Archive through September 08, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Dogs (ARCHIVES):
Archive through September 08, 2003
Kstme | Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 02:02 pm     Calamity, it's okay to feel sad for a long time. I've mourned every pup and kitty we've ever had for a LONG time. May 11 wasn't that long ago and I'm so sorry for your loss. Alex was adorable. Border Collie? Thank you for posting his picture! |
Sia | Thursday, August 07, 2003 - 10:18 pm     Calamity, Alex was a beautiful dog! I'm so sorry for your loss; it won't go away quickly, I'm afraid, but that's just a measure of how much you loved him. I think it's neat that he went with you in the car a lot. I always smile when I see a dog in a car riding with its head out the window because I always wonder what the dog is thinking. I'm sure Alex had a happy life with you. {{{Calamity}}} |
Calamity | Friday, August 08, 2003 - 01:39 pm     Thank you, Kstme and Sia. The vet told us Alex was mostly black lab with a little shepard in him. We did have a mostly-Border collie when I was growing up. Sia, Alex did love his car rides! Can't count how many snowstorms or downpours I've driven in with the window open so Alex could stick his nose outside. The things we do for our pets! (Oh, and thanks for explaining what a Christmas Club is too, in the "saving money" thread. I really appreciate it.) Thanks for reminding me of some happy memories. |
Sasman | Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 09:37 am     It's a Dog's Life, but What, Exactly, Is That About? By MARK DERR The demands on dogs have never been greater. Dogs now sniff out bombs, sarin, land mines, illegal drugs and other contraband, as well as money, firearms, traces of gasoline used in arson, underground gas and water leaks and termites. They serve people with disabilities and sometimes help improve the physical or mental health of their owners. Advertisement Canine athletes chase Frisbees, catch fly balls, run agility courses and engage in more traditional work — hunting, herding, pulling sleds and competing in field trials that measure their talents in those areas. Some hunting dogs track endangered species, like Florida panthers, for researchers rather than hunters. And a majority of the nation's 64 million dogs are still expected to provide companionship and security for their human families, under varied and often stressful circumstances. It is hardly surprising, then, that scientists are trying to understand the behavioral and physical traits of top performers and companions to improve selection, training and breeding programs. "Most of us would love to have a reliable predictive test of behavioral traits," said Dr. James Serpell, an associate professor of animal welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Yet efforts to establish profiles of particular breeds have commonly failed. Many have relied on the judgment of people who "never get past their own assumptions" to look at what the dog is actually doing, Dr. Serpell said. Others have run up against the central paradox, identified by John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller in their 1965 book, "Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog," that there is more variation in behavior and abilities among dogs within a breed than there is between breeds. Selective breeding has increased the odds that dogs of a particular breed will be predisposed toward certain complex behaviors, like herding or pointing, and personality traits, like aggressiveness, playfulness and fear. But other factors — the health of the mother during pregnancy, conditions at birth, the mother's temperament, the puppy's environment, diet, health, treatment, socialization and hormones — also help to shape the dog's personality, brain and behavior, said Dr. Karen Overall, an expert in dog behavior at the University of Pennsylvania. That is why temperament tests designed to predict what kind of dog a puppy will become are unreliable, Dr. Overall said. The tests gain validity only after the dog has reached social maturity, generally around 18 months to 2 years, she added. Using questionnaires and statistical analysis, Dr. Serpell has identified eight general behavioral traits in guide dogs for the blind that, he said, account for 63.3 percent of the variation between dogs and that "are stable across breeds and sexes." Among those traits are sociability, trainability, aggression, fear and anxiety, and excitability. Using different terminology, researchers from Sweden and Denmark reported last fall on what is thought to be the largest survey of dog personality traits to date. An analysis of standardized behavioral tests given to 15,329 dogs representing 164 breeds by the Swedish Working Dogs Association from 1997 to 2000 enabled two experts to identify five basic personality traits common to all dogs: playfulness, curiosity/fearlessness, chase-proneness (defined as an interest in pursuing