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

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

Post by Nettle »

But a good result all round for Thanksgiving, so well done Bax and Delta, Erica and Shalista! :D
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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Just what you don't want when walking with a couple of vegan friends.... your dog to find a dead rabbit behind a bush and take possession of it :x But thankfully these are sensible vegans who raw-feed their dogs and are as passionate about positive training & understanding their dogs' nature as we are.

When we got to the gate off the heath we gave Jasper the usual options: 'Come through the gate without the rabbit, or stay on the heath and we'll go home without you.' I walked off towards the car, being his most significant other, while OH handled the negotiations. Jasper knew straight away what the score was and soon came through the gate without the rabbit, though he did have a mini-tantrum, jumping up and swearing at OH. Give it a few more rabbits and I expect he'll be coming through the gates like a lamb :D

Our friends came back for lunch, with their GSD x lurcher (they thought she was much more lurcherish when they got her, then she filled out and fluffed up and now she's much more GSD than lurcher). They have an old saluki x who didn't come as he's not up to more than a short amble now. As they put it, his bowels now move quicker than his legs, which can be inconvenient :shock:

On a non-doggy note, I trailed round all our local shops yesterday trying to find some bread that was definitely suitable for vegans and ended up buying flour and yeast and made some by hand. Yes, me, real kneading and stuff with my dodgy shoulders!! Then they told me at lunchtime that Hovis is vegan...... :roll:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Fundog
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Fundog »

Well after a rather lengthy plateau, and thinking Dottie has made all the progress we can hope for, she is back in the game, and learning new things.... such as how to warm up to visitors coming over, and even how to get along with a two year old human!

Since last spring, my bil and sil have been coming every Sunday for dinner after attending church (it's a very long drive for them, and a very long day). They bring their two year old grandson with them, since my niece is working.

Dottie, of course, is not comfortable with strangers, or visitors, and certainly not children or babies. We have to manage things very carefully, and strictly supervise the baby so he doesn't get bitten. There have been a time or two when the baby got closer to Dottie than she was comfortable with, and she growled. We of course moved the baby quickly, and praised Dottie for communicating. :)


Today was a big breakthrough. My in-laws brought a highchair with them, and that made all the difference. :D. With the baby confined, Dottie felt much safer. Safe enough to wander by the highchair, licking the baby's feet and hands, and take offerings of food that he dropped for her!

After dinner, we had a moment when Grandpa wasn't watching the baby, and allowed him to run past Dottie through a narrow space. She growled, but didn't snap at him. Grandma praised Dottie for "using her words" and chastised Grandpa for not watching the baby.

In addition to those strides, Dottie allows Aunt and Uncle to love on her, and even comes up to them for attention.

For those who also struggle with dogs who are not comfortable with small humans, there is hope. Use constant vigilance, strict supervision, and NEVER blame the dog. EVER. (It is always the adult human's fault for not watching the baby and not seeing signs the dog is not happy) Always praise the dog for communicating. And whenever possible, show the dog that good things happen when tiny humans are around.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

well done Dottie - and well done grandma too! :D
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

JudyN wrote:well done Dottie - and well done grandma too! :D

Yes indeed - and how wonderful it is to find people who take the time to understand.
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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

I should know this, but... when two dogs meet, stand side by side in a stiff posture but with their heads turned away, what is the body language of the head turning away telling us? I saw this today when Jasper met a retriever on a narrow path and they had a bit of a Mexican standoff. I think J was wondering if he should take a pop at the retriever and the retriever was wondering how he could extricate himself from the situation without losing face or encouraging J to take a pop at him, but eventually they listened to their owners and went on their way.

We have two weddings next year which I really want to go to, but Jasper as usual throws a spanner in the works. The one in February is my brother's, and as I can't find any reasonably priced self-catering nearby the current plan is that I'll go by train on the Saturday morning, stay in a hotel, and come back via train on the Sunday, with OH missing the wedding & staying at home with J. It'll be the first time J will have spent the night apart from me and I'm really hoping he doesn't howl all night..... Please tell me he'll be fine....
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

The body language is exactly as you think.

The weddings - he'll either settle or he won't. You have arranged a good compromise. If it doesn't work 100% as you wish, it isn't for long.

