3ofakind

Regardless of what has happened since I left I still stand by my position. I wont be reading the suggested pieces, doesn't that fit into the new rule of "no personal attacks"? You to K and you wrote the rules. That's disappointing. Please allow me the right to make my own judgements without interference. He does have beautiful dogs and he did teach me alot about APBT and changed my whole view point so much so that I even have now considered APBT as a possible breed of choice in the future. That is to be commended regardless of the other nonsense. Congrats on your new girl. I agree that Drey has grown up to be a spectacular specimen. Kudos to you for taking such great care of him. I remember when he was just a baby, such a doll.

RnP - What up? Good to see you here. I've been back 1 day and I get to see my two favorite pitties. You and those two made a huge impact on me and the way I view pits. I owe you a huge "Thank you". So glad they are doing well. :D

I whole heartedly agree that an alternative should be provided. We are looking for what has worked in other cases. We already have dangerous dog laws which would have prevented this case had someone notified AC about the problem with these dogs. As for the PB in your area, most shelters are trained to evaluate dogs for aggression and know who is adoptable and who is not regardless of breed. Unfortunately our local shelter euthanizes all PB's which is another problem we are working to rectify.

Hey y'all! Not sure any of you will remember me as its been soooo long since I have been around. I am Erin with 3 JRTs, Mary Stewie and Finnigan. Anyway, the reason I stopped by was because I need your help! In our newspaper yesterday there was a story of a woman who son was mauled by a 4 dogs. She is now proposing BSL to the county. [url]http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/9605485.htm[/url] We are very sympathic for this woman and her son; however, this is not the answer. Our local dog owners org is now looking for answers on how to effectively fight this BSL. And I know there are many here who work very hard on this. Can anyone provide us with links to information that can help our cause. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. It's nice to be back and I hope to stay for a while.

I wander if the bags are old. Wellness contains quite a few grains and if you are close to the expiration date, this could be a big cause for gas. I really think it is definitely time for a change. Have you heard of the new Blue dog food? It is being sold at Petsmart, which is also starting to carry Royal Canin. Not sure if you have access to a Petsmart, but have gotten some really good feedback on this new Blue dog food. Might be something for you to look into.

If you want to feed both it is best to feed them seperately, meaning barf at one meal and kibble at the next. Kibble takes about twice as long to digest as opposed to barf. What allows dogs to tolerate the raw meat without risk of infection is the shortness of the digestive tract and the speed in which it leaves the body. When you mix kibble and barf you run the chance of leaving the raw in the digestive track long enough that they can get sick from the bacteria. Some people feed it together and claim they have no issues. But logic and science tell us that it is optimal to feed them seperate.

Dont know if this link has been posted before so I apologize if it is a duplicate. They still need people to sponsor dogs, if anyone can help, every little bit helps. [url]http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/sponsor.html[/url]

Black GSD, in a way you are correct but it is possible that a dog simply doesn't like a certain food. My oldest started on Wellness. I believed it to be an excellent food but her stools were always kinda soft and it was a nightmare to try to get her to eat it. She hated it! And actually she in general just doesn't like fish. At that time I switch to Solid Gold MMellinnia, great food too that I really liked but I was getting bags that were fairly old. So now I feed Canidae. It is the best food I have used. I was on the rotating ever 6 months kinda thing but it is gonna be really hard to change to something else in another few months. As far as my oldests eating, she ate the SG better than the Wellness but with the Canidae she actually looks for more and gets excited at meal time. This is a first for her. Also, I am raising two puppies on the Canidae (another reason for choosing it). They are the most beautiful puppies, nice and lean with good muscle development, not fat bellies here. I highly recommend Canidae!!

Do you have access to Canidae? It is an all life stage food and I am REALLY pleased with the results I am getting. My 3 range from 21 months to 3 months and they all 3 eat Canidae. It is keeping the older dogs slim and the puppy is growing fantastically with no excess fat. I am a firm DISbeliever in puppy food. Just too much fat. If not accessible, I would be feeding both the natural balance. Fiber should be low, protein high and fat moderate. Dogs really dont need fiber and the higher the fiber content the more fillers. Fat is very important to dogs but you dont want it to be too high as it can create weight issues. Protein is the main building block of the diet. The NB is a great food and your pup should do very well it. Good luck.

A good case study for you would be the JRT. For their history they have been a hunting breed and therefore selectively bred for different qualities than registered breeds. However, with the new addition of the breed to the AKC it will be interesting to see how AKC JRT's end up different than the REAL!!! JRTCA JRT's. JRT's currently have a life expectancy around 15 years. They often live much longer. They are great healthy dogs with working backgrounds. Can't say I would ever get a AKC dog again.

