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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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| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 23:23 |
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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 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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Dogdoo 8 posted:I'm having trouble finding a harness I like. The one I got at the Humane Society was too loose in the neck and then Beartato got his leg caught in the harness and I had to cut the harness off. I like the step in harness I got, but he seems confused as to how to put it on. I got a Kong harness and I like the idea of the chest plate, but I don't like the way it sits on him. Does anyone have recommendations? I bought this as Cooper's first harness:  The handle is incredibly useful to control a puppy. The back clips are super easy but the neck strap does need to be adjusted to take on and off. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Oct 21, 2012 |
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Oct 21, 2012 08:57
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edit: I'm being dumb and just going to play it as safe as possible.
Three Olives fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Oct 26, 2012 |
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Oct 26, 2012 19:08
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Cooper went to the dog park for the first time today and did fine except with one dog, a French bulldog puppy about his same size that was completely friendly and non-aggressive, I thought they would get along great but Cooper took an immediate dislike to him. Should I be concerned? He's played with other dogs, hasn't shown one sign of issues with dog socialization and got along great with all of the other dogs of all ages and sizes at the park. I'd say it was the other puppy's fault but it really was a friendly, non-aggressive puppy that got along fine with all the other dogs. I think Cooper might have just been overwhelmed by the situation and didn't want to play but he was outgoing to all the people and friendly to the other dogs. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Nov 11, 2012 |
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Nov 10, 2012 22:36
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On crate training, I've been crate training Cooper and he's been doing fine but last night I was admittedly kind of drunk and had just picked up Elvis's ashes the day before so I was kind of sad and really missing Elvis sleeping in bed with me so I let Cooper sleep in bed with me and he did great, slept though the night, no accidents. He's 4 months old and not fully house trained, should I lean more to this being a complete fortunate fluke or maybe let him sleep in bed with me some nights as we crate train? My intention has always been to eventually let him sleep in bed with me most nights once he was house trained but at the same time I want him to be comfortible being crated some nights, a difficulty with Elvis was he would get upset when he wasn't allowed in bed when dog inappropriate activities were taking place there. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 23:28 on Nov 18, 2012 |
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Nov 18, 2012 23:01
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Seashell Salesman posted:My wife now wants to book a trainer from Bark Busters to come on Saturday. I even spoke with them on the phone and they seemed completely confident that they could solve her barking after I explained the situation in detail. I guess I am okay with this taking some time and lots of money I just need to be able to sleep a bit in the meantime. My wife seems on the brink of breaking down altogether. I know the trainers work independently but one of my neighbors hired a trainer through Bark Busters and absolutely could not stop raving at our last pet committee meeting about how they solved all the problems with their dog and if you are having any problems to call them, I know one of their dogs was having severe issues with anxiety and behavior in the elevator which is a major issue when you live in a highrise but they said everything is beyond perfect now and from what I have seen they are right. I called before I picked up Cooper and they were super friendly and helpful, also super expensive but according to my neighbor absolutely worth the money. I decided to hold off a little bit to see what if any behavior/training issues Cooper might have before dropping that much money and knock on wood everything is going great so far but I will call them if he starts to have issues.
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Nov 20, 2012 01:42
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Yeah, Cooper is four months old, I'm planning on doing a puppy group class that my vet offers (It's a very diversified vet, they have boarding and doggy daycare, a dog friendly coffee shop, and a pet supply store) now that he has just finished all his shots.
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Nov 20, 2012 17:31
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Seashell Salesman posted:Okay so I got my wife upload 3 videos while I was at work, I don't know which ones are from when, but I'd guess the last 2 are from Sunday night and the first one was from Saturday night. I don't really know why she put a long description in there, I didn't put them on youtube to solicit random comments. Once folks ITT have watched them I will probably take them down. I don't think I fully understood the problem, I'm no expert but this seems more like severe psychological trauma like maybe abuse with reoccurring nightmares, she seems terrified.
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Nov 21, 2012 01:38
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ShadowStalker posted:Wife's biggest complaint is that the dog never will cuddle. We can and will run him ragged chasing a ball or playing with our Cocker Spaniel/Pekinese mix. You can put in on your belly to cuddle and he will whine and struggle until he can get away and then he will go lay down by himself and nap. She wants him to be more affectionate. Honestly, every dog either one of us has had was always willing to lay with us and take a nap. Is this something he will grow out of? You just took him from his mom and house and plopped him in a new scary place with strange people and now you are foribly trying to keep him captive in your arms even though he is scared. He is not going to be very cuddly until he feels completely safe and wants to cuddle, you can't force him to do it. It took my puppy many, many weeks before he wanted to cuddle, to be honest I was getting a little concerned by how long it had been with him still seeming a little scared of me, now he wants nothing more to lay on top of me and wedge his face under my arm or neck and sleep. Give it time.
