Bubblezzz

Love that yawn!! :fadein:

Whoa Cassie, what are impacted glands?? :o They sound evil... I hope that isn't the problem with Cosmic!!! :( While researching his breed, I never came across any such problem! My bf has had dogs his whole life (mostly mutts) and has never come across anything like this too. :( Which is why I'm worried. Thanks for the tip Mary's mama, I will add some pumpkin to his diet and see how things go. I don't feed raw meat to my dogs because most of the meat available here are imported, either by trucks equipped with chillers from a neighbouring country, or airflown. It goes through too many processes (and pairs of hands!) by the time it gets to the supermarket shelves for me to feel comfortable with. I also remember seeing a debate somewhere (don't think it was on dogomania - was it? ???) that the stuff that goes into bonemeal may contain more than what they are supposed to (by-products, bones from animals unfit for human consumption etc.) so I'm a little apprehensive. Would anybody know a good brand to buy?

Thank you for all the advice!! :) Phew! I'm glad to clear up the mushroom issue - can't imagine accidentally poisoning my baby!!! :o :o :o I live in a tropical city, so no chance of finding wild mushrooms. :) Quite a number of people I've spoken to say that they do squeeze their doggies anal sacs from time to time. I've even read advice to do so in several dog care books, so I'm confused. :confused1: I've been giving him less fresh food in place of kibble and it seems to have helped a little. His stools seem to be firmer and a darker brown. I always cook the fresh food I give him with his kibble (one of those things I read about somewhere not to mix fresh & raw :P) He gets raw fruits/veges as a seperate treat altogether. (Usually quite a long while from his meal.) Oh, when I say fresh food, I mean fresh COOKED food - from what I understand that's ok to mix with his kibble right? Or should I just feed them as seperate meals - will that help digestion? I try to vary his diet as much as possible, so he usually gets a variety of meats and veges. :lol: If I can help it, I WON'T squeeze his anal sacs - trust me, it's not like I WANT to do this!!!! :lol: If this problem crops up again, I'll take him to the vet and have her look him over and give me some advice on changing stuff in his diet. Ok, I remember reading about bonemeal more than once, but what does it do again??? :o Again, Thank You! :D

Hi, thanks for the replies. alicat613, I don't believe I've ever read that mushrooms are a no-no!! :( Why is this so? Leeks I feed in small quatities and I cook all fish and meats that I give him. I use mainly lean cuts and supplement his diet with evening primrose oil and salmon oil. His stools are firm/semi-firm - it's hard to see if he actually expels his anal secretions with his poop. The puddles we get are milky-clear with a brownish tint. He is fed 3 times a day, with a total of about 1 cup puppy formula Innova. In the mornings and evenings, I also give him 1/3 cup of steamed meats and vegetables (usually an equal mix of both). I will try cutting back on his veggies if that might be the cause of our problem. Would anyone else have any idea? My baby is an English Cocker Spaniel. He is 4 months and 3 weeks old and a very healthy size for his age. His coat gleams and his fur is fluffy soft. :) Heehee... sorry, can't help myself!! :P Aside from this problem, he seems to be doing fine on the diet I have been feeding. If there are improvements I can make, please let me know!! :( Thank you!

Hi, I would like to know how many of you squeeze your dogs anal sacs, how often you do this and how it is done?? My baby Cosmic has recently developed a really smelly as*!! :o :o :o His anal sac secretions don't seem to be expelled along with his poop, but come out in a seperate puddle. From time to time, we'd find these oily pools of brownish liquid left as surprise presents for us.... :P (Once on my fav pair of jeans as I was carrying him!!!!) I know that they're not supposed to have control over their anal sac secretions - does this mean that when he expels his, he basically thinks he's pooping? (we'll try getting him to poop on command then) He is currently on a diet of fresh food and Innova puppy kibble. (Fresh food: Minced chicken, pork, beef or liver + occasional salmon or cod + diced vegs like carrot, peas, green beans, mushroom, leek, tomato, spinach, usually steamed and also occasional fresh fruits) His stools vary because of the food he gets, but they are usually firm/semi-firm. I don't wish to switch him to only kibble, so I guess I have to learn how to expel his anal sac 'juice'!!!! :P The odor is truly evil... :evilbat: I would really appreciate some advice!!!! Thanks!

behle, I can just imagine what the neighbours might think if they ever happen to chance upon your howling family!!!! :shock: :D Ahahahaha!!! :D That's just SOOOO cute!!! :D I wish I could teach my dogs to be more vocal this way too! Is there any way? I haven't had much success teaching 'Speak'! We sing and dance with Cosmic - usually when the radio's on. He gets really happy and excited - I think he's just a sucker for all the attention. :banan: Floppy doesn't seem to appreciate our singing though - she'd grunt and look questioningly at us, like "DUUHHH...What's up with you dweebs??" :D Cosmic also gets babied with lullabyes - he'll cuddle and act cute!! :)

