bcnewe2

I've always seen them as aliens. They are communicating with us, an alien life form. Not from outer space but unlike us in anyway. It is them that I think the burden falls on for communication. Yes we teach them what we want them to know but it's them that understands us and our needs. Way more than us understanding them. Rarely do you hear of the dog teaching us...although it happens all the time we don't look upon it as us learning, it's them learning... Until you start working livestock. Then it becomes obvious how much they can teach us. They are my partners, my buddies, the beings I choose to spend most of my time with. Better than humans in my eyes, as they are way less likely to judge us for our fragilities or our imperfections. Being able to work with the dogs doing what comes so natural to them confirms my beliefs (to me anyways) we are communicating with an alien species. And it is beautiful when you have, or get to feel that connection. I thank them on a regular basis.

building confidence is IMO the best advise given. I have a nervous dog. She is being worked on sheep often. It's amazing how she is coming out of her shell around everyone due to the extensive work she is doing on sheep. It doesn't have to be sheep but something that she will grow her confidence from. Good luck and just remember time and patience are your best teachers.

So Liz you recommend total confinement? I have been blessed with easy dogs. They pretty much self regulated but I watched them closely. Mine were walking after a day...walking not running or jumping but walking none the less. Not long purposeful walks maybe out to the barn or out to wander the yard a bit. Short easy walks. No one suffered any ill effects. Maybe we were just lucky.

The only way you know for sure is if you dont try.

I really think it's a regional thing. Fleas being resistant to one or another preventative. So ask around your area for what is working for them. Personally we're using preventic collars and no flea stuff. We had a frigid winter and I think it helped with the flea population but not the ticks. I will give them comfortis when and if I see a flea. And fyi the preventic collar wasnt working on my hairy lgd. I shaved her neck and am finally seeing some decrease in ticks. But I just ordered the seresto collar for her as she is neck deep in grass all the time...she.needs more protection compared to the border collies. One more side note... I have a friend who comes over almost every day to work sheep. He is using nothing but 2 squirts or adams flea and tick spray (you can find it at Wal-Mart or the likes) and he's not had any issues either. Whatever works Vectra didnt work for us at all last year along with almost all other spot on treatmeants. Go figure. They sure are expensive...all of them

She will be waiting for you I'm sure. There are no words that can possibly ease the broken hole in your heart but know that we all feel your pain and let it soften your tears just a tiny bit.

Your posts show your deep love and devotion to your special boy. He lives forever in your heart. Run Kipp run.

up date?

Got nothing different to add but I buy cheap little rugs from walmart or where ever and put one under the crate pan and if she's not a chewer on the crate pan too. Really makes a difference on the sound. I also cover the sides and top so it's more an enclosed feeling. But be careful, they can pull the blanket or what ever you drape over the crate into it and chew it up! So make sure it's nothing you like. Cardboard or a piece of wood on top makes a nice extra end table and they can't pull it into the crate Good luck and patience will be your word for a while! LOL

I get the feeling tc was.just wondering out loud.

Prayers coming your way

Singing your song Julie P singing your song. Tick picking seems like I'm not winning either and I am butting my head against the wall trying to figure out what to try next without hurting the dog or over using/lapping products. I don't have dogs that sleep on the bed right close, specially the lgd, so it's not that big an issue but, then you have to think about the poor dog. It's sitting right on their neck or we apply it right on them. Why is it so bad for us and not them? edited to add that we use comfortis but not yet this year, no fleas = no meds in my mind. But last year we were horrible with fleas. comfortis was all that worked for us. I did pick ticks every night. They are way worse this year compared to last. Or the Vectra I started using last year before switching to comfortis did work during the really bad times like now. Bahhhhh...it makes my head hurt and keeps me up at night

I had a dog that never "told" me but she would quietly stand at the door. I just set up a schedule that I knew would make sure she was outside to go and put a command to it. Worked for us. If I did see her standing at the door I let her out. She was quiet and didn't take advantage of that deal. Faye the youngest doesn't always know right away that she has to go out, and she's 2. But I've figured out that if she is hyper an won't settle down it's time for her to go potty. Watch and I bet you'll see some subtle signs that your missing. or just set the potty schedule and things should smooth out. I dislike barkers...for anything. Dew is my barkermissbarkerson. She talks with her barks. I don't scold her if she's not overboard but I sure don't enjoy her barking! I recently was around someone with a half sister to Dew. She commented about her dog and it's need to bark, at everything. It suggests genetic tendencies to me cause I've known others related to her that are barkers. Faye is quiet and so are most of her sibs.

