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[Cheska]

Just scheduled a TPLO procedure (torn ACL) for my nearly 7 year old lab-shepherd. Fucking crazy expensive, but the boy has been 3-legging it for long enough and things aren't getting better so it's time to bite the bullet.

Anyone here had this done with their dog? Thoughts/experiences?


zazrx - absolutely adorable looking puppy you got there

I've had it done to our 8 year old Husky and have a ton of experience with it as well due to working in the field.

First of all let me warn you, it's a bitch. Procedure is super smooth but the recovery process is very long and like you said, expensive. I hope you either got a crate or plan on getting a short leash and tying the guy down to a couch leg or something. It's essentially a 8-12 week process with minimal exercise and some good drugs for two weeks.

In all honestly, the most important part of it all though is having a board certified surgeon performing the surgery. My doctor isn't and we always get one that we work closely with whenever we have an orthopedic procedure. Some general practitioners will still perform the surgeries but there's a multitude of complications that can arise from it not being done correctly, and if you're paying 3-4K, you want to make sure you're getting the best right?

PM if you have any questions, I can do my best to answer them.

 

[Dr.Horrible]

I've had it done to our 8 year old Husky and have a ton of experience with it as well due to working in the field.

First of all let me warn you, it's a bitch. Procedure is super smooth but the recovery process is very long and like you said, expensive. I hope you either got a crate or plan on getting a short leash and tying the guy down to a couch leg or something. It's essentially a 8-12 week process with minimal exercise and some good drugs for two weeks.

In all honestly, the most important part of it all though is having a board certified surgeon performing the surgery. My doctor isn't and we always get one that we work closely with whenever we have an orthopedic procedure. Some general practitioners will still perform the surgeries but there's a multitude of complications that can arise from it not being done correctly, and if you're paying 3-4K, you want to make sure you're getting the best right?

PM if you have any questions, I can do my best to answer them.

Thanks for the response. Our vet has a board certified surgeon that they book certain days of the week to do procedures like this, so I think we are covered from that standpoint and they have been very upfront about what to expect with recovery. I have no doubt it's going to be an absolute pain in the ass to keep the normally very active Barley on nearly full lock down for 2-2.5 months, but we determined it was in his best interests and are committed to doing it. And yeah, that 3K price tag blows and every non dog person I know thinks we are nuts. Don't care though, he has plenty of great years left and we'd prefer he be at full capacity for them.

How do you manage stairs post surgery? He'll be locked out of the basement, but they are unavailable when going outside to do his business. Carry him?

 

[LogicStep]

Does anyone have any experience with dog training? In particular, clicker training? I've watched like 100 videos already on how to teach your dog behaviors and tricks. Right now I'm just focusing on behaviors but it feels like I'm not getting anywhere. My puppy, during a training session, will do some things like back away from food after I cover it and looks at me to get it, she will sit and down with the help of hand signals since just the verbal cue won't work, she just barks at me if I give the verbal cue with no hand signal. I'm trying to teach the positive interrupter but that doesn't seem to work. I'm trying to teach her "off" as the interrupter and sometimes she will look at me and I will click and treat but most of the time she ignores me when I'm saying "off". It seems like all she wants to do is play.

What annoys me is that I see these videos and they're like "this is her first training session" and the puppy picks things up super fast, and I'm left wondering what am I doing wrong? Shelby likes the treats. I made them myself from some food rolls. I have a variety too and she likes them all. Duck, Beef, Turkey and Cheese. But after the training session is over with, none of the things we've been working on work, I don't understand.

She sometimes goes outside to go but a lot of times she also just pees inside. I clean up and use a spray that gets rid of the odor. This takes a long time to do? How come in these videos these dogs "get it" so damn fast?

Also, the whole teach the dog what you want it to do instead of what it's doing thing, how? I know how it's supposed to be but it isn't working. For example my puppy starts to chew on something, I get her attention, give her a chew toy and play with her for a bit, like 30 seconds and I leave her. She stays like that for a while then goes back to chewing on the wrong thing and I repeat the process. But it doesn't stick or fix the issue. Are these trainers in the videos forgetting to mention something, like "this will take days or weeks for the pup to learn it"?

