nancy

The trainer for the class in which my dog is finishing says that the dog's main problem is that she is afraid. We have had this dog for 8 of her 15 months of life. I said that we don't know what might have made her that way with a birth home, a family home, the pound, and a rescue in those first 7 months. The trainer said that had nothing to do with anything. That it is genetic. Is there such a thing as a dog that is genetically afraid?

Once again - same old same old. A poster asks about doing something. Gets told why it isn't a wise choice - with all sorts of detailed experiential background. Then keeps posting why it will be done anyhow. It's like my dealing with DH. He asks my opinion. I give it. He says, "No." and does the opposite. Lately, I give the opposite of what I think. It's working! Should folks start trying that here?

I know how you feel. You and she were such a beautiful pair. You were lucky that her passing turned out to be so peaceful. She'll always be with you - until - way way from now - you are with her.

I shop Lupine. Exclusively. From family experiences, we all know they make great products and really to guarantee them. And I love their patterns. I have a step-in harness that we got for our previous dog as her arthritis made it a bit difficult for her to get up the stairs into the house. I could help her up because the hook for the leash is centered and lifts front and back together. Our new pup (just over a year old) does fine in it. My brother uses the Roman harness for his huskies. It seems to give him and his wife great control of the dogs. Well, the bigger one (100-120 lbs!) is now gone. But I expect them to be back up to 2 soon.

Both the Dixie Dog and Maggie da Cat get dry skin in the winter. I keep an old spray bottle from fake butter and fill it with canola oil. I spray their kibble with that for each of their 3 meals a day (5 squirts for the cat and 15 for the dog). It works a treat. This is the second set of beasts on which I've used this method. Maggie is strictly indoors - unless we can open the doors to the screen porch, which is her idea of the great wide world. Dixie lives indoors but gets at least 4 walks a day. Man, she has enjoyed our cold spell - and cracking and eating thin ice off puddles. I don't officially groom animals. I wash them only if they get into something terribly stinky or messy. I bush only when they're shedding.

Oh yes! Maggie da Cat is channeling the evil Siamese from "Lady and the Tramp" - and fooling DH every time. Poor Dixie Dog, unless I'm there and know.

As to marriage. Yeah, it can be a real challenge. But I've spent 47 years training DH. Not done yet, but getting there. No way I'd start all over again. And I can't go up a ladder to clean the gutters. So I have to make do.

Man, I understand this. And way more. I was checked out by a BC rescue and was in the process of meeting dogs we might adopt. A woman pulled a dog from a pound and asked if we might be interested. Sure. She was coming our way and would bring the dog. We expected a visit. She dropped the dog off and left saying that she knew we'd be a good home! The dog had been spayed 2 days before - pulled a week before. I have kept the dog - against DH's opinion. The poor thing had been moved from place to scarey place too often. And she has the saddest eyes when she wants. I love her to bits. And I'm so glad she was pulled. But I wish there'd been some time for an evaluation of what her needs are as she is a challenge. Then again, we live near where PETA got permission to pull lots of pets from shelters to "rescue" them. They euthanized all of them because it was better for them to be de3ad than to be pets! Shelters need some help knowing who is and isn't able to do what is right for each animal.

I'm not sure of the term "upcoming children". Are you pregnant? Whatever, there is plenty of time to get Riley used to kids. And babies start out as small and virtually immobile. They don't chase, pull on body parts, offer then remove tidbits.... They just smell great and lie there. Dogs and cats get used to them. Then, as they grow, they do wonderful things like drop food. Dogs, at least, learn to wait for the drop - not jump up to serve themselves. And they learn to do most of the post-meal clean-up - of the eating area and of the kid. Gently, which gets them way more licks. I grew up with cats in our house, an ancient dog at one grandparent house, and a cat and 2 dog at the other. I raised our kids with dogs and cats. My grandkids are being raised with a dog and 2 snakes (one house) - 2 dogs, 4 cats, several snakes, and some spiders at the the other. The kids all know how to behave around animals - and the mammals know how to behave around kids. I'd sort of worry about DH's response. What if he decides one or more of your friends look like people who won't agree with his parenting style. What if he worries about the attitudes of your church or other groups. He should at least be pro-active instead of re-active about real problems. And not create habitual behavior out of a single response. The "one strike and you're out" (heck, the whole team is out) response raises flags with me. If you're planning on kids, he (not just you) should start teaching both dogs how to get along with kids of various ages. In calm, 1-on-1 situations. Walk one dog where you're likely to meet a mother with a stroller - past neighbor with toddler. Even visit that family with the nephew. It cannot be all of a sudden. It has to be gradual. And now is the time to start. With the dogs - and with DH. He definitely needs training. Heck, our daughter (~46) came for Christmas with her partner of several years. She wanted to visit all her old friends from down here - none of whom he's met before. So they stayed in a motel, rather than with us. And he could stay there while she did some visits. Or go to a back room and read while everyone schmoozed and reminisced. It's been a success. Even humans need some way to get away and calm down.

