now. :oops:

[quote]Over here when we say Collie we mean a Border, and say Rough collie for a "lassie type collie". [/quote] What do you call the smooth coated variety of Collie's? :lol: [quote]I like roughs too and have seen a few doing agility very gracefully, and one doing obedience, but what work there would be in that coat![/quote] The coat does require alot of care...we have alot of Shelties and Collies (rough) come in for grooming...you wouldn't believe the amount of poop you find clining to these dogs pants! :o I can't believe owners don't check their long coated dogs for dirty bottoms...its pretty gross. :o

If the dog is healthy and you love it....then you have the "right" kind of dog.