mbc1963

I agree with all the previous answers. Start far away, treat for calm, and very, very slowly move closer. When I saw the post saying, "read this article," I immediately thought, "Oh, it's going to be 'He Just Wants to Say Hi.' " That article, more than any other thing I read in my dealing with a fear-reactive dog, changed our lives together. So, read it once, then read it again and again! My dog was scared of children (and, well... pretty much everything) for a while. He still doesn't love them if they're numerous and loose, but will happily allow one small child to love on him, and will even walk slowly and carefully when a toddler holds his leash. It literally took years of just exposing him from a distance, and with safe parameters (kids in strollers, kids in wagons) until he saw them as "normal." But the pre-adolescents who shoot hoops outside my house? They lunge and dart and yell. No point in trying to interact with them. Hey - I'm a little scared they'll bump into me and make me fall and tear a ligament or something! One more thing: meeting a specific child and normalizing that experience might be very different from normalizing "children." My dog doesn't love other dogs in general - but he has to get along with specific dogs, so I work hard on desensitizing him to those specific dogs. (And on letting those dogs learn that charging my dog is a bad idea.) I suspect that if you have a niece or nephew, you may get your dog to tolerate the presence of that specific child, with some work and very careful training of the child. But it would still involve lots of very gradual introduction. And at the end, your dog still might not love children in general. Dogs do not generalize rules (that boy is nice, so all boys must be nice) very well.

So, most folks here have heard me go on (at too much length, I'm sure) about my reactive dog, Buddy. When I first got him, he couldn't be near any dogs, because he was so stressed out and would just go ballistic - snarling, flipping, and pinning them. Over the years he's made good progress and has a pool of dogs he's fine with. My sister's old dog - Buddy's calm companion for many years of walks - died suddenly in the summer of 2011, and my sister got not one but TWO puppies to replace her. Well, it's been a long road. At first, Buddy would snarl at them if they even looked at him through the fence. It was a long time before they could be off-leash together, and even that caused a snarl-and-flip incident with the pushy one (Yuki, who looooooves Buddy). Since then, little Miss Pushy has kept herself at least 3 feet from Buddy, acknowledging his ultimate grouchiness while still pining after him from afar. Yesterday, we took all 3 dogs to an open field. It was cold, and the pups were playful. Buddy was cheerful and gave me the look he gives when he wants to play crazy. So, I darted and whirled with him a bit, then sent him out in the field, where he engaged Yuki in a few moments of unbridled frolicksomeness. He chased her and play-bowed and scampered around. Everyone was very happy, but Yuki was the happiest. Mary

Two more points: 1) My first two weeks with Buddy, I tried leash-pops and all that aversive stuff, because I read "The Monks of New Skete" and had seen people doing this. It took me only two weeks to realize that I was now one of the things in the world that was scary and unpredictable to Buddy - so I stopped. I couldn't stand to be that person. (Maybe with a different, willful and not-fearful dog, that would have been the thing. But most definitely NOT with this dog.) If Ladybug is reacting out of fear, then nix any trainer who suggests shock collars and those sorts of things. 2) Growling: Buddy has an entire vocabulary of growls! When there's a cat outside the window, it's a rumbling, continuous low growl - sounds a lot like a motorcycle. When a scary dog or human starts to come too close, it's a much briefer growl - enough to let me know to back up. There's a half-hearted growl he gives sometimes when he seems to think he SHOULD try to scare something (cat, squirrel) but really can't be bothered, but wants to put on the show. There's a "worried" growl that he'll let out when he sees something and doesn't know what it is. (That one sometimes happens around holidays, when suddenly there's a scary plastic Santa in a yard.) There's the "I'm playing with my bone" growl that is clearly fake. Last winter I forcefully shut the screen door to keep out snow, and caught Buddy's tail. THAT growl was a very serious, "Stay back or I'm going to bite you" growl of a dog who was literally out of his mind with pain. It was really obvious to me that the dog standing there staring me down would have bitten me if I had moved toward him. He made his intent very clear. It's never happened before or since, but it was understandable and entirely my fault. I'm thankful Buddy growled to let me know something was very wrong, or I might have been in the ER. When people are at my house and Buddy lets out one of his nonchalant growls that means nothing scary at all, my guests often act frightened. His voice is GSD-level deep and forceful - he sounds like a dog twice his size. But I can tell by the tone and duration of the growls that there's no problem. Point being, you've gotta take the growls to mean "I'm nervous about situation X" for now - and let her guide what she's exposed to. But over time, you'll also learn that not all growls are equal, and that specific ones mean specific things. Dogs really only have barking, whining, and growling, but they manage to convey a world of information in those three sounds. Mary

