Puppy pads. sm

Recommend puppy obedience classes. You can learn a lot sm [2008-11-30]
about discouraging bad behaviors. Some dog trainers give advice over the phone.

another ... Puppy Pumpkin [2008-10-24]
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another ... Puppy Pumpkin [2008-10-24]
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Where do you live? I am looking for a lab puppy and [2008-08-05]
my friend is also looking for a lab. Are they yellow, black, chocolate? How many boys, girls?

What to do with a puppy who plays too rough? [2008-08-04]
My puppy who is about 6 months old now and is going to be a good size dog (she's a boxer). She is getting to where she plays too rough. She bites really hard and doesn't know when it is enough. I have toys for her and try to encourage her to play with them and I have a rope that we play tug of war with, but she loves to jump up on people and bite their hair, hands and feet and she can bite hard. Plus I have a cat and she's very rough when she plays with the cat. My cat is pretty playful and likes to play, but doesn't always give my dog a good swat when she needs it, so I'm constantly having to rescue my cat because she just meows and catterwalls when the dog gets too rough. We havenno sternly and swat her on the behind with a rolled up newspaper (not hard, just for the noise) and that will have immediate results, but she always comes back for more. So what do I do? She just loves people and especially kids and she just wants to jump on them and give them big kisses and start playing. My daughter had a friend over this weekend and the little girl was immediately scared of our dog because our dog was so excited and jumping on her. I hate to see kids afraid of my dog when she really just wants to play and be loved on. I need to settle her down without breaking her spirit and I just don't know how to do it!

Any suggestions on helping my puppy with [2008-08-03]
let to be held.

me neither, and I'm no puppy (nm=no message) [2008-06-28]
x

When puppy does her business where you want her to, reward her with a piece of food treat. [2008-06-20]
And when she pees in house, use paper towels and then place paper towels (soiled) to the area in the yard where you want her to do her business. Dogs tend to prefer where they smell the odor. Be patient. This dog is young. Confine her to an area where the floor will not be damage (tile or vinyl). Take her out six times away,including first thing in AM, right before bed, after she eats her meals. Pull water up a few hours before bedtime. Do enjoy your new puppy dog.

Puppy pads. sm [2008-06-19]
My puppy is now 8 months old but she was pad trained. You can buy an accessory to hold a frame around the pads so the puppy won I think they have a scent to encourage puppy to go there. I have a chihuahua and that works for me; although I do take her out and she has learned it is perfectly fine to go outside too.

Potty training puppy [2008-05-20]
I just gota new puppy yesterday. It was a stray that someone put up on craig It looks as though she was abused by her previous owner because she is so shy and scared around my husband (she does not like men), but is not that way with me. In fact, she follows me around all day long. I can She is peeing everywhere. What are your tips on potty training a dog. I do not want to scold her because she is already very shy and afraid. And what about tips on when I am trying to work. If I do not give her attention for a short while, she starts to whine. It is like having a baby here. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Puppy singing is my absolute favorite too! NM [2008-04-30]
xx

I like the puppy singing . . . [2008-04-29]
there ain't no bugs on me. I also like the Avis car commercials, the ones where the car goes on about the owner renting a newer car, the car is all hurt and bitter.

I am willing to place a bet that puppy mills are here [2008-04-04]
x

puppy mills [2008-04-04]
A lot of people don I didn I do see a lot of puppy mills getting shut down on Animal Planet, but why the rest of them get to continue is I guess no one reports them. So if anyone knows of these places they should call their local animal control, which is not great, because sometimes they get put down, but to prevent these animals from living a life of horror, locked in a cage forever. I missed the first half of the show, I wish I would have seen it just saw the previews which were horrible enough. Even the local animal shelters are full of purebreeds because some people just bring them there after the puppy or dog they just paid a lot of money for from the pet store doesn Either adopt from the local shelter where the dogs have more than a 50% chance of getting put down, very few get adopted, and the luckier ones are the ones that the rescue groups have already rescued. They have a better chance of staying alive becasue they were rescued. So try the shelters first and then go to Petfinder.com to find the breed you want. The more dogs that get adopted from the shelters,the more room they have to put another one up for adoption. Also if you have the time, space you can become a foster home for some of these dogs, all the rescue groups need volunteers to take in foster dogs until they can find them a permanent home and get them used to living with a family. There are so many of them in need. Everybody that adopts an animal is making a difference, one by one, the more the better.