MO is horrible for ticks right now. At least my area. I've been shaving a bit of the lgd's neck for a couple nights now. I'm picking less and less ticks off her. They all have on preventic collars. Working beautiful on the black dogs. I took one off and had Dew groomed, before I put it back on she had a tick on her. Up till then since putting it on, nothing. And she's running the same hills as the lgd. Let's hope the neck shaving is working cause I was/am starting to get freaked out. Picking more than 20 ticks a night. I don't want to spend more on the seresto collar if they aren't working but TBD's are a serious issue here and I need to find something that works. We've been bothered by ticks but so far, no fleas! Tiny victories!

I think someone already named her and the post was deleted. I guessed pretty quickly and ive only really heard of her or met her one time way back when I started. So if I could figure it out I would think most already have. I'm sorry the op felt the need to go there in the first place. I do understand wanting to find a dog line that you love. But, there are truely some amazing lines out there that would be way easier to find and deal with breeders that are better suited to improving our breed not themselves.

Funny one of my old guys who used to want to stay outside all the time has now decided he wants to stay inside. He never slept outside overnight but would lay on the deck or front porch all the time. Hot or cold. Now he's out for about 5 minutes and asks to come in. Whatever works as long as he's safe I'm happy to oblige.

I totally understand about not adding more meds. But I do want to add that Dramamine is used for car sickness and other dizziness issues in humans. It will help with balance and generally helps the dizzy nauseous symptoms. I had a friend who was treating her senior with other meds. For some reason her vet didn't mention any drugs that would help his symptoms. The dog was not eating except out of her hand and only a little bit. HE couldn't manage her 3 steps into her camper at all. She gave Dramamine and the dog was able to navigate steps and started eating a bit on his own. If you find he is still really dizzy I'd give it a try. I used it on a senior with the same problem and it worked quite well for him but it's been a long time ago. It does make them a bit sleepy, but so does dealing with all the dizziness. I used to take it all the time as a child. My father was a pilot and I loved to go flying with him in his small plane but I am a car/plane/boat sick queen. So I'd take 1/2 a pill and sleep the whole plane ride and wake up saying I loved flying!

Regular vet 25 minutes away. Specialty vet about 1 hour away but haven't needed that one. Vet school about 2 hours and would go in a heartbeat if needed. I think when you find a vet you like it's usually worth an extra drive.

Poor Kipp, have you tried carsick meds like Dramamine for dizziness? It seemed to help my old dog.

Mara is it water proof for those weeks?

I went to look up nexguard and found this, Frontline Tritak the reviews aren't bad. Anyone using this?

Preventic collars are working quite well for my border collies. But not doing anything for the LGD. She has hair like a german shepherd. I was thinking about shaving some hair around her neck but don't know if that would help. She is out in the thick of ticks. I pick her every night. Some are dead or dying but some are fat and well fed. I'm thinking I need to take her in. She just isn't acting right so TBD's are on my mind. I sure don't want to invest in the seresto collar and find out it doesn't work either. What is NexGuard Robin? I haven't seen it

I don't know but I'd be tempted to explain that you are going to take the dispute public. FB does amazing things when names get mentioned in a light that is not so good. Being called on the carpet in private is one thing but being called on the carpet in public is quite another. I don't mean bashing her, I mean explaining what has happened and asking if others have had this issue. And yes 600.00 is a lot of money for a deposit. Where are you located?

If I have a relationship with the vet I'm ok with either method. Most of my vets have over time realized I am capable of restraining or helping with my dogs. Either of us make those decisions. Some dogs are better without my presence for them to lean on. A new vet has to be given the chance to establish a relationship. So before going to a new vet, I have usually researched that vet way before we get there. The vet I go to now has one exam room and does most stuff right there. He has always used me as his tech with my dogs. Even putting on an apron and helping with x-rays a few times that were after hours with no one else around to help. But I would be just fine if he chose to ask me to stay somewhere else. I think it's about trust, between you and your vet. Why would you have your dog somewhere that you didn't trust? (given this is not a new situation) And I can also imagine the average dog owner to not always be helpful. My DH bless his heart, can't even hold a sheep still while I administer meds or whatever I need to do. He's afraid he might hurt the animal. And that anxiety can transfer over to the dog/animal so easy. Just think about all the internet experts that are now running around out there telling vets (not to mention human MD's) what they dog has and how they want it treated. I'm sure it makes a whole new category of stress for the doctor(s).

I had a 3 leg lgd. She was not bothered at all after the whole thing healed. If you didn't look close you'd of never known. By the picture it looks as if it was taken below the knee (?)joint? God bless the people who are helping him. And God bless Trooper.