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D'Elle

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    Female
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    Tucson AZ

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  1. I feed Wellness brand, because it gets a high rating, has good ingredients, and doesn't completely break the bank, although it is not cheap. But the cheap foods, like Purina, are not good nutritionally. I add a topper to all of the dogs' meals. This way, I can vary the topper and give them a lot of different flavors and variety while still buying the larger bags of kibble and not paying a premium for smaller bags and switching kibbles. I use various high quality canned dog foods for the toppers, and it's not really that expensive because they only get a large spoonful on top of each meal. I can get various flavors and brands of different canned foods for variety. I also top their food sometimes with raw bits of beef cut from my own meal preparation, cooked chicken breast, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, pumpkin, and other things. This also helps them to stay excited about their food. You can look up brands of dog food to see the ingredients and an analysis of the quality of them by going to the Dog Food Advisor. I choose the 4.5 to 5 star foods, and then read the ingredients on the bag every so often when I go to the store to make sure they haven't changed the ingredients. https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/
  2. This is not about being "too soft". Telling someone to "go with drop it or leave it" doesn't tell them what to do with the current situation, because those are things that need to be trained. Just saying that to the dog is not enough to "learn the dog" (I assume you mean teach the dog?) But that's OK, since this thread is a few weeks old the OP already got good advice on what to do and is probably doing well with their dog now.
  3. Yep.....you have trained this dog to "steal" things in order to give them up and then get a treat. Fortunately, you can retrain this. The above advice is good. I would add that it will help if you put everything you do not want him to pick up out of his reach and only leave down his own toys. But don't feel bad about being "too soft" with your dog. 'Tis better to be too soft with most dogs, especially border collies who are so sensitive, than to be too hard. It's good that you have not been punishing him.
  4. I don't know how I missed reading this months ago. But I did and only read it today. @beachdogz thank you so very much for this post. It made me smile and feel so good and I immediately sent it on to Kelso's people to read, and I know it will make them feel good too. Kelso accomplished a lot in his life, but I had not really thought about the things you say here, and I want to thank you immensely for pointing this out to me. Kelso was a very special dog and will be remembered.
  5. I would probably start by seeing if the dog would like to learn to fetch. I like this for older dogs because it can be done at any level, including just in the house, but is fun for the dog and for you. Another thing would simply be long walks, or reasonable hikes. Some dogs at that age, if they have led an active life, and still in great shape for hiking even long distances, but you will need to see for yourself what kind of physical condition this dog is in. Heavy-duty dog sports like flyball or agility are probably out because they are so physically demanding, and do best when the dog has youthful energy. Finally, I highly recommend Musical Canine Freestyle, which a dog can perform at any age and fitness level. Fun for dog and handler both and you can even compete with it if you are so inclined.
  6. Love this. These dogs have so much heart. I am happy to see an owner of such a dog who has made it possible for this one to keep working and loving life. And I'm so glad that wheelchairs and other supports are available for dogs now.
  7. No need to stop. I wish someone would give me cookies every time it thunders!
  8. @beachdogz, this made me laugh. Fortunately, my pup (now almost 9 months old) has not extended the game to include everything that makes a loud noise. In fact, he doesn't even run to me for a biscuit every time it thunders, just the first couple of times in a storm. And he is completely blasé about storms unless the thunder crash is super close and loud, in which case we all jump off our seats, understandably. Best of all, it appears that his being OK with storms has caused my other dog, who has always been terrified of them, to act less scared. He used to shake all over, which he no longer does. He goes and hides his head in the couch cushions and accepts my petting and calm words, while the pup looks at him as if to say "what's wrong?". And he'll take a biscuit from me when I give one to the pup, which he would never do previously. I think it's definitely a technique worth doing, of course taking into account that each dog may have a slightly different response to it. :-)
  9. Great news. I hope the other 2 get placements too. The "Not nice" dog would probably turn into a good dog with the right kind of rehabilitation. I have seen many dogs do a complete 180 in behavior given the right environment and handling.
