Shetlander

Yes, hard to say based on Internet description but sounds like he is just overloaded with stimuli, which makes it pretty hard to focus and learn. Can you use the class to work on him focusing on you and practicing calm behaviors? You might even need to work in the parking lot for a while so he learns he needs to earn the fun and excitement, not just crash headlong into it. Susan Garrett has a book called Shaping Success that I found very helpful raising Quinn. She had an over the top dog and had to really break down tasks so he could be successful. I forget how long it took them to get inside the training building, but they did eventually get there and her pup was paying attention to her.

Quinn was still pretty wild at that age. What approach to training does the instructor use? I did lots of fun, short training sessions with Quinn, mostly clicker based. He was always learning, especially foundation skills but it was all a game to him. That remained his attitude his whole life and he was always keen to do anything I asked. At 6 months, he decided I was important to him and that was a game changer as far as wanting too please me and building an attention span. We started more formal obedience training at 6 months as well, but I still kept things light for him.

I had a super shy dog and day care would have been a disaster. It was a delicate balance of following my guy's lead, not pushing him too fast, being patient, positive and persistent to encourage him out of his comfort zone. Learn her cues for when she is intimidated or intrigued. For instance, my guy got way more nervous if people approached him slowly. Ignoring him worked best tho he was still aloof with people he didn't know well. Things like that can be very helpful navigating with a shy or fearful dog. Look for activities she loves that build her confidence. My dog didn't enjoy obedience enough to relax in public but loved agility enough to grow in confidence and earn several titles. He also benefited when I got a puppy he fell in love with and finally had a dog to play with. He never played with any other dog. I didn't do clicker back then but think that would have been very helpful. It can be incredibly rewarding and touching to see a shy dog come out of their shell. Just don't try to rush them and always accept them the wonderful dog they are, quirks and all. Rory was shy his whole life, but he faced a big scary world with a bravery all his own. I learned so much from him and still miss him 14 years after losing him. Good luck!

I had a dog with hard core car sickness and Cerenia did the trick consistently, while nothing else I tried did. This was a dog who sometimes threw up before she got in the car, so she was a pretty severe case.

I am so sorry to hear this. My sympathy to her family and friends.

Lad sounds like such a wonderful partner and companion. Truly a special dog. I am so sorry for your loss.

My condolences on losing your beautiful, sweet girl. It is so hard that such wonderful animals are with us for such a short time.

Katz isn't interested in learning. I'd say money and admiration drive him. He'll write whatever version of reality suits his purpose, not caring that he completely contradicts himself a couple chapters or books later. The way he treats his animals is terrible. The lazy, dishonest and careless way he treats the craft of writing is also abysmal.

It must be tricky for vets to discuss such a difficult subject with loving owners. My vet has never broached the issue with me. Though he is always supportive of my decisions, I am definitely the one driving that bus. I find this a rather agonizing decision because generally the dog's decline is by inches and I dont know that I always get the full picture because I am so close to the situation. So I do what you do. Go by quality of life and monitor things. Sounds like your Kit is still enjoying life which is so fantastic. With my Sheltie in her last year, I looked at whether she was still enjoying her three favorite things -- food, barking and hanging out in the yard. I didn't count whether she enjoyed the company of friends and family, because I see that as love and these darn dogs love us to their last breath.

>>I use "rescue", because these days everyone understands what that means, and it is simple. But I like to point out to people that not all rescue animals come from a bad place or have been abused.<< Exactly. It is shorthand that even non dog people vaguely understand. Neither Kit or the other dog available for adoption when I went to see them had been abused. Just neglected. They both adored new people on sight and if Kit hadn't been there, I would have happily taken home the other dog. But without the person who I consider a rescuer, Kit likely would have been put down at the shelter and the second dog would have kept having puppies until she died of the heartworm her rescuer discovered and had treated. There are lots of dogs that end up in rescue who have had good or decent homes too. I do see Kit as immature/backward due to her first year of life, but she is catching up. She was wonderful at Day 1 but nearly nine months later, every day she is more awesome as she gains wisdom and our bond deepens. She still has foolish random puppy chewing issues that I know will eventually fade and at age 2 attribute to her immaturity. And she is a food thief which I predict will be a lifelong issue and attribute to her being a dog.

After spending her first year apparently being neglected, my current dog Kit was surrendered to a shelter covered in over 100 ticks, her fur matted with diarrhea. The shelter in turn contacted the woman I got Kit from. The staff knew she rescued Border Collies and could see Kit was a total sweetheart. The shelter does not have the funding to keep animals for very long before they need to euthanize. I am thankful for that shelter’s staff networking to save a lovely dog from being put down for want of a home and lack of funds. Of all the dogs I have owned, Kit has by far the best temperament. I am also incredibly thankful to the woman who rescued her and allowed me to have such an awesome dog. I do consider Kit rescued and the people who saved her rescuers. However, I don’t say I rescued her. I just got very lucky and hit the lottery the day I brought her home.

From Web MD, "Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is a mental health problem in which a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under his or her care, such as a child, an elderly adult, or a person who has a disability."

I am so sorry to hear this and will miss Mum24dogs thoughts, suggestions and opinions and being a part of this community. No man is an island, Entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thine own Or of thine friend's were. Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind. Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.