My puppy has the parvovirus and I just took him to the animal hospital... [2008-03-08]
to die. He I just adopted him from the animal shelter in my town a week ago. We brought him home and he was healthy and happy the first couple of days and then he took a nasty turn vomiting, diarrhea, not eating. I took him to the vet and the tested him for parvo which was positive. They gave him some antibiotics and a shot of a antiemesis medication. I took him home to try to nurse him on my own, but they told me his chances weren He was basically starving to death right in front of my eyes. He drink water and vomit it right back up. He was getting weaker by the hour and had to be carried down off the porch to go into the yard. Finally, I just couldn So I called the vet this morning and took him back in to them. They were going to put him on an IV but his prognosis is grave. He was vomiting up blood and has bloody diarrhea. The vet just called to tell me he felt it was best to euthanize Maverick and wanted my permission to do it. I just hate that this happened! The vet has been trying to console me telling me he hates that this happened to and that he has tried to tell that animal shelter that they have a problem down there with unhealthy animals, but no one will listen. The kicker is it is run by the city police, it So who do you report them to in that situation? Anyway, I just wanted to tell everyone before you adopt from any animal shelter or human society, make sure the animal is healthy. Make sure the shelter tests for diseases and gives your animal all the necessary immunizations! This has been a horrible ordeal for my family. We lost our family dog five years ago to liver toxicity and liver failure due to bad flea medicine. I refused to get another dog for a long time. I finally made the decision to adopt another dog and this happens. I think for now I We are just a little emotionally scarred right now and I'm so upset that my kids had to through all of this! The animal shelter said they would refund my adoption fee that I paid. That's nice and all, but that doesn't make this past week go away. Anyway, I just wanted cry a little because I know a lot of you guys are animal lovers/owners and you all know my pain. Thanks for listening.

Troops in Iraq throw a puppy off of a cliff. [2008-03-06]
Marine Corps Base Hawaii is investigating a shocking video of a smiling Marine throwing a puppy off the top of a steep hillside in Iraq into a gully below. The video today gained widespread attention and condemnation on the Internet. The video is shocking and deplorable and is contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine, the Kane'ohe Bay base said in a release. Base officials said the video came to their attention this morning. An investigation has been initiated. Maj. Chris Perrine, a Marine spokesman here, said it the Marine is based out of Hawai'i. We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action, the base said. Two Marines are seen in combat gear smiling as one holds a white-and-black puppy by the scruff of its neck. The dog seems to be about 8 weeks old and is motionless as it is held. Cute little puppy, huh? says one Marine as he smiles broadly. Oh so cute, so cute, little puppy, says another in a child-like voice. The Marine holding the puppy is then seen throwing the animal overhand into a desert-like gully below. The animal yelps until it thuds to the ground at the bottom of the gully. That one Marine says afterward. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment of about 1,000 Hawai'i Marines recently replaced a sister unit in Iraq, the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. Marine Corps Base Hawaiconduct their duties in an honorable manner that brings great credit upon the Marine Corps and the United States. There have been numerous stories of Marines adopting pets and bringing them home from Iraq or helping to arrange life-saving medical care for Iraqi children. Those are the stories that exemplify what we stand for and how most Marines behave. ====================================== The video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlCiUMoFu84 (Safe for work because it's blurry, but still very disturbing) Some people have claimed it's possible the video is fake, but it doesn't seem likely. Really, really sick. This kind of twisted lack of humanity seems to stem partially from the brutal brainwashing soldiers go through in bootcamp, combined with the severe emotional stress of the field. Whoever those guys are, I hope they're both discharged immediately, but I also hope they receive serious emotional help.

Did anyone watch any of the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet? SM [2008-02-04]
I watch it every year, but this year was particulary funny! Such adorable breeds playing running, jumping on each other, etc. I laughed my head off. The little Westie was just darling, and the little Corgie pups were so sweet.

loved the puppy bowl...sm [2008-02-04]
Personal foulwhen one peed on thefield.....Flag on the field...Unecessary ruffness! Then they had kittyhalf-time...I was on the phone with a friend (we were both watching) and said I hope there. Cat

My cat acts like a puppy (sm) [2008-02-04]
He destroys toilet paper, paper towels. He goes into the cupboards and drawers and get into chips and bread and whatever else he can munch! He will also stand in fron the fridge and MEOW! I am surprised he doesn't bark........lol

10 years? She looks like a puppy! Very cute! nm [2007-12-11]
x

potty training puppy [2007-12-07]
Of course not. I guess I should have been more blunt about saying that you should not confine a pup to a crate and call it potty training or be foolish enough to say that by locking it in a crate that it is potty trained.

