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DunesMom

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Grey Pup

Grey Pup (4/9)

  1. Congratulations! She's gorgeous. And the look on her face....something tells me she'll have plenty of personality when she adjusts to pet life. Have fun!
  2. Thank you! Makes perfect sense, especially to anyone who's tried clicker training or watched a newbie try it. Timing is crazy hard to get right. And now I have a faster, better answer for when people ask me why punishment "doesn't work" when obviously it does (both for mama dogs and owners who scare their dogs into "desired" behaviors).
  3. Exactly why I generally don't like using the squirt bottle. You give a better explanation than are written in most behavior papers! That said, I keep using the squirt gun to deflect bullies, because while I agree with its downsides, it's also the safest option I have for stopping a rude dog from trying to mount, body-slam, or jump on my dog. With the squirt gun, I don't get bitten by reaching for a strange dog's collar, my dog doesn't get bitten, and the clueless owner usually doesn't even realize what's happened. Do you know of a better safe option? (Not walking my dogs isn't an option; off-leash rude dogs are very common in my neighborhood.) At the risk of hijacking the OP's thread, I'm also curious as to how the mother dog's education of the puppies works...she definitely uses punishment to stop bad behavior IME (same with mama sheep, horses, cows, and rabbits on our farm). It seems like that's what happens also with some dog-dog behavioral communication, one dog telling another to back off. Most dogs try to avoid the bully but will eventually growl/snap or even worse. Is their own use of punishment more effective simply because it's coming from their own kind, and thus they associate it with the behavior rather than something around them in the environment?
  4. This is why I love GT. Great advice from Jen. I'm usually a believer that most dogs with good socialization will work things out quickly and efficiently. But Jen makes a good point about not letting him pester another dog. And I am a mama bear about my own dogs and don't tolerate crap from other dogs (or from my dogs to other dogs). FWIW, I carry a squirt gun at all off-leash areas and even leashed hikes (because most people ignore the leash laws). It's been a great way to deflect dog bullies whose owners are clueless about their dog's inappropriate behavior. Maybe try a combo of the squirt gun plus leashing him up and leaving the moment he starts the behavior? PS -- I generally try to avoid negatives like a squirt bottle, but for some dogs, it's the fastest and safest way to stop what could get them hurt. It depends on how you think he will react; I've had two very "soft" hounds who would've been traumatized by a squirt of water and two who wouldn't have noticed a fire hose....
  5. I'm a sucker for the big fawn boys. He's gorgeous. Congratulations!
  6. I think that many boys need a mama dog to teach them a few manners after retirement -- the kennel staff does such a good job of stopping bad behavior from turning into fights that the buttheads don't learn NOT to be buttheads. If they're all muzzled, I'd keep doing what you're doing and wait for the day that Florida or someone else tells him to BACK OFF. He'll learn. (I've had three fosters like that; all learned after another dog finally gave them the bark-snap-growl once or twice.)
  7. This just warmed my heart. Sometimes, I think they DO send the next one; exactly the one we need. Congratulations!!! She's got big collars to fill, but from those pics, she'll do it. Can't wait to meet her!
  8. That is great news on the cats and adjustment she's making! Isn't it fun to watch them discover the world off the track? You'll find she comes more out of her shell every day for weeks or months. Thanks for posting. You reminded me of why I foster--because some adopters really are great homes, but just can't/don't want to deal with the off-track adjustment. Good for you for taking the leap and helping Pachi adjust!
  9. We did the loading dose and it didn't have a noticeable effect until the third injection - then it was VERY noticeable, at least for Dune. Good luck and I so hope it helps!! ETA: Saw your other post. We did not see any side effects -- it's essentially a high dose of glucosamine--and it did take a few days to see any improvement. When we finished the loading dose, we saw a huge improvement in Dune, and it was clear that it helped him. YMMV.
  10. IM, butt muscles (what was left of them, he was 13 and the LSS had taken its toll). It was a small amount and really quick and easy, small needle. You'll find you can do it, especially after you see such an improvement. I'd have learned to stab myself just to give him that much relief!
  11. Adequan gave my heart dog a good four to six months of comfort in his old age, when nothing else worked any longer (LSS and arthritis). I wished then that we'd tried it sooner. Easy to give the injections yourself and fill the scrip online for best price.
  12. Never used OTC or oral version, but I can vouch for the amazing efficacy of the injections from the liquid we bought at the vet for our IBD hound. Kipper went from being miserable and no energy to almost his pre-IBD puppyish self almost overnight. Wish we'd tried it a year earlier.
  13. Update: Foster pup had a seizure last night at 2:00 am. No history at racing kennel, they said. Still thinking it's not related and that was vet's thought, too, but we are mindful of neurological possibilities. Poor pup was fine within minutes of it ending, but mortified he'd messed his crate. We gave him lots of reassurance as we cleaned him up, then went outside for a pudding poop (is that normal after a seizure?). He was bouncy and full of mischief by the time we came in and acting totally normal this morning. Still open to thoughts; all input helps when making a log of events and things to watch for. Thanks!
  14. Without a full workup "chasing ether" as my Dad would say, the vet's best guess is coordination, healing overuse injury/strain, or possibly a nearly healed spondylolysis (not spondylosis), which is a lumbar fracture common in child athletes in humans. Nothing obvious shows up; Stack test is negative, no pain reflexes on physical exam. Because he seems totally fine (and rambunctious) otherwise, the thought is that we watch it and don't let him run much (which is a nightmare because he is a total puppy). I hoped someone with more experience with young racers had any thoughts of alternate Dx to explore if the nail dragging continues. This pup crashes into EVERYTHING, so I wouldn't be surprised if he wiped out or twisted himself into some crazy position and tweaked something. Or, he might just be ungainly and will drag them until he grows into his size. He's already a big boy and I think he'll be over 80 lbs when he finishes growing.
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