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Dog Age - Official Man's Best Friend Thread
- Thread starter Wolf
- Start date
CF_Fighter
Member
My dog, a golden retriever, pulled a rotting possum carcass out from under some brush today. He got it and just brought it over to us as we were in the pool, very proud of himself. Hasn't shown any ill effects from contact, yet.
DonMigs85
Member
CF_Fighter said:
As long as your dog is current on his rabies vaccination, you should be fine. If he's not already on Frontline/Advantage you may want to get some of that as well. Dogs/cats can get tapeworms from ingesting a flea, and possums/other wildlife are typically covered in them
Professor Fog
Member
Doomsayer said:
I have a German Short Haired Pointer, fittingly named Heidi. She's extremely intelligent and has more energy then any dog I've ever owned.
Beautiful dog. I've had a deposit on a GSP litter for about a year now, and I'm finally bringing home a pup on the 22nd of this month. I have a feeling my Shiba is going to be a bit perturbed with having to share his home with a new roommate.
This video has had me awwing all evening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze4ifCXQI9g
lawlohwhat
Banned
Camping for several days is the only way to tire this dog out.
JimiNutz
Banned
I've been looking after a dog for the past week and have loved having a companion in the house.
I've therefore decided that its time for me to get my own dog!
I absolutely love the look of Huskies but, having done my research, realise that they can be difficult especially for first time owners. I've noticed that a few people here have Husky or Husky crosses and wondered what your experience of this breed is like.
For some background, I live in a medium sized 3 bedroom house with a reasonably sized garden (in England, so hopefully climate won't be a problem).
Due to my schedule ill easily have time to walk the dog for 90 mins each day as a minimum (30 in morning and 60 in evenings - plus lots more on weekends, im fairly active). I do work 9-5 though so will be out of the house for these hours during the week (luckily I live locally though, so can pop in for a lunch break each day too).
Im hoping I will be fine looking after a husky, but wonder if it is ill advised considering I've never had a dog of my own.
Any stories or advice from Husky owners would be much appreciated.
I've therefore decided that its time for me to get my own dog!
I absolutely love the look of Huskies but, having done my research, realise that they can be difficult especially for first time owners. I've noticed that a few people here have Husky or Husky crosses and wondered what your experience of this breed is like.
For some background, I live in a medium sized 3 bedroom house with a reasonably sized garden (in England, so hopefully climate won't be a problem).
Due to my schedule ill easily have time to walk the dog for 90 mins each day as a minimum (30 in morning and 60 in evenings - plus lots more on weekends, im fairly active). I do work 9-5 though so will be out of the house for these hours during the week (luckily I live locally though, so can pop in for a lunch break each day too).
Im hoping I will be fine looking after a husky, but wonder if it is ill advised considering I've never had a dog of my own.
Any stories or advice from Husky owners would be much appreciated.
Just read all the negative aspects of owning a husky and ask yourself if that's the type of dog you want to own. Getting a puppy is a lot more work and this is your first dog so it's probably better to adopt an older husky. I don't live in the UK but there is a Husky Forum with mostly UK posters.NutJobJim said:
teruterubozu
Member
Honestly, ANY puppy is going to be a big commitment and challenge. Huskies tend to be full-on alpha dogs so they're not recommended for first-time owners. My main concern is that you simply don't have enough time for a puppy with a 9-5 job, even with a lunch break.
A baby puppy needs to pee every 1-2 hours and leaving it crated/sequestered and alone for more than 3 hours at a time during the day is unfair. I highly recommend that you take at least 3 weeks off work when you first get a puppy and arrange for a dog-sitter before you start back work.
A baby puppy needs to pee every 1-2 hours and leaving it crated/sequestered and alone for more than 3 hours at a time during the day is unfair. I highly recommend that you take at least 3 weeks off work when you first get a puppy and arrange for a dog-sitter before you start back work.
Metroid Killer
Member
^what teruteru said.
Or get the dog as a long vacation starts, giving you the time you need.
I am a first-time dog owner myself. Me and my gf love the appearance of huskies, but we didn't want to end up with more than we could handle and luckily stumbled upon the icelandic sheepdog, which looks close to a husky(well a spitz anyway...) but has the soul of a family friendly dog. We are really glad we made the choice.
