What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

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Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

yeah thats my thoughts. it hard cause he totally GUARDS toys. if another dog is around he will 'play'(or attempt to steal :roll: ) any toy. he loves carrying things home from a walk. so he puts SOME value in them. but bones and hard toys he ignores. he USED to disembowel squeaky toys but he doesn't even do that anymore. occasionally he'll toss a fluffy squeaky one around if he's feeling happy so i think im def going to keep a couple just floating around the house... especially since every so often i can play a rowsing game of chase with him bouncing along carrying his toy.

.... but i just don't think he's one for toys.

but ditto food puzzle and things. eggs, kongs, that kind of thing he's all for... but his tummy is delicate so im still looking for better stuffing.
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

We're on holiday on the south edge of the Peak District. As usual, Jasper didn't enjoy the journey and was pretty stressed for the first day, to the extent that we were thinking never again, but he's settled down, mainly due to being worn out!

I have an old schoolfriend just down the road who has taken us out on a couple of local walks.... LONG ones :lol: She is very fit, runs a B&B where she seems to do most of the room cleaning herself because she doesn't trust the staff to do it properly, and also a Pilates teacher. I don't think she realises us lesser mortals might struggle with walking for miles up hill and down dale, through brambles and head-high nettles :lol: On the upside, after all this she still has the energy to insist we come round for a slap-up evening meal which she cooks from scratch :lol:

Her dog is a 2-year-old husky cross - possibly crossed with Australian kelpie going on her colouring, and her urge to round up the local cattle :? She and Jasper have had a couple of spats but purely down to our bad management - territorial/protective aggression from her (she's fine once the two of them are together off lead in their garden, or on walks) and food aggression from Jasper when he found a barbecue rack lying on the grass to lick and she tried to join him. No harm done - they were quick spats, and he was muzzled (there was an old bone in her 'toy box' so possibly other bones behind bushes).

She did seem very keen to perch on high places, particularly when she was being a bit territorial - jumping on top of the garden table, kennel, and so on. Is this a husky thing? Does it have any significance in terms of the dogs' relationship, her feeling insecure, or anything like that?

I have had to bite my tongue over her recall, particularly where there are cattle and sheep in the area... My friend will call her name every 20 seconds, and then be quite happy that she comes back after five minutes of calling. When they first had her (they're her fourth home) she could be gone for two hours so they've made a lot of progress, but it could be so much better.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Oh dear :( After investigating a nasty niff in the car (we used it for the first time today since we came up on Friday) it turns out Jasper had peed copiously on the back seat. The first leg of the journey, when he was panting & whining, was only 1.5 hours and he seemed to settle down after that - I can only assume he weed because of the stress of the journey :( It's seeped all the way through the Vetbed and the back seat onto the carpet and now OH is stressed about having a stinky car.

What with that, plus the ancient cat who has botty problems (don't ask) and the thought of my generally useless son trying to bath him and clear up if he should have a major botty incident, I'm not sure I ever want to go away again. From now on, we may just holiday in Dorset. And yes, we live in Dorset :wink:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
DianeLDL
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by DianeLDL »

JudyN,

Sorry about Jasper's accident. It sounds like it may be an expensive cleaning out the car and replacing his Vetbed.

We are getting ready to head out to drive to Maine (3500 miles one way) so your incident with Jasper on your way up made me think.

When Sandy is acting up and whining on the car, that is how he lets us know he has to go out to potty. And, since OH has his bladder problem, often especially since we travel in the dark, if we can't find a rest stop or if they are closed, the two of them will go at the same time. :shock:

But, as I said, that's how Sandy lets us know he has to potty. Sandy travels in a crate. And, when we take the cargo van cross country, he has to be in the front cab with us as the back does not get air conditioning. We have two captain seats on wither side, so we have a large canvas crate that just fits in the middle between the seats in the floor. It has a zippered top so we open it up and Sandy jumps up onto my lap. I just have to be careful he's on leash before we open my door or he has tried to jump out, but since it sits so high off the ground, OH usually is there to grab him and he'll Him down. In the meantime, I need to use the handle to slip down off the seat, and the handle to pull myself back up. (Yes, this model is used as a work van for handymen, electricians, etc.).
But, if he has to go before we stop, he lets us know by clawing at the top of the crate and/or whining. That's when we start looking for a place to stop. Even truck stops have places for dogs, including bags at some. :D
We know he has a small bladder, so we try to stop at least every two hours, which is usually maximum for OH these days. :roll:

Anyway, I would assume that when Jasper settled down finally, it's because he had areadly peed.
I know you've traveled before with Jasper. I'm assuming it's the first time he's had this accident.
How old is he now? Has he had bladder problems before this drive? You might want to stop more often on the way home and then have your vet check him out. It sounds like it may be age related or he could have other medical problems.

Hope things work out better in the drive home. I would plan stops more often just in case, especially if he starts whining.

Diane
Sandy, Chihuahua mix b. 12/20/09
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

He's seven, Diane, never weed in the car before, and not had any accidents in the house since he was a puppy. He can go for hours without a wee, sometimes well over 12 hours overnight if it's chucking it down at bedtime and he refuses to go out then. He has always got stressed on long car journeys on fast roads, though, so I'm pretty sure this is a stress problem and not a bladder problem. Of course it's possible he for some reason needed to go when he wouldn't normally - it happens to all of us at times - and we didn't realise that was why he was so anxious. We'll just have to see how he is on the journey home. And line the seat with newspaper & carrier bags under the Vetbed.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
DianeLDL
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by DianeLDL »

JudyN,

It does sound like Jasper hasn't had any problems before, so it could be stress. I remember you mentioning before about Jasper getting stressed just riding in the car, and once he ended up on the floor, I believe. In that case, it definitely could be Thant, or is it a comment on how OH is driving? :wink:
I thought Jasper was 7, since Sandy is also 7. And, the reason I mentioned the possible medical is that a 7 they are considered senior dogs, if I'm not mistaken. Sandy being a small dog, I think his breed senior is at least 8 or 9. He will be 8 on December.