Another thing is that is might not be Cody's fault. If the other dog is properly socialized, they should be able to read Cody and act accordingly. Mary is pretty particular about her personal space, especially when she decides she is done playing. Some dogs dont know when to stop. They are the ones at fault not Mary. At the dog park there was a golden that was about 10 months, VERY playful and with no idea how big it was. They played for a while but he was really out of control and Mary is just too civilized for that ;) so she decided she was done. He wouldn't quite. She would give the growl and the warning snap to back off, and you would think the dog was deaf and blind. It just had no clue. So remember, it may not always be Cody's problem. He is most likely justified in his response.

Sometimes I miss things. What is your relationship with Becky?? Is this HER puppy or do you all intend to be mutually responsible? Just dont know how I would handle it, it would depend on the character of the relationship between you two.

I think that the more time you can spend with her the better. I also think that tethering would work well for you. Put her on a leash and tie it to your belt loop. Keep her with you all day while you do your house work, while you clean her kennel, while you do all the normal things in the day. Of course you should continue with your normal routine and allow for regular walks and play time but the rest of the time use the tether. This will teach her that she must always do what you say and go where you say, and you will be there to give an immediate correction for any misbehavior. The problem with leaving her to herself to much is that you are essentially expecting her to teach herself. Through puppyhood and adolesence when the dog is learning what is and is not acceptable behavior they need constant supervision and direction. For labs/goldens this can be up to 2 years old. When left to theirselves they create their own world and reality with their own rules. Once the dog is matured and trained, leaving them outside or inside by itself is not so much of a problem.

Mary is a timid dog. She also was very well socialized, I did everything I could. She loves other dogs and has no problem with canine socialization. And she is okay with people, not aggressive at all, but just really doesn't want to be touched. All she does is duck or back away, hide behide me or between my legs. Like someone else said, since I have had her since 9 weeks and know she was never abused, I am sure it is just in her. I have tried all the desensitisations techniques, and it doesn't really help. She is just fine around people, just doesn't want to be touched. I think in her situation you just need to be patient and give her time. And allow her to retreat if that is what makes her comfortable. She will come out of her shell as she feels more comfortable, just as you have already seen. You are doing a fine job, all she needs is love. It is much different than a dominant dog though isn't it.

Finny needs to have drops in his eyes twice a day. I can barely get them in once a day. I am having the most terrible time. He is so darn tiny he is hard to keep ahold of, plus I am afraid to hold him too strongly. He blinks at just the right moment to avoid the drops, or puts his head down. I know there has got to be a "good" way to do, I just haven't figured it out yet. Hopefully, we wont have to do this for long. Anyone have any good tips?

Oops that was me.

My vet charges $260 for a neuter (american). This includes the bloodwork you speak of. It is important as a precaution to make sure they are healthy enought to go under without any risks, especially if it is their first time going under. When I looked at the bill when Stewie was neutered, the acutal neuter was only like $34, the bloodwork, anesthesia, post op care and meds etc is what made it a total of $260. Also, the older anesthesias are much cheaper, but the newer kinds are more expensive. The newer ones are much safer especially for the smaller pets, less chance of overdose and complications. I know I pay alot for vet care but to me it is worth it. My vets do a fantastic job. No stitches and very little recovery time for both Mary and Stewie. Only the best medications and techniques are used. I do believe you get what you pay for. If you are worried something will go wrong, I dont think I would looking for the cheapest vet, that will only increase the chances.

[quote name='courtnek']the problem with young male dogs is the testicle having been completely dropped...and with any young puppy, because of the anesthesia... Young dogs dont always handle the anesthesia well, which is why some vets recommend waiting till they are at least 3 months old. With males, a good vet will recommend waiting until the testicles have fully descended. some dogs can handle it at an early age, but I, personally, would not recommend it.[/quote] Even if the testicles haven't dropped they are not that hard to find. Its not like they are bury deep in the abdomen. It is recommended that older dogs who have one or two that didn't drop properly be neutered, the surgery is no more difficult. As far as anesthesia, the older ones were very difficult to measure accurately. They were so potent, and therefore the amount you should use so small it was difficult to be accurate at small dosages. However, few if any vets should be using those kinds any more. They have many other dangers associated with them as well. I can pull names if you would like to know. New anesthesias were created with this in mind. What about breed size. A yorkie is 5-7 lbs full grown. Many large breed dogs can weight that at 7 weeks, what is the difference in neutering? The amount of anesthesia is based on wieght therefore age is not a so important. In fact, just as in children (think tonsils), the younger often recover much much faster. At one time, yes neutering early was somewhat dangerous. However, with the advances in medicine over the last decade, this is no longer true.

