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Duxwig posted:puppy crying at night question. The rule of thumb for puppies is roughly 1 hour per month of age between bathroom breaks. Asking him to hold it all night is far too long at that stage, and you need to be prepared to take him out in the middle of the night. I'd do it on a schedule rather than when he whines so he doesn't associate whining with being let out. I'd also review the housetraining guide and consider restricting water an hour and a half prior to bedtime so he's not going into his crate with a full bladder.
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Apr 3, 2012 15:41
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MrFurious posted:The rule of thumb for puppies is roughly 1 hour per month of age between bathroom breaks. Asking him to hold it all night is far too long at that stage, and you need to be prepared to take him out in the middle of the night. Maybe it was TL,DR but my question was about puppy crying at night in his crate. We take him to potty right before his bed time, has a toy, goes voluntary, etc. Just sad to be alone, etc. Just wanting advice of crate placement and limit of interaction or visual when he does whine. No issues w potty. Had food? Potty. Had water? Potty. Played? Potty. Woke up? Potty(we did middle of night first 2 nights). Been 30-hour w nothing? Potty. Theres been 3 mistakes and those were our fault for trying to stretch the time a bit.
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Apr 3, 2012 18:15
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Duxwig posted:Maybe it was TL,DR but my question was about puppy crying at night in his crate. We take him to potty right before his bed time, has a toy, goes voluntary, etc. Just sad to be alone, etc. It was less TL;DR, and more just incomprehensible. You will get a variety of different opinions on how to deal with this situation, and at the end of the day that's all they are -- opinions. You have to find a comfortable compromise for yourselves in terms of teaching your puppy to be confident with being left alone and also limiting his stress during the night. Consider other reasons that he might be distressed at night -- whether he's cold, lonely, or just bored. You might consider leaving a safe chew toy (one that is not a choking or gum hazard such as a Kong) or some ratty old clothes that smell like you in the crate for him as well.
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Apr 3, 2012 18:52
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For reference here is the old thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3166420
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Apr 4, 2012 13:37
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This is Elvis: He is 11 years old and I absolutely adore him but I have wanted to add a second dog to our family for a long time. Finally after many years, at least 5 since I have lived in the building our condo board finally lifting the restrictions on 1 dog per unit. First of all I am going to say why I am looking at getting a puppy and then you can yell at me for being stupid and then maybe change my mind or approve and maybe suggest a different breed or why an adult dog might be better in my situation. I'm not taking this decision lightly and not planning on running out and getting a puppy tomorrow or anything. * I raised Elvis as a puppy, granted, I was in high school but I know what it is like * Elvis turned out great, has been around puppies and does great with them and I think he could be a great influence on one * I think a puppy would make the dynamic with Elvis better given that he would be the clear dominate dog since we have lived alone for so long. *I absolutely love the breed *I live in a highrise and I think a puppy would be able to adjust better to life in the city with things like elevators, frequent strange sounds, etc. *I work 10-5 M-F with a <30 minute commute and there is an extremely good chance that the puppy could either come to work with me for the first few months and/or I could drop it off with or without Elvis at my Dad's house on the way to work for sure. There is also doggy daycare and dog boarding across the street from my house. To add on why a miniture dachshund my experience with Elvis has been great and would idealy like a dog around his size. Being able to pick both dogs up is important to me for safety reasons, if there was some sort of building emergency getting them down 10 floors of stairs quickly is something I would really like to be able to do, plus there are a few building rules that would make life just a little bit easier for me. If there is a similar size breed that you would suggest I would be completely open to it. As for adopting an adult dog, as impressed as how well Elvis did I am concerned he might be an exception for adjusting as an adult dog. A dog is going to have to be able to adjust to all sorts of strange noises outside, from regular airplanes, helicopters, buses, motorcycles and trolleys, to people vacuuming outside the front door and other regular comings and going on a daily basis he can hear but can't see, multiple daily elevator rides, and lots of strange people and dogs he is going to encounter or see on a daily basis. Elvis has done exceptionally well and I think having an older, well adjusted dog around as a puppy would help calm him as well as just growing up with such an environment would better adjust to these things always being a part of normal everyday life. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Apr 4, 2012 |
