| Dog develops new fear |
[04 Dec 2009|11:34pm] |
My 33-month-old neutered Heeler mix, Dexter, has been acting scared in the house over the past week.
( What happened... )
But, is there anything else I can do to help him return to being confident and comfortable in his own home?
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| Resource guarding |
[04 Dec 2009|07:31pm] |
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I was hoping someone here had ideas to help me. I have two ogs, Keegan, a 15 month old Irish wolfhound and Kavi, a 5 month old Siberian Husky. Both are playful and love each other, however, twice Keegan has demonstrated a resource guarding that's terrifying. Both times involved a rawhide. They each had one, were chewing nicely. Keegan ignored Kavi, Kavi ignored Keegan. For some unknown reason, Keegan growled at Kavi when Kavi got close even though it hadn't bothered him before. And this was a deep angry growl. I was getting ready to get the rawhides, to put them away, so I moved Keegan and Kavi, and took away the rawhides. Keegan does know give fairly well. Keegan turned on Kavi growling and snapping. He grabbed for him several times, even though no food was in sight. It's scary and I'm not sure what to do. I pulled Keegan away, got him to sit but he saw Kavi ten feet away and growled. After about three minutes, he was fine. Help!
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| Coprophagia |
[04 Dec 2009|06:53pm] |
Hello all,
We rescued a nine-month old Affenpinscher named Sprocket two weeks ago. He was a puppy-mill rescue, and had a serious bacterial skin infection and an ulcer in his eye before he came to reside with us. Both conditions have cleared up very well.
He is a lovely, intelligence and curious little boy. He is happy in his crate, easily learned basic commands and is very affectionate.
He is allowed the run of the downstairs (two rooms), and loves to chew on a rawhide while we're eating. Yesterday morning, I noticed a strong poo smell in the living room, right before his first walk of the day. I scouted around, and saw nothing. I took him out, and he didn't go poo. This convinced me that he had had an accident, and sure enough, I did find a small smear of poo on the hardwood floor, where he had previously had a pee accident. He did go poo later that afternoon, but that night, we again smelled an odour and found another small smear of poo. We've put up the baby gate, effectively limiting him from that room if we aren't in it.
I took him to the vet this afternoon, as we wanted to rule out any physical issues. The vet noted that his anal glands were very hard, but she managed to express them. She thought he need a bulkier food, to better stimulate his glands, and believed that the smears we saw were him scooting his bum along the ground trying to express the glands.
This evening, ten minutes after his dinner, and while under my supervision, he went poo on the floor where he had had his previous accidents. Then, he ate it. I think this explains the smears we're seeing. I'm really concerned - my pet insurance doesn't cover coprophagia treatment, and I'm terrified that this will be a hard habit to break. True to the affenpinscher breed, Sprocket is very willful. He still is going to the bathroom once or twice a day outside, and I suspect this poo-eating is a recent development.
Any advice? We're starting him in obedience class next week, but I think this problem goes a LOT further than basic training issues.
Please help - we love him dearly :(
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| Beer Battles: Ale vs. Lager |
[04 Dec 2009|03:09pm] |
The world of beer is expanding, in both flavor and appeal. Craft brewing has taken the beer-drinking community to new heights and innovations. The time to learn about, explore, enjoy, and appreciate this sacred beverage has never been more exciting. But how does it all break down? How can one begin to decipher the differences between styles and sub-categories of beer? How can anyone truly appreciate beer without a basic understanding of beer’s ingredients and flavor profiles? Have no fear, LifeEpicurean’s Beer Battles: 101 series will break down basic concepts such as the difference between ales and lagers, highlights of various beer styles, proper pouring and tasting process, and the appropriate glassware for different brews. Pay attention-–class is in session. READ MORE HERE.
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[04 Dec 2009|01:46am] |
So last night I had a dream based on the NBC show "Parks and Recreation". I was out fishing with Leslie, Anne, and Mark. Unfortunately, while fishing Leslie hooked something big... it turned out to be an otter! We didn't know what to do. The hooked otter was obviously in a lot of pain. Another fisherman showed up and offered to shoot the otter and put it out of its misery. (He had a pistol on him, which weirded me out until he showed me his concealed weapon permit.)
I really didn't want to give up on the poor otter without at least TRYING to save it. Luckily for us, Mark was a doctor and had a scalpel with him (wait a minute, isn't he an architect or something in the show?) and offered to cut the otter open and surgically remove the hook. Except that the otter had a giant zipper on its stomach, so we just used that. Once we got the hook out we made up a little bed for the otter in a cardboard box and left it on the porch of the cabin we were staying in. Later that night the otter's mate showed up, concerned about it.
