Regular Vet Visit
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Krista Magnifico | 5 years ago
First Puppy Exam, Meet Oakley. This Is A Story Of A New Puppy And The Veterinary Visits They Need To Start Off On The Right Paw.
Treatment Cost (USD): $155.00
It is my advice that every new pet should be seen by a veterinarian within 3-5 days of purchase/ adoption. Based on the previous records a puppy vaccination, surgical, and behavioral plan can be laid out.
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Jennifer Taylor | 6 years ago
I Rescued A Young Golden Retriever In May. She Had Spent The Start Of…

I rescued a young Golden Retriever in May. She had spent the start of her life abandoned in a small cage, she was emaciated, covered in fleas and ticks and of course living in her own waste. She is a wonderful dog, everything is new and she has very much been a blank slate. She is well exercised, is very social with our other dogs and has successfully completed a basic obedience class and will be moving on to 2nd level training and beyond. Thankfully she does not hold her rough start in life against humans in the least. Her only downfall is that she eats stool from our other dogs in the yard. We keep the yard clean, however we have 5 dogs. Even cleaning the yard daily is likely to leave a pile. She will even wait for our smaller dog to go to eliminate so she can eat it as fresh as possible. I imagine that she probably ate her own feces when she was starving, I am quite sure that this is a learned behavior. Over the course of 5 years my family has fostered 80+ dogs. I know that this is a very hard habit to break, however “poop kisses” are rather disgusting so I would love some input on what has worked for others! Thank you in advance.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello My Dear Friend,
    My rescued beaglette does the same. She also has the same back story and yucky penchant for poop. Here’s what I do.. clean up waste asap (yes, honestly I am not the best at this as I recommend others to be). I also use a clicker or beeper to break her of it while she is doing it. Some non-vocal (she doesnt really want to listen to me anyway in the fever of the fervor to eat anything) cue to say “HEY! YES! I mean you need to stop that!” It takes a while but all of my other dogs have grown out of it.. It takes time and patience like everything else in life. Be with her at all times outside. Use a leash if you can to correct her at exactly the moment she goes for it, or use a whistle to get her attention,,, try to only use it for the absolute dire corrections so it doesnt get as monotonous as our voices have.

    Let me know what works for you guys.

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Pawbly | 6 years ago
Hello, A Couple Months Ago My Home Became A Multi-dog Household, With The Newest Addition…

Hello, a couple months ago my home became a multi-dog household, with the newest addition being a now 10 month old GS/lab mix, and our resident dog, a 3 year old beagle/rottie mix, both males. They are both very well behaved and have never fought. However, they were not socialized properly as puppies—or at least we did not adequately socialize our beagle mix when he was a puppy, and GS mix was already 6 months old when we got him and we don’t know if or how his previous owners socialized him.

The results of their poor socialization: resident dog does not seem to recognize playful behavior from new dog and thus becomes uncomfortable, clearly cares for new dog (acts to protect new dog if anyone is playing rough with him) but won’t play with new dog, and seems to sometimes even avoid new dog.

New dog is a little better with socialization, but his main fault is that it seems he doesn’t know how to recognize resident dog’s “corrections” to him and to back off (even if most of the time he simply wants to play with resident dog), and he also has some bullying tendencies, some intentional and others not (wants to play with whoever resident dog is playing with, sometimes bugs resident dog to move if new dog wants to lay down in that spot, etc; though never has shown any physical aggression).

Resident dog is, personally, my dog, and I love him dearly, though I love new dog too, and would love to see them bond and play together, only I don’t know the best course of action to achieve that.

I would greatly appreciate any help with ideas on how to adjust these behaviors of theirs, as well as weigh in on the idea of setting up a doggie-play-date with a friend (with a stable and model dog, of course) so that maybe visitor dog can teach them how they should behave.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is everyone spayed or neutered? Have you seen your vet about any of this? Can you reach out to a local trainer for help? I would start with these and remember exercise and training are super important for all cases of behavioral problems. I hope this helps. Please keep us posted

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
I Have An American Bulldog Who Is Almost 2 Years Old. Despite Training, He Is…

I have an American Bulldog who is almost 2 years old. Despite training, he is very aggressive towards other dogs. He was attacked by a pit bull, on our property, before he was a year old and every since will not tolerate any other dogs or any kind of animals for that matter. We have paid quite a bit for training to try and help him socialize but after a while he is back to his old self. No one will board him and we can’t take him anywhere that has a lot of people or other animals. He’s great at home and wonderful with our children, so I am at a loss s to what to do. He also has pretty bad hip problems and is in pain a lot if he gets a lot of exercise. I love him so much, as does my family, but I want to do the right, humane thing. Help.

