gracegirl

I don't believe that dominance and misbehavior go hand in hand...but I do use corrections for bad behavior. My boyfriend has a 95 lb Airedale that simply out muscles me. If I don't correct him physically, he will literally drag me around. He does not care about attention/food/etc. when he is worked up...but you can get his attention with a correction via leash. Not sure where to go from here. We have limited time to work with him (we both work full time 50+ hours a week) and there are times that he'll do really well for a few weeks, then seem to take many steps back. It's frustrating. I'm mostly at his apartment so it's leash walking all the time, in a very dog-friendly complex. Jackson is very leash reactive....to the point that tonight on the snow and ice he heard someone's car keys, mistook them for collar tags, darted to the end of the leash all puffed out just looking for someone to bark at. After that he stays so concerned with any other dog he might see that he forgets to do his business. Less than fun when it's single digits and icy. If I give him a correction, however, I can snap him out of his barking. Sometimes. At least he stops pulling me. Oh, and when I give him the pop of the leash (quick tug...not hitting him with the leash just to clairfy) he usually will stop his "puffed out" walk and will look at me. He'll also almost always fall into a heel at that point as well. So if that's what you mean by submissive behavior, I guess he's just NOT puffed out. His tail also relaxes or slowly wags. As opposed to stiff and straight in the air. Feel free to offer suggestions. Or come fly out to Denver and fix him!

Why not take one more step....shhh, quiet, go lay on your bed. Then only treat when she is on her bed.

Grace has been on Proin for about two years now with no problems. It's our miracle drug. I now give her one pill in the AM and just a half at night. I tried giving her 1/2 with each meal but she started leaking again. She's much happier on the Proin...she often didn't notice she had an accident and would lay in her own mess for a while. Poor thing.

Thinking of you today and wishing you lots of strength. I hope her last day is one that can provide at least a few great moments to hold close to your heart. Hoping that you can feel all of our support as you spoil that girl rotten in preparation for your greatest gift to her. I'll be thinking of you all day.

Oh no, Meg. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Grace took about 5-6 months to really settle into being "home". I can't pinpoint or recall the behaviors that let me know this, with her it was more of a progression. Fenway took 5 minutes to let me know he was home. He was a four month old puppy who had been flown into SeaTac airport at midnight on Grace's birthday. He explored the yard on leash, explored the very small house, then jumped up on the couch and let out a sigh. He was home! (he'd never been allowed on the furniture at the foster home and Grace was on her dog bed at the time...so he had to have done that by instinct. He's my little bed buddy/couch cuddler to this day 3.5 years later. )

Update: Grace seems to be healing up just fine. The tiny skin flap fell off today and the cut is scabbed over. I think she'll be just fine! In other news, she was dripping blood off her back leg yesterday a few minutes after I got home from work. DBF had already let them out (leash walked) so again, no idea what happened. Poor girl is a mess this week!!!

Bath? Maybe with mild dish soap? I have no idea or any solid advice but I wish you the best. Scary!

cpl TBS of hydrogen peroxide will make a dog puke. You just have to make sure that what the dog is puking won't do more damage coming up. For instance, Dog eats chocolate= make the dog puke. Dog eats something sharp= better to find a way to make it pass the other route. This! Few hints: use a turkey Baster. Gets what you need down quickly and easily. Also, go outside in the general area where you'd like puking to occur first. Then give the peroxide. It comes back up quick! I promise. Very good advice on the sharp object issue too. Feed some bread and cross your fingers in that case.

Thanks everyone. Great advice. I'll keep you posted as it heals.

Fenny ate part of one of those a few years ago. Far ad I can tell, no damage done! I did make him puke though. Little monkey...he's such a boy!

Thanks guys! Now that I think about it more, combined with the fact I'd have to put her under, we will not be visiting Dr. Joseph today.

I'm really on the fence with this one. Grace has a cut on her face, directly below her eye. It appears to be a small tear. It smaller than a dime, which is typically my vet/no vet gauge. However I notice that when she blinks that eye the wound all but closes. Same if I manipulate it and close it myself. So do I clean it and let it heal, or do I take her in fir a stitch or two?

I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope the results from the necropsy will help you get some peace.

Congrats! Grace is a Canine Good Citizen and a TDI dog. Nice work you two.

Shakey face! Both of mine do that, Fenway more than Grace. Generally, it means they are happy hounds.

Welllll....I understand your desire to creat. Grace was indifferent until she'd been home about 6 months...then she told me "I don't like and don't need it" (except it came in the form of barking and screaming when I left her in the apartment in it.) Are YOU uncomforatble with him out of the crate, unsupervised? It's okay if you are, it's just the first question you need to answer. And also remember that a tired dog is a good dog...if he's sleeping he certainly can't bark!

Keep us posted...poor guy.

That's really good information and I hadn't considered the fact that the vennison is a lean meat. I might mix the fish based food in 50/50 and see what kind of output we get. I'll keep you posted!

This! I'm not patient, I'd go get him now. Time to come home!

My dogs have always had sesenitive stomachs. Grace cannot have corn, chicken or turkey. I switch foods every now and again, mostly in the name of/quest for good poo. Last November she started eating Nutro Vennison. Her "output" on this food, along with her energy level are great! However, over the summer she developed "stud tail" and is now sheddign like mad. She's always been a grey that sheds, but this is like nothing I've seen in the 4.5 years that I've had her. Her coat is still soft and shiny though. Could it be food related? Should I switch? What should I switch to? A few notes. She is on Proin as she "wets the bed" sometimes. No accidents now that she's on Proin...which she's been on for probably 2.5 - 3 years. She occassionally gets a generic fish oil tab from Costco too. Also, I cannot do a raw diet for her right now. I'm not opposed to a grain free kibble, but just cannot do raw at this time. I would consider it in the future when circumstances are different. Thoughts? What would you do? I think I'm going to try a new food first, then a suppliment if necessary after that.

I'd love to hear anyone's updates as to how their dogs are doing on this food. Grace is shedding like mad this season and I suspect it has to do with her diet so I'm thinking of switching to Nature's Domain.

Now how prescious is that picture? Boys will be boys. They pee on stuff. The dog park is where Fenway learned to "turf" (kick up grass after marking). The more we go, the less time he spends sniffin/marking and the more time he spends running. He's kind of nutty though. Grace, on the other hand, preferes to go to the dog park to see the people. She rarely runs, but when she does it's to chase Fenway. Hopefully the marking will die down over time. I also find that if I keep walking around the permimiter of the park (on the inside of the fence, of course) that my hounds will try to keep up with me. (Hang back, pee, eat grass...sprint to catch up. Sniff, go see that person over there, sniff that dogs butt...sprint to catch up.)

Weclome from Denver.

Mine can swim but don't do it on purpose. Fenway has fallen into the river several times. They love to wade in water though and if I had a pool I'm sure I'd try to get them in it!