It was a stressful dream in the middle, but I guess it all turned out okay!
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| Won't use the bathroom on the leash... |
[03 Dec 2009|12:51pm] |
We have a 10 month old border collie mix we rescued about 7 months ago. We just got married and moved into a new apartment and are having a bit of an issue. Our old place had a fenced in yard, so when Logan (the dog) had to use the bathroom he would go to the back door, we would let him out, he would "do his business" and come back inside. Our new place does not have a fenced in yard so he needs to be on a leash when we take him out.
The problem is he won't "go" when he's on the leash. He keeps going to the door and whining to go out and then when we take him out to the yard and give his old verbal command to go to the bathroom he just sniffs around and stands there. This morning when we took him out of his crate and took him RIGHT outside he did go and last night after a TON of coaxing he went. But he also went #2 in the living room (which he never does).
I'm afraid he is going to give himself a bladder infection if this keeps up. I keep taking him out when he asks but he won't go. Any tips? We are going to try a retractable leash tonight to give him a little more freedom.
Edit to add: I just wanted to thank you all for your helpful advice. Logan has successfully gone #2 4 times as well as gone #1 many more on both the short and long leash. He's much more relaxed inside now and we are still keeping a very close eye on him, but he is certainly starting to get it and settle into his new home.
Thanks so much again! You were all very helpful!
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| Bark Busters? |
[03 Dec 2009|11:00am] |
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Does anyone have any experience with this company:
http://www.barkbusters.com
They are a national chain, apparently with high praise from the ASPCA? They say they use holistic, "hands free" training methods, using body language that the dog naturally understands. They emphasize that they do not use treats or clickers! I have noticed a few uses of the term "pack leader" in their info. I will be speaking with their local affiliate today, about the Shiba Inu. I will ask many questions and report back. Any info you may have abut this company is appreciated!
UPDATE:
So I talked to my local affiliate and asked him many questions.
( What I learned is under the cut: )
We will definitely NOT be using Bark Busters. It sounds like they are using some outdated methods, and honestly, who would want to work for nothing but a "good dog"? I get that treats are phased out, and that you can reinforce vocal praise so the dog comes to see it as rewarding, but gosh, why WOULDN'T you want to reward your dog with a game of tug! It just keeps him so much more focused on what you are doing, and happy to do it again next time. Thanks again for all of your adivce folks, and I hope my little interview sheds some light on the organization, at least for the branch in Louisville, Kentucky.
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| Training Challenge - Clothes |
[02 Dec 2009|10:37pm] |
Ok, here's a silly training challenge for the month of December.
Your challenge for December is to train your dog to happily accept an article of clothing. Santa hat, reindeer ears, fleece jacket, snow booties, cute scarf, whatever. As long as it doesn't hurt the dog and the dog is not terrified. Remember...it's not about just throwing something ont he dog but actually *training* the dog to be ok with the process.
While this may seem pointless, it's a good idea to work on handling your dog all over and having her happily accept you manipulating various body parts and placing something on or around her body if need be. Like if she needed bandages or a cone of shame.
So grab those cameras and let's flood this post with your adorable dogs wearing goofy things.
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| A step in the right direction! |
[02 Dec 2009|10:16pm] |
Today I took Terra over to my friend's house to play with her landlord's new 4-month old puppy, Dixie. This is a sweet dog, but her owner seemed none too gentle with her pup. She pulled Dixie away from a play session just to tell her to 'sit' rather sternly over and over until she did. I don't know why she did that, They have an electric fence, choke chain and pinch collar for this dog, who they JUST got two days ago.
I asked Dixie's owner if she knew about clicker training. She said no, but was interested. I explained that it was about positive reinforcement, and showed her how to charge the clicker. "Just like Pavlov!" she said. Anyway, I told her to try a harness for Dixie, who kept slipping out of her collar (I didn't bother asking why they didn't just get a collar that fit her...) She thanked me, and said she would look into both clicker training and the harness! I was so happy for both Dixie and her owner when I left, that I thought I'd share it with you guys. :D
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[02 Dec 2009|04:35pm] |
i was reading "my friends' friends" page today and found an entry that interested me. i opened it in a new page and got busy doing something else. when i went back to read it, i accidentally closed it before i got a chance to read it. i went back to "my friends' friends" and couldn't find it again!
so help me out. one of you has a friend, whose username starts with "blue" and they posted an open entry today about chopping wood and carrying water. i'd like the rest of the username so i can finish reading the entry.
stalkerish, i know. but i was bored.