In an ideal world that would be true. (Well, actually, I think any dog will bite given the right provocation - just as any human will kick or bite or punch given the right provocation.) But, your IMHO there is simply not the case for this dog. So, let that go - at least for now. That's not the world you live in. For now, you've got a dog that nips. (I do believe others are right in that the dog is fending for herself against these triggers, because she hasn't yet learned that you will protect her.) So, to this dog, at this moment, a screeching child is as threatening as a masked man with a gun. It may be that way her whole life. My dog Buddy would much rather have a CALM masked man with a gun at the door than screeching child! (And some days, after spending all day with my 8th grade students, so might I!) I have never taught my dog to be calm around screeching children. I don't have kids, and it's super-easy for me to keep him a good distance from poorly-behaved ones. On the other hand, we walk by a day care, and the little kids flock to the fence and coo at him, and he will sit very calmly and let them watch him and fuss over him. He actually kind of likes little ones, and knows that they're prone to drop animal crackers and Cheerios. What did I specifically do about getting my dog calm around (normal, non-screeching) children? I took him to the park and lay him down yards and yards from a mother and toddler, so he could see the toddler move around. I allowed him to approach strollers with small children in them, and gave him good treats when he was calm. He seemed to understand that stroller-ized babies couldn't get to him, so started being comfortable with them - and I would encourage the older ones to feed him cookies. (He's always been amazingly gentle at taking cookies from human hands. I think that's an odd benefit of his being so skittish.) I'm talking about the course of several years, mind you. I wouldn't let him near a kid until I knew he had developed a tolerance for them, and some degree of safety when near them. The key to all progress with him seems to be his knowing that I wasn't going to put him into an unsafe situation. I redid obedience class under my original trainer after a year or so, and the trainer said, "Boy, he really trusts you, doesn't he?" His confidence in ME to manage the scary stuff lets him off the hook for managing it himself. Specific to triggers of any kind: don't get close enough to the trigger to set the dog off. For weeks and months, stay outside the danger zone. It might mean being a half-block from a child at the beginning, or it might simply mean 10 feet. Then... move a little closer, but still in a safe area. Reward and treat and just normalize the proximity. Then get closer again. You'll know when the dog gets overstressed. Back up. Work the greater distance again until you know from your dog that you can move closer. (Patricia McConnell? Suzanne Clothier? I can't remember who taught me this.) If you were to see me walking my dog around the neighborhood, you'd see me now and again stepping off the sidewalk and up onto a lawn - that's because I can see a trigger (kid on scooter, grouchy dog, odd-gait man) coming down the sidewalk, and I know I have to increase Buddy's distance or he'll get nervous. (His nervousness is largely harmless, now - but I would still keep him under threshold rather than let him get spooked.) It no longer occurs to me that I shouldn't have to do this, or that there's anything wrong with my dog because I do - it simply is what it is. Eventually, your dog will learn that a child isn't something to be scared of; she'll learn that children are a normal part of your life. She might never get used to screeching, though she might. Are screeching children something she needs to be exposed to on a regular basis? Or can she be crated away when they visit? A lot of dogs in childless households just don't get to interact with kids much. They're little kinetic balls of unpredictability, which makes them nerve-wracking to dogs like mine. No harm, no foul. Mary

