Jump to content
BC Boards

gcv-border

Registered Users
  • Posts

    4,964
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by gcv-border

  1. A lot of "normal" dogs end up in rescue through no fault of their own - divorce, allergies, military service, etc. Just sayin'.
  2. Agree with both points. Learn techniques for calming your dog vs. feeding the need for excessive exercise. A rehab vet that I used told me about a client of hers that had an over-the-top hyper dog (more hyper than my young hyper dog at the time) who HAD to be quiet after a surgery and during rehab. The owner taught the dog to lie in a curled position. This is a common position dogs use for sleeping. And when the dog assumed the position, it did calm down. Of course, all dogs need some exercise. Some more than others, but many dogs don't need as much exercise as some people think. Of course, if you are conditioning your dog to pull a sled in the Iditarod or run a double lift at the National Finals, the exercise requirements are higher since you are conditioning the dog for a specific purpose. Being fair to the dog and you, what are your goals for your lifestyle with your dog and work towards that. i.e. don't let the dog drive the decision for unfocused, mind-numbing exercise. Trick training is great mental stimulation and very tiring for the dog.
  3. I have recently seen 2 different options. I haven't tried either so have no input on how well either works. One option: Buying inexpensive 12" X 12" concrete pavers from Lowe's or HD. Install them in a double row around the side(s) of the fence. (or I could see the fence installed directly on top of the pavers if it can be installed so as not to topple over.) I saw the double row of pavers in a large dog yard where the dogs ran the fence. The pavers prevented not only some digging at the fence, but also prevented the mud path resulting from the dogs' fence-running. The 2nd option: I saw a 10 X 10 kennel installed directly on top of 3' X 6' stall mats. The kennel was positioned so that each side ran down the middle of each stall mat. There were no stall mats in the middle area, which was filled with pebbles. The owner figured the stall mats (which protruded 18" on both sides of each panel) would prevent digging and would stop the grass growing over the bottom bar of each panel.
  4. Journey, Thanks. Sent message vie these Boards.
  5. I am considering adding CBD oil to my senior dog's daily regimen. He is already taking the canine CJ supplement from Platinum products. Is anybody using CBD oil for their canine(s) and have a trusted source for purchase? From what I have read online, quality can vary tremendously, and I want to make sure to get the 'good stuff'.
  6. Thanks for alerting us to your blog posts. I very much enjoyed them.
  7. Kudos for adopting a dog. Caper is beautiful. I have nothing to add to the comments above, but will just confirm the raggedy post-partum coat from my own experience of having fostered a sheltie cross that was just coming off pups (3 months prior).
  8. Although I don't live in the UK, I do occasionally foster for my 'local' BC rescue, and am always glad to hear about a reputable BC rescue. Thank you for your work.
  9. Back to your original post: it has been bothering me that a vet would recommend reducing calories (and such a significant reduction of calories) for a growing pup. (And I also find it weird that he is basing it on calories. I mean, why count calories for a dog, for heaven's sake, unless there is a medical issue.) Just from my recent experience since I currently have a 6 month old pup -- I have not yet reduced the amount I feed her. Contrary to your vet's advice, I have increased the amount, just a little bit, every few weeks over time. In fact, at this time, I may be increasing it a bit more because she is a little too ribby right now
  10. Awww. I had a dog that would eat raspberries from the bush if I asked her "Rsapberries? Want your raspberries?" It was so cute. It really made our walks more fun. The other 2 dogs liked raspberries too, but I had to pick the berries for them and hand-feed them.
  11. This ^^^^^ (Gentle Lake's answer). There are too many variations between dogs to follow general calorie guidelines. Have the guidelines your vet uses controlled for breed and exercise levels? are two variables that come to mind immediately.
  12. I read that organ meats and sardines can be used to supplement for taurine deficiency.
  13. Cutie! No, I think the white leg is fine. Probably a visual 'distortion' due to color. If you are worried, just keep an eye on it.
