ramonaghan

I was also bitten when we'd had Sweep only a few weeks (first grey and first dog as adults). My husband had just left for a movie so I was home alone, brushing her on the floor with a Furminator, when suddenly she lunged and got me right below the eye. I am not sure if she dozed off and then startled or if I hit a tender spot with the Furminator (Zoom Grooms only now!). My bite wasn't severe enough to warrant an ER visit but I spent that Christmas with a lovely black eye. Regardless, it was terrifying and horrible and I experienced the same emotions you're having. Sweep immediately tucked her tail and crated herself while I sobbed at the thought that my husband would almost certainly insist we return her. Fortunately, that was not the case. When I had a few hours to calm down and think rationally about it, it was clear the fault was mine because 1) she was still new and adjusting to us, 2) I shouldn't have been brushing her while she was lying down, and 3) I probably shouldn't have been using the Furminator on her at all. Now that you've researched space aggression some and have a good theory on what triggered the bite, I am sure you realize Lester isn't really an "aggressive dog." I commend you for not punishing him and for understanding that he also likely picked up on the stress and tension of the situation afterward. If there are no kids in the picture and you're willing to work on or around his space (and/or sleep) issues, then why not try again? It sounds like you love him a lot and he's lucky to have people who put so much thought into doing right by him. As for recovering emotionally, it just takes time. I work from home and am with Sweep almost 24/7, so I just had to press on in spite of my initial wariness/fear. I also researched calming signals so I'd know what to look for when she was feeling uncomfortable or unsure about something. It's been almost two years since and we have never had another incident; Sweep is a goofy, well-adjusted, snuggly velcro dog. Try to see it from the dog's perspective: they live in the moment and every day is a clean slate. Whatever you decide, you have support here.

He is a doll!

Sweep has yelped a few times while working on a bully stick, so I assume she's hit a sharp edge with her gums or top of her mouth (sometimes there's a bit of blood on her "treat sheet" though I've never seen an actual abrasion in her mouth). I just give her a teaspoon of manuka honey for a couple of days after, and she's never complained.

I also have had good results with the Missing Link. I use the formula that contains probiotics, which might help with your hound's digestive issues as well (combined with the right food, of course). Seems that many of us have hounds who are shedding heavily right now (link to another thread on this topic). I wouldn't worry too much about that. My girl's belly is also pretty bald, though her butt and thighs have always been fuzzy!

Sending good thoughts to you and Jackie.

I'm so sorry. Rest well, Tasha.

I loved reading about your special boy and thank you for sharing his story. Deepest condolences to all who loved him. Rest well, Argos.

Sweep is not a particularly aggressive chewer, but with both rawhide chips and CET dental chews she has choked on more than one occasion. Thankfully, they've been more of a "gag a bit and then finish chewing" type of situation that did not require intervention on my part, but it's scared me enough to stop giving them. We stick to a water additive, occasional brushing w/ peanut butter flavor toothpaste, and bully sticks/Greenies bones/beef tracheas (moo tubes) here, none of which she's ever had a problem with at either end (knock on wood). Her teeth are great.

I have given Sweep generic Zyrtec with success. She seems to do fine with the regular human dose, so while she could have more safely, there's no need here. With any of the aforementioned allergy meds, just be sure not to use the "D" (e.g., Allegra-D) variety. Good luck!

Oh, no...I am so sad to see Aston's name and so sorry for your tremendous loss. Rest well, handsome boy with the bestest ears ever.

I'm so sorry. Rest well, beautiful Misha.

Stacks of blankets work great and can be easily washed and cheaply replaced (Goodwill, TJ Maxx, Big Lots, etc.). I have also used this crate pad for my girl's 42" crate; it's not super-thick but is very soft and can be machine-washed.

We borrowed a crate from our group while we fostered Sweep and then bought our own when we finalized the adoption and knew she didn't mind it. We have cats so it was a very helpful tool for us, but of course baby gates and other means work for that too. I agree with others that there's no need to invest in one until you know your hound likes it. We no longer crate Sweep when we leave the house, but it's still up with the door open and she'll hang out in there periodically. We also take it with us when we're staying with out-of-town relatives with small animals as a just-in-case measure. (Mainly, though, it's now a surface on which I temporarily stash stuff until I have time to put it away. )

Welcome, and congrats! Everett is very handsome.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Rest well, Pepper.

So sorry you're dealing with this. Sending good thoughts to you and Pepper.

He is off on his next adventure and no doubt already supervising at the Bridge. I am very sorry for your loss, Pam.

I'm so sorry.

Resistance is futile.

My treat philosophy sounds pretty much like yours. When I'm preparing Sweep's Kong every evening, for example, I'll give her a little taste of whatever I'm stuffing it with, and I don't expect her to do anything to earn that. She also gets her daily dental treat and her bedtime treat "free of charge." Like Jack, though, she has definitely mastered the whole "if I sit I'll get something!" mindset. (And it's so cute it usually works, so yeah, the dog has trained the humans here too.) I figure as long as they're not behaving badly by shoving their faces in your plate, barking, or otherwise being demanding about it, there's no harm in occasional freebies.

Oh, how sad. Very sorry for your loss, and for those that came before. Rest well, Mew-Mew.

Good boy. He's ready to come home!

Rest well, Moose.

Glad for a positive update. Sending Peggy good thoughts for continued improvement.

I don't have specific recommendations since I am not in your area either, but I've used this site to find baseball fields before: http://baseball.isport.com/baseball-fields/?&l=dallas%2C%20tx&k=&ct=US You have to do a little further research to determine whether they're fully fenced (sometimes you can tell from Google Earth), but it's a starting point. Nixie is a cutie. Love that last pic--so happy!