Dave_P

Agree, do not want a fat dog. My daughter does that to her dogs, and they end up looking like sausages! I think Milo needs 2-3 more pounds, because his hips and maybe 7 vertebrae and a handful of ribs are showing. Thanks Ma! Dave

Well, things are looking good for Milo, who I picked up from the racer a few weeks ago. This a rambling update. He is successful on stairs, gets along fine with the other 2 dogs. Only messed on the floor 2 nights; now I close my bedroom door at night so he wakes me if he has to go out. He even puts up with the TV now - doesn't normally scare him any more. His stool has been runny just about all the time. Started him on Iams Green this week, with no change. Finally got him to the vet and got all shots updated. Definitely a struggle to get him in and out of that building! Got a clean bill of health - No worms or parasites at all - that was good news! But, he had blood in his stool. And I was distracted, and did not ask why it was happening. But I got 3 bottles of pills to clear that up, ( he had no problem taking those pills when I shove them far down his throat) and away we go! Great dog - and thanks for listening! Dave PS He weighs 71 lbs, so I think that is close to a good weight for him, but would like to add a couple more lbs to round him out.

A trip to the vet soon is in order. Previous owner says he is good with all shots (has to be certified to race??) but I will take care of him. Dixie is my little brindle pound pup, about half the weight of Milo - besides being the alpha dog, she is the smallest, youngest, and kinda tough. And Beauregard has been my close companion for the last decade (Golden Retriever / Chow). Here is short video of them. (hope this shows up correctly)

Thanks Mama - it is very nice and peaceful - sometimes too much! Had a great dog race this morning - Milo was running flat out (for the first time, I think) doing loops around the yard. Dixie (little pound pup) ran her heart out, cutting corners were she could. They did this for at least a quarter mile - great to see! And what does everyone else do to let their dog really run? Big dog parks maybe? Or an unsued ball field? And Milo is much more comfortable going in and out the house now - no issues there anymore.

"So none of your dogs have tags or collars?" Nope. I live at the end of a dead-end private road, and they have a well-fenced 15 acres to romp in; about half virgin woods and half wooded yard.

More progress every day - Milo walked out the door with the pack about 2-3 times so far today - unaided! And all my dogs did the right thing when we ran across a black racer snake in the yard - they looked and then stayed away.

Thanks folks! "have you tried walking your other dogs" We always try to go out as a pack, sometimes Milo follows, sometimes not. "You can tell his age by his right ear tattoo" I guess I need better glasses, too faint for me to read. "Put a collar and a leash on him and walk out the door." No success with this yet. "I'm not quite clear on your message." Except for one accident, he behaves in the house. What I want him to do is follow the rest of us out the door, no collar, and take a stroll around the property. I do this about 5 times a day. "This may help you understand your new boy better" I will read this now. Dave

Good morning GT Folks! Last week I picked a 4-5 year old male GH from the local breeder/racer. Milo is a bit underweight, friendly, but very shy. I have 2 other dogs, so I introduced everyone, with no snapping or aggression from anyone! Did a short walk around the property, and then took him off the lease - no problems at all - he hung with his new pack. All my dogs have free run of the large fenced property. I imagine he has never been in a house before. First couple of nights he slept in the yard, then he got the hang of the steps, and slept on the back porch by himself. Eventually he got over the fear of the house and came inside. Very inquisitive, but nervous. He slept next to the common bedroom for a couple of nights, and recently has been sleeping with all of us together - so that is nice! My biggest problem now is how to get him out of the house for a walk! Tried peanut butter. A big bowl of food works in the morning. Other than that, I tried pushing, pulling, turning his head, etc - no go. So what I do now is put a large belt around his chest, lift up his front legs with that, and drag his butt out the door. He does not like it much, but I think he is OK with it for now. Glad he doesn't weigh much more than 75 lbs! I need to get a few more pounds on him, but that can wait a it til he is more comfortable. Thanks for listening! Dave