pyrless

Crystal, yer killing me! :roflt:

Me too. I wonder how [b]he[/b] would like it if [b]he[/b] was shot in cold blood and stepped on til he was down?

Debbie, I was wondering that too, if there is any punishment in the military for animal cruelty. I can't watch it, I just can't. It's bad enough what happens to kids in wars like this, much less a voiceless animal who is uncomprehending. :cry:

wtf? this is the stuff that gets on tv?

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a serious working dog, from what I have read. You also might want to look into the Schipperke and the Havanese...let us know! :D

hee hee! i'm glad it's not just me! :D

Actually it's funny you mention that-Muffin cleans her face just like a cat! I don't know if that is a breed thing or a Muffin thing...

rotflmao!

Hey PTM-great suggestion! I have a Pom too. She is eleven and has the energy of a three or four year old dog. She plays like a pup, loves her walks (she can keep up with the big dogs for 45 minutes to an hour) and is happy, easygoing and loves to cuddle. She is a great watchdog too (although with a Great Pyrenees to back her up she probably isn't afraid to be mouthy! :D ) The grooming is not bad if you keep up with it-Muffin loves being brushed anyway. Basically she is a tiny, lovey sled dog...They live a long time too, 15 years is about the average. There are a [b]lot[/b] in rescue, too. She's a tough broad, and for the cute factor, you can't do better! Also, just FYI, my husband, while he loves all dogs, had serious "manly man" reservations about this "foofy" dog moving in to our house. Which lasted all of four minutes.... 8)

The other night I was stretched out on the living room floor and Sasha came over to lie by me. Taz was unhappy and kept trying to get between us. Sasha had none of it and pawed at him until he stopped. Taz then lay down on my other side and pawed and whined at me for awhile. Then it was like a light bulb went off in his head! He got up and went to the front window and started barking like a maniac, which always, 100% of the time, sets Sasha barking at the back patio door. At which point Taz came back and calmly took her spot next to me! 8) :roflt: Any of you have similar stories, I would love to hear them!

Thanks you guys, it makes sense to me now! I think it's kind of cool that the JRT club wanted to preserve the working heritage of the breed. Kiwi-did you watch Westminster? There was a gorgeous colored bull terrier in the group who really caught my eye.

i guess that proves it-you don't pick the dog, the dog picks you! ;-) I saw something on animal planet about them when they were first in the AKC and they had a video of one running in slow motion. all of that loose skin was flying everywhere and so was the drool! :roflt:

Is this going on now? Is the Working Group coming up? :wink:

Hi Kiwi-I just saw your post! (I love your siggie by the way, just about gave me a heart attack the 1st time I saw it! :D ) is that a bull terrier? Anyway. Okay, so they ARE a different breed then.

hmmm! way to confuse us! (well, me, anyway! 8) )

Is there a difference, aside from the name? It's one of those things that has been making me crazy... :wink:

hee hee! sounds like he is pretty attached to you already! Keep me posted, ok?

I know, my husband picked out Taz the Devil Puppy and I felt the same way for a while-what a conspiracy! He works long hours, so I was the one that came home to poo and shredded newspaper every day! :lol: I understand what you are saying. You just can't let a pup have the run of the house (probably til about a year old). And you are right about the large space. They are a lot less likely to soil a confined area, what they see as "their" area. But his bladder is still small and, just like a human baby, there will be accidents. My dogs were reliably house-trained by 4 months, but still in crates when we went to work because of the chewing on stuff. It is good that he is coming out of his crate to go potty, though. And paper training is fine-we did it because we both work full-time. Eventually they catch on that outside=pee, cold or not. And with Husky blood he will eventually learn to tolerate it, I would think! You are doing all the right things. Four months of puppy pays off a hundred times when you have a lovely adult dog for a companion, and again, I PROMISE YOU WILL!!!

No, it is not mean. Please remember though, the puppy does not feel guilt or spite. He is not mad at you for the crate-dogs are denning animals. However, they are also opportunists, and if he can get to be with you by crying and pawing, then he will. He's just an 8 week old bundle of energy learning to be houstrained, and like I said, confining him to a room when you can't chase him all day is definitely an option. He gets privileges when he learns house manners, that makes sense to me. However make sure he can see you and has fun stuff to do. Make sure you still take him out every couple hours to pee. It's also never too early to start basic obedience, like Sit and Come and Lie Down, and leash training. If he is peeing by the door, it could be because he is not comfortable with stairs yet, or just because it is too cold-I have a Pomeranian that does that when there is snow on the deck. I know what it is to raise a stubborn pup! It doesn't help that you are feeling like crap either. Please have patience, it does get better. But make sure you take care of yourself! :wink:

hee hee! so the husky side comes out! :wink:

i guess that's the Lab in him! :wink: Yeah, they are funny to watch, if you have a sense of humor about it like you do, you are gonna be just fine.

Right on Crystal!

i am glad you are feeling a little better-keep us posted! courtnek is right, sometimes they do not respond to the positive reinforcement when biting, and i don't know any dog that likes bitter apple! :D

well, he is probably feeling comfortable in your house and letting that personality come out! Housetraining can sometimes be a bitch, to put it quite bluntly. I find that confining the dog to a linoleum-floored room when you can't watch him every second (and who can!) helps, use baby gates, for example. That way you are not chasing him constantly. Paper training helps too. Put the paper by the door where he goes out. When you see him starting to squat, put him on the paper and go nuts praising him. You can even move the paper outside too. Get him used to his crate in small increments, so you can use that too. An 8-week old puppy needs to pee every two hours or so, especially right after eating, playing and waking up. It will take anywhere from a month to two for him to "get it", and remember his bladder is still very tiny! Eventually they really do prefer the grass. It kind of clicks one day. I know you think I am nuts right now, but trust me!!! :D Just be confident in your alpha-ness and keep doing what you are doing. Oh, and get some Nature's Miracle for the accidents-it is a godsend. It neutralizes the odor so Toby won't be as inclined to use that spot again.

I PROMISE!!!!! :D I love how he is a little love bug, that is so cute! After he is vaccinated and you can take him to PetSmart and dog parks he won't be so scared of everything too. Have your husband give Toby extragood treats every time he interacts with him, that should go a long way towards making them friends! When we first got Taz (the crazy puppy, aptly named, I might add) I cried daily. I don 't have kids and this was my first puppy-raising experience and I was so overwhelmed it was ridiculous (and you know, us women of the house ALWAYS do all of the work! :) ) I talked to someone who had alot of experience with Elkhounds and she said the key is to be more stubborn than they are, which I found to be excellent advice, even as the ten pound ball of fluff was munching on the coffee table... When we got Sasha (the Pyr in my avatar) she was easy, laid back and extremely receptive, never touched anything with her mouth she wasn't supposed to. Which is good 'cause i don't think i could have gone through that again! Taz, by the way, is now 3 and very well behaved, very smart, very protective and loyal, and has finally learned how to cuddle!