 

[kevo_huevo]

Does anyone have any experience with dog training? In particular, clicker training? I've watched like 100 videos already on how to teach your dog behaviors and tricks. Right now I'm just focusing on behaviors but it feels like I'm not getting anywhere. My puppy, during a training session, will do some things like back away from food after I cover it and looks at me to get it, she will sit and down with the help of hand signals since just the verbal cue won't work, she just barks at me if I give the verbal cue with no hand signal. I'm trying to teach the positive interrupter but that doesn't seem to work. I'm trying to teach her "off" as the interrupter and sometimes she will look at me and I will click and treat but most of the time she ignores me when I'm saying "off". It seems like all she wants to do is play.

What annoys me is that I see these videos and they're like "this is her first training session" and the puppy picks things up super fast, and I'm left wondering what am I doing wrong? Shelby likes the treats. I made them myself from some food rolls. I have a variety too and she likes them all. Duck, Beef, Turkey and Cheese. But after the training session is over with, none of the things we've been working on work, I don't understand.

She sometimes goes outside to go but a lot of times she also just pees inside. I clean up and use a spray that gets rid of the odor. This takes a long time to do? How come in these videos these dogs "get it" so damn fast?

Also, the whole teach the dog what you want it to do instead of what it's doing thing, how? I know how it's supposed to be but it isn't working. For example my puppy starts to chew on something, I get her attention, give her a chew toy and play with her for a bit, like 30 seconds and I leave her. She stays like that for a while then goes back to chewing on the wrong thing and I repeat the process. But it doesn't stick or fix the issue. Are these trainers in the videos forgetting to mention something, like "this will take days or weeks for the pup to learn it"?

i don't have experience training a puppy, but when we adopted our dog, we found that he was pretty much motivated by treats. he didn't care for a clicker or positive reinforcement/affirmation. our dog is fairly smart too (acd/corgi mix, ranked 10/11 on the intelligence scale i believe), and it worked best if his training sessions were short but frequent. the key is to be consistent though, and always remember to repeat the same commands and motions and verbal cues. if she is getting things wrong, a simple 'uh oh!' can work -- maybe have her refocus her attention on you by saying 'uh oh!' and turning away or moving to another spot -- try to end sessions on a good note as well.

your dog is still really young and it may take some weeks/months for her to mature a little bit more to grasp what you're trying to do with her. best of luck.

 

[LogicStep]

i don't have experience training a puppy, but when we adopted our dog, we found that he was pretty much motivated by treats. he didn't care for a clicker or positive reinforcement/affirmation. our dog is fairly smart too (acd/corgi mix, ranked 10/11 on the intelligence scale i believe), and it worked best if his training sessions were short but frequent. the key is to be consistent though, and always remember to repeat the same commands and motions and verbal cues. if she is getting things wrong, a simple 'uh oh!' can work -- maybe have her refocus her attention on you by saying 'uh oh!' and turning away or moving to another spot -- try to end sessions on a good note as well.

your dog is still really young and it may take some weeks/months for her to mature a little bit more to grasp what you're trying to do with her. best of luck.

Yeah, I guess I need to do them in shorter bursts but frequent. I'm gonna try the moving to different places since when we do our session she sits or lies down really close to me so it's hard to have space, plus I guess it doesn't help that I'm sitting on the floor in front of her, I'll try standing. I'll try to keep my treats on me as much as I can. I figured, these dogs are one, if not the smartest breed, so maybe I just need to wait a little for her to mature some, get a little older before she really starts to catch on.

She likes the treats, cheese seems to be the best one but she likes them all.

Another thing she's being doing that I have no idea how to correct is when she goes to drink water, she starts clawing/digging at the bottom of the bowl getting her paws and surrounding all wet.

 

[LogicStep]

Well it seems like the cheese was bad for her, she started having a bit of diarrhea because of that, at least that's what we think and what the vet said. I need something that is safe for her to eat and that she will love and go crazy for it. Can I try hams? For example low fat turkey ham? Something for treats and to mix with her dry food since she doesn't seem to like it much. I tried checking online but I can't find a clear answer, more like a bunch of opinions.

