Archive through October 28, 2001

The ClubHouse: Archives: DOGS: Archive through October 28, 2001

Sandyc

Monday, October 15, 2001 - 10:01 am Click here to edit this post
In January my daughter brought home a puppy. It has since become a giant dog. Loving, playful, very aggressive towards other dogs and strong.
When I sit on a chair his head is level with mine. He is big. Part akida, great dane, and husky, with some kind of sheepdog thrown in for fuzziness. He's only 10 months old.

I don't know what to do with him. He's too big and strong to take for a walk. He's too aggressive towards other animals (he actually attacks them).
He'd make a great guard dog if someone could train him and care for him.

He's loving and loyal and fun and good looking. and we love him. We live in the city and have only a small back yard. He is always in the yard or the house. Never gets to go out into the world. Never gets to run except for when I throw a toy for him, but the yard is small so he can't run far. So I wonder if he's gonna be ok.

His name is Puppy.

Gail

Monday, October 15, 2001 - 01:26 pm Click here to edit this post
If you want to keep him, you need to take him to dog obedience and soon! A GOOD course will teach you to handle him and be able to take him for walks, sit, lay down, etc and give you control over him. What you are looking for is a Canine Good Citizen course. Also, if you haven't done it yet, get him neutered very soon. That will help with some of the agressive behavior and keep him from breeding.

If you don't want to keep him, check with PetSmart or another local pet store in your area - ours has an adopt a pet program where they try to help find homes for cats and dogs. Also, consider printing up an little ad with a picture and posting it in some of the local vet offices - many of them have a pet swap board. See if there is a pet rescue in your area. You could also trying running an ad in the paper (as a last resort) to see if someone would like to adopt him. You have to be careful that he is not adopted by someone looking for lab dogs though. Also, it is important to be upfront if someone does adopt him and let them know that he is agressive towards other dogs.

Be a little careful though - that akita part is kind of scary sometimes. They tend to get pretty agressive when protecting members of their family. From personal experience, a large male akita badly mauled one of my small terriers and nearly killed him for no real reason.

Sandyc

Tuesday, October 16, 2001 - 10:07 am Click here to edit this post
Thank you Gail. I will see what I can do. Hopefully there is a Canine Good Citizen course in this area. Lots of obediance training is done with other animals so I've been hesitant.
So it's the Akida in him that hates other dogs. I'm sorry to hear about the terrier. I had a terrier cross that was hurt badly by a chow once. Lot's of money at the vet to fix her. I don't think anyone would want to adopt such a large dog.

Gail

Tuesday, October 16, 2001 - 04:10 pm Click here to edit this post
It isn't just the akita - but that is a start. I believe they are also called Japanese fighting dogs? He is also an "intact" male dog. If he gets around other male dogs like him, there is the potential for agressive behavior.

There are some really great dominance exercises that you could have done when he was a small puppy that would have helped you now. I did them with all my dogs starting the first day I got them. Nothing painful or scary but showed them who was the "big dog". What that translates into is I can walk up to them and take a bone out of their mouths if I want to and not get snapped at.

If you decide you want to go to obedience training, there are certain things to look for. Be sure that the size of the class is not too large. Anything over 16 people and dogs is too many. Keep in mind, the class doesn't teach your dog obedience, it teaches you how to work with your dog.

Sandy, don't assume people won't want to adopt a big dog - a lot of people love big dogs just like a lot of people prefer little ones. Some people prefer a 1 year old dog to a puppy because those puppy teeth are SHARP!! If he is totally housebroken, you would have a much better chance of placing him.

A few years ago, a friend of mine found a really nice border collie wondering down the road in our area. Since he was pretty clearly a border collie (about 6 - 8 months old we think) we were able to turn him over to border collie rescue - in the 3 days it took for me to make arrangments with them to meet with the dog, they had already found a home for him.

Sandyc

Wednesday, October 17, 2001 - 09:56 am Click here to edit this post
He's a good dog, and minds me. Except when he sees other dogs. Then he suffers from tunnel vision. Hears and sees nothing else. Maybe getting him fixed will do the trick in that area.

He'd be an excellent farm dog, so maybe I will advertise him on our local newsgroup. I would have to thoroughly check out any responses to make sure they really had space and care for him.

Thanks Gail for your advice and concern.

Jeep

Wednesday, October 17, 2001 - 10:52 am Click here to edit this post
I'm just taking a stroll down memory lane. All four of my dogs are in "doggie heaven" now, but I still love them. I had two siberian huskys. One a red & white male (Bud) that was the smartest animal I ever knew. The black & white female (Holly) was not a bright bulb. The male would take her out on our farm and leave her and she could not find her way home. The neighbors would call us. We lovingly called her "dummy dog". And then we had a female Rottweiler that snored and howled in her sleep! She was very sweet and never threatening to anyone. The last was a small hairy stray that we saved from death when she found her way to our house. After an operation or two, she had 10 more great years on the farm. Now that we have left farming (no longer profitable) all we have are four cats we also brought from the farm. Oldest is 15 years and the youngest is 6. I'd love to have another dog, but other responsibilities (80 year old sick mom and traveling spouse) keep me too busy right now. Maybe later. But I love them all!!!!

