Brindles

You got it, Judy.

Based on my experience, "spooky" is a spectrum, not a fine line. A dog that is overly shy, nervous, and/or has a host of fears (rational or irrational) that can't be easily overcome, to me, is a spook. I've seen that vary from mild to extremely severe. I consider all of those dogs to be spooks.

He looks right at home, Ducky!

They're making you wait until Friday? I'd check first thing tomorrow to see if they've had any cancellations.

My boyfriend's Australian Shepherd does that to get attention. What are is eyes doing? Where is he looking when this happens?

That's exactly what I did with all of mine and it worked beautifully. Just make sure you're extremely consistent in enforcing the rule and he'll catch on pretty quickly. Using treats with commands like that isn't terribly practical unless you carry some in your pocket 24/7. I say "aaah" when mine mess up and they immediately stop, back up, and wait for me to tell them when to go. My hand signal to wait is holding out my palm in front of them. I say "okay" and take my hand away when they can go. If I could only teach my dogs one thing, to wait would be it. For their safety and mine.

I bought mine from Birdwell Enterprises. Still like new 4 years later.

Whatever you get, be sure to dose again at 21 days.

ANYTHING. Sprained toes or ankles, stress on tendons/ligaments, pulled muscle, cramping... you name it. Mine have had plenty of limping spells and it's never been osteo. Please don't worry! ETA: As far as stories goes... Dazzle and I were out on a walk once and he started dragging his back foot, toenails scraping on the asphalt. Turns out it was just a cramp but it can freak you out a little!

I'm not a fan, personally. I like to know exactly how much each dog is or isn't eating. What if she gets sick and goes off feed? If the other dog eats the remainder, how will you know?

Me too! A $5 repetitive bribe, at that. The coupons themselves will expire, but you can always download a new one.

You have to "like" the page to see it, I believe. It's in the list of things under the photo. http://www.facebook.com/ProPlan?sk=app_109682675777747

Thanks! There's also $5.00 off on their facebook page.

I'm so sorry, Hilda.

Welcome to GT!

My picky eaters go crazy over Pro Plan Shredded Blend. Have you tried/considered Satin Balls? I gave them a shot several months ago when my puppy lost a lot of weight and I was amazed. Seriously, they're totally worth it. I rolled mine into lime-sized meatballs and started out giving him 4 a day. One with breakfast, two spaced out in the afternoon, and one with dinner. He put the weight back on in about a month, and he LOVED them. Eventually I cut him back to two a day, and now none at all (though I do have a bunch still in the freezer). I individually wrapped them all in aluminum foil and kept them frozen in ziploc bags. Works perfectly 'cause you can keep one bag thawed at a time and there's no mess after the original prep. I have also gone the "chicken soup" route, as Elaine suggested. I boiled the remainder of a rotisserie chicken to make the broth and left the skin and fat in.

Look for glossy eyes, disorientation, and bright red gums. She may be slow to respond when you call her name. Don't put water on them unless they'll be in the shade! The sun will just heat it up and make them cook. Dazzle overheated one summer. He came inside (after being out for no more than 5 min), completely ignored me, wandered into the bathroom, and wedged himself between the tub and the toilet and wouldn't move. Pretty scary stuff. Your best bet is prevention - if you have any doubts about whether it may be too hot, it probably is! I'm a little paranoid now after that incident and especially now that they're older. Mine don't go on outside trips with me when the weather is sunny and above 70°F.

Yes, absolutely. Corns usually pop up on the toes and they're very painful, especially when walking on asphalt or rough surfaces. The flat-footed walk you're seeing is her shifting her weight to the back of her foot to take the pressure off the toes. A vitamin E deficiency is highly unlikely.

This is exactly right. I don't think the grain free foods are bad for their health, but you can bet it's a marketing ploy. Those foods use potato instead of corn so they can call it "grain free." The potato may not be a grain, but it's still full of starch, just like corn and other grains normally seen in dog food. So unless you have a dog with certain allergies, feeding grain free is just jumping on the bandwagon. Eliminate all plants and you eliminate carbs from the diet. Not a good thing. Grain free foods go straight through my dogs. They need the fiber from the plant products, so I'll stick to my Pro Plan.

You nailed it! Absolutely. The canine nutritionist here will tell you that any bag of food with the AAFCO statement is fine to feed. He also says that dogs only need 18-22% protein, and that their requirement does not increase with exercise. Hard working dogs need more energy to top off muscle glycogen stores, but they don't need more protein.

Did she have a fecal to rule out worms? My puppy lost a bunch of weight a few months ago and I discovered the magic of Satin Balls. Seriously, they're amazing and worth it. I rolled mine into tangerine-sized meatballs and started out giving him 4 a day. One with breakfast, two spaced out in the afternoon, and one with dinner. He put the weight back on in about a month, and he LOVES them. Eventually I cut him back to two a day, and now none at all (though I do have a bunch still in the freezer). I individually wrapped them all in aluminum foil and kept them frozen in ziploc bags. Works perfectly cause you can keep one bag thawed at a time. I'd also bump her up to 4 cups of food a day. ETA: Thought I'd add to keep reassessing her body condition as she puts weight on; be careful not to let her get fat. My puppy needed to gain 10 lbs, so my weight gain regimen above may be more aggressive than your girl might need. I'm not sure what her target weight should be because I can't see her, but my female greyhound stands 27" at the shoulder and weighs 70 lbs. She does have a heavier, longer build than most females, though.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. Nice to see a scholarly article posted for a change.

There's not a huge difference between 76 and 80 lbs. He may just be thin by nature. If that's the case, I wouldn't force the weight on him. If he really won't eat the kibble, he may just not like it. If the soft stools keep up, it may not be the food for him. Pro Plan has a Shredded Blend line that is VERY palatable and my picky eaters gobble it down like a normal dog should.

Interesting. I had the same experience a couple years ago, which is why I don't feed Kirkland anymore.

No personal experience with it, but I'm curious to hear your results. A lot of people who keep chickens will mix it in with sand for the hens to use as a dust bath. They say it's great at keeping bugs away.