Ahahaha!! I TOTALLY agree with you Snowpaws!!! :wink: Don't men just seem to have stinkier farts??!!! :wink: Ohhhh... Aurora, I think it's already too late!!! :lol: Last I spoke to her, she was talking about going to place a down-payment!!! Oh well, maybe her doggie will be nice and share!! :D Just learnt from Cosmic's breeders (husband & wife own Cosmic's parents) today: The husband sleeps with his arms around their male cocker spaniel - they literally HUG sleeping!!!!!! :sleep2: :sleep: Where this leaves his wife I dunno & didn't really want to ask!!! :grins: She has to be ok with it I suppose, since this happens EVERYNIGHT and the dog won't have it any other way!!!! :P Heeeheee!!! :D Bronxie, I used to think that such people [quote][/quote] were going a little overboard too... :P I mean, tucking their dogs in at night??!! Now, Cosmic gets cuddled and kissed and crooned little lullabyes to... :P

Awwww!!!! That's SOO sweet that they would try to calm a baby (real or not!) that way! :lilangel: Crested, Ben is such a cute dog!!! :D Cosmic loves music by Enya! :) We played it to him at bedtime everynight the first 2 weeks he was with us - the soothing music lulls him to sleep. Even now, he'll go into 'relax' mode when he hears anything by Enya. He's my little baby! :D :baby:

GOOD LUCK Ellie, Rio & Kodi!!! :laola:

[quote name='Cassie']I feed all raw foods...raw beef, chicken, ox, lamb, heart, liver, eggs etc...I also feed all raw veggies which I blend up in my blender usually with flax seed oil or cod liver oil or wild salmon oil...I feed canned Sardines, canned Wild Salmon, some times makerel? sp and I some times put organic oats in her breakfast and I feed her Yoghurt some times plain sometimes with wild berries blended up and put in (blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, blackberries) in the summer my dogs eat these berries straight from the vines! I feed only organic foods (when I can find them!) and free range chickens...I go to a local butcher to get my other meats...I also supplement my Dogs diets with Alfalfa, and Kelp, vitamin C, vitamin E, Multi vitamin...the supplements I only give occasionally, I also grow green wheat grass for my babies to munch on...my babies have a very mixed variety of foods and they have never been so healthy...the best thing one of my Newf's had severe allergies constantly when I had her on kibble, she was miserable...that is a story of the past! no more allergies![/quote] OMG!!!!! :o :o :o :o Can I be your dog too???!!!!

Ahahahahaha!!!! :lol: :D :D :D I had to use my inhaler (asthma) after reading the patient journal records!!! Some of them are just TOO much!!! :lol: thank you for all the funnies!!! :)

I have a friend who is buying a queen-sized bed (she has a single) so that her fat JRT can have more space!! :lol: I cook Cosmic long elaborate meals on special days. :) He knows when it's for him because I use HIS cutting board and tell him what I'm preparing as I'm cooking :) - he'll sit/lie patiently as I chop/dice/mix and steam/boil/saute. The final 'ding' of the microwave (heating up water to moisten his puppy kibble - I serve both fresh & kibble together,) sends him into alert and he gets REAL impatient... but when I finally tell him "okay!!!" boy, he makes this happy, whining sounds and the look on his face... :D :D :D :D :D Floppy is excluded from this process since she lives at my bf's, so she just gets to eat it - not as special for her I guess. :P We also massage Floppy and Cosmic and let them kiss (slobber!) us on the lips... ewwwwww!!!!!! :P

:D :D :D :D CONGRATS!!! My bf and I just had to laugh when we saw his collar!!!! :lol: It looks like he'll be able to wriggle out of it if it got into his head to! :D He's such a sweetie pie!! :D AWWWWWW......