a preylike object), sociability and aggressiveness. Combined, those traits, except aggressiveness, form a broad personality dimension that the researchers call a "shyness-boldness continuum." Dr. Kenth Svartberg, an ethologist at Stockholm University, and Dr. Bjorn Forkman, an ethologist at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Frederiksberg, Denmark, reported their findings in the October 2002 issue of The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. A bold dog is highly active, interested in other dogs and people, curious and fearless when faced with novel objects and situations, and highly trainable, Dr. Svartberg wrote in an e-mail message. A shy dog tends to be uninterested in play, timid, cautious and evasive in unfamiliar situations. LINK |
Nightcrawler | Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 09:15 pm     I to shair what one of are dogs did last week. one of are mom cats died last week.we could hear a kitten crying but couldn't find it.(we live on a farm and have at last count about 20 cats but no mice) are dog Jessie a blue healer(cow dog) one of the 5 that we have. came up to us with the kitten in her mouth. and gave it to us it was unhurt but wet from her mouth. the kitten we think is about 3 weeks old and is doing fine we are feeding it. now when we are outside Jessie makes sure to point out all the kittens that she can to us. some times picking them up with out her finding the kitten I'm sure it would have died. NC |
Juju2bigdog | Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 10:54 pm     Awwwwww, that is so heartwarming, NC. |
Buttercup | Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 11:28 pm     Awwwww....thanks so much for sharing, NC. Your farm has both wonderful animals as well as wonderful people on it
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Wargod | Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 11:35 pm     Pets are awesome, aren't they? |
Sasman | Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 04:54 am     that's a great story nc. i was visiting a friend in indiana a couple of years ago when we passed a farm with a sign out front advertising blue healers for adoption. being a city slicker, i'd never heard of this breed before so we went in. they were beautiful puppies and my friend almost adopted one but didn't cause she wanted a female and the pups were all males. And these dogs really are blue. |
Nightcrawler | Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 01:17 pm     yes thay are really blue. well kinda bule gray. I'll have too put a pick of jessie on here. jessie is my 3ed healer. she is a mix my old dog c.j. is 13yr and is a red blue healer mix dad was a red healer and mom was a blue. the nip at the cows face when they stop to eat. to keep them moving to the barn or were ever you are taking them. they allso bite at the heals to move them along faster that were they get there name healers. when we got all 3 of the are healers we had to teach them not to bite at are feet. with jessie we had to bite(pinch) her back on her leg when she would nip at are feet to break her of it. NC |
Sasman | Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 01:23 pm     isn't the feet biting why they are called 'healers'? |
Nightcrawler | Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 01:45 pm     that too. but they bite at the cows heals to keep them moveing faster when they slow down. |
Squaredsc | Friday, August 22, 2003 - 10:16 am     well angel seems back to normal. he is still humping but not as much and i think its from habit right now. he's not playing with his toys yet though. maybe i should get him a new one. |
Mygetaway | Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 02:18 pm     HELP!! Question from an overprotective Mom here. I was joking about my dog Sasha in my folder. She's been throwing up for a day now. My son took a pic of her with a bucket between her paws.. Anyway, she doesn't seem sick in any other way. She threw up about 5 times yesterday. Now she just spit up a little for the first time today. When should I call the vet? Her eyes look clear, and her nose isn't cold-cold, but it isn't warm either. I know if I call the vet they'll say to bring her in but if it's just heat or something I don't want to spend the money that we really would need for the kids school stuff. Any suggestions? Thanks! oh, and BTW, our other dog is just fine. (Albeit a little jealous of the attention her sister is getting..) |
Babyruth | Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 06:36 am     MGA, I would call the vet and ask how long to wait. It depends if she is drinking water ok and keeping it down. I would worry about dehydration if it goes on longer than a day. |
Juju2bigdog | Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 08:34 am     Heck, MGA, be upfront when you call them and tell them you can't really afford a vet visit. |