 

[kevo_huevo]

Well it seems like the cheese was bad for her, she started having a bit of diarrhea because of that, at least that's what we think and what the vet said. I need something that is safe for her to eat and that she will love and go crazy for it. Can I try hams? For example low fat turkey ham? Something for treats and to mix with her dry food since she doesn't seem to like it much. I tried checking online but I can't find a clear answer, more like a bunch of opinions.

try to find some Pure Bites brand treats. they're good for training; literally, they are freeze dried meat:
liver: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z3ODTG/?tag=neogaf0e-20
chicken: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z3MBRM/?tag=neogaf0e-20
comes in all kinds of flavors, i think they have like a sweet potato/vegetarian option too.

 

[LogicStep]

try to find some Pure Bites brand treats. they're good for training; literally, they are freeze dried meat:
liver: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z3ODTG/?tag=neogaf0e-20
chicken: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Z3MBRM/?tag=neogaf0e-20
comes in all kinds of flavors, i think they have like a sweet potato/vegetarian option too.

Those look like good options. I'll see if I can find those at Petsmart, if not I'll try ordering from Amazon.

My puppy is doing good now, we gave her medicine and watched her diet, she's almost back to normal now. Just waiting on the medicine to run out before I try training her again with treats.

 

[kevo_huevo]

Those look like good options. I'll see if I can find those at Petsmart, if not I'll try ordering from Amazon.

My puppy is doing good now, we gave her medicine and watched her diet, she's almost back to normal now. Just waiting on the medicine to run out before I try training her again with treats.

you should be able to find that brand at PetSmart. other good brands for training treats are Zuke's and Blue Buffalo/Blue Wilderness. i personally stay away from biscuit-type treats and jerky-stick kind of treats. i know chicken jerky tends to get recalled frequently.

again, personally, i also stay away from purina, kibbles n bits, pedigree and other large brands. i have been happy with orijen, natural balance, blue buffalo/wilderness, honest kitchen and stella & chewys. YMMV, of course. but when we adopted our dog he was eating pretty bad food/treats. we switched him to blue wilderness and purebites for training and we noticed his coat was super soft and shiny and his breath was a lot better. of course, most of what you feed you dog this will come down to your (and most importantly your dog's) preference.

 

[LogicStep]

I'm gonna try those. Funny you mention that, my parents bought her some Purina treats, the baked ones. She looooves them.

What about her food? I'm feeding her Merrick's puppy but she doesn't really seem to like it. She eats a kibble or two and leaves. Later comes for a few more. Should I change brands and see if she enjoys it more? My old dog used to eat his food like he liked it.

 

[kevo_huevo]

I'm gonna try those. Funny you mention that, my parents bought her some Purina treats, the baked ones. She looooves them.

What about her food? I'm feeding her Merrick's puppy but she doesn't really seem to like it. She eats a kibble or two and leaves. Later comes for a few more. Should I change brands and see if she enjoys it more? My old dog used to eat his food like he liked it.

as far as food goes, in no particular order these are really good/healthy brands:
orijen, natural balance, blue buffalo/wilderness, honest kitchen and stella & chewys

ideally you'd like to avoid a ton of corn, soy, wheat, and a lot of other additives. just get into the habit of reading the ingredients on the back of the food and make sure you recognize and can determine the good/natural ingredients from the bad.

this is a good place to start:
http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Healthy-Dog-Food

more of a comprehensive list of ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/?page=badingredients

we give our dog blue wilderness kibble, mixed with honest kitchen dehydrated food (veggies, turkey, etc), some pumpkin and glucosamine twice a day.

 

[Dr.Horrible]

Barley made it out of his tplo surgery just fine and we brought him home Thursday night. He looks pretty silly wih his leg and half his butt shaved, but his cut looks pretty crazy. First night we let him go coneless and he was fine, then my wife takes a 30 min nap the next afternoon and he pulls a bunch of staples. He has been perma-coned now.