potty training puppy [2007-12-03]
Please do not and I will repeat that DO NOT potty train your puppy using the crate method unless you do not work at home and will not be home for 8-10 hours every single day. I have had many dogs in my life and crate training is crate training and potty training is potty training. Yes, you want the pup to know that the crate is his safe place and yes if you cannot keep an eye on him you will want to put him there but first think about these questions....after he goes outside and peesdoyou let him have a drink? Do you play with him thereby making hime excited? Either of these things will cause a pup to go pee again even though they just went. It could also be submissive peeing and if you dont make a big deal about it, he should out grow it; however, if you check for drinking and playing and this does not seem to be submissive then the next time you go to the vet mention it to them. My friend's pup did this until she was fixed and the vet had a reason why it happened(even did it in her sleep) and she did out grow it and is much better. And there is no real time table for saying a pup should be totally housebroken and accident free. I always say within the first six months, it is your fault and up until a year, an accident can happen. Yes, btw, I have had pups that were trained within 6 weeks or less of coming home; however, I did have a boxer that honestly took six months before she really got the idea. Also I suggest bells on a string/yarn etc and hung from the door knob and when we ask them if they have to go potty or you are taking them out, stop and jingle the bells and say something about going potty. I and my friends have used this method and it seems to help them get the hint too about the door being the way to get to go potty. Best of luck

Puppy mills [2007-11-30]
I happened upon this very informative link: http://www.stoppuppymills.org/ and found their videos to be educational and heartbreaking! No animal, not even animals being raised for consumption,should have to live theirentire lives in tiny cagesproducing babies. This is the best reason out there not to buy cats or dogs from pet stores or online ads. If you want a purebred pet, a rescue organization for that breed is the best way to go. If you still want to purchase a pet from a breeder, find one that

You can buy mild shock pads to place on furniture. [2007-11-20]
x

We have a new puppy!! sm [2007-10-29]
We got the sweetest little puppy this weekend! We were going to just foster her until she got a little bigger and stronger, but she is doing so well in the first two days with us..and all the other dogs like her..so we decided to keep her. She is a baby basset hound. She was the runt out of 13 and only weighs 2 pounds at eight weeks old. All of her brothers and sisters got homes and she was left behind. She quit eating and drinking and just cried all the time. We brought her home and she has been eating and drinking and her little tail never quits wagging. Sure makes ya feel good to see her thriving now after just two days!! We now have a cat, a mutt, a cocker spaniel, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and now her. They are all doing well together and nobody is being mean to her..so keep your fingers crossed! All of our animals are boys and this little one is a girl. The boys are fixed and she will have to get it to when she gets older, so hopefully they can all behave! Thanks for listening...just had to share!

I have 3 dogs [2008-11-28]
My newest addition is a dauchshound puppy. I got her back in March (or maybe April - can Anyway, she is now 9 months old and all puppy. She is relentless with my other 2 dogs, especially my little Maltese who is 7 years old. Just runs around her, nipping at her tail, and racing away. I know she And she doesn So, when you have had this situation, how do you stop it? How do I get this puppy to understand that she needs to stop this behavior? Other then this annoying habit of hers, she's a wonderful, funny, loving little girl!

Are you cage training her? [2008-11-28]
If so, put her in her cage when she gets too rambunctious (sp?). Our new puppy is also about 8 or 9 months old, and she knows the meaning of NO and STOP BITING. Also, have you tried spraying her with water? it works on most dogs and cats.

YEAH baby!! Me too. sm [2008-11-18]
About 10 years ago I bought a Honda HX with prototype gas-efficient trannie, light wheels, no frills. That puppy would still be with me if not for the prototype trannie pretty much fizzled on most of the HXs but I milked mine for as long as possible. Ex had a Prelude, same year (99). He loved the car and took great care of it. Gas was killing him though (uses it to drive and travels a bit). He wanted to keep it in the family so he sold it to me. I drive about 5000 miles a year, if that. Amost 300,000 miles on that one and what a dream it is!!! He bought a new Civic. Another SWEET car. My son has a 1990 Accord, bought it used with less than 100,000 miles about 3 years ago. We've put some money into it, mostly cosmetic and just catching stuff up, but it runs like new. My Civic was actually built in US, so I didn't feel too guilty, but how many years have US automakers had to see the writing on the wall? I'm sorry, but I like keeping a car forever. No car payments are great. Honda fits that mold.