Our previous dog, Fergie, loved meeting kids. Until one appeared with a Donald Duck hat - complete with a floppy duck bill. Then she was scared. But she still remembered that kids gave great pats and such. I taught her to sit when we met anyone - dog or human. Then I taught the people to greet her slowly - and to keep hands down where she could sniff, not up to "pat her head". Worked a treat. With Dixie, I have the opposite problem. We got Dix at about 7 months. Turned into a pound by a family "moving and can't take the dogs". She must have lived with - and want to live with - kids. She either jumps on or jumps away from adults. But she is totally calm with elementary-school kids. Lets them pat and hug and anything. Heck, she even ignores squirrels if there are kids around! Breaks my heart.

Our Fergie (RIP, April 2011) was a basket case well before thunder started. Low pressure did her in. She was fine until - when she was almost a year old, Hurricane Fran came right over us. From then on, she was a better predictor than the best local weatherman. Generic benedryl was all that did any good. As soon as she showed that a low pressure area was coming, she got a pill. And another every 4-6 hours. That really helped. But that was why, once England started allowing dog in without a 6-month quarantine, we didn't consider taking her with us in the spring. Although she'd have loved hiking in Yorkshire, the pressure and the noise in the hold on the flight over would not have been wise.

Why do I have to log in again every time I try to look at these forums? This just started this week. Honestly, it's a pain in the pushtookas. I haven't done anything different. Who has done what?

Dixie is one year old today. And we've had her for 5 months. She's settling in well - although Maggie da Cat may not agree. And she's doing fine in obedience class. No worse than any of the other 4 dogs - all rescues. But, as they are all adolescents, we're happy for any progress! We had a little party for her. She had a dinner of fancy food - free with a PetCo coupon - and got a bag of PetCo treats and a big new rope toy to chew. And all her favorite walks. We were told that she's definitely part border collie. From the nose and ears, we're sure the rest is fox!

My basic rule is: If this were me what would I want. If your eyes were going and you had trouble hearing - if your arthritis made your hands look like claws - if you had to tell the kids that you're not getting old, you're getting cute Would you expect them to put you down because your quality of life was not up there at the top? Now, if I were in pain, having seizures, unable to even interact with others..., I wish my family could give me release. Yeah, I have a "living will". But that's only if I have to be on total life support. Your dog sound perfectly happy - just getting old. It happens to all of us. Enjoy the pup and let the pup enjoy you - and life.

In Durham, NC, it is no longer legal to have a dog on a chain, a rope, or a run line unless the owner is out there with the dog. Thanks to PETA and that "unchained" group. However, it's legal to keep the dog all the time in a 4x4 pen at the back of the yard. I honestly don't see the difference. I could see putting Dixie in a pen for the same times I put her in a crate - when I'm home. And I could see putting her on a run-line at those same times. I surely wouldn't keep her on either. And I wouldn't have her in either situation if I were not home. To me, it's not necessarily how but how often and for how long you put a dog out alone that matters. A 6'-high, 2'-deep fence (Dix jumps and digs quite well) around our acre would be great. First, can't figure out how to do that and keep all the trees; second, can't figure out how to then still have the visiting deer, red and grey fox, possums, raccoons, feral cats...; third, can't afford it anyhow.

Although I don't care for using the hose out back to clean off a smelly dog, I'd rather Dixie rolled in it than ate it. Goose poop causes really nasty diarrhea. And an infection that lasts. Cat poop (although we have turned Maggie's covered litter box to face the corner so Dixie cannot sneak there, the neighborhood feral cats - and raccoons and possums - leave tempting piles along our walks) leaves really nasty breath.