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Apr 4, 2012 18:40
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I think you have a good plan in place and seem to have given this decision lots of thought. While I think a carefully selected adult rescue or an older rescue puppy could definitely work in your situation, if you understand all the terrible hassle that comes with puppies and/or dachshunds and still want one go for it. Dominance in dogs is really a myth so don't worry about one dog being "dominant" towards the other or feed them at different times or anything like that. They will work out their own social dynamic. That being said, you have an older man who may want some puppy free time so if Elvis is giving calming signals (yawning, turning away, lip licking, etc) and the puppy isn't leaving him alone you will want to intervene and let Elvis have some time to himself. Also be sure you take the puppy out and about by itself so it can become well socialized and not dependent on Elvis to feel comfortable in life. A puppy kindergarten or training class would be excellent for this. Since you want a puppy be very carefully about finding an excellent breeder. Breeding dogs should be clear of IVDD, PRA, luxating patellas, thyroid problems and epilepsy and the breeder should be able to provide proof. Also be sure that the breeder takes temperament into consideration because a barky little poo poo (more so than a regular dachshund is) would not turn out to be a good apartment dog. Instant Jellyfish fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Apr 4, 2012 |
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Apr 4, 2012 20:56
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That's one thing that has been great about Elvis and a major concern that I have, Elvis does not bark in the house. I mean, of course sometimes,if we are playing and he wants me to throw a toy or something he will let out a bark and he's about 50/50 on one or two barks at the doorbell but other than that he is great. Don't get me wrong, Elvis was a barker and it took patience and training to get him to stop but now he doesn't. I'm hoping being around Elvis and with some patient training starting from a puppy it won't be a problem. The temperament of the parents is definitely something high on my list. I know it isn't entirely predictive but hopefully it will give me a better idea. I would be all for an adult adoption, my concern is just that I feel like I'm asking for a huge adjustment for an adult dog to deal with life in a city high-rise who might not ever be able to adjust and that if I am willing to put in the effort to train and properly socialize a puppy it will likely do better. Maybe I'm wrong on that though. I did find one rescue that specializes in miniature dachshund but they basically say "We won't automatically rule out an apartment but it's not ideal, ground floor only and it may take us over a year to find a dog we are comfortable placing with you" But yes, I am taking choosing a breeder very seriously and taking everything in the FAQ to heart. This is absolutely not something I am on any sort of accelerated schedule on. And like I said, I'm open to other breeds and adopting an adult, I just think another miniature dachshund would be well suited for the environment and that given that I think I will be able to properly raise a puppy it would be helpful to raise a puppy to be adjusted to living in an urban environment from the beginning.
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Apr 4, 2012 21:25
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I imagine you aren't the only person in your city who lives in a high rise so chances are there are dogs available for adoption that have lived in apartments before and are used to city life. It would just take a lot of patience and looking to find the right one. Like I said, it sounds like you're doing everything right and you do have some very legitimate restrictions so if you want a puppy from a breeder don't let anyone make you feel bad about it. There is the chance that new puppy will see that Elvis is chill about everything and not become a barker, but there is also a chance that Elvis will hear this new dog barking at things and join in so be prepared for that. Since you are familiar with training out barking anyway you probably will just need to be sure to reward Elvis for being quiet even if new puppy is barking while you work on training him/her. Most importantly if you get a mini doxie puppy it is critically important that you post a million pictures because goddam they are cute. Especially the long hairs. I knew one named Greta that would curl up in a little ball in my lap at dog daycare 
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Apr 4, 2012 21:43
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I wanted to say that depending on the individual dog, some can adapt well to apartment life even if they haven't lived in an apartment before. My dog Bailey was a farm dog and pretty much allowed to run free and get in trouble. He now lives in a fairly small apartment with me. I was initially concerned how he'd take to it (he's probably more of a puller than he would be if he was constantly exhausted from causing trouble), but all in all, I've had him for just over a year now and he's taken to it quite well. It depends on the personality of the dog really.
