tydyelady

How long have you had him? Do you have to keep him in the crate for any particular reason? If you dog is good in the house otherwise, try leaving him out, and using babygates, as suggested above. Many dogs do not like crates and let you know it. Ours broke out twice, cutting his face the second time. We abandoned the crate at that point, (this was in the first week we had him) and he has the run of the house except for 2 rooms, which we babygate.

Oh no, how horrible! Continued prayers for Katie's recovery.

I am just speechless - am just reading this thread for the first time. Unbelievable! Hooray for Manny, keep on getting better!

Prayers for a rebound for Dusty.

We had a huge infestation here, and our sighthound savy vet recommended it. It really worked well, and Opie has only had one dose so far, and its been 6 weeks. The only issues many people have had with it is upset stomach when not given with a meal. I believe one person on here said they (or a friend, can't remember) was given a dose at the vet's office and dog got sick. My vet vet had me split the pill in half and give half with dinner, then the other half with breakfast, just to be sure there were no stomach issues. This works by making the fleas have seizures and die, also interrupting the egg laying process. (or so I am told. I also vacuumed, sprayed carpets with the Adams spray, and washed all the bedding multiple times. But the fleas on the dog were gone by the next day, and then we washed him to get all the dead fleas and flea poop off him (it was really bad!). Anyways, I have not had a problem with this, I know other people here use it and swear by it too. I paid $80 for a 6 month supply, although each dose seems to last longer than a month. So there is my experience and opinion of this product. So far so good.

I too have used an animal communicator to "help" in a difficult decision. It was with our last dog, a black lab mix, LaTanya. This person was recommended to me by my dear friend who passed away a few years ago, and so unfortunately, as I forgot her name, I can no longer ask my friend her name again. Anyways, it too was done over the phone, I sent an email picture, and she charged $60 for the hour, and also did not stick to the hour. Actually she would not let me off the phone until I was OK. I needed to know about letting our dog go to the bridge, I knew it was near time, but kept thinking maybe she has some more months left. I was in agony over this decision, and this communicator helped me feel that LaTanya was ready, and was basically hanging on for me. She told me things that nobody could have know about her, so I am a totally believer. Good luck with finding one, and I am sure it will be helpful.

Riley is beautiful. I am so very very sorry. Hugs to you both.

I use the Salmon flavored gel. Petsmart is expensive, I got it at Amazon.com, for cheaper.

I use the Petzlife oral gel too. And we feed a raw turkey neck piece daily before his dinner.

Opie came from a foster home (5 months) with a house that had a back yard. Although we have a house, and a very nice yard, it is not fenced. He really adjusted well to leash walks. He loves to go for walks, so that was a plus. In the beginning we took him out very often, and gradually decreased, as he got the point of going out on a leash. We now take him out 4 times a day, sometimes 1 extra time if our schedule fluctuates and we will be out late or something. It goes like this: 8:00 AM - Long walk 10:00 - short pee walk around the house. Between 5:00 and 7:00, depending when we get home - another long walk. 11:30ish, last walk before bed. DH walks him on this, and it could be for a while, if he thinks he needs to poop. So, I don't think you should have a problem. It would be nice if you could be home with your pup for at least a few days or so after moving, to try to get the new schedule going. Good luck!

I too was going to say perhaps she is cold. Opie started doing this in the fall, whining and being restless in the middle of the night. I knew it must be Jammie time. Got out the jammies, and his snuggle blanket, and no more problems.

I made this mistake with Opie, probably 4 months after we got him. He loves his tummy rubbed, of course, so both DH and I were playing with his feet also (a no no I found out!) He yelped, I tried to swoop down on him saying poor baby and to hug him, and I got a growl with a tooth that hit me right above the nose by my eye. I had a black eye, and a purple face for a while. Some of this were some alpa / place in our pack issues that we had to work through too (he would growl at me, but not DH) but the other was knowing what this dog did and did not like. Now I pet tummy when he asks for it, but I would never give a Rasberry. I try never to intrude totally in his space, or do something that I know he would not like or consider very foreign for a dog. I am sure you two will be good pals again - this too shall pass.

Oh no, how shocking, the suddenness of it all! Run Free Dessi ...

Our Opie did this with me, and it started around 3 months after we got him. He would growl at me, and never at DH. I actually got hit in the face by one of his teeth, blood, black eye, the whole bit. That was my fault, I was leaning over him, behaving stupidly, I learned. BUT, he was trying to be in charge. He though the pecking order was DH, him, then me. So I did what others have suggested - I fed him, I make him wait until I give the OK to get the food, I started walking him some of the time. He lost all furniture privileges for over 6 months. It got better, but it took work on my part. We don't have any small children in the house, so I guess it was a bit easier. Now he is the best boy, we can all sit on the couch together, he come in bed in the AM for lovies. And most of all, he listens to me. Good luck, only you will know what is best for your family. You got a young dog, and you have young children - not always the best combination, but it can work.