Edit - pic links instead due to size

http://www.imgur.com/YBopIcN.jpeg - shaved leg
http://www.imgur.com/92QXQXp.jpeg - cone dog
http://www.imgur.com/d5UeQPp.jpeg - pic of his cut from surgery


Regarding the cone, does anyone have experience with soft cones? They any good? Seems like it'd be much more comfortable for him.

 

[red13th]

My boyfriend (with an awkward smile) and my yorkie.

 

[LogicStep]

Poor Shelby broke her leg last night when I was playing around with her. She fell on her side but in a bad way. Went to the vet this morning and they put a spline on her leg. Tomorrow we're taking her to a specialist to see what has to be done if anything. The break was very clean. On the X-Ray you could see the break as a clean line and the bone parts are still where they should be, just broken. Hopefully she gets cured soon without any surgery and makes a complete recovery.

Here's a picture of her.

Poor pup loves to run around and play all day and now she has to stay like this for who knows how long. They said since she's a puppy she should recover fine and quickly since she's growing up so fast.

Edit: I feel so sad and guilty, I really hope it heals well.. taking her to a specialist this Thursday to find out more about her leg.

 

[Ravager61]

Hey Dog-GAF. I'm looking for some tips from people with experience keeping dogs in a city.

I have been a dog lover my whole life and ever since moving out of my parents place, I have wanted a dog of my own. A family friend has to give up their Australian Shepherd for various reasons and I expressed some interest in it.

I picked him up yesterday and he is staying with me all weekend as a kind of trial run. I must say, he is one of the best dogs I have ever been around in my life. He's smart, house trained, listens when I say no, great around other dogs and other people. The list goes on.

Now my problem. I'm single and currently live in a 1 bedroom apartment. I've read that this particular breed can be very energetic and I'm very worried that he won't be happy in such a small place. I work from home a few days a week and I would probably hire a dog walker for the days I'm in the office but I still have concerns. Anyone have a similar experience similar to mine? Any tips that would help him better adjust should I decide to keep him?

 

[Snaggletooth]

My new 8 week old Jack Russells. Brother and sister named Ayla and Dallas.

It's been 8 years since my last dog died and these 2 have brought me so much joy and yet sad fond memories at the same time.

 

[Socreges]

Looks like we'll be getting a dog within the next couple months. Definitely a rescue dog, but we still need to narrow down what type of dog. I'm hoping for a good balance between smarts (eg, jack russel) and low maintenance (not requiring hour-long walks each morning). The lady wants a smaller dog that we can take everywhere, whereas I don't want anything that's more a toy than a pet/companion. So we've still got some figuring out to do.

Question for you guys: Did getting a rescue dog ever seem like an option for you? Was it more important that you get a specific breed?

The reason I ask is because virtually all of the rescue dogs we get up here (Canada) are actually from breeders in the U.S. where the dogs are unwanted and destined to die. There are just so many breeders in the U.S. and not much interest in rescue dogs unfortunately. Everyone wants that perfect purebred.

 

[Celegus]

Looks like we'll be getting a dog within the next couple months. Definitely a rescue dog, but we still need to narrow down what type of dog. I'm hoping for a good balance between smarts (eg, jack russel) and low maintenance (not requiring hour-long walks each morning). The lady wants a smaller dog that we can take everywhere, whereas I don't want anything that's more a toy than a pet/companion. So we've still got some figuring out to do.

Question for you guys: Did getting a rescue dog ever seem like an option for you? Was it more important that you get a specific breed?

The reason I ask is because virtually all of the rescue dogs we get up here (Canada) are actually from breeders in the U.S. where the dogs are unwanted and destined to die. There are just so many breeders in the U.S. and not much interest in rescue dogs unfortunately. Everyone wants that perfect purebred.

I just got a rescue dog about a month ago, my first dog ever. He's a 5 year old Maltese, which is a pretty low maintenance dog and isn't too small to run around with outside. My apartment building only allows dogs under 25 pounds and I have cats, so I just wanted a breed that would do well with both of those requirements.