You might try some herbal calming tablets. They have to be started a while beforehand. I have just finished trialling one sort which were not effective during the fireworks but have helped enormously with random bangs from shooting and bird scarers, and we are about to try another.
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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

I've tried Scullcap & Valerian on him before - quite a long trial - which seemed to have no effect, and I also tried Zylkene tablet (though just on one occasion for fear of the car) and that, if anything, made him snarkier. Given how he is after sedatives at the vets I'm now wary of doing anything that messes with his delicate mind. Maybe I should consider trying some sedatives on OH though :lol:

Given that he's a typical moany lurcher I think it's possible he won't be that stressed, but will need to express his slight stress to OH at regular intervals, if not continually, just so he knows OH knows he's not happy. Which is a reassuring thought for me, if not for OH :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Fundog »

I know the use of straight up marijuana (THC and all) is completely illegal in the UK, as it is in all but a few of the United States. However, I've ordered some Hempseed oil (legal as a food source, from industrial hemp) online, and have been putting it on their food. I don't know if it actually contains enough CBD to be therapeutic, but it was not expensive, and it is loaded with all kinds of omegas and other goodness. In all my research, I have not been able to determine if hempseed oil has enough CBD to be medicinal, unless the company states their product is CBD infused.

All that to say, maybe some Hempseed oil or cbd would help Jasper, #if# it is legal in your country, and #if# you can find some in a hurry.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

Oh, there's plenty of time Fundog, the wedding's at the end of February.

Yes, you can buy hempseed oil here. I've just discovered you can buy CBD capsules too. I'll have to read up on the effects - if they were as effective as the drug they'd certainly be illegal, but it's not as if I want Jasper stoned :lol:
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 »

First private lesson as part of the company tomorrow! It's normal training stuff, things we do in class a bunch, so I'm not toooo nervous but I am still a bit worried. It helps that the dog is a poodle though ;)
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

I have just ordered some joint supplements to give to my dogs. I have been giving a vitamin supplement which contains some amount of glucosamine and chondroitin but I tend to give the dogs half dose so if one of them ends up eating the other's it won't matter, plus since they are fed raw I don't feel like they don't necessarily need to have their diet supplemented so much. Sirius has got a spot on her leg again that she has made a real mess of. While the chicken necks seemed to help at first, perhaps they are no longer sufficient for her needs. She will be an estimated 11 in January. Plus Sky is having hip stiffness and vet has recommended a supplement for her. I'm going for a less expensive brand for starters.

We have an absolutely delightful walk this afternoon at the quiet part across town. Temps are chilly and the wind has been rather gusty today. The afternoon was sunny though and gusts had died down a bit. I guess most people are out Christmas shopping or went to the near by Christmas parade this morning and had been outside for enough for the day in their minds.

When we arrived, I saw a couple walking a couple of dogs. They went up a path between the soccer fields and then back down and turned away from where I was parked. :D As we were walking, there was absolutely no one at the park out on the trails or fields. At most, I saw two other cars there, but the people didn't get out.

The dogs were able to walk at full leach length and had a very pleasant walk. :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.
Shalista
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Shalista »

So proud of my lil man. I recently started supplementing his raw meat with frozen peas and he completely ignores his meat to pick out every single pea and eat them first. He's better about eating his greens then i am <3 :D
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by MPbandmom »

Shalista wrote:So proud of my lil man. I recently started supplementing his raw meat with frozen peas and he completely ignores his meat to pick out every single pea and eat them first. He's better about eating his greens then i am <3 :D
That is very impressive Shalista. My dogs won't touch vegetables unless they have been cooked in meat broth or mixed with meat if I make a raw blend in the blender :lol:

The dogs also seem to be not touching the supplement. OH even went so far as to make cuts in their chicken for dinner and stuff the chews in there. For some reason Sirius didn't want to eat outside tonight and grabbed her chicken thigh out of her bowl and charged back into the house as we normally go outside to feed the dogs and don't bother to close the door behind us.

OH tried to get her to go back outside, which resulted in her racing up the stairs with her dinner to get away from him. :lol: I found two of the three tablets in the hallway upstairs and the third in the living room downstairs with only a very small portion of it missing.

I can't say if the chicken fix worked for Sky as she ate outside in the yard, so if the chews fell out, they would have fallen into the grass.

I guess we will be trying some other product.
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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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

MPB, I hide pills in pate. A spoonful of pate makes the medicine go down :lol: and shouldn't upset tummies. The trick is to give a tiny treat while holding up the loaded pate, and as soon as the dog takes the pate, hold up another treat so they gulp down the loaded food while looking longingly at the next.

Soft cheese works just as well too.

Of course I don't know how big your chews are, so this might not be as helpful as I thought it would be when I started writing it....
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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