Yeah they say nuetering helps...sm [2008-11-11]
Mine is so sweet I haven't even nuetered him. But there have been some offers to breed him to females and because he is such a wonderful dog I would like to keep his bloodline going with other family pets who are inside family dogs. Now I can tell you if the dogs were bullying my child such as the ones in San Francisco they would no longer be inside and would probably be kept in some kind of kennel. I would not even trust them to stay in the yard. They would have been under lock and key. I know personally that you can't keep a pit bull locked in a room and expect that he won't get out. I tried that when I left my house because I didn't want him to be free roaming around the house because he is nosy and may get into something or chew something. Well he tore the door down and got out. I was so mad. But I learned that you can't keep them in a room and believe they can't get out. He was about a little less than a year then but now he is so good and don't get into things when I leave him. I guess the puppy in him made him do it. But I cannot express enough that mother should have never kept those pits in the house if there was the slightest problem with her son. Those must have been some mean pits. This irresponsible breeding makes me so mad. I don't want my dog to be some mean killing machine. I want a sweet baby. That is why I thought I would never own a pit but he was such a sweetheart as a pup. He was and still is real laid back.

She IS cute, but mine is even cuter! sm [2008-10-31]
You have to know, I am NOT a dog person, although dogs think I am. We never had them growing up. I have not been around them and when I have, I mostly can't stand them. They are either filthy and stink, have terrible behavior or terrible owner behavior towards them. It is always something. I would have told you I hate dogs, especially little poodles. THEN, I downsized because the family grew up and moved out (well for now). I had not been here 3 months when I looked at my fenced yard and my loneliness, and started thinking about a dog. I thought I wanted a big dog because I have poor balance and I trip and fall all the time. A friend who used to breed poodles told me I wanted a poodle or a bichon. She said that poodles don't shed and that I probably needed a small dog. They often live longer with fewer problems and make better companions for quiet people who don't (in my case can't) take them out walking. Then, she got a poodle puppy for herself. OMG I was IN LOVE. I said, find me a poodle! She said it could take a while, but she'd find me a red poodle. She called the next morning, my pup was on her way here. She was sold to me as red, but she is apricot with white trim. Yup, a 2-tone poodle. She was 8 weeks old, tiny and adorable. I was terrified of her, but I was determined I'd learn to love her and I'd take very gentle loving care of her, no matter how scared and stupid I felt. I'd take her out and play with her and hope I could manage to house break her when I had not a clue. We had many issues over finding a food she could tolerate without puking or scours, but we got there. You know, she was house broken in under 3 weeks. I worked at teaching her to fetch a little ball and bring it back and she does it beautifully now (she is almost 2). She knows that I require she beg for a treat properly, so that I know what she is asking for and she knows she will get it. She knows how to tell me she needs to go out. When I got her, I said, that dog will N-E-V-E-R sleep in my bed. That lasted until she could jump up on my bed with me and I could not keep her off. She can sleep without me some, but I can't sleep without her at all. She has never chewed a shoe, never peed in something she should not, never chewed furniture or anything like that. My daughter says she is spoiled. She has a basket of toys and she really does play with them. When she was in that chewy stage, I gave her tiny rawhide bones, which is why I have all my shoes intact. When I go out shopping, which is not often, I buy her a toy or a treat. She is so smart. I bring in the bags and she will go through each one to find what I got her, and never ever takes something that isn't hers. Last year when my DD came home from college for a weekend and I had not had the dog too long, she kept telling me that my dog would love her better. Nuh uh! The dog loved on her only if I was not there to do it and then ignored my DD when I was! We have the sort of relationship that every pet and every owner deserves to have. She is like an extra arm or leg, an extra heart with extra love. She is so much a part of me, and I know I am a big part of her too. I love this!!!! I still don't like other people's dogs for the most part, but I love this one to bits.

They are very sweet dogs... it's all about the owners [2008-10-07]
Thatrough looking owners, and my male dog went up to sniff the pit and kinda get playful, and i heard the guy snicker under his breath you dont want to do that dog. like, telling my dog he doesn't want to mess with his. So I am a firm believer that it is ownership. You get the pit as a puppy and love it and cherish it and it and socialize it... or you leave it, hurt it, yell at it... it's gonna become what it knows...