So, upon reading your detailed descriptions of the nipping situations, I can say with certainty that my dog would likely also react in those situations. (Not by nipping, but by getting uncomfortable and trying to escape - and early on, by snapping at dogs who happened to be involved.) The brother-in-law crossing the doorway thing, the child whirling nearby: they would both annoy and irritate my dog. It's about personal space, and a safe escape route, and feeling trapped. (At least from what I can tell.) And more noise and more commotion makes the trapped-feeling worse. We used to walk at a college with a herd of people and dogs Buddy knew and liked. EXCEPT... there was a bridge we had to cross, and in crossing the bridge, everybody had to get closer together, and sometimes people and dogs would be pressed too close. And Buddy would react. So, I learned to hang back and let the crowd go first and follow after, so Buddy wasn't constantly on alert crossing the bridge. Likewise, any closed-in, narrow space: passing between a house and a parked car on the street, I wouldn't enter the "tunnel" created if another pair of humans were coming the opposite way. I would wait until they cleared, and then move in with Buddy. The forced proximity of the space would make him nervous and easily startled, and if one of the people went to pat him, he would over-react. Leaning over a dog like this makes him feel trapped. Hugging a dog like this unless you know him exceptionally well is a disaster. Trapping him in any way - with actual physical boundaries or just a sense that there's no escape route, creates fear and reactivity. Buddy once pinned a girl dog he loves, because they were walking in a deep snow trail, and she tried to get ahead of him, which forced her to literally bash into his left side. Harmless, but to Buddy, an implied attack. Predictable as the sunrise. I should have known better. Being fine with your BIL in one situation (with enough space and no threats) doesn't mean your dog trusts your BIL entirely. I suspect "too close" is one of her serious triggers, and needs to be respected. I can say that my dog's window of comfort has shrunk considerably over the years - from 20 feet to maybe 2 or 3 feet - so he hardly looks reactive at all. But I am always aware of his need for space, and honor it. His trusting me to give it to him is one of the reasons he feels safe in the world. I think it's very possible that you can learn to see what situations trigger your dog - in fact, you'll likely become so expert that you'll see the trigger well before it causes any reaction. Mary

Well, if you do a search in this forum OR join the aggressive behavior in dogs forum, as someone suggested earlier, you will find many, many LENGTHY stories about what people did with their fearful and aggressive dogs. The stories go on for pages and pages, and encompass months and years of people's experiences. (Off the top of my head, I can't think of any specific dog names... but I'm sure some forum members will remember them!) Likewise, "Bringing Light to Shadow" by Pam Dennison tells a very detailed story about how one woman saved the life of one aggressive dog. None of these stories goes, "We found a vet behaviorist who cost only $50 and within two weeks had fixed the dog." All of these stories are about management and slow desensitization and time. I didn't use a behavioral vet, though I'm sure I could have found one. I just used an experienced trainer, who first evaluated my dog (home visit and initial consult of $90, I think)... and after watching him for a long time - as he circled us from 10 feet, barking and growling at the 'stranger' - took a chance that he was fear reactive rather than aggressive. Then took a walk with us around my neighborhood and watched his reaction to people/cars/dogs. This trainer allowed me to join a puppy class, but we sat far from the other dogs the first week, and Buddy hid under my chair, and as soon as the trainer saw that he was over his tolerance level (threshold), advised us to get up and leave. Likewise, week 2 and week 3. By week 6, Buddy could stay for the whole class and even do some "heel" circles with the other dogs moving around him. And, as I said before, months and months of carefully strategized walks: we stayed 20 feet back from other dog walkers, so Buddy could get used to being near people, but not really have to interact with them. Found one very nice man (psychologist) who would walk in front of us dropping treats. For months, Buddy would growl if the man turned to face us. After a year (more or less?), the man became 'trusted' and Buddy would run happily to him. And, as we quickly learned, dogs don't generalize well. So, the fact that this man was trusted did not mean any other men were to be trusted. The ripple effect of equating people with trust and good things took years. And, truthfully, can still be undone with a too-fast leaning down by the wrong guy. Buddy will still startle away from people who push his threshold by expecting too much contact, too soon. In between the progress, many backwards steps, as I exposed him to too much, too soon. And as I refused to learn the lessons I should have learned: Buddy does not do well with groups of dogs, Buddy does not like dogs charging at him, Buddy will flip another dog who crowds his personal space. Every time I allowed a bad situation, I reinforced his belief that bad situations were all around. It was, very much, one step forward/two steps back. And reading: everything by Patricia McConnell, and Suzanne Clothier. I ordered books by the dozen when I first had Buddy, and after a few years was happily able to send them along to someone who needed them more. If I had any good advice to give - beyond 'give it time' - it would be to surrender what you WANT this dog to be, and accept who this dog IS. She's not your old dog. She's not a sweetie. She's not "everybody loves her." If you expect those things, you're setting her up for failure. She is a dog who needs slow movement and tentative exposure to any new stimulus. She will nip you if you pull her burrs too hard. She has triggers (fuzzy slippers?) that will set her off, and you need to learn what they are. You likely can't have visitors she doesn't know unless you put her in a closed room or crate. You can't take her to the dog park. You can't let her near children. This is the reality of living with this new dog. It kind of feels like you're bumping your head (and grief) against the reality of this new dog, and saying: "But I shouldn't HAVE to watch a dog near children! But I shouldn't HAVE to worry about getting nipped when I comb burrs!" But you do. So - you either have to face this reality, or decide that you can't. Mary