Zed

Wednesday, October 17, 2001 - 05:54 pm Click here to edit this post
Thanks for sharing Jeep....sounds like they all had a great life with your family!

Jeep

Thursday, October 18, 2001 - 01:59 pm Click here to edit this post
Something to think about:

Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. (Mark Twain)

They say when you die and go to heaven, all the dogs and cats you've ever had in your life come running to meet you. (Kinky Friedman - whoever he is) I sure hope they do!

Rabbit

Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 05:23 pm Click here to edit this post
There is a certain big dog that often wears a bunny costume. It comes into my hutch, licks the floor, sniffs all my carrots and licks most of them. What do you recommend? Rolled up newspaper? Spay or Neuter?

Babyruth

Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 06:50 pm Click here to edit this post
Thump him hard with your left hind foot !! THUMP THUMP THUMP!!

Rabbit

Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 12:32 pm Click here to edit this post
Thank you Babyruth.

JuJu, here JuJu ...

Merlin

Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 02:03 pm Click here to edit this post
Rabbit, I would like to respond with some inside information on how to have Juju respond in a manner that you desire. However, this would take this thread in a direction not intended.

Would you like to do this in another place?

Karuuna

Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 03:09 pm Click here to edit this post
This Juju dog seems to run about at will, with no responsible owner in sight. Perhaps we should call Animal Protection. Someone in uniform with a nice big dart gun (filled with sedatives of course) might do the trick.

Juju2bigdog

Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - 08:09 pm Click here to edit this post
Uhhhhhhhhh, did somebody have some spare cocktail weinies over here?

Riviere

Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 06:32 am Click here to edit this post
I've got a zoo of a home, but my 3 Greyhounds (all retired racers) deserve a mention as being some of the sweetest guys I've ever known.. They really are 40mph couch potatoes, well, floor potatoes or on the beds, not allowed on other furniture. My hounds spend about 18 hrs daily napping, they're all tall males 80-85 lbs but can fold themselves up like little baby deer one minute but look again and they seem 7' long spread out noses to tails or looking silly sound asleep on their backs, paws in the air.. I adopted black Romeo at age 22 months, an Alpha who didn't want to race. Blue is a light brindle with a mediocre career, adopted him age 3 when Wisconsin Dells permanently closed (and good riddance to every dogtrack that closes). Shack was adopted age 5 when he retired from Florida, he's a white & brindle ticked ex stakes racer. He'd been adopted but returned after 3 weeks as a very shy problem dog who chewed up anything made of wood, and broke a canine tooth half off in the process, an older dog unused to being a housepet whose new owners both worked 9 hrs a day and came home to scream and beat him.. I couldn't resist! I was his last chance, adopted him when he was 6 weeks off the track, and between my patience & Romeo & Blue for the pack companionship ex racers need, Shack stopped hiding in the bedroom after 2 months! Now almost age 9 he's wary of strangers and will bark a deep WOOF at the doorbell chiming while he trots for his bed, like "someone's here, Ma, I'm gonna hide now" but with us he's a hugger and will lie belly up being petted at my feet for hours. Romeo isn't aggressive but won't back down from anything so he's a good watchdog for this breed. Greyhounds are deep chested with a huge bark and Romeo being sleek black he does look like a Dobie or a Rottie peering down from a window. Had a kid come around last spring soliciting house alarms, my hubby was on the porch chatting with him while Romeo stood near the foyer watching. My hubby was telling the lad we don't need an alarm, as we have 3 big dogs, and on cue Romeo let loose a RUFFFF! and the poor kid about fell down, end of sales pitch! This is one misunderstood and misused breed via racing and it's a shame because they are so smart and loving and easily trained, and for a larger breed many do live to age 12-16 years. The track dogs come just about housetrained as a bonus, they're so eager to please and when their new house becomes the bigger version of their cage, they don't soil it. There are too many great things I love about my dogs to list, and when they pass on I'll go out and rescue other Greyhounds who need me, that says it all! I have lived with parrot Sailor 15 years and we both know he's secretly in charge around here, he just puts up with the 3 hounds and the 14 year old cat Pyewacket rescued in Alaska.. Anyhow, I always encourage everyone who can't adopt Greyhounds as pets to please petition your state governing reps to get dogtracks in USA closed. It's a barbaric tragedy when 50,000 are born every year and most are healthy beautiful dogs killed for not one good reason I can think of. To me, domestic critters we enjoy as loyal companion pets, especially dogs, should never be treated so cruelly, unloved, used for sport like the bulls of Spain then tossed out like garbage.. I also appreciate everyone who has adopted any homeless dog anywhere and believes in birth control for them! Yay for lucky dogs!!!

