Xan

Ah! : Okay, take it easy now, Tristan! I've got all available appendages crossed for a speedy and uneventful recovery!

Oh yay!! Violet could use another collar and I would love for her to have a Hope for Hounds collar to wear when Zuri wears his. Will 2 Hounds be vending at either Grapehounds NY or Dewey and will the collars be available there in all colors, or do they need to be ordered? I'm not able to spend a lot of money on vendors at events so if I'm going to buy a collar, I really like to do it at an event, even if I know ahead of time what I'll be buying (silly, I know ). ETA: I would also like to see how the colors look against her fur, although right now I am loving the orange. This year's design is so much fun, love it! Oh, but I see the donation amount goes down after July 15th. Maybe I could order now, and pick up at the event. I hope you wrote directly to Alisha/2Hounds! Sorry I didn't see this post 'til so late (something wrong with my sub settings!) If you still have questions, ask her directly, okay? I design them, and she sells them.

Adding my sympathy and good thoughts to the mix, and sending loads of hugs to you and Anubis.

Keeping positive thoughts flowing for Havoc and you!!

What a roller-coaster ride! Big hugs to you all, as you go through this next phase. Get as much rest as you can! Your commitment to be strong for Tristan moved me to tears. We'll all be watching and holding you all in our thoughts!

I've just spent my GT time allowance for the day reading your thread from start to present. My heart is breaking for you and Tristan. You've had such an amazing life together, through so much for both of you, and forged this incredible bond of love and trust. No matter how long you have, it's never ever long enough, and the end is always so painful for us. Your choice to make it less so for Tristan is from that loving place deepest in your heart. I hope for you both you can find the most peaceful way through that hardest part of sharing so deeply. :bighug

This is very good news, and fascinating. Gene therapy, huh? Besides the famous and always fabulous Miss Nellie auction, there's also the Hope for Hounds collars for 2012. We made five colors to choose from this year! Let's make it the BIGGEST year ever!

Such nice work, especially on his many faces!

Another cautionary tale. DH and I went on a trip this winter, leaving our cats and dogs in the care of a petsitter who had been great with them in the past. Nonetheless, we left tons of notes and really labored the point that Pogo and Brilly can have issues, so when in doubt, MUZZLE! Sure enough, the poor girl had just stepped into another room "for a minute!" when she heard a fight break out in the kitchen. It seems some sugar was reachable on the counter, and the two boys got into it. Brilly had a couple good gashes needing stitches. Everyone was shook up, including us out on our vacation a thousand miles away! When we're home, the kitchen is off-limits, reinforced with baby-gates, but all edibles are off the counters as a rule. But, baby gates can drift or be pushed open, and ....... Anyway, even in the house, fights can happen. You gotta know your dogs, and do as much fight-proofing as possible. But, if you have a pet-sitter ... YOU are not there. Now we have to decide if Pogo will be muzzled 24/7 if we ever leave him with a pet-sitter again, or if we need to have him stay at a kennel. He's just a loose cannon, that guy. Oh, and for that matter, 2 of the 4 times Pogo has attacked Brilly were in the house. We guess that he was jealous or competitive about Brilly coming into a room where I was already with Pogo: "It's MY room now, and she's MY mom, so you DIE!" We are very conscious now of who goes where first, and about the dogs all knowing that we humans are our own, and that we care equally about all of them. On the other hand ... This is Pogo and Brilly from just the other day. (Yes, their claws are way too long! : )

What every one else has already said. I watched a border collie (not mine) snarf up a rabbit he found dead in his own yard (don't know if he killed it or if it was left by someone else - we're in the country), which he obviously thoroughly enjoyed. He later had disastrous Big D and vomiting, but lived to tell the tale. Probably he'll be fine!

Oh no. No fair! I'm so sorry. I hope you have lots of time to make good memories, and a peaceful time of passing. :bighug

Brilly is a major quiverer, with sometimes a chatter. He does it so often, it's hard to know why! Sometimes, he'll be staring at you with that "FEED ME/YOU SAID CAR-CAR!!" glare, and his whole head will be bobbing up and down so much that he can't possibly see right! Pogo has recently started to quiver, just a bit, when really excited by food or anticipation of walkies. He's six, so it's interesting he's starting so late.

What a great story! Welcome, and congrats on your wonderful family!