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Apr 4, 2012 21:59
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I have considered that it could make Elvis start barking again but he does not start barking again when he is around my mother's or sister's dogs so I'm not terribly concerned with it. I know it is a possibly but Elvis has figured out that there are plenty of other funny sounds he can make or things he can do when he wants something that isn't barking that are much more likely to get him what he wants so I am really hoping that will rub off on the puppy.
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Apr 4, 2012 22:03
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I think this might be a smart idea but it may be incredibly stupid so I'm just throwing it out. My mom has a highrise adjusted miniture Yorkie and is going out of town for a week later this month. My idea is to dog sit and just see how things go with Elvis. Absolute worst case I have to put it in boarding across the street and it goes back home when my mom gets back. Best case everything goes great, or I learn what problems I might have to deal with and can do my best research on them before I commit to the lifetime of a puppy. Any thoughts?
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Apr 5, 2012 01:44
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Three Olives posted:I think this might be a smart idea but it may be incredibly stupid so I'm just throwing it out. My mom has a highrise adjusted miniture Yorkie and is going out of town for a week later this month. My idea is to dog sit and just see how things go with Elvis. Absolute worst case I have to put it in boarding across the street and it goes back home when my mom gets back. Best case everything goes great, or I learn what problems I might have to deal with and can do my best research on them before I commit to the lifetime of a puppy. Sounds like a good trial run option! It's definitely a good way to see what having a second dog may be like without a lot of pressure. If you have a drunk friend come over and pee on your floor and break some of your stuff while you are watching the dogs it will help approximate the puppy owning experience. Obvious thing is just make sure to let your mom know that there is a chance the dog will end up in a kennel briefly and make sure she's ok with it.
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Apr 5, 2012 01:48
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My great dane is 6mo old. He's 75lbs now, I feed him Nutro Max large breed puppy. WTH is this? I just noticed it yesterday, it has not been there long. He stays inside most of the time, but we just moved to Texas and he has a new yard and he has had a few romps through a field and a small pond.  My best guesses: Ants Cactus plants Posion Ivy canine acne Citycop fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Apr 5, 2012 |
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Apr 5, 2012 03:23
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Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on whether I should adopt an adult rescue dog or not. My girlfriend and I are graduate students at Vanderbilt University and live in an urban part of town in a converted house shared by other tenants (our apartment in the house is about 1100 sq ft). The house has a front and backyard but they are unfenced. However, I am positive that I can walk/exercise the dog at the very minimum 1 hour a day (30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes + in the evening). We live less than a 10 minute walk from campus, so even though we work during the day I will be able to walk back home and take the dog to use the bathroom, etc. during my lunch hour. Also, our apartment is surrounded by greenspace, parks, and sidewalks for dog walking. We are about a 15 minute walk from a gigantic dog park, and I will be sure to take the dog to this fenced in area to play at the very least twice a week. I really, really want a golden retriever (mix - I'd prefer one maybe around 50 lbs or less), especially after my childhood golden passed away at my parents' house a few weeks ago. There are some very reputable golden retriever rescues around here, but I wanted to make sure I would be doing the right thing for the dog. Oh, one thing to consider is we have two cats (one's 4 or 5, and the other's about 1.5). Thanks!
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Apr 7, 2012 18:47
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I have an assortment of questions. The pup in question is a 6-month-old shepherd mix, and he's so darn laid back that it's easy to forget he's a puppy. 1. How many hours/day in a crate is too much if the puppy doesn't seem to mind it? He is perfect in his crate and will just rest for 8 hours at night without a peep. He was dumped in my yard at a less-than-ideal time, and I am going to be crazy busy for the next 2-3 weeks. As long as he's exercised and has something fun like a Kong in his crate, is there any harm in crating him for 16-18 hours a day? It would only be this much on the extra bad days during the next few weeks. I feel crappy about it, but the puppy doesn't seem to give a poo poo, so is it doing any harm? 2. We're working on getting him to not chase my cats. When he's indoors, not crated, and the cats are loose in the house, I have him on a leash for the cats' safety. Unless a cat runs past him, I don't have to even touch the leash most of the time -- he will follow me if I move to another room, etc. Am I going to make him neurotic by having him glued to me all the time indoors? When I have my fiance man the leash, the puppy pulls to follow me and stares at the doorway until I come back, but he's not freaking out or anything. 3. Similarly, how do most couples deal with training? We are clicker training him, and I am going to be the primary trainer, but we want him to listen to and love my fiance, too. Should we both work with him separately every day, or should I wait until he has mastered a behavior for me before my fiance asks him to do it? Should we both work with the clicker, or is that too confusing? 4. Anyone have tips for fun/busy treats that are safe without supervision? I know like every toy ever says it requires supervision, but I'd like to have more stuff I can put in his crate with him when I'm gone. He loves his Kong, but I feel like he needs supervision with bully sticks or bones because he tries to swallow big chunks (and I am a paranoid person). I ordered one of those bottle/rope puzzle things for kibble, but I think he's going to figure it out really quickly and not be entertained very long. Have some lovely cell phone pics   Bonus points for anyone with breed guesses. He's definitely shepherd-y, but no clue about the other part. Hound? Pit? Mutty mutt mutt?