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  1. Madelyn Fischer

    Hello, as an extreme animal lover, I say no, try to train and comfort as much as you can, but I don’t know you and I can’t tell you what to do. That’s the last case scenario. Good luck!

  2. Madelyn Fischer

    Hi Krista, I totally agree.

  3. Crystal Williams

    We have done two extensive training courses for his aggression . One two week program and one five week, away from home program.

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
Sorry If This Seems To Ramble. I Just Have A Lot On My Mind.

He…

Sorry if this seems to ramble. I just have a lot on my mind.

He has already broken and melted my heart. I am a teacher and will actually be off work for the next 6 weeks to train, play, and “mother” the little guy. I think I have convinced my mother to watch him for the first couple of months when school starts to help him settle in because he is so young. Our best guess is that he is a lab mix. He will probably be medium to large in size.

I know that socialization is so important for a pup of this age. What can I do to help him?

I keep crying and my anxiety about the next 6 months is very high. My worries make it hard to sleep even when the little guy is sleeping. I’m so sad for him and I just want to make sure that he is a happy, healthy puppy. The shelters around here are overwhelmed and I refuse to leave the little guy. Euthanasia rates are pretty high.

He will eventually be an indoor/outdoor dog. I won’t be comfortable with this, though, until he is older. That is why I’m going to pay my mom to watch him. I will be gone from 7-3:30 and my man works from 7:30-5. On days with inclement weather, my fella would be able to come home and let him in or out. We have a large fenced in back yard with plenty of shady areas. I live in a rural area with very kind neighbors so I am not worried about anyone messing with him. I live in East Tennessee where there is rarely an extreme temperature; however, I’m also looking into adding a doggie door, too.

Here is what I have done so far:

(1) He has a lifestyle crate (with the partition to make it smaller for now) that is attached to a large playpen in our kitchen. He sleeps in this crate at night. I’ve been sleeping on a couch next to it at night to take him out when he wakes. This is generally every 2 hrs.

(2) I’ve taken him to the vet. They dewormed him and gave him a flea treatment that is appropriate for a little guy under 5Lbs.

(3) I take him out to potty every time he wakes up from sleeping. He has only had 3 accidents in 3.5 days. I clean up his mess well so as not to leave a smell and take him out anyway. I DO NOT scold such a young pup but rather just take him out and set him in the grass each time.

What can I do to ensure this little guy has a great adolescence? Especially considering he is off to a rough start?

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Comments

  1. Katlyn Rose

    It will probably take a little while to potty train him because he is so young. To socialize him you can take him on walks and play with him and get him toys to play with. Puppies are resiliant so even though he has had a rough start just give him a loving home and play with him and make sure he is happy and he will be fine into adolescence. I hope you and your new puppy the best!

  2. Sarah

    Don’t worry about what happened to him. Think about how lucky he is to have a caring human now who is taking great care of him. Socialization is important. Make sure to introduce him to lots of people when he is old enough to go on nice walks. Also dog parks or other dogs that you know, should be a great way to introduce him to other dogs. Your vet should have a ton of info to share with you.  Best of luck!!

  3. Sarah Simpson

    Thanks for the encouragement! I had a torturous few day where I didn’t know if I should keep him or take him to the shelter. Many people on the internet acted like it was inhumane to have a dog if you couldn’t keep him indoors 24/7 and be with him most of the time; however, the lady at the shelter showed me all the cute pups there and told me that many don’t make it out. I refuse to give up on him! I’m not rich and I don’t have the resources to put him in a daycare every day but I do have a very comfortable and large home with a privacy fence. I have lots of love in my heart and no children, as well.

    I plan to use the next 6 weeks to get him into the routine of our household. My mother won’t be able to help out because she takes care of my grandmother but my man is gonna arrange to drive 40 minutes here and 40 minutes back on his lunch to check on little man.