Not always how they are raised [2008-10-05]
I too had a pitbull from 9 weeks of age. No one could have told me then that a dog raised as she was would turn out to be nothing by heartbreak. She was well socialized, raised around people, livestock, children, other dogs, and cats. We took her everywhere with us. She went to work with me every day on a ranch.She graduated top dog in her obedience class. She was the most wonderful loving dog, with us...until around the age of 3 years, then something snapped in her little brain and she became the killer the breed is known for. It happened overnight.We came home to find the cat she was raised with from a puppy ripped to shreds with blood all over the garage. After that, her personality changed.She became so spaced out every time she would see a small child, cat, or another dog. We tried to justify it, like a parent always does when their child does something horribly wrong. Then shegot holdof another dog at the ranch whom she had known andplayed withfor a year.Fortunately,that dogsurvived and we were rightfullysuedbig time.We had her destroyedthe nextday instead of taking a chance on her getting one of our children or one of the neighborhood children or somone elses pet. It was the hardest decision we have ever made, she was like our child. The difference between pitbulls and MOST other breeds is that most other breeds bite and walk away, whereas pitbulls dona chance knowing the potential they have tobecomekillers without notice.There are too many other nice breeds out there where you will never have to worry about it. We now have a lab andour children and other pets, not to mention the neighborhood children and pets, are safe.My two cents based on personal experience on the subject.

Pitbulls [2008-10-05]
Do you think the dog was crying out for attention? I have had many dogs in my life & the ones that I find are the ones that are more likely to turn are mixed breeds. I had a Samoyed mix breed that was raised from a puppy & was great till he reached a year and a half old & he started trying to bite us. We kept him and tried our hardest to change him, but no matter what he would at any given time out of the blue growl at us and try to bite us. So believe me it isn't just a breed issue.

My DH is like that [2008-09-28]
I had a girls' night out on Friday and the kids were all out doing their own thing. As I was getting ready to go, he looked like a puppy that I had just kicked. What am I going to do all night, he asks. Uh, enjoy the peace and quiet? I have no trouble being home alone. Actually LOVE it.

sm [2008-09-08]
I feel for you as well. If there is nothing medically wrong with the dog, he should not be put down. However, like the previous post said, you cannot compare yourself to the dog. If your hubby is concerned about him having Our dog is old and he has urinary incontinence, so I made a belly band and we add sanitary pads and we don He can It I do agree with the previous post also, you should have a talk with your hubby and tell him how you feel. Try to do it when you are not angry or frustrated so you can keep a level head and express your feelings. I wish you the best in this. It can definitely put a strain on a relationship, so try to talk through it. Maybe you could have your vet talk with him? They could run blood work to see if there is any organ failure, etc. and maybe that wouldput hismind atease. JMHO Best of luck!

Anything canned [2008-08-30]
Paper products, plastic cups, utensils, toliet paper, diapers, pads, sunscreen, baby wipes for sponge baths, etc. There may be no way to wash dishes. Water. Fill up your tub and all trash cans so you can flush your toliet. Bleach... You can't have enough bleach Brand name trash bags. Wet stuff is heavy. Lotrimine or anti-fungal cream.. walking in wet stuff.. Soda. They give out ice eventually. Everyone ends up with more ice and water bottles than they know what to do with. Soda is great if the smell of mold makes you sick. Drink mixes, if you get MREs they all donkool-aid LOL. Canned fruit, cups of fruit, applesauces, granola bars, chips, cookies, cereal, anything from the processed cereal and snack areas! Granola mix is great!!!! Crakcers and pb are filling too. Canned meat like tuna and chicken. Fresh fruit until it goes bad. Cleaning supplies, with no power the mold gets really bad. Fabreeze or something to spray your gross clothing with! ENTERTAINMENT. There is so much waiting.

labor day cookout, anybody? [2008-08-24]
Just saw america I tried a similar project with a whole turkey and smoked a brisket at the same time, but the boys are still talking about the turkey although I have to admit it looked mummified, but the inside was wonderful. Now I know what to do. Chicken Rub for 3 1/2 lb chicken 1/2 cup sweet paprika 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 tablespoon dried thyme 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons ground celery seed This equals about 1 cup rub. Loosen skin over breasts, slide thumbs up inside and put about 1 to 2 tablespoons rub into each side, close skin back and rub the entire chicken. poke holes in all the fat pads; do not remove these. Using about 2/3 to 3/4 can beer, make 2 more holes with bottle opener in top of can, insert 2 bay leaves, place chicken over can. Should be positioned with legs down, thighs up. Soaked wood chips to be placed into foil packet, poke holes in top. After fire is going, place in center of coals, replace grill, place chicken over the foil bag. This is to be done when coals are smoking (about 350 degrees F), cover grill with holes open. In about 65 to 85 minutes, the meat thermometer should read about 170-175 degrees when stuck into the thigh area. remove entire chicken with can to a pan for ease of handling, let rest until cool enough to remove beer can safely. Do any of you have any family favorites you want to share?