Also it is really really time consuming. We walk our icelandic sheepdog 60mins in the morning, 120mins afternoon and maybe 40mins at night if he's got too much energy left in him. Considering a husky requires much more exercise compared to an icelandic sheepdog, I wouldn't dare walking less than 2 hours everyday.
Good luck, huskies are indeed awesome, I've only had postive experiences with huskies and owners so far.
Or get the dog as a long vacation starts, giving you the time you need.
I am a first-time dog owner myself. Me and my gf love the appearance of huskies, but we didn't want to end up with more than we could handle and luckily stumbled upon the icelandic sheepdog, which looks close to a husky(well a spitz anyway...) but has the soul of a family friendly dog. We are really glad we made the choice.
Also it is really really time consuming. We walk our icelandic sheepdog 60mins in the morning, 120mins afternoon and maybe 40mins at night if he's got too much energy left in him. Considering a husky requires much more exercise compared to an icelandic sheepdog, I wouldn't dare walking less than 2 hours everyday.
Good luck, huskies are indeed awesome, I've only had postive experiences with huskies and owners so far.
NutJobJim said:
Here's some advice from someone who works in the veterinary field and currently owns two huskies: Ask yourself if you want a Husky because of it's looks OR because of it's personality? Too may people fall into the category of wanting one because they are damn fine looking dogs, but they just don't realize that there are definite negative aspects to owning one.
-Shedding.It's horrible and basically year long. You'll find yourself vacuuming daily to keep up with it.
-Digging. I WOULD NOT leave your husky unattended in your back yard without suitable fencing and possibly a dog run.
-Stubborn. Huskies are incredibly smart, but without proper training they can be very difficult and stubborn. They LOVE people and other dogs, but you must socialize them. You have no idea how many people bring their huskies into us, and they end up needing to be muzzled.
Most importantly, do NOT get a puppy unless you have the time to dedicate to one. In fact, if you're a first time dog owner, I would look into adopting one. You can already see their personality and more importantly, you're saving a life.
AlimNassor
Banned
I hate, hate, hate puppies. So cute, but, so annoying. We had to watch 3 golden lab puppies all were not potty trained and all night cried and pooped everywhere. They constantly cried, and we couldn't watch them every hour. Next time i get a dog he'll be from an animal shelter. i went to one a few weeks ago to drop off the puppies and all the dogs at that shelter were so very nice, they were so loving. All were potty trained and socialized.
Huskys are a fine dog if you're an active person. If not it'll hate you and leave and go find somewhere else to live.
One thing I've learned is you have to socialize your dog. If not he may turn out to be aggressive or a coward.
Huskys are a fine dog if you're an active person. If not it'll hate you and leave and go find somewhere else to live.
One thing I've learned is you have to socialize your dog. If not he may turn out to be aggressive or a coward.
Price Dalton
Member
Looking for advice on dog park confrontations.
I usually handle things pretty well. If my dog's being a jerk, I stop him and apologize to the owner/dog. If a dog's being a jerk to mine, I let my dog tell the dog in his own dog way to knock it off.
Today, we were at the dog park and a white lab kept mounting my dog. He did it four times in a span of ten minutes. Each time, my dog spun around and growled to let him know not to do it. Normal dog communication, right?
Then, the dog did it again, while my dog was wrestling with a dog-friend of his. The lab comes up and mounts him. My dog spins, snaps at him, growls/snarls, and head butts him. I heard teeth gnashing but it didn't look like there was any tooth/skin contact. It happens pretty damn fast so I can't be sure, of course. The lab runs to his owner (who has her head in her iPhone and had about seven other dogs; come to think of it, she was probably a dog walker) and she checks him for any damage. There's no damage, but she scolds me and takes my picture. I guess I'm ending up on a bad owner/mean dog database, or something. All the other people there gave me dirty looks, so I just left.
I'm not sure what I could have done differently. I probably should have alerted the owner/walker after the second mounting.
Thoughts? Advice? How do you handle mountings at the dog park?
I usually handle things pretty well. If my dog's being a jerk, I stop him and apologize to the owner/dog. If a dog's being a jerk to mine, I let my dog tell the dog in his own dog way to knock it off.
Today, we were at the dog park and a white lab kept mounting my dog. He did it four times in a span of ten minutes. Each time, my dog spun around and growled to let him know not to do it. Normal dog communication, right?
