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The dogs we have

DDD said:
Expensive to maintain also if you look at the white fur and the style. But you know I expected such a dog image even by reading the very first lines of your post :)
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He looks just like a stuffed animal, doesn't he? :lol:
 
DDD said:
I intend to get an American female Huskie at a certain point. I am sure Mllef would please the living bits of that Huskie lady. Their offspring would be a new breed then. I intend to name them "Sharskies" half Shar Dog and half Huskie.

Wonder how would they behave, what their more salient features will be. I am wondering for Huskie is half wolf to begin with, while Shar is specially design anti-wolf, bear, fox, etc.
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oops, meant to say American Eskimo....not huskie....
We travel too much to have pets, for now. When I get into the next Parkinson's stage and travel is harder, maybe then I will get a pup for me...and stay home.
 
DDD said:
But what is wrong with scraps? I mean is there any problem with them eating what we eat mostly?

Also I am told repeatedly to feed the dog only once in the morning. Is it once or twice now?
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I thought the same thing but our Vet told us the things we eat can be too harsh for the dogs diet. It can also cause them to gain weight quickly. My old dog pretty much ate what we did with a little dog food thrown in. She started gaining weight quick and had a hard time keeping it down. We switched her back to Iams and she was fine and lost the weight.

Our current buddy gets fed a cup and a half twice a day and she is fit as a fiddle.
 
DDD said:
But what is wrong with scraps? I mean is there any problem with them eating what we eat mostly?

Also I am told repeatedly to feed the dog only once in the morning. Is it once or twice now?
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There's two potential problems

1) There are some people foods that are poisonous to dogs. Here's a list of foods dogs should not eat

ASPCA | People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

2) If you feed your dogs the letovers shortly after you eat, the dog learns to anticipate the treats while you eat. The may lead to unwanted behavior while you eat such as begging, whining, etc.

As far as how often you should feed, it's pretty flexible. Look up how much your dog should eat every day (mostly determined by size and adjusted for activity levels), and then feed him so that he eats that much.

Generally, it doesn't matter how often but there is one thing to be concerned with; bloat. Some breeds, particularly those with deep chests, are prone to bloat. It happens if a dog eats too much, too fast. It can cause the dogs stomach to twist around internally, cutting off the blood flow. If it happens, it can be fatal and quickly so (a few hours). So if your dog is a ravenous eater and really pounds it down, you might want to break up his meals into several smaller portions throughout the day.
 
Due to my childhood, I'm not really a big fan of dogs. Between my uncle who used to raise Great Danes and my crazy neighbor who kept an entire pack of German Shepards that they just let roam wild around the neighborhood, my general impression of most dogs was something akin to the Velociraptors from Jurassic Park for several years.

That is slowly changing now that I've gotten older and have had an opportunity to meet more legitimately "sweet" dogs. However, I would still say that I am probably more of a cat or fishtank kind of person. :mrgreen:
 
sangha said:
There's two potential problems

1) There are some people foods that are poisonous to dogs. Here's a list of foods dogs should not eat

ASPCA | People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

2) If you feed your dogs the letovers shortly after you eat, the dog learns to anticipate the treats while you eat. The may lead to unwanted behavior while you eat such as begging, whining, etc.

As far as how often you should feed, it's pretty flexible. Look up how much your dog should eat every day (mostly determined by size and adjusted for activity levels), and then feed him so that he eats that much.

Generally, it doesn't matter how often but there is one thing to be concerned with; bloat. Some breeds, particularly those with deep chests, are prone to bloat. It happens if a dog eats too much, too fast. It can cause the dogs stomach to twist around internally, cutting off the blood flow. If it happens, it can be fatal and quickly so (a few hours). So if your dog is a ravenous eater and really pounds it down, you might want to break up his meals into several smaller portions throughout the day.
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Thanks,

Your source states that milk is not alright for the dog due to lack of lactose desolving enzyme lactase. That is a puppy and I am not suppose to give him milk?!
 
As a former dog handler in the Marine Corps I was able to adopt out the last dog I handleed since we got retired. His name Aron K487 a drug dog and a Belguim Malainos. He is 9 but acts like a puppy.
 

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DDD said:
Thanks,

Your source states that milk is not alright for the dog due to lack of lactose desolving enzyme lactase. That is a puppy and I am not suppose to give him milk?!
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No, milk isn't good for any dog, unless you have a thing for diarrhea

But it's not poisonous. It's just hard for a dog to digest.
 
sangha said:
No, milk isn't good for any dog, unless you have a thing for diarrhea

But it's not poisonous. It's just hard for a dog to digest.
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I am giving him vet prescribed pills. Stopped diarrhea but I wonder whether the milk phosphor and other qualities are wasted or not.

Also, is my my dog especially stubborn or do all dogs hesitate at first to walk with you on a leash?
 
DDD said:
I am giving him vet prescribed pills. Stopped diarrhea but I wonder whether the milk phosphor and other qualities are wasted or not.

Also, is my my dog especially stubborn or do all dogs hesitate at first to walk with you on a leash?
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If a vet prescribed them, I wouldn't be concerned.