Ah,the Old Dog Rollercoaster. It is quite the ride.

Our time with them goes so fast. Cherish and hug your wonderful Gibbs. I'm crazy about my young, foolish Kit but boy, do I miss my wise, steady Quinn.

I understand your concerns. I had a dog with a serious spinal injury that paralyzed his back legs for a few days. While he did not have surgery, he had a long recovery period, eventually returning to all his normal activities. It was very nerve-wracking at times. Could you make an appointment to consult with Lorenzo for more details in what Max can do? That way you can explain his activities (not all dogs run and play the same) and have a clearer plan to keep Max as healthy and comfortable as possible. Plus you could relax a little as you settle into this new normal with your pal. I suggest taking notes as you discuss care and prognosis. Good luck!

She is gorgeous.

She looks wonderful! My Kit sends your Kit Happy Belated Birthday wishes.

Compulsive surface licking can be a symptom of GI issues. A vet gave me an article on this some years ago when my dog was licking the carpet and making me crazy. She (the dog, not the vet) had chronic pancreatitis and a wonky gall bladder.

>>If anyone has recommendations for other styles/brands, I would love to hear them. After buying 5 kinds, my wallet says I have to quit looking.<< It has been many years, since I ordered from dogbooties.com but they had an amazing choice of materials and fasteners for their boots. Despite the cutesy name, they sell to dog sledders I believe. Mine have been great. One got ripped after many years, but otherwise they have held up. You ordered individually rather than by sets.

Basil is adorable! Welcome. I use dog boots from dogbooties.com when there is salt on the streets where we walk. My dogs don't like the boots until we start walking. Then they seem to forget about them. The boots also help protect the paws when it is especially cold and there is snow on the ground. I always figure, if my dog seems cold, she probably is and a coat may be appropriate. Now all that said, my rescue girl has only been with me four months. She was left to her own devices before getting into rescue so I have no idea how she will respond to the boots. We haven't been on a walk since the snow started almost a week ago. Not because of the cold but due to the icy streets. I fell last Saturday on our walk and though I was only a little sore from the experience, I really hate falling. So until the streets are less slippery, we're skipping our much loved walks. I make sure to play an extra game of fetch with her each day. I also train her everyday and try to take her along with me in the car whenever possible. We both miss our walks, but are getting by for now. Good luck and have lots of fun with Basil!

Kit is my first rescue dog in over 20 years. I think she had her decompression with the rescuer. She had been neglected and then surrendered at a little over a year to a shelter who contacted the rescue. By the time I met hera few months later, she had learned the basics about indoor living and niceties such as leash walking. Other than not allowing her on the furniture (she is currently dozing on the other end of the sofa) or putting my face next to hers, I didn't follow any of those rules. We went for a hour long walk our first morning and each morning after that. During the first week, she met several friends and took a 2 hour beach walk. And she was so desperate for affection, that she got lots of petting and attention. I'm not sure what is meant by all affection should have a purpose. Is that like NILF? Oh, I did keep her on a leash at all times outside because my gate had blown down. I remember thinking that was probably a good thing to keep her connected to me for the three or four week period before I had the front section of my fence replaced. All in all, I think Kit was exceptionally easy to assimilate into the household. I believe the rescue did a great job with her. And she has the best temperament of any dog I have owned. Not too much fazes Kit. In the 4 months I've had her, she has loved every human she's met and has been friendly with all dogs and cats. She is close to perfect to live with. She's even quiet. Days go by that I don't hear her bark and when I tell her stop, she's like, oh, ok. I would like to adopt a 2nd dog next year but part of me worries about upsetting the peaceful life apple cart. I can't imagine another dog being anywhere near this easy. Someone told me today I hit the lottery with her and I have to say, I agree. Anyway, maybe if Kit hadn't been so happy go lucky, go with the flow, I would have done more along the lines of what the article suggests. I do try to take my cues from the dog. For instance, I train Kit differently than my previous dogs who I had from pups and grew up living closely with humans. Thanks for sharing the article. I like to read what I can on rescue dogs. It has been interesting and fun watching Kit settle in and more and more show what an awesome dog she is.

As much as you would rather have him with you, it is a great comfort to know he gets such high quality care. Wonderful.

Congratulations! Scotch is very handsome and sounds like such a nice fellow. While he will not "replace" Lewie, he should fill up some of the empty places with his own brand of companionship and fun. I am so happy for you.

Sorry about Lewie! I lost my Quinn with no warning in July which left me bereft. Like you, I decided to get a Border Collie rescue. There were two young females available, both of whom seemed very nice. I spent a couple of hours observing and interacting with them, asking questions and compiling pros/cons for each dog. It was rather agonizing because they were both such nice girls. Kit's overwhelming sweetness and gentleness were the biggest deciding factors. I think the other dog would have been wonderful, too but I was pulled to Kit. A coworker recently told me about a dog she adopted from a different breed rescue who as a pup was left in a kennel on concrete flooring by an owner with dementia who often forgot to feed or water him. When the rescue got the dog, he was an emaciated mess who needed significant vet care for pressure sores. When I responded, "poor baby!" the coworker said, " No! Not poor baby! That was BA. Before Anne. Now his life is fantastic!" I thought that was a great was to look at things. Good luck finding your new pal. Please keep us updated.