dog cats and other pet stuff.

[JumpinMacFlash]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs150.snc4/36864_606977901458_219701744_34867372_4085399_n.jpg

 

My wife and I have an 8-month old border collie/black lab named Jack. We both wanted to get a dog, she wanted a border collie and I wanted a lab. We found an ad in the Journal Sentinel for puppies, and we picked up Jack the next day. I was a little worried about him since we lived in an apartment and border collies have so much energy, but it hasn't been a problem. Since border collies are so smart training has been pretty easy. He picks up on things very quickly. He does have to be alone for a few hours each day, but he's never chewed on or destroyed anything of ours. He does have to go on two four-mile runs/walks a day in order for him to get enough exercise. He also loves playing with his Frisbee. I can't wait for when we buy a house, so we can have more space for him to roam and we can work with him on learning more tricks and tasks.

 

The only other thing that concerns me is that we're expecting our first child in the next month and a half and I wonder how he'll act with a baby. We actually got him in January and we found out later that month that we were having a baby. The timing with the puppy could have been better, but I couldn't imagine us not having him.

[Thurston Fluff]

Awesome jumpinjack. I am a huge border collie fan. if you end up needing some cheap game/exercise ideas feel free to ask.

[1992casey]

for instance making the dog wait until you go through a door before allowing him to

 

I think the more practical solution is to train the dog to wait for the human to say OK or something similar. That would cover different situations. When I had my dog, I frequently wanted him to go into the house while I was still diddling around outside. Making him wait until I went through the door just because it was the "thing to do" would have been inconvenient.

 

As Backupcatchers says, different breeds are good and bad at different things. I guess Rottweilers are very good with "stay." A friend of mine told his Rottweiler to stay, forgot to release him, and left for the day. The dog was in exactly the same spot when he returned.

[danzig6767]

for instance making the dog wait until you go through a door before allowing him to

 

I think the more practical solution is to train the dog to wait for the human to say OK or something similar. That would cover different situations. When I had my dog, I frequently wanted him to go into the house while I was still diddling around outside. Making him wait until I went through the door just because it was the "thing to do" would have been inconvenient.

 

As Backupcatchers says, different breeds are good and bad at different things. I guess Rottweilers are very good with "stay." A friend of mine told his Rottweiler to stay, forgot to release him, and left for the day. The dog was in exactly the same spot when he returned.

I don't do the thing of making my dog wait for me to go through the door first, but the advice from Caesar about how to walk a dog properly has helped immensely. I used to just always let Tyson walk way ahead of me and pull me towards any direction he wanted to walk. Back then he'd almost never listened to me if he was off leash.

 

Then i saw episodes of Dog Whisper where Caesar would force the dog to walk next to him and not go forward until the dog listened to him. It took patience and my dog wouldn't listen initially, but after awhile he got the point that he wouldn't be able to go forward until i allowed him to and if he didn't come back to me after i commanded him to, the walk came to a stand still. Even though i have a 30 foot leash, now my dog usually stays next to me during a walk unless i say go ahead, which then he'll go sniffing around some bushes.

 

The other thing i learned from Caesar and i'm sure it's the same with any dog trainer is that when trying to change some behavioral issues, it often can take time, patience, and consistency, dogs usually won't instantly change a bad behavioral issue overnight like many dog owners want and like i wanted when first getting him.

[danzig6767]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs150.snc4/36864_606977901458_219701744_34867372_4085399_n.jpg

 

My wife and I have an 8-month old border collie/black lab named Jack. We both wanted to get a dog, she wanted a border collie and I wanted a lab. We found an ad in the Journal Sentinel for puppies, and we picked up Jack the next day. I was a little worried about him since we lived in an apartment and border collies have so much energy, but it hasn't been a problem. Since border collies are so smart training has been pretty easy. He picks up on things very quickly. He does have to be alone for a few hours each day, but he's never chewed on or destroyed anything of ours. He does have to go on two four-mile runs/walks a day in order for him to get enough exercise. He also loves playing with his Frisbee. I can't wait for when we buy a house, so we can have more space for him to roam and we can work with him on learning more tricks and tasks.