Hmm... interesting! I am wondering if Katie is completely blaming the other dogs at the park for the obvious trauma and pain (and disruption in her life) of your ankle-break! Years ago, Buddy got "into it" with another dog, and I ended up getting 3 stitches. (Not sure if a tooth got me, or if I caught my hand on the collar, which pulled off in the altercation.) Buddy was clearly aware of the blood and my shakiness after the incident. And the dog involved is one of the very few dogs that Buddy hates with a burning passion: if he smells him coming from up the street, he'll get all tense and reactive. I would search for "desensitization" in the forum. A lot of us have worked on desensitizing our dogs to triggers. For my boy, it essentially meant only exposing him to the triggers from a safe distance, and gradually shortening the distance until he could be calm up close. But it also means not letting him out in a gang of unleashed playing dogs, which he hates. (I don't see the point of training him to stand stoically in a situation that he's not interested in.) Good luck! Mary

I was just thinking, "This woman should read 'Bringing Light to Shadow.' " You beat me to the punch. All told, I don't think anyone in here is being unkind or un-understanding or unforgiving of the dog. But it seems to me there are only a few options: A) Euthanasia. Not a choice any of us would take lightly, but it eliminates the possibility that the dog will bite as well as your responsibility for that situation, should it occur. You seem to think we all recommend this thoughtlessly and cheaply, but many of us who are mentioning it have looked down the dark tunnel of that possibility ourselves. Some of us have, in the recent past, had to make that very choice. B ) Live with this dog exactly as she is: a nipper, apparently a dog fearful of other dogs and (apparently) many other things. Reactive, via nipping. You don't have to do anything. You don't have to try to learn what your dog is reacting to, you don't have to put any time or energy or money into training her or working with her issues. You can just love her, and limit your and her interactions with others. She might bite someone someday, and you'll have to put her down. Plus, you might get sued. Plus, you yourself said you are "miserable" with your life as it is now. C) Find an appropriate trainer and use the best possible resources available to you to work with this dog. This will require a large effort and some financial commitment. None of us are rich (unless someone's holding out on the forum!) - but the need for money in hiring experts is simply a GIVEN. In my dog's case, a good trainer was relatively local, and he helped me understand my dog so that I could do most of the necessary work myself. (And in my dog's case, a lot of the work involved getting to know my dog very, very well, and just not subjecting him to triggers without thought and consideration and a PLAN until his psyche could calm down some and start to trust the new world he was living in.) Your social interactions and canine contact will be limited, at least for a while. You will have to exercise great caution in what should seem to be "normal" situations: doggie play, pulling burrs from her fur, having her meet your friends and families, visiting the vet, walking the neighborhood, seeing a spooky thing (bike/motorcycle/scooter/large man/large dog). It took SIX MONTHS for my dog to be allowed off-leash with my sister's puppies, because I knew they were too young to mind Buddy's signals and learn when he corrected them. It took two years before I let him go to the vet without a muzzle. It took more time than that before strange men could come near him without a growl. And probably five years before he starting moving TOWARD strangers with hope that they'd maybe talk nice and give him a treat. And even now - seven years in! - I monitor his body language and back up when I see he's about to be pushed beyond his comfort level with a given situation. This does not mean "hopeless." It means long-term commitment and energy. And, it means knowing you might not fix things, but then again you might. Life has no guarantees. No dog comes with a guarantee. And so, still, in the end, it could mean you are back to choice A. If my dog bit a child, I'd have him euthanized. No questions asked. But you will know that you knew the dog very well, and did your best for her. So, people have suggested all possible solutions, and shared their experiences with their own dogs. If you hear suggestions and immediately put up walls and offer reasons why you, in your specific situation, can't try those suggestions, then it seems like you're limiting yourself to choice B - which is making your miserable. If any of us had a quick fix or an easy answer, we'd be making Cesar Milan-style money. Mary