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Apr 8, 2012 16:13
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Bwee posted:Hi all, Your situation now sounds fine but do you know what you're going to be doing and where you'll be when you're done with school? If you and your gf get jobs in different cities, can one of you handle the dog alone?
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Apr 8, 2012 16:26
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Crooked Booty posted:I have an assortment of questions. The pup in question is a 6-month-old shepherd mix, and he's so darn laid back that it's easy to forget he's a puppy. That's an extremely long stretch. I wouldn't go longer than 4-5 hours at a time. I realize that this is the exception in your schedule, but I would strongly recommend you find someone to look in on him if you can. quote:2. We're working on getting him to not chase my cats. When he's indoors, not crated, and the cats are loose in the house, I have him on a leash for the cats' safety. Unless a cat runs past him, I don't have to even touch the leash most of the time -- he will follow me if I move to another room, etc. Am I going to make him neurotic by having him glued to me all the time indoors? When I have my fiance man the leash, the puppy pulls to follow me and stares at the doorway until I come back, but he's not freaking out or anything. Tethering him is fine. You should have your fiancee start doing it too. If he's obsessing over you in particular, have her start feeding his meals and working on some training with him as well. More below. No need to worry about neuroses, as long as you're not seeing any signs of separation anxiety, but wanting to be close to you is not a symptom of SA. quote:3. Similarly, how do most couples deal with training? We are clicker training him, and I am going to be the primary trainer, but we want him to listen to and love my fiance, too. Should we both work with him separately every day, or should I wait until he has mastered a behavior for me before my fiance asks him to do it? Should we both work with the clicker, or is that too confusing? You should both be training as long as it's fun and productive. I think you're asking about both of you using the same clicker -- if that's the case, it doesn't matter. Just as long as the same person who clicks is also doing the training and the treating. A slightly longer answer regarding who trains and when -- my advice is that one person should work on one behavior at a time until it's starting to firm up. If you are working on sit, for example, and he's sitting 90% of the time, but not 100% of the time, start changing it up and see if your wife can get the same results. This will proof the behavior such that it generalizes to multiple individuals. quote:4. Anyone have tips for fun/busy treats that are safe without supervision? I know like every toy ever says it requires supervision, but I'd like to have more stuff I can put in his crate with him when I'm gone. He loves his Kong, but I feel like he needs supervision with bully sticks or bones because he tries to swallow big chunks (and I am a paranoid person). I ordered one of those bottle/rope puzzle things for kibble, but I think he's going to figure it out really quickly and not be entertained very long. A frozen Kong is pretty safe, and should last him a while. There's a bit of an art to it though. More liquid is better, and you'll want it to freeze hard. I'm with you on bully sticks, rawhides and antlers. I don't let them go unsupervised for all the reasons you stated with my own dog as well. I love the Tug-A-Jug, but be warned that if you put kibble in it of any kind, it's eventually going to break. Dust builds up from the food and gets lodged in the threads at the bottom. Eventually it'll cause the bottle or the lid at the bottom to crack -- just be on the lookout and replace when it does. Since you're going to be crating so much, feeding his meals via toys like that is a good way to tire him out with the time you have so he's calmer in his crate while you're away. Hope this helps.
