Yoladybug

I'm sure lots of you have already seen this article [url]http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/4126009/detail.html?subid=22100484&qs=1;bp=t[/url] Towards the bottom of the page there is a link that will take you to a discussion board on the topic of banning pit bulls. The article begins with some very ignorant and upsetting posts, but luckily a few well-informed posts are starting to emerge. Hopefully these people will actually learn something from their wise words!

Happy Birthday!!!!!! :new-bday:

I'm so sorry :cry:

I've been out of town, so I didn't know what happened. I'm so sorry to hear that he died. My thoughts are with you.

Today I was in the mall, and I walked by Petland. On the window was a sign that told people not to worry if they couldn't afford a dog, they could have one anyway. They are now financing their dogs for $30 a month. I don't even know what to say...I could not believe my eyes. Poor little doggies.

No snow for me...we have a high of 76 today! Sometimes I just love living in Florida :B-fly:

I don't think I could own a lab or golden. From what I've seen (and I'll admit, I'm probably stereotyping) they're quite rambunctious. Most goldens I've come into contact with have scared me they've been so wild. I've become used to my laid back, easy going dog. I also wouldn't want a breed known to bark a lot, although I've learned that regardless of breed standards and stereotypes, you never really know for sure what you're getting...I don't think my dog ever got the memo that she's a german shepherd :lol: In the future (when I'm settled and able to care for more than one dog) I'd love to get a small dog. I got jealous of small dog owners last week...I was traveling, and all over the airports were people carrying on their small dogs. Must be nice to take them along when you fly! My dog only gets to join me when the destination is within driving distance.

Glad things are starting to look up. :angel:

What a striking dog! Congrats :beerchug:

You're in my thoughts. Everyone is right...you didn't do anything wrong, and you shouldn't be too hard on yourself, especially since it won't do any good or change anything (although I realize this is easier said then done). You offered love to a puppy that may have had a horrible life elsewhere...that's the best thing you could have ever done for him, so try to remember that these next few weeks.

Unfortunately I don't have any brilliant suggestions for you. Abby was the same way when I got her. She never meant to hurt anyone, but she always tried to chew on people's arms, hands, fingers, etc. She's completely stopped now. I found that scolding her didn't work very well (she's so happy go lucky that yelling at her only makes her tail wag harder...very frustrating :roll: ), so every time it happened I would just shove a toy into her mouth and praise her like crazy for chewing on that instead of me. I'm not sure if that stopped it or if she just grew out of it.

My sister has a Brittany Spaniel, and he was the model dog for about a year. Then, she got married, and everything changed. He was intensly protective of her, yet he wouldn't listen to her. He started attacking people. First it just started with a lot of angry growling, then growling and lunging, then growling, lunging and biting. MY sister and her husband were doing everything they could do on their own for him, and they were starting to consider putting him to sleep (as a last resort of course, but even having to discuss it is obviously very troubling). Through friends, they heard of a behaviorist who specialized in aggressive dogs. The took their dog there and left him for about 3 weeks of intensive training. The last week (while the dog was still staying there), they went out there every day and worked with the trainer and their dog to learn the new commands and to teach the dog that they were in charge. Then, they took him home. In 3 years, he's had one "relapse" where he growled and lunged. He went straight back to the trainer for a refresher. Anyway, the point of my story is that they were at the end of their ropes, and nothing seemed to be working, but thank god they found something that did. This guy really saved them. He's in Tallahassee, FL. His name is Ken and his website is [url]http://capitalcanine.com/contact.htm[/url]. I know you are not in this area, but he is well connected, and maybe he could refer you to someone in your area. He truly saved my sister from a really nasty situation. Good Luck...I know it must be hard to deal with something like this, and I hope you find something that works.

I'm so sorry -- we're thinking about you :angel: And Kat is right...enjoy your time with him as much as possible, and spoil him rotten!

This morning Abby was her usual happy self, jumping all over me in bed trying to get me up. Then, all of a sudden, she wouldn't step on her right front paw. I have no idea what happened, seeing as she never left my bed. One second she was fine, the next she was not. I've been looking for anything that may be stuck in it or any cuts, but I haven't seen anything. I wonder if she pulled or sprained something. I'd assume that's possible for a dog to do???? I called the vet and they told me to wait until tomorrow to see if it goes away on its own...they said it usually does. In the meantime, I feel horrible for her. She tries so hard to walk with her one front paw (she won't even try to use the other one), and she does a pretty good job, but I think it exhausts her. She almost fell over a few minutes ago. I can tell she's in so much pain, but she's being brave...she hasn't cried at all. Poor thing. It's so hard to watch your baby struggle! Hopefully the vet is right, and it will go away on its own. Otherwise, I'll be taking her in first thing tomorrow morning. By the way, thanks for the positive thoughts regarding her kennel stay (and my severe separation anxiety :wink: ) over Thanksgiving. Ya'll were right...it appears it was much harder on me than it was on her. She came back as happy as can be. I think she actually had a lot of fun -- she's been pretty bored around here since! Anyway, I'm over the hump of leaving her for the first time. I'm not going to make a habit of it, but I'm glad to know it's an option if I ever need to again.

Why would anyone do that? What's the point for them? Sorry...I've just never heard of anything like that before.

Thanks everyone. I love the idea of webcams! I'm still sad...I think it's just because I'm leaving early tomorrow morning, so I'm here in the house all night without her. You get so used to always having a dog around. I'm sure it all will be fine, and in a few weeks I'll be able to laugh at myself. I think it's just hard because it's the first time. If it's this hard on me now, what's gonna happen when I have kids! Anyway, thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

I'm going on a cruise for Thanksgiving, so I had to board Abby. I've never had to do this before...she's always been able to stay with my family. I found a guy who comes highly recommended. He quit his job as a lawyer working for the state supreme court to become a dog trainer -- that's how much he loves dogs. His kennel is way out in the country with lots of land, and he lives on the property as well. I feel like I picked the best place to leave Abby, but I'm still a complete wreck! My family thinks I'm psycho, but I've just heard so many boarding horror stories. I just want her to be okay and come back her cheerful loving self. Ugg...I'm so upset I'm sick to my stomach. Talk about separation anxiety! I'm sure I'm completely overreacting :oops: Anyway...that's all.

Interesting...thanks!

How are they different from a GSD? I just looked up pictures of them, and they're identical (in my uninformed opinion). Just curious.

Wow...he's so ugly he's cute! I can't imagine a dog showering with me every morning...that's nuts.

Better safe than sorry...glad she's okay!

Abby had a lump that looked like that. It felt very hard. The vet said it was an ingrown hair follicle...it took quite a while to go away (a few months). You're right to be worried though...hope it turns out for the best.

I don't know anything about this...why the oils? And what about apples...my dog LOVES apples (and carrots too).

I'm bothered by the fact that any vet would euthanize a puppy without a good reason. Am I just ignorant about this? Instead of putting it to sleep, wouldn't the vet take it to a shelter or humane society or something? It just doesn't make sense to me.

#8971 I signed about 5 minutes ago. In that 5 minutes, it jumped from there to 9071...amazing!