He's totally fine with the cats and well behaved most of the time. He does have a problem with barking at / pulling towards other dogs when we walk by them, which I'm not exactly sure how to fix. It seems to get him all stressed out, and then he'll be pulling the rest of the walk. He also tends to bark when Ieave the house for work, until he realizes I'm not coming back. But when I'm home, he loves to follow me around and lick my face, etc. He got used to his new home pretty much immediately, and took a huge liking to my wife and I.

But like I said, it's my first one and I've only had him for a month. I'm trying to work on his few little problems, but I'm sure it'll take time (and probably some classes). I would absolutely take a rescue dog again, as long as it's a breed compatabile with your living situation.

 

[NH Apache]

Looks like we'll be getting a dog within the next couple months. Definitely a rescue dog, but we still need to narrow down what type of dog. I'm hoping for a good balance between smarts (eg, jack russel) and low maintenance (not requiring hour-long walks each morning). The lady wants a smaller dog that we can take everywhere, whereas I don't want anything that's more a toy than a pet/companion. So we've still got some figuring out to do.

Question for you guys: Did getting a rescue dog ever seem like an option for you? Was it more important that you get a specific breed?

The reason I ask is because virtually all of the rescue dogs we get up here (Canada) are actually from breeders in the U.S. where the dogs are unwanted and destined to die. There are just so many breeders in the U.S. and not much interest in rescue dogs unfortunately. Everyone wants that perfect purebred.

Well, first off, not everyone in the US wants a perfect purebred. Let's not go down that road.

Have you narrowed down the breeds you like by characteristics? (Shedding, how vocal, smartz, etc.) We could help y'all look!

As for choice, there really are so many options, at least in my area, for adopting a dog that you can really find whatever you want as long as you look. Both of ours are adopted and I wouldn't have it any other way. I do regret that I missed out on the puppy years of one of them, but we adopted the other at 8 weeks so it is possible to get that experience.

As for interest in rescue dogs, over the past few years, there was a resugence of avoiding puppy mills and adopting instead. I wish I had some stats, but from my personal experience, I believe it seems to be getting much better.

I just got a rescue dog about a month ago, my first dog ever. He's a 5 year old Maltese, which is a pretty low maintenance dog and isn't too small to run around with outside. My apartment building only allows dogs under 25 pounds and I have cats, so I just wanted a breed that would do well with both of those requirements.

He's totally fine with the cats and well behaved most of the time. He does have a problem with barking at / pulling towards other dogs when we walk by them, which I'm not exactly sure how to fix. It seems to get him all stressed out, and then he'll be pulling the rest of the walk. He also tends to bark when Ieave the house for work, until he realizes I'm not coming back. But when I'm home, he loves to follow me around and lick my face, etc. He got used to his new home pretty much immediately, and took a huge liking to my wife and I.

But like I said, it's my first one and I've only had him for a month. I'm trying to work on his few little problems, but I'm sure it'll take time (and probably some classes). I would absolutely take a rescue dog again, as long as it's a breed compatabile with your living situation.

My Fiance's sister has a maltese that cannot be around any dogs or left alone. The thing is psycho. It will actively attack any dog it is around. If you kennel her, she will jump against the top of the kennel until her head bleeds. It's bad. Most likely it is bad upbringing in terms of her case. I'm not sure what the typical behavior is supposed to be for the breed, but they are very smart, and in her case, manipulative.

 

[Alric]

This is Sif, she is our Siberian Husky and a little cute pain in our ass.

Here is an imgur link to a whole group of pics showing her age from 3 weeks until 5 Months (how old she is now). http://imgur.com/a/V0qDu

This is a video of her first swim about a month ago or so. I took it with one of those not too expensive underwater cameras. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbRh6NK_8p0

Here is some of the funnier facial expressions Sif makes.

 

[Teggy]

That's one cute pup (and one not very modest gf/wife ) Enjoy!

 

[Socreges]

Well, first off, not everyone in the US wants a perfect purebred. Let's not go down that road.

Have you narrowed down the breeds you like by characteristics? (Shedding, how vocal, smartz, etc.) We could help y'all look!

As for choice, there really are so many options, at least in my area, for adopting a dog that you can really find whatever you want as long as you look. Both of ours are adopted and I wouldn't have it any other way. I do regret that I missed out on the puppy years of one of them, but we adopted the other at 8 weeks so it is possible to get that experience.