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Apr 8, 2012 21:17
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MrFurious posted:That's an extremely long stretch. I wouldn't go longer than 4-5 hours at a time. I realize that this is the exception in your schedule, but I would strongly recommend you find someone to look in on him if you can. MrFurious posted:Since you're going to be crating so much, feeding his meals via toys like that is a good way to tire him out with the time you have so he's calmer in his crate while you're away. Thanks a lot for all the advice! One more question: Do most people leave water in the crate with a puppy overnight?
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Apr 8, 2012 22:56
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Anything I should be worried about teaching our just-now-10-weeks vizsla as far as commands? We've had him a week and this is what we've worked on: Working on getting him to stop or look at us if we call his name. We've been trying to work on "Come" also since our other biggest thought was that we travel alot and would like to be able to trust him off leash at times. He listens at times, but if he smells something or distracted by chomping on a toy...he won't listen...but I'm guessing thats just 10-week-old new puppy ADD mindset? The next thing we wanted to work on was sit, but he's not very motivated for treats. The method we were reading was putting the treat in front of him and slowly moving it back behind him so he has to sit and look up...but he either just turns around w/o sitting or tries to jump for it. He seems to know that he needs to sit quietly to get his food and water, so I've been trying to use that to my advantage by saying "Sit" right when he auto puts his butt down to wait. He loves toys and running after them, does OK on bringing them back. Things we've read said work on one command at a time. We've been working more on the "come" like I said when we throw the toys and mix up the sessions using "Drop" instead of fetch or come hoping that he'll learn to drop whatever things he's chewing on around the house also. We've been trying to read alot of Patricia McConnell's books and things online when we get the time, but we're not sure timeline wise what our dog should be learning week by week. Maybe that is seen as high expectations, but we just wanted a general gist so we know if we need to play catchup. -------------------------------------- General non-command type stuff we've worked on in the last week: **He's pretty good about housetraining. Still mistakes here or there. He whimpers at times to let us know he has to go but usually just us taking him out every 30 to hour to pee, working on him dinging the bell on the door. **We've been trying to actively socialize him with everyone and anyone we can think of. All our family, men, women, kids, strangers. We don't know anyone w/ dogs really so we've been taking him to the pet store to sniff other dogs and such. He hasnt had any off leash time w/ other dogs yet. Hoping to get him into some puppy classes soon for socialization at the very least. **Havent had much chance to work on bite inhibition. He runs around with an open mouth but doesnt really bite unless he's overly tired and in spaz mode. Usually then it doesnt hurt at all, but at what pressure level should we be getting up and walking away? Also trying to get him not to lick or get close to faces, since we'd not like to run that risk ever. **Taking away his food and toys, praising him when he simmers down and waits...then giving them back to him. (gf had a dog that would get aggro if you tried to take food/toys, so we thought we'd work on that) **Making him sit(think he's doing it unconciously) before we give him his food and water. Duxwig fucked around with this message at 01:32 on Apr 9, 2012 |
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Apr 9, 2012 01:23
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Crooked Booty posted:One more question: Do most people leave water in the crate with a puppy overnight? I wouldn't, personally. Just makes holding it that much harder if they have a full bladder. Make sure he gets plenty to drink 30 minutes before you leave, then give him time for it to settle in his bladder, then take him out right before you crate him and leave. Duxwig posted:Training and recalls I wouldn't work on a real recall right now. I'd reward heavily for any time he stops and comes to you, but I would not prompt it. Specifically, if "come" is your recall cue, I would not utter it to the dog at ALL right now until you get better at training. A good recall is very difficult and takes a great deal of painstaking training. Screwing it up now means that your cue will get poisoned and you'll have to start from scratch with a new cue. The best starter book I can recommend to you is Pat Miller's The Power of Positive Training. That's my go-to for beginners. Socialization is key -- the sooner you get into classes the better. If you want the sits to be a default behavior - do NOT cue them. Just wait for them. For example, if you want him to sit before going out the door, leash him up then stand in front of the door. Don't move a muscle (this includes no cueing, no prompting, no leash corrections whatsoever) until he drops into a sit, then light praise and open the door. If you've got more questions, pick one or two specifics and focus on those first.