Jeep

Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 07:41 am Click here to edit this post
What a great story Riviere! Thank God for people like you who help our canine friends. I would adopt every stray & abused animal if I could. I did when we lived on a farm. I still live in the country, but right now my mission is to stop all the illegal hunting around me. Spotlighting deer, out-of-season hunting, etc. I can't help feeling sorry for all animals. Hunting is OK as long as it is legal and in season. I had the DNR officer at my house last weekend and we listened to all the shooting around my home - at 10:00 pm! Anyway, I sure miss my dogs! Two huskys and a rottweiler lived to be 13. That sure is an unlucky number for me. Keep up the good work! I wish many more great years for you and your dogs!

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 12:09 pm Click here to edit this post
Listen up here, folks. This may just be the most important thing Juju2bigdog ever says at tvch. (I thought of this while over in the hot tub thread.)

Got fleas? You never will again. After living in subtropical Florida for quite a few years with two cats and a long haired dog, we were getting mighty sick of the constant flea problem. We would treat the pets, the house, the yard - a never-ending cycle of chemicals. And how good could that be?

Then one day the wonderful Miami Herald Action Line had the answer. Twenty Mule Team Borax. (as an aside, Ronald Reagan, when he was still an actor, used to do commercials for this product on the television show Death Valley Days) Look for it in the laundry detergents section of your supermarket. Get a couple boxes, depending on the size of your house and carpeted areas. Sprinkle the stuff on the carpets, especially where the pets sleep. Leave it on a couple hours and vacuum it up. Do this once a month or so. That's it. No more fleas.

How does it work? It works by breaking the life cycle of the flea, whose eggs hatch in your carpets, not on your pet. Borax is a natural dessicant, or drying agent. The flea eggs drop off your pet onto the carpet. The borax dries them out so they don't hatch. Pretty soon, no more fleas.

I have recommended this to process to many folks in Florida and Texas, and they all swear by it. If you are paying a commercial firm to flea proof your house, chances are they are using a borax based product. You can do it yourself for $3 a month rather than $75.

Fruitbat

Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 12:25 pm Click here to edit this post
Thanks Juju. My dogs have not had fleas in years. Not a big problem in New England but there have been times in the past where we have had an infestation that was extreme.

Pcakes2

Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 12:52 pm Click here to edit this post
On the flea & tick subject...

I make a line of (human) bath and body products (ie: soap, lotion, shower, gel, bath salts, massage oil, massge lotion, bath teas, hair/body spray, etc) in 40 wonderful fragrances [SHAMELESS PLUG], and also have a dog line. Along with a shampoo, and a between bath spray, I have come up with a great carpet product to reduce fleas and ticks. I normally sell this product, but will give you all my recipe for FREE! (shhhh...don't tell anyone)

1 cup vermiculite (from a garden section of any store)
1/2 cup dried chamomile
1/2 cup dried lavender buds
1/2 cup dried mint leaves (any kind)
1/2 cup dried eucalyptus leaves
1/8 teaspoon citronella essential oil
1/8 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil
1/2 teaspoon pepppermint essential oil

Mix all together in a large baggie, and add
1/2 - 1cup to your vacuum cleaner bag.
Vacuum as usual. This is all natural, and much better for your pets and family than a "carpet fresh" type product.

The lavender, citronella, eucalyptus and mint are
natural flea and tick repellents.

Twiggyish

Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 12:58 pm Click here to edit this post
Thanks Juju, I've used the Borax cure in the past, when we had dogs. It worked wonders!

Riviere

Friday, October 26, 2001 - 04:03 am Click here to edit this post
I've got a better solution.. Being a Greyhound owner, their skin is sensitive, they're housedogs and never pick up fleas anyway, and we have other critters, this works.. If you have access to an Avon Lady, buy up their jugs of Skin So Soft.. I bathe with a capful myself, my secret to looking 25 at age 40+ and it will also help your dog look sleeker just to rub him with a damp sponge of that mixed with water, it repels fleas and mosqitoes. I sponge my 3 hounds with it weekly in summer plus they get a monthly Heartgard dose. I do the cat's annual spring bath with it, and no flea has ever been in this house, the 6 years I've lived here.. Another fact many dog owners may not know: the retired racing Greyhounds are of the oldest tamed breed and most have type A- blood, the universal bloodtype given to injured police dogs, pets, etc. Companies in 3 states adopt Greyhounds for blood donations since they have the bloodtype, most are over 70 lbs, and they are so mellow about needles after track days seeing vets weekly. These labs treat the Greyhounds very well, and after 1 year of blood donations are FINALLY allowed to get a real home as a pet! Cheers for dog lovers!!!