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[02 Dec 2009|04:04pm] |
ooooops, i was doing really well and then i stopped posting. in the car earlier, i was thinking about a bunch of things i wanted to post about but now i can't remember them.
so meredith baxter came out today. i was surprised. i still picture her as the mom on family ties, but i saw a picture of her today and was surprised. hm...
we were short staffed today, so i worked in day program with one of the people we support. i probably cover day program 3-4 days a month, so it happens regularly, but not often. one of the women i usually cover is in a wheelchair, which breaks down to go in the back of my car. and then she uses a car seat in the car because she's relatively small. it's a car seat for a big kid, a high backed booster seat kind of thing. it has the 5 point restraint, but we don't use it, we just buckle the seatbelt across her. anyway, i like seeing her car seat in my car next to jacob's because it's a sign of what's to come, hopefully. two car seats in the back seat. i can't wait.
i saw my doctor today for an asthma follow up, since my asthma is so out of whack. i just can't get it under control. he prescribed prednisone for the third time in 2 months. this is crazy. i used to be able to bounce back from a flare up, and then i'd be fine for months. now i can't get a handle on it. he referred me to an allergist and a pulmonary specialist. i haven't seen an allergist in quite some time, although i used to get 5 allergy shots a month from the time i was in 2nd grade until i was a junior in college. i don't mind starting them again if it will help with the asthma. i'm afraid of hearing that we have to get rid of the pets. i don't want to. i can't stand murphy sometimes, and i have day dreamed about him going to live on a farm somewhere, but when it comes down to it, i can't let him go. he's my baby. my really annoying baby. so that's the last resort, but the truth is, i will get rid of them if it's the only way i can breathe. the nice thing is that my doctor commented on how much better my skin looks now that i'm using the metrogel.
i've been taking fenugreek since a few months after i returned to work after maternity leave to help with my breastmilk production. i read yesterday that fenugreek has been shown, in some studies, to improve asthma symptoms by reducing the amount of mucous in the bronchioles. i also ready yesterday that it can worsen asthma symptoms in some people. it's been almost a year since my asthma got drastically worse. i stopped taking fenugreek yesterday because i don't want to take the chance that it's what is causing the problems. i hope i don't stop making milk. since i'm still nursing him, i should be fine, but i'm paranoid. i don't want to wean yet. i'm adamant about getting to 2 years, but again, if it is a decision between nursing and breathing, i'm going to pick breathing.
we've been watching last season's grey's anatomy. since wednesday night (a week ago today) we have watched 18 episodes. wow. we have one more to watch tonight, and then we get to start on abc.com watching the episodes from this season so far. i think by next week, we should be ready to watch it on thursday nights when it's actually on.
ang asked her brother today if he would take jacob if something happens to both of us. i really wanted my mom to take him, but i don't want him out in california so far away from the rest of his family. most of my other relatives are here, as well as ang's whole family. anyway, he said "absolutely". i know they have oodles of money and a freakin' huge house with something like 6 bedrooms, each with it's own bathroom, and they already have 5 kids ages 3-7, so there would be kids to play with and everything. i know they would raise him well. but it's going to start a shit storm. we are much closer with ang's sister than we are with her brother, although we like him just fine. it's just that her sister lives in the next town over and we see her much more often. and ang's brother and sister don't get along with each other. so i'm afraid her sister will be like "why him and not me?" but in reality as much as we like her sister, she raises her kids much different than we raise jacob. and her brother's philosphies are much like ours. plus ang's sister has two kids with disabilities, and i think that's enough to manage. we'll see what happens, but i don't want to be in the middle of anything. i have to talk to my mom, too, since i had already mentioned jacob going with her if ang and i both die. and i don't want my own sister to feel slighted either, but her son has a disability, and they have their hands full with him. plus she is talking about re-enlisting in the army, and i don't want my brother-in-law raising him alone if my sister is deployed. and i don't want jacob spending his life being shlepped around from one army base to another. it would be one thing if ang or i were in the army and that was the life we chose for our kids, but i've heard a lot of people say they resent moving around so much. i don't think there's anything wrong with kids having parents in the army, don't get me wrong. i don't want to offend any of you army wives on my friends list. it's just not what i want for jacob.
wow, that was quite a verbal dump right there. sorry.
hmm. only 4pm. i still have an hour of work, and not really a ton to do. i should have scheduled some site visits at some of the residences i oversee. i'm gonna clean my desk off instead.
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[02 Dec 2009|12:13pm] |
Have you ever been dreaming, and you make reference to another dream you've had previously?
I always have this dream where I'm going back to school. There was an issue of where I was going to be staying, then I started dithering about my schedule. It was late in the semester, and I thought there was a class I forgot to go to. (Which is almost always a part of the dream.) Then in the dream I remembered "No doofus, that was last semester."
This is just one example. It seems to be happening alot lately.
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