Hello nea! :) I would say that cocker personalities are more like a lab... or a golden retriever. Actually, goldens are my fav. dogs, but I fell in love with Floppy, my bf's rescued cocker and have since come to realise that cockers share many of the same traits that I love about goldens! :) I too, love the fact that they are such sweet, affectionate dogs. :D In fact, Cosmic seems to be becoming increasingly attached to us as he grows - I love that!! :P Heehee... nothing like a happy, waggy dog to make the world feel right! He'll want to cuddle, especially in the mornings and when we have food... :lol: Yes, you'll have to watch out for them underfoot, but I think they're quite hardy dogs. So, unlike a papillion whom might yelp/make a fuss (a friend's does), I think cockers are more likely to just give a yelp of complaint and forget about it. Especially since your cocker will be an adult one, so not much worries there, as long as nobody really bowls into it hard! Comparatively with big dogs, you will have to watch out some though. But then agin, it's a fair exchange because your cocker will still (more or less) fit into your lap even as an adult! :D Keeping your guinea pig separated with a baby gate sounds good - it'd be so cute and lovely if over time & with supervision they actually start being friends! :D Cosmic LOVES to play - especially with squeaky/noise-making plush toys! He'd sometimes invent his own relay race - tearing about the house with his different toys, 'dropping' and exchanging them at what looks like designated spots! :lol: Watching him is fascinating. :D But we have yet to teach him 'fetch' properly yet - he doesn't seem to understand it quite yet and will wait for the object to hit the ground first. :roll: But I know of other cockers who happily play fetch. My american cocker, Floppy, doesn't play with toys AT ALL, (not even when we play with her) unless it's stuffed with food! But she enjoys being with us, going on walks and exploring places. :) I have one playful, mischevious sometimes rebellious boy (who still won't COME on command) and one bold, adventurous, totally reliable girl. They are both greedy, sweet, affectionate, loving and make me laugh all the time. :) I think dogs are a blessing too. :) If you get your cocker nea, I wish you both all the best! But do let us know how it goes!

Hi nea, My bf and I have an American cocker and an English cocker - they are the SWEETEST DOGS ALIVE!!!!! :P Heehee.... :wink: Like bk_blue says, they are very affectionate, very willing to please and love to play. :D My english cocker, Cosmic, is now 4+ months old. He learns pretty fast, seems to be growing sweeter every day and makes everyday SO MUCH happier for me!! :) From my experience, cockers seem to be a little sensitive though and should be trained with lots of love and patience! :) As far as my experience with both Floppy (american, 3 1/2 yrs) and Cosmic are concerned, I've never known them to be snappish. Floppy might growl a bit if she didn't like something, maybe even pretend to bite, but it never goes beyond that. (I say pretend because she does it very gently and very slowly and very reluctantly) Cosmic doesn't learn much when we're too firm or treat commands like training. He gets upset when he thinks we are not pleased and can't seem to absorb much. But when we make training fun, like play sessions, OH BOY OH BOY!!!! :D :D :D :D :D He does need a lot of attention, or he'll get this hang-dog look that makes us feel like real losers. :-? But nobody who likes dogs can resist his face - happy or mournful. :) His parents are gorgeous dogs, both looks and personality-wise. They play well with other dogs - however, I've found that their exuberance does irritate other breeds sometimes. They can play for hours and will keep bugging the other dogs to join in until they get snapped at! (that only lasts a while until the whole "let's play" "I'd rather not" "come on, let's play" "NO" "play?" "Grrrrr!!!! I said GET LOST!" cycle starts again...) :oops: Cosmic does love getting muddy :roll: and needs to be brushed at least a few times a week (even now as a puppy). I don't think the colours make much difference with the amount of fur they have. Cosmic also does seem to have a higher prey drive compared with other dogs. He cannot resist moving toys!! He also loves to chase birds. I don't know if it might be their difference in age, or maybe because american cockers were breed more for companionship than the english, but Floppy doesn't react the same way towards 'prey' like toys, birds, butterflies e.t.c. Unfortunately I don't have other pets, so I can't tell you how he is with smaller creatures. He got along very well with a 2 1/2 yr old toddler we socialised him with - until she dropped a hard plastic ball right in front of his face. :o Now he's frightened of 'small' people, but we're working on that. :) Both our cockers are not noisy or yappy at all. In fact, they never bark excessively. Only at the occassional passerby or when very engrossed/excited in play. :P I would definitely love more cockers if I could afford the money/time/space! :roll: But that's just me. :) I hope this is helpful! Please let me know if you need to know more and I'll try to help/find out what I can. :)

[quote]"My Rottie does not jump on me when I come home (my Newf's do though) instead my Rottweiler has gotten this bad (but very cute) habit of pushing in between my legs (or whoever else) and standing under you (like she was a horse) so she can get her belly & chest rubbed...."[/quote] Cosmic does that too! :) In his baby days, he used to get so hyper he'd pee. But then we stopped greeting him as wildly and he stopped. Now, I just say Hi Baby! when I'm home, pat him a little and let him settle down some (about a minute?) before I make a fuss of him. Even though I love the big fuss he makes and all that cute wriggling, it's nice to not get peed on!! :P [/quote]

ooohhh... I am so jealous of all of you with extended families! :P My babies only have a mummy and daddy - 1 aunt refers to me having a 'baby' in a degratory manner - I had to stop myself from pointing out how much cuter/sweeter/nicer/more obedient my baby is compared to her awful screaming kids!! :roll: Oh well, I'm sure whoever sees my baby and hers together can't help noticing that themselves!! :D haha!