Kstme

Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 12:21 am Click here to edit this post
Riviere...such a great story about your Greyhounds! As a rescuer I totally understand the rewards and hardships! It's ALL worth it, isn't it?

For the first time in almost 20+ years, my hb and I have decided not to rescue this time and do the puppy thing (our heads are being examined soon!) We are VERY fortunate to have found a breeder of a very rare dog I had as a child and looking forward to becoming "new parents" in March.

Speaking of fleas...ever since we moved to Lost Wages our animals haven't been bothered...too dry. I may miss the trees of Seattle, but not those little guys!

Riviere

Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 05:01 am Click here to edit this post
Hey Kstme, that's great! What breed of puppy? I don't envy you the training process, my grandson is the real 'rugrat' age now, can't talk, not old enough to feed himself, not even close to being housebroken, but he sure can 'breakhouse' crawling around getting into mischief. Just like a puppy! I'm glad you're going thru a breeder and not a pet store or puppy mill.. My last puppy was in 1960s Benning Hills, Georgia, where EVERYONE but us had a dog, most were AKC purebred show dogs or hunters who would escape their homes 'in season'.. Next door was a very foxy Irish Setter with a 10 page pedigree and one day her owner invited my brother & I to see her new puppies, and 4 pups looked just like her, but one was a clone of a big black Lab we knew, another looked like a champion Collie who lived a block away.. My first experience with canine genetics, how can a litter have 3 different fathers?! The man asked if we'd like to have the 'misfit' pups, for free! He said he was going to drown them if nobody wanted them. Their parents were all AKC purebreds but he couldn't register those 2, only the other 4. We ran home to beg Mom and she said we could have a puppy, which thrilled the owner, but my bratty brother wanted the Collie and I wanted the Lab so we ran home again bawling to make her settle it! She usually sided with my baby brother so I knew I didn't have a chance, but when Mom said I should let bro have his pick, he cried harder. Told her Sissy's puppy was going to get drowned but if I got my choice then his puppy would die! Mom being a dog lover turned white & told us to march right back there and get BOTH of those poor puppies! The Collie was named King and the Lab was Black Prince, they loved us fiercely, and as I was Alpha to bro, Prince was Alpha to his brother King. I'd ride my bike to school and Mom would send them trotting on either side of me, I'd park my bike, send them home.. At 3:00 Mom would send them to school and they'd be waiting next to my bike, escorting me was a job they loved! They stayed in our big backyard Dad fenced for them.. One day a shifty looking guy walked up to our back door and the dogs were going nuts, Mom gave me a 'look' and sent me out to them, while she showed the guy an old car Dad had talked about selling, but it wasn't advertised yet. The guy got nervous as the dogs were literally foaming and I had my hand on the gate ready to open it if Mom gave the signal, but the guy decided to leave fast. Mom was never so scared, later said the guy matched a description of a burglar in the area and wished I had set the dogs on him. They sure didn't trust him but they loved everyone else! When we had to move we couldn't take them, so they were sadly given away, but together, as they'd always been, to a family with kids to love them.. I sure hope Prince had a good life, his father was a very valuable hunter we'd learned. Mom always said it broke her heart as much as ours, those were the 2 smartest dogs she ever knew, bar none! I believe raising beautiful Prince from a pup but having to part with him 2 years later set the course for me and critter rescue. I vowed never to take in any pet I couldn't keep forever, or find a home for.. That reminds me, I've had this black cat Pyewacket for 13 years, still looking for a home, she's very good living with dogs.. Oh well, never mind! :)

Kstme

Saturday, October 27, 2001 - 08:00 am Click here to edit this post
Riviere...Wow! How lucky for those puppies were! Great story!

The puppy we will be getting is called a Sussex Spaniel. When we had ours, there were only 18 known in the US and when he passed away in '64, there were 52. I understand there are now about 400 to 450, although the "true" SS are in the lower percentage. Seems that over the years, some have been breeding them with longer legs and longer narrow snout...sort of looks like an liver colored English Cocker. The "true" SS looks more like a bassett/spaniel mix...short legs, short snout and very serious expression. SS's are the comedians of the spaniel world and devoted beyond belief! Yep! I'm excited!!!!!!

Speaking of cats...Ms. Emma Peel is helping me type...she's young tho (5 months) and should be quite good at this by the time she's a year...

Neko

Sunday, October 28, 2001 - 09:03 am Click here to edit this post
A cat that owns a dog..how odd?!
He's a jack russell terrier and chihauhau mixed. He's small but very loving and a big cuddler at heart. I can't imagine what he'd do if he was a big dog LOL. We call him "The Floor Vulture" because he stays right under the table when we're eating and begs like there's no food in that dish of his.His name is Odée and he's the light of my kitty life.I love him to pieces...even if he should be bald because he sheds so much!