 

The only other thing that concerns me is that we're expecting our first child in the next month and a half and I wonder how he'll act with a baby. We actually got him in January and we found out later that month that we were having a baby. The timing with the puppy could have been better, but I couldn't imagine us not having him.

I know not all dogs are the same and my situation involved a pet bearded dragon instead of a baby, but i worried how my then puppy would react around the bearded dragon that i already had and would let run around the house out of it's tank. This worry was heightened because the breed of my dog is a hunter of small game.

 

Well, from the day we got Tyson as a puppy, my daughter and i both would tell him no if he went anywhere near the bearded dragon. We'd put the dragon on the floor and sometimes let the puppy smell it, but if he went near the lizard with us not be right there, we'd yell no and he just walked away. Not long afterward, Tyson stopped showing any interest in the bearded dragon and he never once has tried to bite it or anything harmful.

 

I'm no dog trainer, but once you have your baby, i'd carefully let Jack smell the child while also firmly letting him know that any time he goes near the baby without your approval that this isn't acceptable.

[Patrick425]

danzig6767[/b]]One thing i've long wondered about the vast majority of cat owners is why don't they ever walk their cats like dog owners do? Wouldn't cats enjoy a walk outside as dogs love so much? Wouldn't that maybe also make a cat less interested in bolting out a door when a chance arrived since their curiosity about the outdoors should be less since they were outside a lot?

I'm not aware of any cat that would allow you to take them for a walk. We actually put our cat out on a leash on the front porch sometimes (some of our neighbors find this weird). Occasionally we will untie him and "walk" him around the yard. However, if he starts wanting to venture into another yard, a simple tug on the leash or reprimand is not going to work like it would for a dog. Generally cats will just flop on the ground if you try to make them go some place they don't want to go.

 

Some cats will not allow you to put a harness on them to tie tie them outside. Our cat before this one would completely freak out when we would attempt this.

 

Also, you need to use a harness type collar if you are going to put a cat on a leash. Most cats will easily slip out of a simple neck collar. In addition, cats are not smart enough to understand the concept of the leash following them and could possibly hang themselves if you leave them unattended with just a simple neck collar and a leash in an area where they can jump on to things. We are constantly having to untangle our cat as he wraps his leash around bushes and other objects.

 

[Thurston Fluff]

got new neighbors and they have a 2 year old German Shepard who barks continuously. I have yet to see them walk the dog and it stays on about a 6' leash. I was taking to them yesterday and suggested the dog needs more exercise. I was promptly told to mind my own business. Guess their dog barking all the time has nothing to do with me.

[greeg35]

we walk our cat. Only problems come when we turn around back towards home he starts laying down a lot more and complaining about getting back up. Eventually, when we get really close to the house/door I just have to pick him up. Guess he really enjoys walks.

[1992casey]

Being tied out isn't natural for a dog. It's something you do in a pinch or for a short period. But if your dog doesn't adapt to it well, it shouldn't be a surprise.

 

If your dog needs to be kept confined, a crate or kennel is a much better option.

[Funketown]

got new neighbors and they have a 2 year old German Shepard who barks continuously. I have yet to see them walk the dog and it stays on about a 6' leash. I was taking to them yesterday and suggested the dog needs more exercise. I was promptly told to mind my own business. Guess their dog barking all the time has nothing to do with me.

That's really unfortunate. I live in an apartment complex with tons of drop-kick dogs whose owners never taught to be quiet. It's really amazing how some people can let their dogs bark like that and be completely clueless about the people around them.

 

We just got a tri-color Miniature Australian Shepherd (10 weeks), and I smile smugly when he meets a yip dog and is largely silent. Of course, I don't expect that to continue as he ages, but I'll soak it in while it lasts.

[brewers19]

got new neighbors and they have a 2 year old German Shepard who barks continuously. I have yet to see them walk the dog and it stays on about a 6' leash. I was taking to them yesterday and suggested the dog needs more exercise. I was promptly told to mind my own business. Guess their dog barking all the time has nothing to do with me.

Should've told them that animal neglect is everybody's business.

[hawing]

I didn't realize that "drop-kick dogs" was a common enough phrase to make Urban Dictionary, until just now.

Someone I work with likes to call very small dogs either drop-kick dogs, or breakfast dogs.