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Apr 9, 2012 02:28
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Citycop posted:My great dane is 6mo old. The location reminds me of cat acne. It might be an allergy to the new grasses or dirt he's snarfing around in. I would give your vet a call because you don't want that spreading all over his face when he rolls in whatever caused it.
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Apr 9, 2012 10:18
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Crooked Booty posted:One more question: Do most people leave water in the crate with a puppy overnight? And crating isn't illegal in Europe due to its association with puppy mills.
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Apr 9, 2012 10:46
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While we are on the topic of crating, I have a few questions as I am new to this stuff. I have a 11-week old Shiba puppy who has mostly been a perfect little gentleman. We have a crate with blanket in the bedroom, and an ex-pen with a cover in the living room (cover is mostly to restrict movement, as he's pushed it into a v-shape and laddered his way out before). He is crated at night (1am-6am) and doesn't even whine as long as we are in the room. He doesn't exactly go in there on his own, but will if I toss a loosely packed Kong in the back corner. Once the door closes, he doesn't seem to eat anything but again doesn't whine about it. Sometimes when he is crated and we are leaving to run errands, he will whine for 1-3 minutes before shutting up and settling down (this is confirmed via puppy webcam). The ex-pen is a similar story. He will actually go into this on this own since we feed him in there and it is the home of his water bowl, but once he realizes the door is latched will whine for just a couple minutes before settling down. In either case, once he stops whining he doesn't really seem to mind much but just sleeps a lot (doesn't seem interested in playing with his toys or snacking once he realizes he is locked in). Is this something he will grow out of with time and consistency? I've been trying to toss treats and sit next to him in both cases to create positive associations, and the whining is short duration. We are careful never to give in and let him out when he is whining. He's never had an accident in either and we also make sure to take him out right before we leave for a few hours. It really isn't a big deal, but it just worries me that he doesn't seem to want to do anything but sleep once the doors are shut.
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Apr 10, 2012 14:39
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That seems pretty normal - ideal, even. I wouldn't worry. You might want to get chews, etc for him to use when he's alone. But in my experience, dogs don't play much with their toys when there's no one around.
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Apr 10, 2012 15:34
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I'd like to throw out a piece of information. I've noticed a lot of people suggesting that a middle-of-the-night potty break is absolutely imperative, and that's not entirely true. While it can be helpful, it's not really 100% necessary. Dogs and humans both secrete antidiuretic hormone or vasopressin, which helps retain water in the body. More of this hormone is secreted at night, which is why we are capable of "holding it" while we sleep (unless we have an imbalance, which causes nocturia). This is also true of dogs. ADH secretion increases during a normal sleep cycle, so unless you suspect your puppy of potentially developing diabetes, or you plan on letting him sleep for more than 6 or 7 hours consecutively, you shouldn't need a midnight tinkle.
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Apr 11, 2012 19:33
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ButWhatIf posted:I'd like to throw out a piece of information. I've noticed a lot of people suggesting that a middle-of-the-night potty break is absolutely imperative, and that's not entirely true. While it can be helpful, it's not really 100% necessary. Dogs and humans both secrete antidiuretic hormone or vasopressin, which helps retain water in the body. More of this hormone is secreted at night, which is why we are capable of "holding it" while we sleep (unless we have an imbalance, which causes nocturia). This is also true of dogs. ADH secretion increases during a normal sleep cycle, so unless you suspect your puppy of potentially developing diabetes, or you plan on letting him sleep for more than 6 or 7 hours consecutively, you shouldn't need a midnight tinkle. Great point and exactly my experience. I would caution that if the puppy isn't sleeping or wakes up and starts whining that you'll probably want to play it safe and believe him. Once he is sleeping reliably, you can phase the tinkle breaks out.