Annabelle and you shared such good years together. May the memories of all that love and joy comfort you now. :bighug

:bighug

Flame was a handsome guy, and an inspiration, getting along with his "handicap". Your heart is breaking now, but the hole he left will fill back up with the love he left with you. :bighug

Oh, Nancy! I'm so sorry Albi's gone. He was a big boy, a big joy, and leaves a mighty big hole. :bighug

Your beautiful girl, your cowdoggy, your friend, your sweetpie, therapy dog and reading companion ... She was a magical being. You freed her from the pain that crippled her, leaving you with your own pain, and our hearts break with yours, as we all know how deep a hole is left when we lose our friends. I hope the memories of her sweet, generous soul will soothe your broken heart soon, as you know she would not want to give you pain. Seize what you can in each day, and live it in her honor. :bighug

Glad this is all working out so well! You got good advice, and I was thinking the same as foxysmom, too. Watch, pay attention to your gut feeling, but also pay attention to what the other dogs' senses may be picking up that you're not. Sorry for the attack, too! yeesh! My nightmare! Hope there are no lingering psychological effects.

I'm in awe of your many bomb-proof dogs!

Oo! Picking up some good ideas for new ones here! Of my three, Pogo seems to know the most words. Brilly may just be ignoring the ones he's not interested in. Katie (my rescued borzoi, with us since December) is picking things up more slowly. We're not sure just how bright she is, or if she's hampered by having to translate from Korean (she's from S. Korea). Pogo knows at least these, both from verbal and hand cues: c'mere down way down (on his side) roll over sit wait shake bow double shake (both paws) spin unspin high five up (can be just "get up here", or put both front paws on whatever I'm holding out, e.g. my knee) off in out wait go around (both ways, cued by hand) back go potty (go pee-pee, go poopy) walkies feed the kitties car-car settle go to bed have some water where's your toy? and Get your toy! Wanna play your game? (lure pole) Leave it (sort of!) Drop it (when he feels like it!) go on (translation: get away, I'm not interested in your happy water bucket drool in my dinner, thank you very much!) Okay (the universal release) Do you want to go in the yard? Do you want to go potty? Do you need your muzzle? (he gets too wound up sometimes, and this really helps him get a grip) A totally visual cue: hands on hips, head tilted, non-nonsense look on face = you heard me, young man! I will not repeat myself, and the good thing doesn't happen until you do what I said. Probably more, but that's all I can think of at the moment. That's 36 (I keep thinking of more! Not too shabby. He totally understands if we're asking or telling, so we have to be clear in our own minds before we say something to him. Brilly knows about half those, when he feels like it. Katie (or "Towelly", as we sometimes call her ) only knows sit, down, shake, wait, bow, and that when we wave our arms in a given direction, she's supposed to follow it.

You're getting some great advice here (especially like Batmom's, and the calming signals), so I'll just throw in my own two cents. I have two dogs with fear issues of different kinds. Pogo is scared of ... all sorts of things, including area rugs. He's also pretty reactive, which has led to dog aggression at times. Katie (a borzoi) was scared of pretty much everything when we got her in December. Pogo's fear seems to be helped by a DAP collar, which we just keep him wearing at all times now. But, he also seems to be helped by clicker training through specific fears (like the area rug). Luckily, he's highly food motivated, and not scared of me. You might try clicker training as a pretty easy way of re-directing her attention to something positive in what was formerly a scary situation. Use high-value treats! Katie's fears have just slowly given 'way over the months, though she still has her moments, and occasionally decides something is not-safe that formerly was. Calming signals, clicker-training, high-value treats for the scariest stuff, all these have helped, along with a lot of low-key normal life going on which she can choose to join or not. We also put Rescue Remedy in the water bucket (just a few drops in half a bucket of water). There are also a lot of alternative supplements that might help, too, with hopefully fewer potential side-effects than drugs might have. I wish you luck! I hope you can get her settled down without drugs, but thank goodness they're available if necessary (maybe temporarily?)

What a horrible time you've had of it recently! : Toby and Emma certainly knew your love for them was the most enduring thing in your life, and you were together 'til the end had to come. With all you've been through, the love and the losses, the pain will out-weigh the joy for awhile, but the love you have to give will come surging back in time to fill all that emptiness with joy again. Until then, take gentle care of yourself. :bighug

Lookin' good, Jeff! What a lot of work (as I happen to have some small reason to know ), so thanks for giving up your vacay for us! I see there's a string of social media links on the very bottom of the page, so you can "like" a whole thread I guess. I do kinda like the idea of liking a post (not for Facebook, but for the reasons Jay mentioned). If I get a vote!

Lucy, yeesh! : Poor Legs! I'm just catching up, but I see there's no news here ... Maybe you posted elsewhere. I'll go look ...