[TooLiveBrew]

Buc, not sure how realistic this option is for you, but you could contact your local animal control. Doesn't sound like the relationship with your neighbor wrt the dog can get any worse, and you could really wind up helping the dog. I assume you're not their only neighbor, so reporting the dog's incessant barking anonymously should be fine.

 

If anyone remembers, Principessa & I had a problem with a neighborhood dog, reported it to the local animal control, and have had zero problems since. It really would be more to help the dog, ideally, in this case, Buc. Lazy dog owners suck.

[Thurston Fluff]

Yea I thought about calling authorities about the barking but I think it's only courteous to go to the person first. I would much rather they learn how to raise a dog properly. The problem I think happens when people get tickets for a loud dog is they blame the dog. Then they invariably get rid of it and get another one. While they may have told me to mind my own buisness last night they were out at least trying to train the dog later. It was painful because they have no clue how to do it. Yelling getting frustrated when it didn't respond repeating the command in louder and louder tones until it would have scared Freddie Krueger...the usual stuff.

Yet since I was already told to mind my own buisness it's very hard to beleive they would accept help on how to train. My plan now is to bring over food when I grill or smoke and just so happen to have a treat for the dog that I'll give him if he sits or shakes hands to something. Maybe between the food for them and seeing their dog respond to kindness I can break the ice and help them be good dog owners. I also plan on playing my dog in the open a little more. She's amazing so maybe they'll think I'm some sort of dog whisperer or something and be more inclined to accept some help. Hopefully I can lead by example if not by words.

[adamb100]

Uploaded some pics of my cat to a public Facebook Album....

 

http://www.facebook.com/a...d=584342937&l=bc74aeaed0

[Diskono]

I didn't realize that "drop-kick dogs" was a common enough phrase to make Urban Dictionary, until just now.

Someone I work with likes to call very small dogs either drop-kick dogs, or breakfast dogs.

I think I have one of those

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4221670532_572f52e30a.jpg

[hawing]

Uploaded some pics of my cat to a public Facebook Album....

 

http://www.facebook.com/a...d=584342937&l=bc74aeaed0

That's a good looking cat, Adam. Our first cat (before the ones pictured earlier in this thread) had that gray/white/little bit of orange colored coat, so your photos took me down memory lane a bit. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

[Thurston Fluff]

Yes Diskono you have one of them. Adding the sweater doesn't really help the matter. Nothing against those little guys at all. There are plenty of things they are good for. They make an excellent toilet brush and could probably be used as a broom for curling in a pinch.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[danzig6767]

I didn't realize that "drop-kick dogs" was a common enough phrase to make Urban Dictionary, until just now.

Someone I work with likes to call very small dogs either drop-kick dogs, or breakfast dogs.

I think I have one of those

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4221670532_572f52e30a.jpg

My aunt has a Pomeranian and the first time i picked up her dog, it surprised just how light it was. It looks just like this.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/PomPhoto10.jpg

 

 

The dog almost felt like i was holding a rodent with piles of fluffy hair because it was so light. How much do they generally weigh, 3-5 pounds?

[Principessa21]

I like medium-sized dogs, but if I was ever going to get a 'drop-kick dog' it would be a chinese crested hairless. They're so ugly they're cute.

[Thurston Fluff]

http://i684.photobucket.com/albums/vv208/ThurstonFluff/z.jpg

Those crested hairless dogs are weird to say the least. No idea of their temperament but anything that adorably ugly must have an attitude. This is a picture of Zaphod at 8 weeks old. He was already bigger than a sweater dog by then.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

What breed is he? Looks like a sled dog.

[JumpinMacFlash]

Ohhhhhh myyyyy gooossshhhhh!

 

Seriously, that is an adorable dog. He looks like he's gonna grow up to be a monster.

[Thurston Fluff]

He's an Akita and, yes, he did pull a sulky though he no longer does it. Though he was possibly the cutest pup I ever had he did grow up to be a monster. He's over 100 pounds now.

 

http://i684.photobucket.com/albums/vv208/ThurstonFluff/z9mos80lbs.jpg

[And That]

This is a picture of Zaphod

Phenomenal name, BTW.