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Apr 12, 2012 02:35
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ButWhatIf posted:I'd like to throw out a piece of information. I've noticed a lot of people suggesting that a middle-of-the-night potty break is absolutely imperative, and that's not entirely true. While it can be helpful, it's not really 100% necessary. Dogs and humans both secrete antidiuretic hormone or vasopressin, which helps retain water in the body. More of this hormone is secreted at night, which is why we are capable of "holding it" while we sleep (unless we have an imbalance, which causes nocturia). This is also true of dogs. ADH secretion increases during a normal sleep cycle, so unless you suspect your puppy of potentially developing diabetes, or you plan on letting him sleep for more than 6 or 7 hours consecutively, you shouldn't need a midnight tinkle. I wish I'd known this before, I was very guilty when I ultimately decided to stop taking my puppy out at 2am every night. For about the first week I had my puppy home (from 8 weeks - 9 weeks) I religiously woke her up at 2am every morning so she could have a potty break. She'd do her business and then it would take her at least 30 minutes to settle down again. I eventually decided that she seemed to be sleeping peacefully, so why wake her and get her all riled up if it wasn't necessary. She made it all the way through the night no problem that night and ever since. I think that helped save my sanity (well, as much as a puppy leaves you anyways).
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Apr 12, 2012 02:44
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Hey guys, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma and I'd really like some input. The family dog died just less than a year ago, and ever since I have ached for a dog of my own. It's all I think about, and I can't wait for the day when I can bring home my own little puppy. I live in a flat (pets allowed) with my girlfriend (who is also a massive dog lover), and we'd both love a dog. We visited an RSPCA shelter where we saw the most awesome little critter ever! He's an old labrador, about 9 years old, and he's gorgeous. He looks like a little, old gentleman, and both me and my girlfriend fell in love with him. The guy showing us around told us that the dog had been there for months with no interest, because he was just too old. They said he's the most chill dog ever, though. Never makes any noise, super friendly and happy to just chill out and relax in his old age. Now, me and my girlfriend don't live in the ideal situation for a dog. We both work 9 - 5 (although we have different days off, so the dog would have company for 4 days a week) and we don't have a garden to let him out in. However, we'd absolutely adore this dog. We'd cuddle him and play with him every night, we'd look after him as best we can and we'd take him for big, long walks on our days off. When we can't be there for him, he can just hang out on his bean bag and doze, right? My question is, this dog probably aint going to live for much longer. Maybe 5 years, tops. Surely he'd be better off with us, being loved and cared for (although left alone for 3 days a week) than left to die in a cage? Can we not just give him an awesome retirement? Let him live out his last years with a family who loves him? What do you think?
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Apr 12, 2012 17:52
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dogflaps posted:Hey guys, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma and I'd really like some input. You need to consider the financial aspect of dog ownership. An older dog like that would probably be fine at home for that length of time, provided you discuss it with the shelter and they don't know of any behavior issues that he may struggle with as a result (such as SA, poor housetraining, etc). But, because he is older, he's likely to start developing health problems -- possibly due to old age, perhaps his breeding/background, or his history that you simply don't know about. What you want to do is admirable, just make sure you can afford to take care of him when he starts needing regular medications for arthritis, or you can afford an emergency surgery in the event that the bloats.
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Apr 12, 2012 18:16
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If you're worried about him being left alone a few days a week consider hiring a dog walker. I used to visit an old man Lab a few days a week. He was awesome. He'd walk along behind me off leash as we'd toddle around the neighbourhood. He loved his walks. The walks were shorter than normal (30 minutes, compared to the usual 60) but I think he got a lot out of them.
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Apr 12, 2012 18:21
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edit: Started my own thread.
mombot fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Apr 13, 2012 |
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Apr 13, 2012 01:01
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What should I do about a puppy that screams whenever crated? My puppy is an 8-week old Siberian Husky that I just bought from a reputable breeder I know. She's been to the vet, had her first shots, all that. Most of the time, she's extremely well-behaved. She never bites, she follows me very well whenever I take her for a walk, and she learned very quickly that power cords are not chew-toys. However, whenever we put her in her crate, she screams bloody murder. She'll go in during the day to take a nap (when she isn't napping on my slippers...), but whenever we lock the door she freaks out. I Googled for what to do, and the consensus that I could find was "tough it out". However, she can easily keep going all night long. Last night my girlfriend slept right beside her, and whenever she started whining all she had to do was speak softly to her and she relaxed and went quiet again. As I'd rather not either traumatize my new beautiful puppy, nor sleep on the floor next to the crate, what should I do to help her relax during the night, or whenever we have to be at school/work?