As for interest in rescue dogs, over the past few years, there was a resugence of avoiding puppy mills and adopting instead. I wish I had some stats, but from my personal experience, I believe it seems to be getting much better.



My Fiance's sister has a maltese that cannot be around any dogs or left alone. The thing is psycho. It will actively attack any dog it is around. If you kennel her, she will jump against the top of the kennel until her head bleeds. It's bad. Most likely it is bad upbringing in terms of her case. I'm not sure what the typical behavior is supposed to be for the breed, but they are very smart, and in her case, manipulative.

"Everyone wants that perfect purebred" was more of an expression than meant to be taken literally. My bad for generalizing. That said, I think the stat is about 1/5th of 'new dogs' are taken from shelters. Anyway it's really good to hear that it's getting better. I hope that trend continues.

We're about to dive in to the decision-making process, so I figure I'll be back in here with some questions. I've been the skeptic/realist for the last while as we've both been so busy, while my gf has been the one pushing to get a dog. Now that I've caved and think it might be a good time, I can start getting excited.

Celegus, some dogs are just not all that comfortable around other dogs. I think it might be a good idea to find dog parks or areas where you'd find a lot of dogs and just continue to give it exposure. But I'm sure there are also a lot of websites out there that'd be helpful.

 

[Antagon]

So many cute dogs here.

Some day I'll have one again.

 

[Celegus]

Celegus, some dogs are just not all that comfortable around other dogs. I think it might be a good idea to find dog parks or areas where you'd find a lot of dogs and just continue to give it exposure. But I'm sure there are also a lot of websites out there that'd be helpful.

I think it's more of a territory thing, now that we've had him a little longer. He was a perfect gentlemen with all the other people and dogs when we took him to the groomer on Saturday, but when other dogs are near our apartment where he does his business, he gets a little crazy. I want to see how he does at the dog park, as soon as I stop being sick.

And Sif is the best possible name for that dog. You done got it right!

 

[Socreges]

I think it's more of a territory thing, now that we've had him a little longer. He was a perfect gentlemen with all the other people and dogs when we took him to the groomer on Saturday, but when other dogs are near our apartment where he does his business, he gets a little crazy. I want to see how he does at the dog park, as soon as I stop being sick.

And Sif is the best possible name for that dog. You done got it right!

Ah then it's definitely him being territorial. Our friend's dog is the same way with other dogs. We took her to the beach a couple weeks ago and she didn't have any problems whatsoever (with the other dogs). But the moment we set up our towels and sat in the same area for a moment, things changed. A new dog walked by and suddenly she was barking and trying to scare it off.

It's amazing how their brain 'switches' once they feel that we've claimed new territory for ourselves.

 

[LogicStep]

:')

 

[Socreges]

Little Bobbie didn't live a very long life, damn.

My fault for doing the math.

Anyway.... looks like we might be weeks or even days away from getting our own dog/puppy. Exciting times, but it's hard/awkward dismissing dogs that are basically on their death beds (about to be euthanized) because they don't meet our needs exactly. Lots of sadness seeing all these dogs in shelters (via photos and databases) with the clock ticking.

 

[Karak]

I don't think I updated here when we got our 4th dog Lau.
He is a black lab...something mix ha! A little confusion there.

Puppy pics

Current pic
Loki, Lau, Zen Ming

Lau is huge now. Zen is still the biggest at 99 pounds but Lau is 76 pounds since Jan of this year. Serious food bills

Ignore the damn hankerchiefs. My wife is a lovely dork I admit that 4 dogs is a hassle but I would not have it any other way. Lau also is the cuddliest and nicest dog I have owned, even moreso than my own childhood dogs. We really do feel blessed as a family to have found him. He was the last of a litter at our friends local pet store. It was karma really. I woke up at 3am and couldn't sleep and for reasons I can't explain I ended up looking up old friends on Facebook and found my friend who owns a shop in town. I went to visit her. Left with a dog

 

[speedpop]

I admit that 4 dogs is a hassle but I would not have it any other way.