I'd say he's a cross between a border collie and a border collie. What a great looking, fun looking dog who's obviously well-loved already. Congratulations! Mary

I'm so sorry you find yourself in this position. At this point, it sounds like you're in way over your head. My first instinct in response to you post (which is desperate sounding!), was to advise you to bring her back to the shelter. It's possible they did not know her real history when they adopted her to you, but it seems like you are finding it out quite quickly, as she becomes comfortable. As someone who adopted a dog with issues (fear and reactivity, rather than outright aggression), I know what it's like to find yourself overwhelmed and not knowing where to turn. And I'm sensitive to the fact that not all dogs in shelters are good candidates for pet life, due to past history or aggression. (In your dog's case, for example, what caused the vicious attack that put her in the hospital? Was she part of a dog-fighting operation, with her shredded ears? Why does she growl so much at other dogs? Is it the expectation that she's going to be attacked?) Seems like the person who adopts a dog, and then finds out quickly that the dog has serious issues, is left holding a bag of blame and guilt. So - you say twice that your family is "miserable" about having this dog. Is it worth it to you, to possibly go through more years of misery and still possibly have to put the dog down, if she bites someone? Emotionally, it feels horrible to think about giving up on a dog, but logically, not all dogs can be saved. How much are you willing to go through for the sake of this dog, who might be very troubled? On the other hand, my dog had all the appearance of aggression when I got him. (Barking, growling, outright fighting other dogs.) I stumbled on a good trainer who said my dog was fearful, not aggressive, and over the course of a year or more, I worked slowly with him until he could be out in public and act relatively normal. Over the next seven years, we've come such a long way, it's hard to believe he's the same dog. But, my interactions with him and other people and dogs are always planned and cautious. I don't put him in situations that will set him off (lots of loose dogs playing, lots of commotion with humans he doesn't know). With care and understanding, I can manage his life and keep him safe and happy. He's not the life of the party, and never will be. He'll never be the dog that "everybody loves." But he's well-adjusted, happy in his daily life, and very, very loving to me. More importantly, he's predictable: I can say with certainty how he'll react in a given situation, which allows him to stay alive. If you want to keep this dog, and make that decision, I'd say you should start out by NOT assuming your dog can succeed in any given situation: meeting dogs, having kids around, going into Petsmart. Stand back a way from any challenge, and learn your dog. If she growls, she's not a worse dog than she was before that moment - she's just a dog you know better. You see what triggers her. Figure out if she's aggressive or just reacting out of fear. If it's the latter, you can work on desensitization. (There are gigantic threads in this forum about these specific issues, telling owners' experiences, successes, and failures. I'm sure someone will find a link to one of those threads, and post it here.) Find the RIGHT trainer who has experience with this sort of thing. A trainer who's scared your dog might bite her - that's not a good match. In the end, the dog might be too damaged to be a family pet. There's no easy answer. It's a dreadful responsibility, taking on a dog with good intentions, and then being judged because of all the baggage the dog has. Mary