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Apr 16, 2012 21:20
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Toughing it out is a good option. When I first brought my pup home I crated her at night, and I set out my bed on the floor right in front of the crate. Each time she started crying I would speak to her and stuff my fingers through the bars. It seemed to quiet her down really nicely, and after 3 nights or so of this I was able to lay in bed with the crate in the corner of my room without much fuss. Though, it's important to keep in mind what worked for some people may not work for others. Dogs are fantastic about figuring out behaviour chains, so you may find your pup crying perpetually to get you come and keep it company, so that's where toughing it out comes in handy. But for the first few nights I would go easy on the poor thing and comfort her the best you can while she's getting used to her new surroundings.
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Apr 16, 2012 21:43
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TwoQuestions posted:What should I do about a puppy that screams whenever crated? In addition to everything ALL said, make sure you're playing some crate games during the day to make it a fun place to be too.
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Apr 16, 2012 23:45
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What are some good brands of puppy shampoo?
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Apr 22, 2012 11:16
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Koth posted:What are some good brands of puppy shampoo? Without recommending an actual brand, all you need to worry about is the pH balance of the shampoo. It needs to either be pH formulated for dogs, or it needs to be pH neutral (baby shampoo is fine in this respect). There has been some discussion in the past over what does and does not constitute an acceptable dog shampoo, but, having done some research, I have not been able to find any credible evidence of issues other than allergic reactions (rare) and pH issues. Keep in mind that dogs really don't need to be bathed that often, so if you're doing it once a week, it's definitely overkill.
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Apr 22, 2012 18:52
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MrFurious posted:Keep in mind that dogs really don't need to be bathed that often, so if you're doing it once a week, it's definitely overkill. I personally wash my dogs completely with shampoo maybe once in every two years. They do swim in the summer and I rinse their paws every now and then and wash their butts as needed.
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Apr 22, 2012 20:37
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MrFurious posted:Without recommending an actual brand, all you need to worry about is the pH balance of the shampoo. It needs to either be pH formulated for dogs, or it needs to be pH neutral (baby shampoo is fine in this respect). Thanks. My wife and I adopted a puppy from a foster family. He was just a little bit smelly (probably something to do with his 9 other siblings all being fostered together) when we went to see him so we're going to give him a bath when we pick him up later this week. edit: Another question, Dr. Ian Dunbar always mentions freeze-dried liver as a great treat. Is this something that people make themselves, or can I buy it somewhere. I have yet to see any 100% freeze-dried liver in any of the pet stores I've been to. Koth fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Apr 23, 2012 |
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Apr 23, 2012 00:12
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Koth posted:Thanks. My wife and I adopted a puppy from a foster family. He was just a little bit smelly (probably something to do with his 9 other siblings all being fostered together) when we went to see him so we're going to give him a bath when we pick him up later this week. Charlee-Bears (the normal flavor) are liver, and are pretty good as a low calorie treat. You should be able to find them at PetSmart, not sure about PetCo, but probably there too. I'm sure there are some others, but those are fine to use. I don't know if these are what he's referring to, but he will likely never mention any product by name intentionally. If your dog is fairly food motivated you can also use his kibble as his training rewards and train throughout the day for the whole or majority of his meal. Not mandatory, but certainly optional.
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Apr 23, 2012 01:14
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Koth posted:edit: Another question, Dr. Ian Dunbar always mentions freeze-dried liver as a great treat. Is this something that people make themselves, or can I buy it somewhere. I have yet to see any 100% freeze-dried liver in any of the pet stores I've been to. I've seen this brand of FD Liver in most pet stores and it really is like dog crack. I just make my own baked liver now because it's way cheaper. Just boil some liver slices for about 10 minutes, drain, and bake at 200F for 2-3 hours then cut into itty bitty pieces for a super high value treat. If you're just doing regular daily training MrFurious is right and using the pup's regular meals is a great idea. Dawn dishwashing soap works fine for stinky puppies. I really like biogroom protein lanolin shampoo if you want to get fancier. It's light, easy to wash out, and isn't super perfume-y. Instant Jellyfish fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Apr 23, 2012 |
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Apr 23, 2012 01:23
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