Postings by Kye's Family

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Kye I'm like- Einstein only- hairier.     Barked: Wed Mar 13, '13 9:28pm PST  My friends dog was very sick recently. She had stolen a piece of food off the table on Thursday night and then started having diarrhea and vomiting the next day. She's always had a sensitive stomach so they didn't think anything of it. By Saturday she was completely lethargic, hadn't eaten since Thursday night and wasn't drinking water. My friend called every vet in town and 2 from smaller towns outside of ours and not a single one would let her work out payment options so she could afford to get Roxy seen by the emergency vet! I couldn't believe it, the dog was VERY ill at this point and NEEDED to see the vet but my friend couldn't afford the $225 plus any actual tests they would have had to do. She rushed the dog into the vet Monday where she was diagnosed with Parvo, by that time she tested a "faint positive" and had actually managed to fight it off almost completely without medication. She got her some antibiotics to help with the last little bits and is doing much better. I realize that they don't want to take the chance that you will bring your dog in and then just not make good on your end of the bargain to make the payments, losing money isn't usually a great way to make money but it just seems wrong to me that they would just let the dog suffer because they might not get paid. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Kye I'm like- Einstein only- hairier.     Barked: Wed Feb 6, '13 11:47pm PST  Great post Smokey! I agree with trying to avoid medicating. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Maybe we aren't the right home for her :-(

Kye I'm like- Einstein only- hairier.     Barked: Wed Feb 6, '13 9:45pm PST  I adopted a dog from the SPCA last year and ended up returning her. They had very little information on her but I had visited her almost every day for a month at the SPCA, my shelter does not do trail adoptions. After she hit her 5 month mark of being at the shelter I caved in, scraped up the adoption fee and adopted her. As soon as she got home her personality did a 180. Gone was this sweet, quiet little dog only to be replaced by an anxious and busy dog! Don't get me wrong, I loved Sevin just as much as all my other 'kids' but after 2 months I finally conceded that my house was not the right one. They had her labeled as a Border Collie mix but looked to me to be more of a Husky/Shepherd of some description, she was overweight and had no manners. In the 2 months I had her she lost 7 pounds, had regular exercise and grooming and learned how to walk nicely on a leash and respect everyone's space. She had a problem with riding in the back during a car trip and would bite me (broke the skin once on the back of my arm) but I managed to cure her of that before I returned her as well. Even though her temperament and training were progressing nicely I could tell that she wasn't 'feeling it' at my house. We did 2 hour walk followed by an hour of dog park time everyday (at -40 even) the 2 months I had her and after she'd get home and desperately try to get back outside. She hated indoor living and I have no backyard. (http://tinypic.com/r/zlsm7o/5) Sevin and Carbon playing video (http://i41.tinypic.com/34e25pc.jpg) Sevin photo If my shelter had given me the option to return her I would have done so sooner, as towards the end we were both so stressed out it wasn't enjoyable for either of us. I'm happy to report that she was adopted 4 days after I returned her, the staff at the SPCA called and told me. I was pretty torn up while I was filling out the papers to surrender her, I'm sure the forms still have tear stains on them lol. You just have to sit down and have an honest discussion about if you think this dog will fit in. If you have any doubts maybe it's best to return her. Like the other posters said, there is no shame in admitting that you cannot meet all the needs of this particular dog. There is probably someone out there who she is a perfect fit for. If you do return her you will have a better idea now of what kind of dog you need to make everyone happy. Returning her isn't a failure on your part or hers, just a wrong match. Good luck and keep us posted! Sorry for my huge story here, just figured I'd share what I went through. Hope it helps! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Aggressive dog coming into yard!

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 20, '13 8:25pm PST  By having him over for pets and treats it seems to have just reinforced that he owns that yard. My cousins had a very large mixed breed that did the same thing, they beefed up the fence in hopes of keeping the dog out but to no avail. Eventually my uncle started spraying him with the garden hose every time he caught him in there and that seemed to work well, it also can be sprayed without getting within biting distance of the dog. That is kind of a summer fix only though lol. It sounds like the dogs owners should dedicate more time to tiring the dog out so he feels less like roaming and more like taking a nap. Having a big yard is nice but boring, a dog with a large yard still needs the mental stimulation provided by trips away from the home. Being in a house with 2 other unaltered males is probably not ideal either, too much competition so he is finding his own range away from the other dogs. Changing the dogs behavior is hard to do when it's not your dog so the best bet is finding a way to keep him out of the yard, is it possible to add onto the top of the fence to dissuade any more invasions? Short of having the neighbors tie him in their yard when he is outside, or have a dog run with a cover put up for him there isn't a whole lot I can suggest, aggression can be dangerous for all parties if not handled correctly. If it were me I would suggest the dog run with the lid to the neighbors or inform them that animal control will be contacted when Koda is not in his own yard. Also why is he being studded out if he is just a mixed breed? It seems (IMO) irresponsible to breed a non-pedigree dog and house him in a house with other unaltered males. Don't get me wrong, I love mixed breeds, I just think if you want a mixed dog the local shelters/rescues are a better place to go then a backyard breeder. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Working with a highly fearful dog