Then, the dog did it again, while my dog was wrestling with a dog-friend of his. The lab comes up and mounts him. My dog spins, snaps at him, growls/snarls, and head butts him. I heard teeth gnashing but it didn't look like there was any tooth/skin contact. It happens pretty damn fast so I can't be sure, of course. The lab runs to his owner (who has her head in her iPhone and had about seven other dogs; come to think of it, she was probably a dog walker) and she checks him for any damage. There's no damage, but she scolds me and takes my picture. I guess I'm ending up on a bad owner/mean dog database, or something. All the other people there gave me dirty looks, so I just left.
I'm not sure what I could have done differently. I probably should have alerted the owner/walker after the second mounting.
Thoughts? Advice? How do you handle mountings at the dog park?
teruterubozu
Member
You shoulda told her to get her damn dog neutered. That would throw dirty looks her way. (I know some dogs still mount after being neutered, but obviously the owner tolerates it).
I hate dog parks - they're basically giant kennels. Much rather take my dog to the beach, hiking trail or regular park.
I hate dog parks - they're basically giant kennels. Much rather take my dog to the beach, hiking trail or regular park.
Price Dalton said:
Ugh, that's so infuriating. I would have lost my cool. Dumb bitch. Next time you see her take a picture and say "just a warning to control your dog; my dog attacked it last time because it kept trying to hump him. You were oblivious - just playing on your phone. You need to WATCH what your animals are doing."
Or something.
JoJoShabadoo
Member
Here are a bunch of pics of my beagle pups!
And a pic of their momma the day before they were born!
And a few pics of my favorite one all grown up!
And a pic of their momma the day before they were born!
And a few pics of my favorite one all grown up!
Metroid Killer
Member
You acted perfectly fine and so did your dog. A good amount of dog owners are idiots, so just try to shrug it off and rest in the fact that you are the better person.Price Dalton said:
Today on the way to my in-laws we met two dogs(two seperate places) who both started barking and pulling violently towards Shikko. Shikko obviously barked back at them. As we walk by them we talk to Shikko in high tones giving him treats so that we have his attention once again. Both times the other owner pulled their dog back violently, shouting at it right in its face 'act normal you ****ing dog!'.
What do the other owners accomplice with this? If anything it'll just make their dog be even more tense the next time they meet another dog or are in a similar situation. Their dog will see a dog and think 'oh shit it's a dog, oh shit that means my owner will go fucking nuts, holy shit!' no wonder they end up barking if the tension is build up like that.
Most owners I meet are fine though.
MrOogieBoogie
BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
What advice would you guys give to first-time dog owners? Would you recommend reading any specific books/articles? Would you recommend watching any specific videos? Would you recommend obedience training classes? A checklist of priorities would be nice.
I know the OP has some links, but I'd like some further elaboration by some of the more experienced owners here.
I know the OP has some links, but I'd like some further elaboration by some of the more experienced owners here.
MrOogieBoogie said:
Obedience training is a must. It would be best if you could find an actual professional trainer but if not PetsMart offers classes.
Do not follow the lessons in Dog Whisperer. His method is severely flawed and will lead to dogs who obey you simply based upon fear and not based upon respect.
Crate train the dog to hasten the housebreaking process.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1577790766/?tag=neogaf0e-20
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316578398/?tag=neogaf0e-20
These are two recommended books. The only thing they don't emphasize enough is have fun raising the dog. Many of these books make the pup out to be a robot that you can ruin at any second. Be patient and enjoy the process. It isn't easy but it is fun and rewarding.
kevo_huevo
Member
Tenks said:
Well, the show itself contains a warning/advisory message that you shouldn't attempt to imitate what Cesar Milan is doing. To be fair, in his books, doesn't claim he trains dogs, he "rehabilitates" dogs so that their owner can re-establish the role of pack-leader/dominance.
I've read his book "Be the Pack Leader", and this really helps you understand the psyche of dogs (i.e. don't humanize dogs). All he is really about is the owner projecting a calm but leading energy that the dog can follow. Once you have established this relationship, it makes actual obedience training a lot easier.
Yeah but I assume the dude is going to get a puppy that won't need rehab. Modern dog training is all about positive reinforcement compared to Milan's dominating/fear tactics. Everytime I watch the show he just makes irritating sounds to the dog so he can stare at the dog and grabs it by the scruff and tips the dog over. That simply doesn't work for practical training purposes.
kevo_huevo
Member
Tenks said:
I agree with positive reinforcement, it's the only method we've used to train our newly adopted dog.