I would call the police for sure and [2008-08-19]
state to them you feel there is abuse going on. You can remain anonymous. I once went to look at a puppy for sale and the breeder brought him out into the living room. The puppy wouldn't even come out from under the table. It was so scared. I left there thinking I'd never seen a puppy act that way and it weighed on my mind. A few days later I read in the paper this man had been arrested for cruelty to animals. Trust your instinct and report this.

Go underground [2008-08-19]
My response may raise a few hackles... please don Based on your observations and what you Automatic concern must be raised for any child in this household as well. If the dog is repeatedly having litters, it is being left outside, unattended or running loose. Someone needs to carefully plan an exit for this dog to safer pastures (during a no puppy time, of course). This may require carefully playing detective, figuringout patterns at the household for dog and humans. Find out if there are any local rescues or rescue groups in your area. Take your problem to them but present it as a hypothetical question.... Guard the details until you know who you are talking to really. Get insight into your local humane society and/or animal control and exactly how they work. In most cases, you can make a complaint anon but a signed complaint may be needed for the authorities to move forward. Without physical signs of abuse and/or neglect (cowering doesn It sounds like there may be some skin issues but, again, this is not always a sign of a bad owner. A strong word of caution: Abusers outted in a public way sometimes take their new found fame out by raging against their victims even more before help can get there. I understand you are sickened by this situation, but acting without carefully thinking things out might do more harm to all involved than good. You really need to talk to local animal people but go carefully and don There are some extremely radical people out there who mean well but have no common sense switch anymore. Finally, bless you for caring and taking this to heart.

Things to do [2008-08-06]
1. Find a trainer. 2. Yelp like a puppy whenever the dog is rough housing as that is what its littermates or pack mates would do. 3. If you yelp and it continues, play ends and they go into their kennel. You control the play and that usually helps teach them what behavior is acceptable. No words because that is giving attention..simply stop playing and put into a kennel for a time out. My oldest did this biting nonsense when he was little and we got a trainer immediately who let me see so many things on how I was reacting that made him think not only he was boss but that his behavior got him payback with negative or positive attention. I trained with her and even worked with her in her dog business for a while and learned a lotas There is no reason that a dog should need to be gotten rid of if the owner is responsible and takes care of behavior problems in a responsible, caring and teaching way. No such thing as bad dogs... only bad packleaders/owners.

Some suggestions...sm [2008-08-06]
I would enroll her in a good basic puppy obedience class. She sounds like a typical fun-loving, high-energy pup, but youclose to full size, just with some filling out to do). Plus,she will soon be entering into what I LOL She just needs to learn some need to learn how to communicate w/her in a way she can understand, which a goodtrainer can help you with. Learning the basics (sit, stay, down, come, heel) will come in very, very handy - esp. I mean, think about it, she can Teaching basic obedience to your dog issort of like teaching manners to your kids, can you imagine how insufferable they Ask your vet if there are any training classes locally that he/she recommends. You can also try the Assoc. of American Pet Dog Trainers: http://www.apdt.com/ Find someone who uses fun, positive, dog-friendly methods, and avoid anyone who wants to useforce, yelling, hitting, pushing the dog into a sit, drilling the same command over and over, etc. Do some research before deciding on a trainer,because anyone can hang out a sign and call themselves a dog trainer - doesn Training s/b a fun, bonding exp. for you and your dog. In fact, you might want to look into something called If you can And personally, Iwould not play tug-o-war with her, at least for now. For some reason, that game seems to get dogs pretty wound up and *Maybe* later, if she learns to release the toy on command when you say We train our dogs from the start that they are never allowed to put their teeth on us, ever, but some people allow the dog to do it if they do it gently, in play. I just find it easier to not let them put their teeth on us at all, but that We also teach our dogs that they are not allowed to jump up on anyone unless the person gets down on the floor and calls them up (by patting the chest). They doncontrol untilthey settle down. Please don- far from it! I often For instance, there is a dog toy called You can fill it with peanut butter and kibble, freeze some beef broth and kibble it it, all kinds of things, and give it to the dog to keep them busy. I love it! If you go to their website, they have recipes. My other big suggestion is: Exercise, exercise, and more exercise. Dog people have a saying: I can tell you from personal experience that this is soooo true. My dogs can be so obnoxious when they haven A dog that gets plenty of exercise, both physical exercise and mental exercise (in the form of training where the dog is having to concentrate which wears them out mentally just like it does us) is a good dog, because ita dog that doesnto get into mischief. Some ideas: 1. Treadmill (supervised, of course). 2. Walks on a leash with the dog having to heel and wearing a backpack that has something it for a little weight to wear him out a little. 3. Running,playing, wrestling with another dog of similar size and energy level (with a friend's dog or at the dog park maybe?) 4. My absolute, all-time personal favorite (because ILOL): Riding around the neighborhood on my mountain bike with my dog running/pulling alongside, attached with something called a Springer, which you can find here: http://www.springerusa.com/ (I use a better harness than the one that comes with it.) This is a great way to exercise your dog, IMO. Be careful, wear a helmet, let the dog set the pace. You have a high-energy breed, so... enjoy!