  14. Congratulations on your new pup! I don't know about the smell. Something is definitely off. Puppies should have a 'puppy smell' which many people crave. In addition, border collies often have self-cleaning coats when they are adults and generally don't need many baths. But puppy coats are very different, generally not as sleek as adult coats. So I can see it being a little more dirty, but not to the point of smelling bad. With regard to the exercise you are giving your pup: it is too much. Please try and break it into smaller segments throughout the day. A pup's bones and joints are still forming and are very vulnerable. In general, I don't recommend repetitive exercise (like running) until they are closer to a year old.
  15. Oh no! I hope she doesn't have a repeat episode. Sounds like a seizure to me also. What you describe is very close to the grand mal seizures that Natt used to have. Natt's seizures were a bit stronger, and she didn't come out of them as rapidly as Megan. It can be very difficult to determine an exact cause for seizures. Based on Megan's history, it could be related to her age or her kidney issues. Did you check to see if the pupils of her eyes were flicking back and forth? If so, it could be a seizure related to a vestibular incident. Although my understanding is that the dog may be unsteady on his/her feet for a period of time afterwards. Torque recently had a vestibular incident. I did not witness a 'seizure', but he was stumbling a bit on his feet all of a sudden, and when I brought him to the vet, she showed me his eyes slightly flicking back and forth. He was fine after a couple of days. Sending positive vibes to Megan for a non-occurrence.
  16. So cute. The general rule I have heard is to double the 4 month weight to estimate the adult weight. Having said that, there are so many exceptions to that 'rule', you must take it with a grain of salt.
  17. Maja- great video. Wonderful music that fits with the scenes. Bader.... LOL on the video. I have seen a few other videos made by this guy. He is funny. Easily offended because everything is about you = narcicisstic personality
  18. Good catch. Yes, tunnel bags are very important for safety reasons. Not sure what the OP means by free-standing weaves. I have channel weaves since that is how I like to train weaves, but they are more expensive.
  19. Most of my jumps are homemade, with the exception of the double. I would have bought a triple, but had a friend getting rid of her homemade one so grabbed it. Weave poles: can use stick-in-the-ground or 2 X 2s, to begin training, but will eventually need to get regulation weaves. Agree with CptJack on purchasing contact equipment. Tunnels - buy the sturdy regulation tunnels (although it seems that tunnels are no longer being made to be as sturdy and long-lasting as they once were - according to the complaints I have been hearing from my agility friends). Once a BC pup is more than 4 or 5 months old, the kiddie tunnels are not safe IMHO.
  20. Thank you. I would definitely like to compare strengths of each.
  21. THIS^^^ This year, I am a member of a group ( of 5) who own pups from a female that is running in the Finals. The pups were born in February, so this female is competing 7 months after whelping her pups.
  22. Very happy to hear this pupdate! Please remind me of the product, is it OTC, and do you think it could be used in a general sense for senior dogs?
  23. This. ^^^^ But, guys, we occasionally get through to an obstinate thinker. :-) I remember one thread (IIRC), a couple of years ago, in which someone was complaining about their puppy destroying their belongings and even parts of their house. The collective wisdom advised appropriate use of a crate. The OP said she had owned dogs for over 25 years (although this was her first border collie) and had never had to use a crate, and wasn't going to start now. A few months later, the OP showed up again with genuine thanks for our advice. Apparently, she finally did take our advice. She had the humility to put aside her ego and try a new tactic since what she was doing did not work. She also had the good graces to come back and thank the posters who had taken time to respond. We shouldn't pat ourselves on the back too hard ( ;-) -- remember humility), but it does feel good to help a dog and their owner overcome issues.
  24. Have you put a good foundation on your pup before you allow him freedom and expose him to distractions? That is one of the secrets to a good recall. Start inside with no distractions until you have a high recall success. Then gradually increase distractions during training. If he is not returning when called, you will have to keep him on a long line until his recall is better. AND, you may have progressed too fast in his training (ie. added too many distractions for his level of training), so I would return to the basics. It never hurts to go back to the basics. And don't forget, to get a recall with distractions usually takes many months. (and sometimes longer). Good Luck.
×
×
  • Create New...