Heehee... same sentiments about Ben the saint! :P This is a great thread! :) We did a 'report card' for my dog, but nobody appreciates it as much as us!! :D My Cosmic would be the rebel, bad boy charmer. 8) He'd do naughty things like sneak off for cigarettes while charming the socks off the girls. He'd be brilliant in only the subjects he likes - probably music and art but totally atrocious (like DUH!!!) at Math, History, any other thing he hates! He'd be SO BAD sometimes, but when caught, his soulful eyes and heart-wrenching charm would let him get off scot-free!!! The teachers all wanna kill him, but secretly have crushes on him. The devil... Floppy is the gung-ho class aspiring athelete - for ALL sports. She may not get into the teams, but by heck she'll try! :) She's the sweet, clumsy type too - tripping over her feet as she runs for the hoop, laughing loudly at herself all the way. :D She'll have lots of friends - but they'll get angry with her for her bluntnes at times. But she's always up for a good time. :) She'll also get on your nerves like crazy because she keeps finishing her share of meals first, then pick off yours!

Can anybody tell me what a 'halti' is??!

I am having more or less the same problem with my puppy! Cosmic (English Cocker Spaniel) walks nicely (err...sort of) with me, especially when he knows that I am carrying treats. He still goes wild at times though - I can't figure out the triggers because we take him to to the same places since he is still young. When he does that, I practice the 'stop - start' routine, tell him HEEL (don't think he gets it) and wait for him to stop tugging before we start walking. On bad days, it seems like hours to walk the length of the block! But with me and my bf, at least he trys. My brother on the other hand, gets pulled about by a little 7kg (abt 15 pounds?) puppy!! It's hard for us to pull him back when he is totally uninclined to cooperate - he strains like crazy and it looks like he'll end up choking himself! I don't want to use a body leash because I feel that we'd be more likely to cut him slack and I want him to learn to walk nicely. Floppy (3.5 yr old American Cocker Spaniel) we never managed to train with a collar leash. We don't know her history because we adopted her from the pound, but she was straining SO MUCH, even after more than an hour out, walks were always so stressful! Can they actually do themselves harm by straining on leash? I still remember when we finally gave in and bought her a body leash, it was such a relief! With a body leash, she seemed to walk ALOT better almost immediately. This must connected to her past somehow right?

oops... that was me!

Wow. I'm getting lots of good advice from reading this! I'll start practicing "Yours and Mine" ASAP - that seems to make sense! The next time I get angry about something my puppy has chewed up, guess I'll just think of some of the posts I read here! :) Mine isn't so bad, just loves only NEW, expensive shoes! Also, I noticed that nobody mentioned using bitter spray. I bought a bottle after my puppy chewed through electrical wiring (nearly gave me a heart attack because I saw the chewed-up wire before I saw my puppy! thank god we were diligent with switching off the switches) Bitter Spray works for us! After a liberal spritzing on all the surfaces I didn't want him chewing, I kept an eye on him, and sure enough, he started on a chair leg. Almost immediately, he stopped, looking startled. Tried chewing again, looked disgusted and stopped. And that was that. :) I tried the teensiest little bit of the stuff and it's INCREDIBLY bitter and totally horrid!!

The funniest I name ever heard, can't remember where from, is "Dammit" :roflt: As in: "DAMMIT! Get in the door now!" "DAMMIT! I said Sit!" "DAMMIT! Jump!" "DAMMIT! Stop barking this instant!" e.t.c. Lots of other funny examples, but I just can't remember! :)

Hi, I'm new, hope I'm not barging in cos everyone else seems to know one another here! :) Floppy - Originally named Bibi (from the shelter) but we hated it, so we renemed her Floppy (after day 2) for the ways she 'flops' (totally ungraceful!) around and they way her ears 'flop' when she runs. (Am cocker spaniel) Cosmic - Because he is so smart! (Was the first puppy to recognise us the second time we visited him at the breeders!) and also because it sounds star-like. Turns out he's developing a small, white, star-shaped (okay, more like an asterisk) patch on his chest, so it's so COOL!!! :D

Hi, My puppy Cosmic seems to be a little on the scardy side. :o So far, he's been scared by a mineral water bottle and a plastic bag and some other ordinary household stuff like that. I've been trying to help him get used to these items by coaxing him with treats and showing him that they won't eat him. :wink: That usually works for us. Does anyone else share the same experience or know of other ways to 'cure'?