I posted this around the 4th of July...sm [2008-08-06]
I wrote this: >>> One of my dogs has a little bit of a problem with loud noises such as fireworks and thunderstorms. He doesn't get too terribly upset (likes to hide, refuses to go outside for awhile even after it's quieted down), but I happened to read an article about how using peppermint oil on the dog's paw pads helps to really calm them, so I'm going to give it a try this year. It has to be real peppermint oil (not the kind found in the grocery store in the baking section), so I went to a local health food store and bought a bottle. You put the oil on a cotton pad, then put some on each of the dog's paws. I did a Google search and found a lot of comments from people saying it worked for their dog. (Just type in 'thunderstorms peppermint oil.') >>> I can tell you, it worked! It lasted for about 3-4 hours. You might want to give it a try. You don't say how young your puppy is, but if he's really young, you might want to check w/your vet just to make sure it's safe to use on a puppy. There is also some sort of vest that is sold that wraps around the dog and makes them feel secure. I haven't tried that though. You also want to avoid unintentionally reinforcing the dog's fearful behavior by comforting/petting the dog too much when it's afraid. Just act like it's no big deal, and say positive things like 'You're okay, buddy!' and go on about your business. Also, I haven't looked at the links that the other poster gave you, but there is probably a lot of great info. there on Cesar Millan's (the Dog Whisperer) website. I love him!

What to do with a puppy who plays too rough? [2008-08-04]
My puppy who is about 6 months old now and is going to be a good size dog (she's a boxer). She is getting to where she plays too rough. She bites really hard and doesn't know when it is enough. I have toys for her and try to encourage her to play with them and I have a rope that we play tug of war with, but she loves to jump up on people and bite their hair, hands and feet and she can bite hard. Plus I have a cat and she's very rough when she plays with the cat. My cat is pretty playful and likes to play, but doesn't always give my dog a good swat when she needs it, so I'm constantly having to rescue my cat because she just meows and catterwalls when the dog gets too rough. We havenno sternly and swat her on the behind with a rolled up newspaper (not hard, just for the noise) and that will have immediate results, but she always comes back for more. So what do I do? She just loves people and especially kids and she just wants to jump on them and give them big kisses and start playing. My daughter had a friend over this weekend and the little girl was immediately scared of our dog because our dog was so excited and jumping on her. I hate to see kids afraid of my dog when she really just wants to play and be loved on. I need to settle her down without breaking her spirit and I just don't know how to do it!

Rough dog. [2008-08-04]
My experience is that a rough puppy turns into a rough dog. I had a mixed breed that was rough when he was young and turned into a mean dog. He actually had scratches on my youngest child's arms. When he got older, he had one of my children corned up against a wall one day. My children are not afraid of dogs, but, needless to say, I had to get rid of him.

Yeah, my huskies have all done the same - sm [2008-08-04]
thing, nothing is safe from them. Our recent one grabbed the family cat once, luckily we were all there, miscommunication, someone let him in without the gate up, cat happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, dog came in, saw her and lunged. I grabbed him and pried his mouth off the cat (whose body was fully in his mouth as he grabbed her over her back). She escaped (minus several lives) with losing just a tiny tuft of fur, no blood, no cuts. But he doesn't even like small dogs....kids want to get a puppy soon but not sure if that is going to work or not. He has slowed down some now though and is almost 7 so it might work, but would have to be very careful. He is good dog though, big boy at 82 pounds, quite large for a purebred husky (not fat).