Whoami | Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 01:44 pm     Good advice from both BR and Juju! How's Sasha today MGA? |
Mygetaway | Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 07:35 pm     Thanks everybody. She seems to be better. She's drinking fine, and kept everything down yesterday after my post and also all day today. She gets fed alot of stuff she probably shouldn't by the kids and DH. She'll eat almost anything. One of the things that came up was a HUGE white grape. I'm thinking it didn't sit well. Thanks again! |
Sia | Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 08:51 pm     Mygetaway, I'm glad Sasha is feeling better. Positive vibes for her. Hope she recovers immediately! |
Sasman | Friday, August 29, 2003 - 06:22 am     MGA, grapes are not good for dogs; see this --> LINK. |
Suitsmefine | Monday, September 01, 2003 - 07:48 pm     We have a 5 month old cocker spaniel who has suddenly decided that She no longer wants ANY kind of Puppy Food, But She chows down on the Kittys food.....Any Suggestions? |
Sasman | Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 05:32 am     suitsme, you can take her to a shrink! LOL. Seriously, cat food isn't very good for dogs, you should consult with your vet about her diet. |
Suitsmefine | Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 06:59 pm     The BIG BAD MOMMA came out in me today, and needless to say SHE solved the problem...feed the girls in the Laundry room with the door shut, when they were done their bowl was put up...Sadies bowl sat there with HER PUPPY FOOD until she decided starvation was not the way to go about 3 o'clock this afternoon! Problem solved! LOL |
Riviere | Thursday, September 04, 2003 - 12:57 am     Good to see the thread picked up!! Many of you know I adopt retired racing Greyhounds, lost my big boy Shaq to bone cancer in 2002, and finally adopted a 4yo, Ranger, who will be 5 this very week.. Ranger, like my prior 3 adoptees, never lived in a real home before this spring. He's a large playful fawn male with one white sock, his photo is at www.greyhound-data.de/ if you search name "Silent Rage".. He thinks he's a watchdog like my more alpha male Romeo I adopted in '96. The weekend Ranger came home we were watching the film "American Werewolf in London" and hearing the tv wolf howl Ranger leapt from his sleep and bonked the patio screen door right down! Then stood by the door growling, looking round for the enemy. Romeo who was upstairs raced down to help his new pal guard us! Too funny, had to teach Ranger about tv noises, now he watches dogs on tv with interest, like, how'd they get in there??? My only current concerns are about large dogs to be with small kids! As a onetime GH adoption rep I'd never let a hound go to families with kids under age 9.. Now I have 2 grandsons born '01 and '02 but 3 large male Greyhounds I don't want the children near.. My son doesn't know why they cannot pop in for Grandparents Day this week? I said no, not on my watch, sorry.. My son rarely visits the burbs, we go to see him maybe once in 4 months. It isn't like we keep the old family house since we moved here after Matt was 18 and gone, he didn't even grow up where we live now. My precious grandsons age 2 and 11 months are not old enough to visit us and my hounds are not to be trusted around running squealing toddlers who provoke them to excitement. So Matt gave me the old love your dogs more than your grandsons, and I said nope, I love them all! I never want to see my grandsons hurt and I have a responsibility to keep my hounds from hurting anyone, I take the safety first stance.. Small kids don't live here and shouldn't visit where these hounds live in peace.. We'd all feel like morons if something happened that coulda shoulda been prevented.. Just common sense! I was once attacked by a pack of 6 Chihuahuas for pete's squeak, I was just 7 and it was at my step grandmother's house, many stitches all because I sat on the wrong chair! Matt finally agreed, better if we just visit them than bring the babies out here.. In a world that I did not adopt Greyhounds my kids could visit every 6 months as now without even calling ahead, but times have changed.. If Matt ever said we'd have to get rid of our pets, or never see our grandsons, I'd say, so what? Don't see em much anyway, kiddo.. Matt keeps cats, there ya go! |
Zed | Monday, September 08, 2003 - 07:33 pm     I hope this has not been printed here before,but I just received it today and thought you dog lovers would enjoy! Dog Property Rules 1. If I like it, it's mine. 2. If its in my mouth, it's mine. 3. If I can take it from you, it's mine. 4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. 5. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine. 6. If its mine, it must never appear to be yours anyway. 7. If it just looks like mine, it's mine. 8. If I saw it first, it's mine. 9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine. 10. If its broken, it's yours. |
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