terrecar

I’m sorry for your loss, D’Elle. Kelso’s story was inspiring. Thanks to you, he left this world surrounded by love. Nevertheless, losing them is so hard. Sending love.

On 5/12/2023 at 10:26 AM, D'Elle said:

I would put treats in my pocket and have them there all the time, and reward the dog every time that she obeys me. If she doesn't come away from the barking, I'd go get her and bring her next to me and tell her to lie down and no treat would be given, but if she comes she gets a treat every time. I'd do this for a month or so and then start rewarding frequently but  randomly so that she wouldn't know if she'd get a treat or not on any given occasion, but she'd always get praise and petting. Then, slowly over the course of several weeks i would wean that down to fewer times when the dog gets the treat. But it is never a bad idea to have treats in your pocket and reward occasionally even if there's no problem getting her to come without them. Intermittent reward, once the behavior is corrected or learned, can be even more effective than reward every time. I usually have a few charlie bears in a pocket so I can use them now and then.

This! This right here is the protocol used in operant conditioning, and it works.

For those who are grieving the loss of a canine companion, I recommend this podcast. Of course, there is no way to get to the other side of grief but through it (sometimes kicking and screaming). However, I have found this podcast helpful and hope it might be of use to others.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pet-loss-companion/id1551842408

Think Like a Sheepdog Trainer (Stephens & Kerber). Farm Diggity offers it, but you can probably get it from other sellers as well.

Lovely tribute for your Digger with the sweet face, D’Elle. I like the honorary Border Collie idea as well. Sending love and thoughts of comfort. 

Tomorrow will be one month since I lost my Hannah. I have wanted to write a proper memorial, but to be honest I am still processing the loss. I wanted to honor her though, because she is the reason that I came to these boards. This picture is from my visit with her on her second day at the ER Vet. I am posting it because I am so very grateful that I spent the time stroking her and telling her how much I loved her. And she was so happy to see me. I was with her on her final day as well.

Oh no, D’Elle, I’m so sorry. I remember reading your comments about Digger. My heart goes out to you as well.

I also want to offer condolences to you, Ruth, for the loss of your boy Gibbs.
 

Hannah has passed.

On 11/23/2022 at 3:49 PM, gcv-border said:

Agree with Journey regarding vet visit and the suggested supplement. There are also omega 3 supplements and supplements for muscle enhancement. Myos (a muscle ‘builder’) worked well for my senior dog, but not sure if it is available in the UK.

I think I’m going to look into Myos for Jan. She is 13 1/2 now and seemed to have a bit of trouble getting up into my car the other day. She still does zoomies in the yard, but I’ve also noticed a bit of trembling in her back legs that I had never seen before. Of course I’ll clear it with my vet before starting her on the supplement. Thanks for the mention of it.

My Hannah and Jan will take fish oil capsules like they’re getting a treat. For the Chihuahua, I just puncture the capsule end with an ice pick and drizzle the oil on his food. An added benefit is glossy coats.

Thank you D’Elle and Journey. I was devastated by the initial discovery, but I am learning to appreciate anything positive surrounding this challenge. So, the fact that it’s likely slow growing is something for which I am grateful.

So… the heart mass doesn’t show up on x-rays at this point, but neither is there any evidence of metastasis. Yesterday’s exam was with the oncologist. Next is with a cardiologist. Here is a cut/paste of a portion of the oncologist’s notes:

Quote

It would be ideal for Hannah to be evaluated by cardiologist for a full cardiac work up. We are putting Hannah on the list to see the cardiologist in January as a 2-3 month follow up from the initial identification of her mass. Most chemodectomas progress slowly so waiting until that time to re-asses is reasonable. If the mass is growing then we will discuss starting Palladia.

Thankfully, she is asymptomatic, so that is a blessing!

Thank you, ladies. Our appointment with the oncologist is in a couple of hours, so I’ll find out more today. 

D’Elle: 

First, thank you for your support. It is much appreciated. You are right about the X-rays. Hannah has an appointment in mid-November to see a Veterinary Oncologist (the soonest they can get her in). My veterinarian wasn’t sure, initially, if we should see a cardiologist or an oncologist. However, the cardiologist (or tech, not sure) who interpreted the results suggested an oncologist for a CT scan. The person I spoke to at oncology said the doctor may want to first take X-rays at our consult.