Sandy's only stress is if he sees another dog or animal. (I have tried having him on my lap during the long trips so he wouldn't feel stuck just looking at our feet. It was okay until he saw cows and horses in a field as we drove past, and he went beserk. :roll:) So, back into his crate on the floor he went. On top of the crate bed, I put in several blankets as riding in the cargo van is not that comfortable and can feel every single bump in the road.

I guess having a small dog, we are used to taking him out and giving him a chance to go every 2 hours. As I said, OH has bladder cancer so he can't hold it like he used to. So, since OH has to go, we take Sandy out just in case.

On trips, though, Sandy won't drink any water until we get to check into a room, even when it's hot outside. Then, he will finish a full bowl.

Have a safe trip home!
Diane
Sandy, Chihuahua mix b. 12/20/09
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

nasty smells can be dispersed by cutting a raw onion in half and leaving it in the smelly area for a day. And no, it doesn't smell of onion afterwards. :)
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Thanks Nettle - we might give that a try :D

Things we have learnt today: it's not possible to walk J through a field of sheep without him throwing a major tantrum and redirecting onto us :? It's a shame we're very much in sheep country here :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

a box of baking soda opened and left out also helps or so i'm told
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Thanks - that's also on our list of things to try. Too busy relaxing - or rather walking miles and then recovering - to be bothered doing anything about it while we're away from home though.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

After all this moaning about Jasper - he was a star this afternoon. We met up with some old schoolfriends in the pub one of them owns (I choose my friends well :wink: ) and he lay on the floor from 2pm to 5.30pm with barely a whinge... which is especially impressive as his teatime is 5pm. Of course, a 6-mile walk round interesting new areas in the rain beforehand may have helped :wink:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

It's Delta's birthday today! I'll probably take him down to his favorite pet store later and get him a couple of his favorite chews/treats, and get him some chicken wings, green beans, and sweet potato for dinner (some of his favorites foods). :)
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Happy birthday Delta :D

We came home from our holiday today. Jasper was much better in the car than on the way up, just panted a little at times. His main dislike seems to be the sound of vehicles wooshing past.Though he also can be upset by potholes, speed bumps, noisy road surfaces and corners...
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Erica
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Erica »

I think last year I noted that Delta went for his sweet potato before the steak and chicken wings I'd put in his dinner, and it was theorized that the sweet potato was fastest to eat and that was why it went first!

Well today, Delta ONLY ate the sweet potato :lol: which I think, in his case, points to a preference for it. The green beans and chicken wings went back in the fridge for tomorrow.
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
MPbandmom
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Happy Birthday Delta!

My grandson is one month old today. :D

We are preparing for fireworks around here. I have spoken with the behaviorist and we are trying a different situational medication. While OH felt the other medication was helping, I wasn't seeing it. We were also both observing a latent lethargy that would kick in about 6 to 8 hours after dosing and last until about 24 or so hours past dosing.

The new medication is something of a trade off. It is likely to make her more sedated, but can be re-dosed every 6 hours, so should wear off sooner. We gave her the first dose tonight because of storms in the area and the likely hood of locals getting an early start on the fireworks. There have already been some, but fortunately few and far between.

She threw up her supper, but then re-consumed it crunching on bones which were thrown up in the process. I'm not sure if the med made her ill, or she failed to chew her dinner properly in the first place.

I got ready to take Sky out for a short walk after Jeopardy and Sirius indicated she wanted to go too. Since storms are in the area, and it is pretty warm out, I opted to take her along. I occasionally felt a passing mist sized bit of water hit my arm, but the sun stayed out and the breeze was pretty nice. Sirius had a couple of times where she seemed to be regretting her decision to come along, but quickly recovered and continued trotting along.

We did have a bit of a sticky situation at a couple of points. We encountered a small off leash dog by a yard. Owners came out to retrieve small dog and in the process let out their mellow staffy. Mellow staffy managed to place herself right smack in the middle of my two dogs. Think hot dog inside of husky lab mix and mystery mutt bun. I kept the leashes loose and tried to get my two to back up. Owner came over to retrieve her dog, naturally bending over the group of dogs with Sirius being closest to Owner. :roll: Sirius informed Owner rather politely that she was not comfortable.

At that point, any leaving her leash loose was out of the question as I had to try and extricate her from the proximity of Owner trying to get her dog. Downside of Sirius' grumbling, meant Sky's level of discomfort went up. Sky is generally the one most likely to jump on and correct a dog that she feels is too close and not being properly polite. Sky did eventually get a bit of a snark in at staffy, but just as Owner managed to be removing staffy from the area. Owner was apologizing profusely the entire time this was all going on. Once staffy was removed, we still had to deal with the original smaller dog, who had apparently gotten more brave and was now delaying our departure. Like staffy, small dog was not aggressive in the least, but my dogs weren't happy about being sniffed.

Not too long after leaving small dog and staffy we encountered yippy small, white, fluffy dog, and bulldog that throws himself against the fence. I have been working with each dog separately to walk in the grassy median past this house with me between the dogs. Last time I had both dogs together, this didn't go very well. Having just come off of the earlier encounter, I wasn't very confident that the plan would fly. However, both dogs went past beautifully. Sirius initially tried to head towards the fence, but then went to the street side of Sky, which meant I just had to make certain I kept my leg in line with Sky's head to keep her from dodging in front of me.

Both dogs are snoozing now. :D
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
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