OMG. That last boy looks SO much like my boy, Buddy! I would also snatch him up in a heartbeat... if the original owner of that face wouldn't likely snark at him for the next few years. Mary

I am not a "type" person - I love every dog I meet. (Though... I have a thing against the retriever-type coat that feels oily and tends to carry a stronger scent than I care for.) So, here are some Petfinder dogs who pop up when you type in your zip code: Thelma, a beautiful red girl: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/24491227 Pixie, a BW girl: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/23708442 Ace, a BW boy: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/23708396 Fionn, a 9 month old BW boy: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/24579259 Malcolm, a BW boy: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/23876429 Charlotte, an OMG-cute BC-corgi mix, tri-color: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/24120257 Cali, a gorgeous, candy-colored Aussie/BC mix: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/23117163 Seriously, if I were on the hunt for a dog, I would be TOAST playing around on Petfinder for your local area. Mary

Very interesting! I was on Amazon reading reviews, and seems like more than half of the reviewers believe it actually cleared cataracts. Now, if it does work, I imagine the drug companies are busy at work running the many, many studies needed to approve something like this for human use. Fascinating, if antioxidants will clear cataracts! Mary

I've gotta agree with Nick - the pins and plate thing fascinates me. I was going to ask you post a close-up so I could study the construction! Do they do this sort of external hookup with humans? It seems so much less invasive that putting the pins and plates under the skin, and then having to do a second surgery to remove them afterwards! Good luck. I look forward to hearing about Faye's progress. Mary

I understand the theory about reinforcing behaviors. I do think that we can reinforce bad behaviors - in humans and dogs. Say, a child is overtired in the store and has a tantrum. Mom can take the child out and put her in a situation where she can get some rest and resort herself - OR mom can buy her candy at the first sign of grumbling, and then continue to buy candy until she has trained a child in the equation "tantrum = candy." Watch "Supernanny" and you see kids who have been very clearly trained that bad behaviors get results they want. BUT... a kid having a learned tantrum is different from a kid having an overtired, overstimulated, or I-feel-sick tantrum. Dealing successfully with the "real" tantrum means putting the kid in a situation where she can succeed and where her needs are met. My dog, with 100% certainty, will be calm and restful during a t-storm IF he's allowed to lie touching me. If he's not, he paces and barks incessantly. I'd say that by letting him get the physical contact, I'm somehow meeting his needs (for comfort, yes)... and that I'm preventing the "tantrum." If I can make him calm during a stressful situation, why not? The fear comes with or without me - I'd say I've just reinforced his knowledge that there's a safe place to go and cope with a stressful event. Over seven years, his reaction to thunderstorms has decreased a great deal - it hasn't increased. I do agree with McConnell that human emotions and dog emotions come from the same mammalian brain type. Allowing for comforting to humans, while not allowing it for dogs, seems kind of backwards.

Interesting! The only way I ever know when Buddy is really hurt (stabbed himself on a stick once, painfully broke off a toenail twice) is that he wants to be pressed hard against me all the time. Like, not snuggling, but sitting up near me, then learning to let gravity PRESS him against me. It's kind of pathetic, but at least it lets me know when I need to take him to the e-vet. At least I know not to let Buddy lick toads if we ever travel to the south or southwest. Mary

Well, technically, humans don't need clothing either, except for warmth and protection. Holiday dress-up - funny and entertaining. Mary

I vote, "Straight for the shelter." Maybe the owner won't look for them... Mary

I hope it's nothing major! My neighbor's dog was diagnosed as having mange, but also was leaking urine after the diagnosis and treatment. (Buddy has had weird scratching and itching on and off since August, and when I heard there was mange in the 'hood, I started to worry about that. But his itching seems localized; I'm watching for it to start looking more mange-like before I drag him back to the vet - I jsut finished paying the credit card bill from the summer!) Good luck.