LOL @ K. If for some reason he doesn't work out I'm shipping him to you ;) Thanks for all the compliments. He is a doll and doing wonderfully. They are all getting along famously. I try not to let M & S gang up on him and they seem to be getting the idea. He is so freaking tiny!! He only weighs 3.5 lbs. I have not had a pup that small before. He is 10 weeks old, just a tiny little thing. But he of course has the attitude of 100 lb dog already. We couldn't be happier!

We picked up Finny this weekend. He is fitting in nicely. And I am starting to wish I had a few more hands LOL Me and my new baby! [img]http://www.jrtzone.com/PA191408.JPG[/img] Me and all 3 kids [img]http://www.jrtzone.com/PA191400.JPG[/img] [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SwAAACcWiTm2aVBfboQotqDCnwysOX2xnh!M7Tb4QmbEtRf3E5F*U7u*9Jz3nGbyefno!nQHw5ejLWpxCzgDzOFsuY!qEdzhvIG8yPb1oZluJDK7sAMK7Q/Img1743.JPG[/img] [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SwAAACoWUjq2aVBfboQotpo43mcs4ZKAEuyHG07wljm9W75lWmMxUyyjvlfEayduogKTLOQ0ABxEzH0roGjPEaQiS7kD*yd5bZVIh6JYm4d*BPhcapJ7hA/Img1746.JPG[/img] [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SwDrAioWUzpu6wE0AnP4ixidPErUhyg9TB8feGQE41vUEVaPWPZFgc71zegT97ogkFEBQFHR6Oojwur9et9j!cKFGtx0rhcqnQ4aegt4SI2NDPTXYpO*!g/Img1755.JPG[/img] [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SwDOAiwW2Tpu6wE0AnP4i8DFqpOkfKJY*fQh9*DecVoJgP*0pKlWfeXaZ2fJgRhzIUC82ihFYfF2v94WAzMTBOIW9MzW9eSaNfGtvmvLr219hBULhZN4Kw/Img1757.JPG[/img]

[quote name='Mei-Mei'][quote]Shelters and rescues do it all the time. [/quote] Hmmm, not too sure about this. Isn't it the case that most shelters and rescues won't let a puppy go until it is at least 8 weeks of age?[/quote] Where I am, our shelters will let pups go at 6 weeks. Often they do not have the mother there anyway and they need the space for other dogs. A good friend got a little spaniel/lab mix at 6 weeks and she was already fixed. She is a fantastic dog. Does anyone have any proof that it is dangerous to s/n before say 4 months? I really did research this a lot with my last pup. Being my first male, and every male I know marks inside, I was really worried about it. I looked into the early s/n which is from 6 weeks to 5 months. I read many studies performed by many different bodies and they all had similar results. The progress made with the new anesthesias completely alleviates the risks once associated with early s/n.

I did extensive research on this and 7 weeks is NOT too young. Shelters and rescues do it all the time. The breeder is correct in all that she told you. The only long term effect found in multiple studies on both dogs and cats is that the early s/n often ended up being taller. In the absense of the hormones it takes the growth plates longer to close and causes to grow slightly taller. Some also believe that pups neutered early get "puppy brain". Basically they think removing the hormones too soon effects mental maturing. Depends on the owner if this will be a problem. Recovery time will be almost nil, the new anesthesias used now are much easier to measure and administer in small doses. In fact the ONLY reason (except for thats just what they learn in school) most vets say to wait is because of the administration of the anesthesia. Many feel it is too difficult and unsafe to administer the anesthesia in such small dosages. Years ago, with the form of anestesia they used, this was true. However, new anesthesias are much easier and complications are rare. I think you have found a fabulous breeder and you should be glad this will already be taken care of. Congrats on your new carin. I LOVE terriers and have 3 JRT's. Welcome to Dogo

I also do not use puppy food, and my dogs grow up much leaner and healthier I believe. Puppy food packs on too much weight too fast, regardless of size of breed.

Just curious how we can be sure this is real, there has been some question over PPB truthfullness if I understand correctly. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[quote name='Lucky Chaos'] Well we do have a petsmart, but all the food they carry is crap. [/quote] Actually you might want to go look again. This is a brand new initiative by petsmart to get into the premium market. The two foods they started carrying are Blue and Royal Canin. This only started a few weeks ago. If you haven't looked lately it might be worth another look. I saw the blue at mine today and it was not expensive at all (considering).