Julie, I just called Barbara and left a message. The site doesn't exactly say she isn't doing training, just that she's got a new project. Maybe it's something that will help us. I sure hope so - she's so close! Thanks.

I'm ready to admit that, with all the books the library can offer, I'm not doing well trying to train 10-month-old Dixie, who we've had for 3 months. So I need to find some classes near Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. OK, I admit that I know of a good place - but I live in southern Durham and it's down in New Hill. I'm sure I'd make it for about 2 classes. Then the drive would get to me, and I'd fall back. I can find some places listed relatively close to me. But I don't know anything about their reputations other than what they post on their sites. As my grandfather said, "If you don't believe me, ask me." I prefer recommendations from people I trust. As in you folks. My vet's office was able to tell me only about the place in New Hill. I'm taking Dixie over for her microchip this afternoon and will see if anyone there has any more information.

Never forgot a pet or a kid. Did think of forgetting a kid, though. Used to tell them, "I've come with three kids and will leave with three kids. I'm taking the best three I find. So watch it!" They are all in their 40s and definitely remember that.

I think (touch wood) that I have it under control. I rearranged the laundry room to get the galvanized pail for the dog kibble in there. And I moved enough around that I could put the litter box in at an angle. The cat can get in - but the dog can't. So far, so good. Today, she chewed up a pen (cheap give-away one) and a pencil. Otherwise, doing fine.

Wow, we seem to have gotten Dixie settled down enough that she isn't shredding anything (except for the big Nylabone that's supposed to be non-destructable). We do keep her crated when we can't watch her - and in the back half of the house (den, kitchen, breakfast room, & laundry room) when we can. So the latest is that she's finally discovered the kitty litter. Well, Vamp (1967-1982) not only dug into litter but dug into diaper pails and strewed the remains of Pampers around. But Fergie (1995-2011)totally ignored the litter box - even when it was just the open one with our previous cat. And, with Vamp, the litter box was in the basement - now it's just off the kitchen. Has anyone used For-Bid? It says that I can put a bit on Maggie's food each day, and it will keep Dixie from eating the poop. I'm willing to try it. Then again, I may be able to re-arrange the laundry room so Maggie can get at her litter, but Dixie can't. Or any other suggestions?

Luckily, our collar and harness are from Lupine. So, if she does chew one, I get a new one. Yes, I wish I'd realized that Dixie was not coming for a visit, but for a placement. She'd been pulled, spayed, vaccinated... and brought to us so quickly. I honestly did not expect to be handed a pup on Friday who'd been spayed on Wednesday. But I guess that some rescues are overwhelmed. As a victim of both stress and depression, I can sympathize with Dixie. So we are keeping her for now. And she really is improving. Maybe she just needs to feel secure. Don't we all?

Keeping fingers, toes, and eyes crossed. But Dixie has done well for two days now. I've started playing "I can grab your feet". Which can progress to "fetch (well sort of) the Kong". And she enjoys sitting by my side of the couch while we read and I just hang my arm down where she is. She seems to be calming down. Didn't realize that we were getting her within about a week of her being pulled from a pound. So anxiety about the sudden changes in her life may be the problem. I also did ask our priest to consider an early "blessing of the Animals" - or an exorcism.

Well, we've been trying most of the suggestions about Dixie. But we've realized that what she is doing is not really chewing but shredding. I know that's a subtle difference. But it means that she isn't interested in the normal chew things unless they shred to pieces. She will eat treats and chews. But she then heads right for anything she can shred. And it's hard to get her involved with games - physical or mind. She won't play catch, with anything. She won't even ply tug. She just wants to pull something apart. Even crating Dixie doesn't really help. This morning, I discovered that she has been pulling apart the mat in her crate. Sure, maybe getting her doing agility or herding out in the yard might help. But that's about as out of the question as a doggie psychiatrist is. I love the idea of an antler - although that might do some damage to our little TV and our stereo stuff. But the deer seem to feed on theirs - and I haven't seen such in PetCo or PetsMart. Any specific help for shredding - as opposed to chewing? And will it stop or is this a permanent personality thing?

So, is it OK to let her spend the evening chewing something that's OK to chew? I worry that it looks a tad compulsive. I don't mind "some" chewing. But from 6:30 to 11:00 seems to be overdoing it. Which is why I stop her.