I feel the same way, and I only have 2 dogs and 3 cats. It's as if the more pets you own, the more you see their individual personalities come to shine.

 

[potam]

My beautiful boy, Yoshi (I really wish I had gotten the eye boogers out of his eyes before I took this):

lab/pit mix, though I'm not sure how accurate the Humane Society is.

 

[LogicStep]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU-eSsdiiAE

:3 Just having some fun here.

 

[Karak]

I feel the same way, and I only have 2 dogs and 3 cats. It's as if the more pets you own, the more you see their individual personalities come to shine.

Ya its great times. Days where I get frustrated I LOVE to go out and just hang with them. Lau is a great dog for that as the dude is never ever unhappy. Just a ball of awesome and fun.

 

[kevo_huevo]

My GF and I just put in an application to adopt our 2nd dog.
If successful, we would then have two cattle dog/corgi mixes (see avatar).
Here's the hopeful addition to our family:

 

[DonMigs85]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O0iRYycmlOI

 

[Socreges]

So our rescue pup arrives from California in a few days and we're hoping to clicker train him (assuming he takes to it well). Can anyone recommend a helpful website for clicker training?

 

[jiggles]

So, dog-GAF. Spaying. When should I do it?

Me and my girlfriend got a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy a couple of months ago. We were initially of the mindset that we would get her spayed before she's first in season, because we'd have a difficult time coping with a litter of puppies (we both work full-time), but now we're not so sure it needs to be done so soon.

She's not able to get out to other dogs unsupervised, so accidents are unlikely. I've been told by a few other owners out on walks that having at least one litter is good for a bitch's temperament, but I don't know if that's true or not. We got her 5 generation pedigree from the kennel club, and there was a few national and international champions in the line, so if either me or my girlfriend's situation changes, it'd be nice to keep the line going and make a little cash while doing it.

She's 4 months old, so if I want it done before she's first in heat, I'd probably need to start looking into it soon, right? Or if I decide to wait and see, how bothersome can I expect her to be in heat?

OBLIGATORY PIC DUMP

First day home:

3 months:

4 months:

 

[teruterubozu]

Usually dogs are spayed anywhere btwn 4-6 months, but rescue dogs are often spayed/neutered even earlier when released to new owners. My opinion is that it is a dog owner's duty to get your animal fixed - most people are lousy breeders and are inexperienced with finding the right homes for a litter. There are enough dogs, you don't need to make more.

Second, the earlier you spay/neuter your pet the faster the recovery process will be. Younger dogs tend to get back on their feet quicker after surgery. Basically, if you see her humping (yes, female dogs do this too) and/or marking her territory, it means it's time.

 

[The Albatross]

Anybody have any experience with luxating patella surgery on a small dog? Probably going to have to bring my 2-year-old Boston Terrier in for the surgery. It started showing up back in May, and he was put on Rimadyl and monitored and it's generally slowly gotten worse... To the point now where he's limping much more than he originally would.

Any tips? Anybody else had to do a luxating patella surgery or similar knee surgery on their dog?

It's gonna be a challenge to keep him not-active for a few months... I don't even know how we're gonna do that. He's a ball of energy at 2 years.

 

[Cheska]

So, dog-GAF. Spaying. When should I do it?

She's 4 months old, so if I want it done before she's first in heat, I'd probably need to start looking into it soon, right? Or if I decide to wait and see, how bothersome can I expect her to be in heat?

I wouldn't push it past the 6 month mark, once they go into their first heat, which could be anywhere from 6-9 months (sometimes even longer) they will already have some of the hormones which could make them more susceptible to things like mammary tumors in the future.

Anybody have any experience with luxating patella surgery on a small dog? Probably going to have to bring my 2-year-old Boston Terrier in for the surgery. It started showing up back in May, and he was put on Rimadyl and monitored and it's generally slowly gotten worse... To the point now where he's limping much more than he originally would.

Any tips? Anybody else had to do a luxating patella surgery or similar knee surgery on their dog?

It's gonna be a challenge to keep him not-active for a few months... I don't even know how we're gonna do that. He's a ball of energy at 2 years.