As I said, milk isn't poisonous, and some parts of the milk do provide some nutrition for a dog. It's just that dogs can't digest the lactose in the milk. I don't see how phospher would be a problem for the dog.

A little milk or cheese won't bother them. When my dog has needed to take a pill, which isn't easy because she's a very picky eater, I get a package of those cheese singles and bring them to room temp so they get really soft. Then I wrap the pill in the cheese in the hopes she won't just eat the cheese and spit out the pill.

It won't kill her, and under those circumstances, it's worth the benefit. Otherwise, I don't give her any dairy. Not because it's going to hurt her, but because there are plenty of other things you can feed a dog.

And walking on a leash is a learned behavior. Some dogs take to it easier than others. Be patient so that the dog learns to like it. Here's a link of training a dog to a leash

Introducing a Puppy to Walk on a Leash | Cesar Millan

Leash Training for Dogs - Train Your Dog to Walk on Leash

Pulling on Leash - Dog and Puppy Training

The key to training a dog is patience, making sure the dog is not rewarded for undesireable behavior, and making sure the dog is rewarded for wanted behavior.

Don't yank the leash, praise and treat him when he behaves. I also recommend not starting with one of the extension leashes (the ones with a lead on a reel that extends and retracts (see below)) They put a constant pressure on the leash. If your puppy gets used to it, it can encourage leash pulling

Auto-Retractable-Leash-Set-SLRL-.jpg
 
sangha said:
If a vet prescribed them, I wouldn't be concerned.

As I said, milk isn't poisonous, and some parts of the milk do provide some nutrition for a dog. It's just that dogs can't digest the lactose in the milk. I don't see how phospher would be a problem for the dog.

A little milk or cheese won't bother them. When my dog has needed to take a pill, which isn't easy because she's a very picky eater, I get a package of those cheese singles and bring them to room temp so they get really soft. Then I wrap the pill in the cheese in the hopes she won't just eat the cheese and spit out the pill.

It won't kill her, and under those circumstances, it's worth the benefit. Otherwise, I don't give her any dairy. Not because it's going to hurt her, but because there are plenty of other things you can feed a dog.

And walking on a leash is a learned behavior. Some dogs take to it easier than others. Be patient so that the dog learns to like it. Here's a link of training a dog to a leash

Introducing a Puppy to Walk on a Leash | Cesar Millan

Leash Training for Dogs - Train Your Dog to Walk on Leash

Pulling on Leash - Dog and Puppy Training

The key to training a dog is patience, making sure the dog is not rewarded for undesireable behavior, and making sure the dog is rewarded for wanted behavior.

Don't yank the leash, praise and treat him when he behaves. I also recommend not starting with one of the extension leashes (the ones with a lead on a reel that extends and retracts (see below)) They put a constant pressure on the leash. If your puppy gets used to it, it can encourage leash pulling

Auto-Retractable-Leash-Set-SLRL-.jpg
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sangha, please comment on the timeliness to reward/discipline your dog when found doing something right/wrong
 
justabubba said:
sangha, please comment on the timeliness to reward/discipline your dog when found doing something right/wrong
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Dogs: Positive Reinforcement Training : The Humane Society of the United States

I should add that I'm not a big fan of "discipling" a dog, in the sense of "punishing" the dog. I prefer managing the environment to ensure that the dog can't be rewarded for bad behavior.

For example, I wouldnt yell at a dog for going into the trash container. Instead, I make sure the dog can't get to the trash container. At best, yelling means that the dog won't do it when I'm around.
 
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cpgrad08 said:
As a former dog handler in the Marine Corps I was able to adopt out the last dog I handleed since we got retired. His name Aron K487 a drug dog and a Belguim Malainos. He is 9 but acts like a puppy.
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Thank you for your service!! He's a beauty!!
 
Vet scientists have recently found out that dogs can cognitively categorize other dogs in their own way (i.e., different from a way we do). They can do so by only watching other dogs on the screen also.

Dogs can watch TV and notice other dogs in them and categorize even (i.e., the one with white back toes). Tell a cat to do that! It would probably constantly look at ways to fool you and get to the food somewhere!

References:

Autier-Dérian, D., Deputte, B. L., Chalvet-Monfray, K., Coulon, M., & Mounier, L. (2013). Visual discrimination of species in dogs (Canis familiaris). Animal Cognition, DOI: 10.1007/s10071-013-0600-8
 
Fast growing little creatures are they not?

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Here's Mllef wondering what the black thingy that I am holding is going to do?

2013-05-24 13.34.27.webp

This is how Mllef actually laughs! Honest! ;)

2013-05-24 13.34.39.webp
 
Veterinary scientists have concluded that there are striking resemblances between relationships of parent-child and owner-dog. They build on how dogs use their owners as "secure base" just like kids do.

Does it holds though? Are you to your dog just like you are to your kid?

References:

Horn, L., Huber, L., & Range, F. (2013). The importance of the secure base effect for domestic dogs: Evidence from a manipulative problem-solving task. PLoS ONE, 8 (5): e65296 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065296

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130621095502.htm
 
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