For our back slider door, I put a baby gate across it in the summer, so I can have the door open. There are too many critters that come in our back yard (bunnies, squirrels, crows) that would be way too tempting. We don't have a fenced yard. For the front screen door, I always make sure it is locked, and unfortunately it opens from the bottom. So for the time being I only have it open on the first notch, which is about 4 inches. They do make a grate type thing that can cover the screen from the outside, so this summer I will be looking into that. As far as our other windows, they are too high up and blocked by furniture to be an issue.

Well, after just going through this about 3 weeks ago, with a bad flea infestation - both DH and I were getting bit, and he never gets bit, here's what we did: After coming here and asking for advice too, we did buy the Adams Flea and Tick, which I sprayed the bedding insides, carpets, etc. Every day I was washing bedding and blankets, as well as Opie's coats he wore, and jammies. Then there was the vacuuming - daily for the first week, then every few days (reminder to self - vacuum again today!). For Opie, we went to the vet, cuz he was covered in fleas and dark coffeelike granules (flea poop!) We had flea bathed him, and all was back within a few days. We went with the Comfortis pills. (1X a month) There was a discussion on that product here too, and while some didn't want to use it, is has been around since 2006, and many people here swore by it. We tried it, and it truly worked wonders. The fleas start dying almost immediately. Vet told us to wait a day before bathing again to give them a chance to die. With this product you can bathe the dog, unlike with the topical stuff. As far as "bombing the house", I am sure there are many opinions, but this is one thing I would never do unless I could move out for a few weeks, and it was a totally empty house. We have birds, so this is always an issue. But in my mind, anything that you have to leave the house for, but in 2 hours its supposed to be OK is not something I want to breath in. People have died using these product because the didn't leave the house. It coats every surface in the rooms - walls, counters, everything. Yuck! Bottom line - so far we are doing OK with the flea problem. No fleas or poop on dog, and no bites on humans.

Our lab had this when she was about 14. Its VERY scary, the way they act, etc. She got the same treatment your Valor got. Within a few days she was VASTLY improved, and within a week she was just about back to normal. And she went on to live to almost 17. Hopefully Valor will be feeling and acting much better soon.

Opie does not like Bananas either. We have tried to give him a piece and he just leaves it in the bowl. He will eat an occasional blueberry though. But I am betting he was given a "Nilla Wafer" cookie on the track, cuz I offered him one the other day and he grabbed it and started munching away!

So far so good. I did as the vet suggested, 1/2 last night and 1/2 this AM, in his food. No vomiting, was hungry this AM, and I have already combed dead fleas off this AM! WooHoo! Vacuumed again last night, washing more stuff, sprayed DH's music room carpet where Opie spends a lot of time, and let it air out. Sprayed dog beds and carpet around, washing covers again. Will vacuum again. It appears he is tolerating the Comfortis well, no side effects, which from what I have read usually appear right away. I was told to go for 2 months to make sure all fleas are gone, then maybe wont have to use every month. Also, from what I have been reading, this has been around since 2007, at least, as I have found posts on the internet inquiring about using it since back to then. That's at least 3 years this has been around now.

I started another topic here about fleas on Opie and what was the black coffee ground like stuff I was combing out of his fur - yes, I now know flea poop. After vacuuming, spraying, washing blankets and beds, and flea bathing the dog 2 days ago, he is once again covered with the black things (and fleas). I found fleas on the couch cover too. So it must be bad here. I just took him to our vet, and she recommended the Comfortis - uses it on her great dane. (She has also owned sighthounds) She specifically told me to give it with a meal, and to further prevent possible tummy upsets to break it up and give 1/2 the pill with tonights dinner, and the other half with tomorrow's breakfast. So I will be trying it and will let everyone know how it goes. I have never had a flea infestation this bad (weather has been warm here since end of December), and I am getting bit up too. Poor baby is just covered with poop and fleas.

Prayers for sweet Brandy, and for you.

Well, Opie, being a black dog, has some white dandruff type stuff sometimes, but lately I have been noticing these little black pebbly type things stuck on his fur near his hind end. I took him outside, and brushed him out last week. And now they are back. And this AM, I actually saw a bug crawling on his back, small, a flea I am sure. So are these black things flea eggs? I am thinking yes??? I also have noticed a few bites on me too, but I attributed those to the fact that we clean peoples houses who have pets that go outside. Ewwwww! This is quite a surprise to me, as I really have never had a problem with fleas on my dogs here in Washington, since I moved here in 1996. So this is all new to me. So now do I flea bathe him and then start with one of the Advantage or something?

Another vote for the WWW harness here. While DH walks Opie with just his collar, I always use the harness when I walk him. He is big and excitable, and while he usually listens, there are a few dogs in the neighborhood he hates (running free of course - grrr) plus small animals or motorcycles that really get him going. I feel I have much more control of him with the harness.

I cringe anytime someone brings a small child into the dog park.

Opie had a wound in the same spot - but it was punctured all the way through! It was a freak accident, when a harbinger (sp?) clip from another dog's collar that he was playing with got caught on his foot and it punctured it. I washed it very good, used peroxide to clean, then used EMT gel (a miracle ointment IMHO) and a baby sock on his foot to keep him from licking. He was good as new in about a week! I couldn't believe how fast it healed. So no, I don't think it needs stitches at all.