  10. This reminds me so much of the hoarder/breeder place in Texas several years ago, which was very similar. 170 border collies were there, some of them dead or maimed or so far gone they had to be euthanized. AZ BC rescue took 21 dogs from there, and one of them came to me and became my greatest foster dog teacher -- Kelso. I hope - and believe - that all of these dogs will get the attention and help they need, and am glad they were found and rescued. If anyone reading this is even thinking about taking one as a foster, do it. It might turn out to be one of the most rewarding things you have ever done.
  11. She is adorable! You have gotten good advise. I would recommend avoiding the aprays because she might be reactive to them. The one thing I would add is to think about stress, which I know has been mentioned, but not in detail. Does she exhibit any other possible stress signs, like licking her paws, spinning in circles, barking excessively or at nothing you can perceive, etc? If so, she may be scratching due to stress, and/or the itching is also causing her stress. Do whatever you can, in addition to the baths, to alleviate any stress she may be feeling by providing her with the most calm and relaxing environment you can. If there are children in your home, have them leave her alone and the same goes for any other animals in your home. Make sure she gets enough exercise, but don't overdo it. And always treat her with calm gentleness. That may help a lot, even if the actual cause is allergies. Make sure the baths include thorough brushing, because another possible cause of itching is that she could be growing out a new kind of coat for her adult fur and shedding her puppy fur, and you want to make sure there are no mats. And I recommend saving up starting now so you can get her to a vet in case these things don't resolve it. If the problem resolves without veterinary intervention, keep the money saved because there will be a next time, and if it is an emergency you will want to be able to get her the medical attention she needs. Best of luck, and let us know how it goes! She's very cute.
  12. Very cool. I have used Embark myself, and I think they are the best choice for doing a DNA test on a dog. I also gave no information to them ahead of time. As for Hazel, I wouldn't have guess the cattle dog part, but not at all surprised she's mostly border collie.
  13. I wonder.....I haven't tried this, but I would if my dog had this issue........if it could be reframed in the dog's mind. Say, when there's a fly you cheerfully talk to the dog and pretend it is a game to chase and kill the fly, and then when say "yay!" and show the dead fly to the dog and give the dog treats. Or, as I have done recently with my new puppy, as soon as thunder starts rolling I say "yay! It's thunder! that means biscuits for the dogs!" and I start handing out biscuits. As a result, the pup now looks happily at me when he hears thunder instead of being afraid. Maybe if a fly is buzzing you could just say "yay, a fly, that means biscuits!", and not even chase or kill the fly until later if at all.
  14. Good article, and everyone with a dog should read it so they know that there can be dangers and negative consequences with playing fetch. While i agree 100% with the article that one shouldn't throw sticks, I think that the rest of the article is good as a caution only, and not a prescription for all dogs. If a person is truly involved with the physical and mental well being and health of their dog, and is paying close attention, the dangers mentioned can easily be avoided. I play tug and/or fetch with all of my dogs who want to play those games, but I always pay close attention to how they are moving, how they are reacting, how it affects them, the temperature, how long we play and other factors. Unfortunately, many dog owners don't do this, and that's why an article like this is important for people to read.....to make them realize that they should pay attention.
  15. I would ask the same questions. And also recommend that you consider a harness that will help to lift her up so she doesn't have to struggle to get up to walk. Once you can get her walking more, it will get easier for her to walk. Also, if she has any kind of toy that she especially likes, try enticing her with the toy to go for a walk. that worked for my senior dog when she grew less enthusiastic about walks. She loved to tug, so I would tug with her a little bit, then tell her she needed to walk a while before getting to tug again, and I'd get her down the road and back that way. Even if it isn't a toy she wants to play with, if it's a toy she likes and wants to have, it might work. If not a toy, then a really good treat, like tiny pieces of cooked chicken breast that you could give her as she walks along. Just count it in with her food intake for the day so it doesn't add to it.
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