I know there are a lot of animal lovers here, so I thought I would share... [2008-08-01]
Back in March I posted on this board about my lab puppy that died from parvo. After that happened, we bleached our house from ceiling to floor and poured buckets and buckets of dilute bleach on our yard. About a month later, I was approached by a neighbor who's boxer had had puppies and since the neither of the parent boxers were registered, she was selling them of $100 a piece. I've always wanted a boxer, but refused to pay $400 for a dog. So I jumped at the chance to get a boxer, but I was a little leery because of the parvo incident. So my hubbie and I again bleached our house from top to bottom and bleached our yard, pretty much killing the grass. We made sure the puppy had her first set of shots including a parvo vaccination and even made a point three months ahead for her second parvo booster. We brought her home and she did great. We thought we were successful at decontaminating our house. She was healthy and happy until about three weeks ago. She had gotten into the trash and got a hold of some raw chicken bones and then the next was lethargic and heaving like she wanted to throw up but couldn't. As luck would have it, it was time for her appointment for her shots and booster. So I get to the vet and tell her what was going on with her and even the vet agreed it was probably the chicken. So they checked her out and she had a temperature. So the vet said she couldn't give her shots, but they could do the flea treatment. Then vet asked me about doing a parvo test. At first I was like no way could she have parvo. She's been living in our house for four months now and is just now getting sick? But then I said just to rule out, let's do it. Well, she had parvo! I was just sick and crying. I didn't want my kids to watch another dog die, but I didn't want to euthanize her either. She wasn't as sick as the other dog had been. She hadn't had diarrhea, just a little vomiting. I just didn't know what to do. I couldn't afford the $600 my vet was telling me would be the cost to hospitalize her and give her IV fluids and antibiotics. So I took her home and gave the sad news to my husband. Then I got mad and said there has got to be something else we can try. So the MT in me took over and I got online and started researching. I found a couple of articles where vets had tried Tamiflu in dogs with parvo and that the Tamiflu had actually helped. It had shortened the length of the illness, hindered the spread of the virus throughout the dog's intestinal tract, and made the symptoms less severe. Basically, given a dog a better chance for survival. Luckily (LOL) my entire family had had the flu back in February and I happened to have some Tamiflu on hand that my husband hadn't taken. I found that the vets had given the parvo dogs 1 mg per pound to the sick dogs twice a day for five days which in my dog averaged to about 30 mg twice a day. My Tamiflu was 75 mg capsules. So I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. So I did it. She wouldn't eat at first, so putting the pill in a hotdog wasn't an option. So my husband held her mouth open and I dropped a pill in and used a baby medicine dropper to squirt water into her mouth. Then we held her mouth closed and made her swallow. Day two, she seemed a little perky and actually got up to drink water on her own. By day three, she was eating tiny pieces of poached chicken and taking her pill on her own. Long story short, we are now two weeks out from Sugar I also wanted to share how my career as an MT probably saved my dog! Had I not had honed all those researching and investigative skills we need as MTs, I would have never found the information that ultimately saved my dog.

Yipee! [2008-08-01]
I am so happy for you, your family ... and your puppy!! Thanks for sharing the Tamiflu therapy. I don't have a dog, but I will share this with people who do!

My vet said that parvo can live in your soil for up to 7 years. [2008-08-01]
Also that puppies have a lot of the antibodies in their system from their mothers for a couple of months after birth and that if the parvo immunization is given to early, it can be ineffective because of that. Also, fleas can spread parvo as well, which my new puppy did get fleas right before she got sick. I try to treat fleas quickly, but I guess I may not have caught them quick enough.

If he can play baseball with his vision... [2008-07-19]
he can play football with it. You need to see better for baseball. Trust me, they don't have to be tough to play football. The first couple times they get hit, you can see how scared they are. Then the actually realize those pads really DO stop it from hurting...and some of our littlest ones turns into the most aggressive ones. Football is hard work though, and the training is more difficult than the other sports. My husband coaches baseball, basketball and football for kids (12 and under). They do work a lot harder and they're pretty exhausted after football, but if it really is to the point where they are all throwing up and crying, you have bigger worries. You need a new program director!! I know that's not what you're asking about, but that's just not right for kids that young to be worked that hard. How can they possibly learn to love the sport from that?

Question About Older Dogs [2008-07-10]
Has anyone had any experience with an older dog losing bladder control at night? My 14 year old Rat Terrier (think smooth coated Jack Russell) bounces around like a puppy most of the time and the Vet thinks she's in good health (except for losing a lot of hearing and some sight.) Liver functions are very good. But twice in the past two weeks, I've found a big wet spot in the morning. She does have periodic seizures, but when she does it during the day, she doesn't seem to lose bladder control, so I don't know if it's that or maybe her bladder control is going. Any thoughts?