Kye I'm like- Einstein only- hairier.     Barked: Mon Jan 14, '13 10:12pm PST  I wouldn't prescribe medications personally. My dog Kye was abused badly before I rescued him (he was adopted in 2004 from my hometown SPCA) and was so terrified of people that he would shut right down as soon as the kennel door was opened. He would crawl to the back panting, shaking and urinating on himself. His pupils would dilate and he wouldn't respond to any stimuli, he was just that terrified. Thankfully he seemed to adore me right away. I managed to get a lead on him and took him for a short walk around, he was still extremely skittish but being outside seemed to help him deal with people a lot better. What I did was first work on a bond with me, once a dog trusts and respects you it's far easier to convince him you're doing things for his own good. A good tip for a fearful dog is to pet under the chin and the chest instead of the top of the head or back/shoulders so you the dog builds confidence. I know a few trainers suggest stroking the tail and keeping it from between the hind legs, triggering a new mindset, but I have never applied this method and cannot vouch for it. I did a lot of hand feeding, controlled exercise (heel and sit/lie while on walks) and I'll admit, I even sang to him when the mood struck and despite my utter lack of tune I think he enjoyed it. After he felt comfortable around me and would take food from my hand we worked on areas of discomfort. I'm thankful for my school bus driver, who let me bring my terrified dog on the bus every day after school and patiently waited while I got him to sit calmly. After he would get on the bus and sit I started getting my bus driver to give him a treat, first step in seeing strangers as something fun. I used the school bus as a way to teach him to deal with stressful situations and remain calm, even if approached by a stranger. It was very important to me that he didn't develop into a fear biter. We moved on to walking down Main Street at rush hour and visiting pet stores where strangers would pet him (one at a time) after he relaxed in the new environment. You can use popular phrases as cues for a behavior as well. A lot of people say "Hi" when greeting a dog so use 'hi' before providing a reward, this way the dog learns that when he hears it good things happen. I don't mean treats always, it could be anything from praise to play. The first 'scary' place you master with your dog is a big milestone, they get easier to work through every time, you just have to provide your pup with an alternative response to fight/flight. I used 'sit' and then added 'touch' after to keep Kye focused on me. If he feels like he's being overwhelmed he will sit and place his paw on my foot. It takes a long time to get a fearful dog comfortable around new people and things but it's 100% worth the effort for you and the dog. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Kye I'm like- Einstein only- hairier.     Barked: Mon Jan 14, '13 9:50pm PST  The main thing is you provide your cats with an up high escape route, or a baby gate the cats can jump over into another room where the puppy cannot get into. My cats have their cat tree and the window sills in the bedrooms where they can get out of reach if they feel threatened or just had enough dog time. Puppies are usually really good because they learn right quick when the cat says no he/she means it. Puppies raised from really young with cats tend to become super reliable around cats once they outgrow that puppy stage where every living creature is a potential toy. My dog Kye is a notorious cat killer but after a lot of supervision and patient training he now stays home with the cats un-kenneled while I go to work. They wont have to be supervised forever no, and I wouldn't worry too much about the unknown breed, just make sure the cat(s) have an escape route and that your puppy understands proper cat manners, most of which the cats will probably teach for you. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > walking 2 dogs

Kye I'm like- Einstein only- hairier.     Barked: Wed Jan 9, '13 11:24pm PST  I used a coupler to teach my dog Carbon to heel. My old guy Kye is pretty good at correcting errant behavior, he doesn't get pushy or mean but he can stare any dog into behaving lol. If your older dog is gentle and heels well try coupling them, the older dog will get tired of the zigzagging and reprimand your pup. I wouldn't recommend this method if the older dog gets carried away with corrections or if she is particularly dominant or doesn't get along that well with the puppy. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > House Training Issues

Kye I'm like- Einstein only- hairier.     Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 8:57pm PST  A girlfriend of mine has a 9 month old puppy that was only partially housebroken until she put one of those cloth doggy diapers on him. He peed in it once then refused to do it ever again, she just took the diaper off when he went outside. You may have to make frequent trips outside at first but my friend had him completely house trained in 2 weeks using the diaper. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Dog Health > Experience with allergy tests?

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 11:28am PST  I personally do not think they are as reliable as they should be, when I asked my vet he admitted to me that they are only about 64% accurate. I considered having Carbon tested but the cost didn't justify the results for me so I switched him to a minimal ingredient food (with ingredients he's never had before, the pet store I buy my food at told me dogs are less likely to react to things they have not been exposed to) and very slowly introduced more ingredients seeing which ones worked and which didn't. It takes a long time to get it narrowed down but it's 100% effective if you do it right Right now I feed Go! Natural: Salmon and Oatmeal formula, he also can have the Duck and Sweet Potato. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Carbon I'll just take a- nap until you- pet me.     Barked: Sun Jan 6, '13 11:21am PST  If he is getting reoccurring ear infections it could be caused by allergies and not just the fact that he has floppy ears. My dog Carbon was getting ear infections constantly (he also has floppy ears, he's a lab x boxer) and after spending almost two thousand dollars on vet visits, ear flushes and otomax I did a little research and found out it was food allergies. Carbon is allergic to poultry (with the exception of duck)wheat, eggs, beat pulp (which is used in some foods) and has mild reactions to snow mold in the spring. Try switching his food to something with ingredients he hasn't been exposed to yet. Anything with fish and potato or oatmeal. I feed Go! Natural Salmon and Oatmeal or Duck and Sweet Potato. Just make sure the food is wheat and gluten free, it can take a month or so to see any results but it's definitely worth a shot! As for home remedies for ear infection the best thing is to keep the ears clean and dry. I've heard great things about something called Blue Power but I have never used it myself. I'm sure someone here has a recipe for it if you want to give it a go! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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