I'm surprised he's not responding to the meds. Luxating patella's are incredibly common in little dogs, but they don't generally recommend surgery unless it becomes a constant problem for the dog. Is it possible he tore his cruciate ligament as well? Did he have xrays taken?

 

[The Albatross]

He did respond to the Rimadyl but in the last few weeks he hasn't responded as well. When he first went on it, it was instantly better. The limp was gone and he was putting weight on his right leg. But, slowly, he hasn't responded to it as well.

They took XRays about ~2 months ago when I first had him in and confirmed it was a luxating patella, but that it wasn't too bad. Around then, the limps happened especially after getting up from a nap. Now, the limps are pretty much constant... Walks with a skip all the time and never puts weight on his back leg unless totally pre-occupied like how he is right now with a gross bone.

Also I've avoided anything really strenuous this summer, no major walks, though regular exercise out in the back yard. On sunday his leg was especially bad after a few hours of playing with my sister's 14-week-old pug which wanted to play all the time.

:')

Haha, this makes me sad / happy

 

[jiggles]

Cheers for the advice, guys. I guess I'll contact the vet in the next few weeks to make the arrangements.

 

[Midnight Moon]

I don't think I updated here when we got our 4th dog Lau.
He is a black lab...something mix ha! A little confusion there.

Puppy pics

I love it, I have had 3 black labs in my life and they are all my best friends. Shadow is 4 years old he's so silly

 

[kendrid]

We adopted our first dog today from a local non-kill shelter. They think he is a lab/terrier mix. We might do the DNA test just to know (I am curious).

He is super sweet and isn't a barker at all. Right now he's laying on my lap falling asleep while I watch preseason football and surf.

We aren't sure how big he will be but we are okay with whatever he ends up being.

Here are his sister (left) and him side by side. He is currently 12 weeks old and 10 lbs.

 

[jourdy]

An army of small dogs!
4 Chihuahuas and a Biewer Yorkshire Terrier.

 

[Celegus]

So I've had my 5 year old Maltese for 3 months now, and he's still just as bad around other dogs (barking, lunging, etc). He seems to get really stressed out from it and other noises outside, it feels like he's growling and barking far more often than panting and just being happy or playful like he was when we first got him. I'm not sure what the problem is, or if most dogs go through this stage as they get used to a new home, I just want whatever's best for him and I doubt being stressed out is his idea of a good time. He also recently started nipping at his paws constantly, like a nervous tic. No fleas or marks or anything out of the ordinary - doesn't seem to be in pain, he just keeps doing it.

We take him out for walks 6 times a day so he's getting plenty of exercise, and I always play with him (toys or wrestling or running around outside) whenever he's in the mood. His food is good quality and eats pretty regularly (sometimes only eats half of his bowl).

 

[joelseph]

Mornings are hard

 

[.hacked]

New lil guy my wife brought home yesterday (we run a small pet boutique, needed a little guy to test out products on).

He is a long hair chihuahua, his name is Gizmo

Here he is with our Kiss My Mutt line of collars we sell (smallest one we carry)

Group pic, all the Dog-A-Do's

 

[Oidisco]

This my awesome 9-month old Border Collie-Spaniel mix.

Mainly posting here for a bit of advice (dunno if there's another thread around for getting advice for pets).

So this morning I noticed that he has a tick attached to the back of his right ear. Never happened before and I'm not sure if it's something that would need a trip to the vet, so I'm just wondering if there's anything I can do to remove it safely myself.

One more thing, does anybody know why my dog would suddenly start behaving really badly on a leash? He used to be pretty good on the leash, would rarely try to pull away or run at other dogs, now I can barely walk outside my front gate without him trying to pull away from me.
I wouldn't think it was that weird, except the exact same thing is happening to my sisters dog, and they're both brothers. My dad said a puppies behaviour can sometimes change randomly, though I'm not sure how true that is.

Anyways, any advice about this would be great.

 

[joelseph]

 

[Ryck]

A friend of mine was over for Football on Sunday and brought his camera with him. Took this cool photo of my dog Monty.

and this is a photo of my other dog Kornelius glaring at the photo of Monty ( they hate each other deeply)