    We are looking at collar activated doggie doors currently but he will be too young for that at first. I found a really cool solar paneled fan that can attach to a doghouse and “heated flooring” options for winter. I can’t believe this stuff exists! Who knew a dog could have a climate controlled doghouse?!?

    Again, I really appreciate the supportive comments while I was panicking about what to do. 🙂

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have A 17- Month Old Male GSD. We’ve Had Him Since He Was 8…

I have a 17- month old male GSD. We’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old. He is attached to me but is OK when I go out. He watches me from a window and then lays down and waits or goes to my father and sits by him. He goes into his crate with no problem when we go out and he may bark for a few seconds but that is it. I work from home and felt daycare would be good for him to combat boredom, socialize him and allow me to work with focus. My vet recommended the daycare. My dog freaked out when I left him and just paced and panted. He then boarded at the daycare for 14 days to overcome the anxiety. He came home happy and calm and obedient. I took him back to daycare after one day at home, he ran right to his favourite staff person for a greeting and then he freaked when I left. I called to check on him and the owner said he is anxious again and that we need to address this now and we have scheduled a home visit. Before the boarding, my father had a habit of yelling and didn’t see anything wrong with a snout slap and I was overly affectionate and babying. The daycare owner feels this is the problem and that my dad abuses and I coddle. However, we were models of calm and patience and positive reinforcement when our boy came home. We really want to create and enjoy a fabulous dog so we agreed to police each other and give our dog what he needs and deserves. After the drop off this morning and the call with the daycare owner I am feeling dejected and I really don’t know what to think. Is my dog too attached to me? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

4 Responses

Comments

  1. Kasia R

    Sounds like separation anxiety, which a trainer could give you advice on. Also, a “snout slap”..that is a form of abuse, please, don’t let anyone hit your beloved puppy!!

  2. Kasia R

    Not saying that you abuse your dog at all, but hitting is hitting, and some might think nothing of it but my dogs are “family”, and I’d never raise a hand to them.

  3. Anne Wright

    Just as a follow up, I do not agree with any form of hitting, or threatening with anyone’s pets. The reason he was boarded was to combat the separation anxiety. And as I said, even though my dad is 89 and “old school” he has agreed to never raise a hand or yell and we are now watching out for each other to curb any bad behaviour on our part. My worry is that after two weeks of boarding/training to curb the separation anxiety my boy was anxious again and not happy about me leaving him.

  4. PK Dennis

    I say skip the daycare.  Your dog is happier being at home waiting for you and spending time with your dad.  I really don’t trust vets to give advice on behavior – most of them have not been trained in this!  I would spend the time, energy, effort and money on training your dog to entertain himself at home so you can focus.

    I worked out of my home for years with 2 to 7 dogs in my house.  I fenced in 4 acres of land (I know most people can’t provide that much land for their dogs) and my terriers & shelties would go in and out the dog door – hunting for chipmunks, sunning, and occasionally checking on me while I worked.  They were never disruptive to my job and if I was on the phone with a client a snap of my fingers told them to be silent.

    For what you pay in daycare you could afford to have a trainer come to your house and work with you, your dad, and the dog!  Or, you could take the dog to training classes to expose him to more dogs and people (this will be even less expensive than daycare!).  Letting your dog be with his pack, and giving him a strong leader (a well trained YOU!) is going to make for a happier dog in the long run.  Believe me! 

    What do dogs really want?  They want their pack, their familiar space, a strong leader, and routine.

    PK

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have A Two Year Old Male Cat Fixed Happy Loveable And Seems Completely Healthy…

I have a two year old male cat fixed happy loveable and seems completely healthy eating fine drinking fine but is urinating blood in my bathroom sink i am on social security with no cash at this time what could it be and what can I do.

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Comments

  1. Anonymous

    unfortunately, urinating blood means he may have crystals or a blockage and this can be life threatening.  can you contact your vet and work out a payment plan, or maybe look into Care Credit?  this is something that needs to be resolved immediately, with no delays.

  2. Cheryl Cornell

    He is urinating a real good amount to. I live in Rhode Island do you know of any organizations or vets that might be able to help?

  3. Anonymous

    well, i would call YOUR vet first and discuss the problem. they’re the ones who have a working knowledge of your cat (they DO see your cat annually, right?) and are the best place to start.