Gloria is right. With 100% effectiveness, Buddy has taught several dogs to stay out of his face. He flips them over, stands over them for about 30 seconds, stares in their eyes, and growls at them. I had to let Buddy do this to the pushier of my sister's two 7-month-old pups, because she just wouldn't learn. I let her get old enough to take the lesson, and then my sister and I took a walk with the dogs off-leash. When Yuki got up in his face, Buddy did his thing. Yuki screamed the whole time as if she were being eviscerated, but then all was well. And she hasn't gotten too close to Buddy since then, although she worships him and wants nothing more than to get at him and kiss his face. I've often thought I could rent my dog out to owners of pushy dogs, as a sort of "Super Nanny" to show them what's what. Alas, it doesn't seem to be transferrable - dogs learn that Buddy is not to be trifled with, but they don't learn a general lesson unless other dogs snap at them too. Mary

My father's old shepherd mix howled perfectly exactly one: in her sleep. A single, beautiful wolf-like howl. Never before and never after in 14 years. Buddy has occasionally in his sleep let out a near-howl. Never awake. Seems like they all have the wild in there, dormant. Mary

Umm... Every morning about 5, when I'm awake and getting ready to get out of bed, Buddy moves from the foot of the bed up to my belly area. I ask him if he needs his morning cuddles, then roll onto my right side, and he flops down alongside me in "spoon" position, pressed as close as he can to me. I rub his tummy and call him "Fuzzy Bunny." Mary

Don't forget the age-gap cultural difference: those of us who grew up before crates were common vs. those who grew up with parents who crated dogs. I got Buddy on a Saturday and went to work on Monday. My 8th grade students said, "He's not in a CRATE!? He's in your house ALONE!!?" They were horrified. I came home from work mid-day to check on him, and all was fine. He's never chewed anything he shouldn't, never knocked anything over, never gotten on the counter or into the covered trash barrel. One dog is different from a number of dogs, sure... and I get the usefulness of a crate in traveling or dealing with injuries. But humans and dogs cohabitated for thousands of years before crates were invented. I guess I just don't get the urgency. ::Shrug:: As for nothing being 100%, well, that's true. Humans trip on things and hit their heads, and fall down stairs, and accidentally leave the gas on with no flame. Nothing is 100%, ever, with anything. I guess I just don't feel like I need to crate my (very reliable) dog because some horrific accidental thing might happen. Heck, while we're at it, some horrific accidental thing might happen that could be fatal because my dog was crated. Mary

Oh, I was out walking Buddy about an hour ago, and I thought, "Oh my gosh, I wonder if Kelso is with his new owners yet!?" Go, Kelso! We look forward to reading more aobut you and your adventures! Mary

OK! So we're just about done with the latest round of steroid/antihistamine, and Buddy is already starting to paw at his nose as I taper off this med. I have a follow-up appointment on Monday so the vet can see his nose when it's not raw. He continues to paw at the left side of his face, and I imagine it'll be rubbed raw again within a few days off the meds. What should I ask from the vet at Monday's appointment? Should I go see someone with more expertise in this? Does it seem likely that something is up in the nose? Could allergies do this to only one specific spot? What tests could differentiate between allergies and a foreign body? I can't keep pouring money into this, but also want my dog to feel better. He seems very lively and happy outside of the scratching - no lethargy, no moping, eating well, peeing and pooping well. (Just to make things really great, Buddy split a dew claw Sunday night, and was in a lot of pain, and I couldn't get the claw off - broken right at the skin - and had to take him to the e-vet to the tune of $186!!) Thanks for any help or advice you can give on how to best use my vet time and money! Mary