The good news is that the tumor is very small and likely slow growing. I have seen it, as I have a copy of the echocardiogram results, including images and notes; it is very small, thank God. The risk is if it bleeds and causes fluid build up, but Hannah’s echo shows no evidence of that. Another positive is that the heart meds Hannah is on has improved her heart function. My vet led with that news… The bitter bottom line is that it can be life limiting. Hannah just turned 12 this month, so I’m hoping she beats the clock.

Does anyone have experience with a tumor found on their dog’s heart as detected via echocardiogram?

Oh dear, I so love dogs. I’m going to go with Labrador and Border Collie with maybe some others mixed in, but breed ID in mixes is always hit or miss for me. He is awfully cute, whatever he is. I love his serious little expression.

I’ve read about the fox study, and I’ve even seen a televised piece on it, which was cool. The subject really is fascinating. While it’s not uncommon to see a red fox with a white tip on its tail, the other coat color changes were surprising, to me.

Here it is: 

I checked your math in Excel. You’re good.  

=((2*365)*12)/24 …….. =((5*365)*12)/24; 365…….912.50

Seriously though, I think it is great that you want to provide the best life possible for your Border Collie.

Since I retired from semi-retirement to further my studies, I spend nearly 24/7 with my dogs. You’d think they’d be sick of me, but Jan, especially, still pokes her head around the door to make sure I haven’t drowned in the shower.

Thanks for sharing this. I would have missed these photos because, although I do sometimes read the blog for the author’s very sensible commentary on companion animal welfare issues, I am not consistent about it.

I keep Coturnix (quail) for the eggs and enjoy some of the other fowl that show up in the FB groups I watch. So, I have seen a couple of these pheasant varieties but certainly not all. What a treat! They are so pretty! 
 

It seems as though this thread has fallen headlong into the abyss, but please indulge me one last point, because I think it is important.

I understand that giving a dog some freedom to make their own choices is a reason we might like to walk them off leash. I have gone as far as renting unused pasture to be able to do that.  However, we all need to determine the level of risk we are willing to take in forgoing restraint. When I see an off-leash dog next to a busy highway, I don’t think, wow!, what a well trained dog.  Rather, my heart catches in my throat and I wonder, where the hell is the owner? This is because I know the funny thing about inductively reasoned expectation is that there is always a chance that things will not go as they have heretofore gone. It only takes one time.

I know, I know. You can’t wrap them in bubble wrap. What sort of life is that? I get it. But there is a continuum of risk, and it is my responsibility, my very desire, to keep my dog safe. Ergo, there are some risks, too high on the scale, that I am simply not willing to take. To me, the risk inherent in the very process of training a pup to navigate a busy highway is simply not worth the potential cost. Even if you argue that it might save the pup if they get lost, I’m going to weigh odds and stick to keeping my pup safe.

My apologies for going off topic, but since off-leash training did come up, I took the liberty.

31 minutes ago, Mark Billadeau said:

Courage/confidence can be improved with training; however, there is a significant genetic component to it.  My opinion is most traits are controlled by genetics and nurture (positive or negative) enhances or suppresses their nature.

I agree with this.

My mother grew up on a farm. When she was a young girl, her sisters took a short-cut through the pasture and were confronted by an irate bull. Her family dog went after the bull and saved those girls a heap of trouble. Somehow the dog came away unscathed. I’m not sure which dog it was. I’ve seen photos of an old style farm collie she had and also a German Shepherd. Those old farm dogs were great. 

I don’t know why using confidence as a criterion for evaluating pups is a shocker. I would think a puppy buyer would want to work on confidence building, through relationship and socialization, regardless. However, the two propositions—selecting for confidence and and rearing for confidence—are not mutually exclusive. You can do both, although the former might have a lesser impact and/or be subject to misinterpretation.

Believe me, as someone who has brought an adult dog from being shut down to being social, I do know the importance of relationship and nurture. But I also believe that temperament is somewhat biologically based, and that’s what I would guess is being evaluated in puppies—temperament.  

I like to get older dogs now, but I have had the breeder pick my pup for me in the past, based on their evaluation of pups in the litter and what I was looking for. If I were doing the choosing, I’d probably go for a confident pup but not necessarily the most bold one. The last dog I got was 7 years old and turned out to be a perfect fit. She’s 13 now.

Fetch does have its advantages. For example, if your shoes are by the back door but a USPS package was just delivered at the front gate, you can send your dog to grab it real quick.