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Dec 27, 2012 21:56
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I'm not sure if this is the best place for the question but I can't think of anywhere better... I'm having Cooper neutered in a little over a week and they presented two "options" $74 in blood work and sevoflurane instead of isoflurane anesthetic. The bloodwork is like half the cost of his neuter and he is a completely healthy puppy that will be around 6 months old, it seems like it could be an unnecessary upsell for both, I mean surely they would require it if it was much of a concern. Obviously I don't want to jeopardize his care but I also don't want to spend that much money if it is highly unlikely to change a normal outcome. My vet didn't give me much advice on both otherwise I wouldn't ask here, they were kind of like do it, don't do it, he'll wake up faster with the more expensive anesthetic, we might find something in his blood work, we probably won't. I mean if the vet said "Yes, we really recommend the blood work" I obviously would do it but they seemed kind of ambivalent about it and basically said they would definitely recommend it on an older dog or one they hadn't seen before or often but it's really my call on what appears to be a perfectly healthy puppy. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Jan 4, 2013 |
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Jan 4, 2013 20:41
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The puppy has been sleeping in bed with me for the last few months and done fine, until last night. At about 4 AM he woke me up like he does when I sleep in on the weekend and he decides he can't hold it anymore so he stomps on my head until I get up and he was in full on play mode. I thought it was a potty emergency but no, then I checked his food and water bowls and while he was very low on water he still had some and his food bowl was half full, I gave him some more water and he lapped it up and then back in full play trying to get me to do his favorite annoying game of chase me around the house. Finally I just said no and squirted him with a bottle of water and he stopped and let me pick him up, take him to bed and he went right back to sleep. It was so weird, the only thing that I can think of is that daylight savings time screwed with his schedule and/or the fact that I had to work this weekend and normally he gets to go to the dog park on the weekend. What I do know is this behavior can't become a thing. Any ideas of what may have caused this and the most effective way to make sure he knows that if he needs to go potty that is fine but he does not get to wake me up to play whenever he wants? Actually the potty thing really isn't fine, I know he can hold his bladder all night so potty should be "Oops, I'm seriously going to have to go potty in the bed if you don't do something now".
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Mar 11, 2013 18:55
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a life less posted:First off, squirting him with water was probably a pretty useless punishment. A proper punishment is well linked to the undesirable behavior and will decrease the likelihood of it happening again. If a punishment doesn’t do this it’s at best ineffective and at worst abusive. It’s tough to get the timing and severity right, so in general it’s recommended to avoid positive punishers like that. In general I try and only use positive reinforcement, the water bottle is a last resort that I pretty much only use when he won't stop barking. The issue was he wouldn't let me take him to bed and if I just tried to ignore him he would bark at me in bed. Plus it was 4AM so I wasn't all together mentally. The spraying was more cease all behavior immediately which he did, he promptly got in line and let me take him to bed. In general I'm working on that I don't want to play the can't catch me game because I have a galley kitchen open on both ends so he really can't be backed into a corner and caught.
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Mar 11, 2013 19:42
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Well Cooper did it again this morning at around the same time he decide to get out of get out of bed by himself without intentionally waking me up so that's better but got up to see what it was about and he was just chilling on the sofa chewing one of his soft toys, he came back to bed about an hour later but barked to make me pick him up instead of using his stairs. It's better than last night but I don't like this behavior. I guess I am going to have to try crating him again unless someone has other ideas. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Mar 13, 2013 |
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Mar 12, 2013 16:47
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So early this morning some drunk rear end in a top hat managed to take out like 4 utility poles across the street from my house, I'm still baffled as to how but it means I have had no air conditioning since 2AM and won't until at least 6PM. I feel like this is the dumbest question in the world because some dogs live outside all the time but should I be worried about them overheating? My house just hit 81 so I am concerned it will get to the low 90s, perhaps even hotter by the time power is restored. I left extra water with ice in it. Again, feels like the dumbest question but the pups have never spent this much time in this much heat and sometimes during the summer they need to take a break from long walks because of the heat, they normally want to come in from the patio after a few minutes because of the heat that is milder than this but no idea if that is just what they want or if they actually feel like they are overheating. And yes, I asked my vet and got a very non-committal answer of that they should be fine but watch for any odd behavior and wouldn't really commit to a temperature range that I should be concerned at. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Oct 17, 2016 |
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Oct 17, 2016 20:01
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The fan for the air conditioner is running there is just no cold water to cool the temperature down. Also my windows don't open so there is no way to get a cross breeze. I thought about leaving the balcony door open but its pretty hot today and I normally keep my house under 70 so I figured leaving it open would do more harm than good since my place is fairly well insulated. My house is all tile and there is plenty of shaded space for them. Wish I thought of the towel idea this morning. I'm not home but I'm keeping an eye on my Nest. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Oct 17, 2016 |
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Oct 17, 2016 21:00
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Update: Puppers were fine, they didn't even need the extra water. Temperature peaked at 81. I am loving miserable because I keep my house at 70 but they seem fine with the situation. Also I am a loving idiot because I forgot that I have a shitload of ice packs from Amazon Fresh in my freezer that I probably should have stuck in their beds. Three Olives fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Oct 18, 2016 |
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Oct 18, 2016 00:44
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| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 23:23 |
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Sekhmet posted:I've actually seen a bulldog have heatstroke from being in a house in Los Angeles in June where the a/c went out during the day when the owners were at work. Talk about a nightmare. But it was a bulldog, so ymmv with a breed with a proper face. Yeah, actually the vet specifically asked me if it was a bulldog because then they would be concerned.One of my neighbors has two bulldogs and I honestly feel bad when I see them because they look loving miserable just having to take the elevator to go outside.
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Oct 18, 2016 17:56
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