  4. Cheryl Cornell

    I have his vet in Warwick but they well not see him on an IOU

  5. Anonymous

    ask them for suggestions on where else you can go, or organizations that can help with cost deferral…and seriously, investigate Care Credit. it’s basically a credit card, and the first year is interest-free.

  6. Cheryl Cornell

    So I just went online and applied for care credit and contacted the aspca waiting to be contacted hope they call soon don’t want anything bad happening to my baby

  7. Anonymous

    good luck, Cheryl. i hope you can get him help.

  8. Cheryl Cornell

    He was diagnosed with a UTI and given amoxicillin and luckily he didn’t have any blockage they said he was pretty empty that he was urinating enough but that if he isn’t better soon they would like to do blood work its a shame how much money vets want just to walk in the door.

  9. Anonymous

    i’m so glad you took him in, and i’m so glad you got a diagnosis!

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have A Golden Retriever 11 Years Male A Chow Lab Mix 15 Female And…

I have a golden retriever 11 years male a chow lab mix 15 female and pit bull mix 6 female they all get along without any issues but the pit bull doesn’t get along with any dogs outside of the house so I would like someone opinion about my rescue dog pit bull 2 female friendly keeping her in her own room with access to side back yard area walking her daily and socializing with other dogs be ok ?

4 Responses

Comments

  1. julie brader

    Hello Eddie, I don’t quite understand the question….but I think you mean separate your pitbull from the other dogs in your house? Give her her own room with outside access to the yard? 

    This would be ok but I think you might run the risk of upsetting the harmony between the 3 of them. Your pitbull may end up jealous and feeling left out. She could turn on the other two maybe. She would certainly miss them. All you could do is give it a try and see. 

    I don’t know if your pitbull would ever be able to socialise and be friendly with other dogs at 6 years old, she could be too set in her ways now. Maybe you could muzzle her and see how that goes too…..the last thing you want is another dog bitten…..

    You sound a very responsible owner and I hope it all works out for you. Good luck. 

  2. Eddie Eidinger

    I met the new dog 2 year old might not get along with the 6 year old I would keep the 6 year old Pitt with the golden and lab chow mix they get along fine but she probably wouldn’t get along with the new dog so I was going to keep the new dog by it self

  3. julie brader

    Oh I see lol….yes that would be fine I’m sure. Be careful your pitbull doesn’t come face to face with your new dog though ….but I’m already sure you won’t ?

    Good luck with the new dog!

  4. PK Dennis

    I think you will get tired of this arrangement very quickly.  After a few day if one or two of the dogs think they need to get to the other dog(s) you will have a dangerous situation.  One second of not paying attention.  One visiting friend that doesn’t understand the consequences of opening a door and you will have an out-of-control situation.

    And these are all BIG dogs.  You won’t be able to just pick up one of the dogs to end the fight.

    I have fostered dogs that wanted to kill smaller dogs (one of my own dogs!).  Every precaution was taken — two doors/gates between the dogs.  The aggressive dog was harnessed and had to always drag a leash for me to step on (these were terriers that I could pick up to help end any aggression).  The aggressive dog was never allowed into the yard with the smaller dogs unless there were 2 handlers that were working with the aggressive dog (1 to work with the aggressive dog, and 1 to make sure the smaller dogs did not approach the aggressive dog).  

    I finally got the aggressive dog to accept that MY small dog was not something for him to kill and they got to the point that they could all be in the kennel all day together.  BUT he was still willing to attack unknown small dogs on sight.

    In the 6 months he was with me, even being as careful as I could be, this dog attacked small dogs four times.  Visitors opened a door that someone else left unlocked, the aggressive dog pushed down a baby gate that we thought was secure enough to hold him, he got over a fence that we thought was too high for him to climb, etc.  Each of the small dogs attacked were bitten and bloody — and they suffered PTS.  It was pure luck that determined dog never got just the right hold on the other dogs so that he could break their necks.  Cause that is what he was trying to do!

    So, ask yourself how dangerous is the situation.  How sure are you that you can keep your dog(s) safe from the aggressor.  I have fostered over 30 dogs, several of which came to me as very aggressive dogs so I had experience.  And it was still very overwhelming for me at times.

    I commend you for wanting to rescue another dog — just be sure you don’t endanger the new dog, or your own dog(s) in the process.

    Good luck.

    PK