Milan isn't really trying to train dogs though. Most of those dogs have issues that can't be solved with practical training methods. The noise he makes is his version of saying "hey"..he's stated that his grandparents and parents used this noise on him as a way to get his attention and it's something that just stuck with him.
I know I'm sounding like a big Cesar Milan apologist, but he said himself that he isn't a dog trainer that will teach a dog sit/stay/heel/down/etc. He understands the role of pack leadership and tries to get the owners on that show to re-establish this in order to train their dogs and correct certain behaviors.
kevo_huevo said:
Similarly I'm not trying to vilify the dude. I just know from personal experience that new dog owners tend to idolize Cesar as "The Dog Whisperer" and try to emulate him. I'm just letting the guy know that his methods are not something he should try to utilize himself. The show is for entertainment not education.
teruterubozu
Member
His books are reasonable and quite educational, not like his show.
In his show he deals with real problem dogs, 90% of them with aggressive behaviors (he keeps pointing this out in his books). You're only seeing a small aspect of his overall philosophy.
In fact in some ways the Monks of New Skete are harsher.
So awesome! I have a soft spot for beagles.
In his show he deals with real problem dogs, 90% of them with aggressive behaviors (he keeps pointing this out in his books). You're only seeing a small aspect of his overall philosophy.
In fact in some ways the Monks of New Skete are harsher.
JoJoShabadoo said:
So awesome! I have a soft spot for beagles.
kevo_huevo
Member
Word, Tenks. Word.
But yeah, his books a lot better than the show as far as learning stuff. I really learned a lot about being the pack leader and presenting/carrying myself confidently as a first time dog owner. I think his books helped prevent me from being a big sissy and providing too much affection and enforcing negative behaviors.
But yeah, his books a lot better than the show as far as learning stuff. I really learned a lot about being the pack leader and presenting/carrying myself confidently as a first time dog owner. I think his books helped prevent me from being a big sissy and providing too much affection and enforcing negative behaviors.
kevo_huevo said:
My GF and I are going to add a puppy to our house here in about a year and I'm really going to have to train her how to properly raise the dog. She is waaayyyy too lovey and accepting and has a huge heart for animals. I'm going to have a harder time training her than the dog, for sure.
Case in point I was playing Terraria last night and she insisted I covered up a hole I made so the bunnies near my house wouldn't fall in.
teruterubozu
Member
Believe it or not, Puppies for Dummies is an excellent book for first-time owners. I've read quite a few, but Dummies provides the best step-by-step "how to" scenarios.
tycoonheart
Member
Tenks said:
There have been tons of episodes where he's said positive reinforcement is very effective in training dogs. I don't think he solely relies on fear to train dogs. Like one of the other guys here said, he probably looks at the situation first to see what is most effective.
The Albatross
Member
daCuk said:
My soon-to-be dog's name is also Duncan... good taste!
(by soon to be, he's only 4 weeks old. One month from today he'll be moving from his breeder to my house)
The Albatross
Member
Tenks said:
I think he's pretty clear that his show about about dog rehabilitation, not puppy training. His books are not training manuals, but dog psychology books more than anything. It might be frustrating to watch, but keep in mind, he's usually working with dogs who would otherwise be euthanized, not by any fault of their own -- but because their previous owners simply raised them wrong.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
Dog trying to get lizzards or birds out of the tree. Rips all the leafs off.
Wolf Akela
Member
Caption exploitable.
Blue Ninja
Member
We've got two dogs now. One's an 11-year old cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Beagle. My dad trained it to be a guard dog: a job it performs admirably.
My dad originally had Huskies, but our last one died a couple of years ago. Ever since then, black guy over there has been alone. My dad didn't want to buy a replacement, but this year me and my sister decided that we did.
We went to a few shelters, but didn't find anything we liked. Ultimately, we went to the same breeder the dog you see above came from. He had a batch of young puppies he'd recently bought from a nearby farmer. We brought one home.
This is the little guy. This picture was taken the day we got him. He's a crossbreed as well, half-Labrador and half-Beauceron.
He wasn't really all that frightened when we brought him home, though he and the big guy didn't really get along at first.
Fortunately, that didn't last long, and now they get along fine. Well, when they're not play-fighting.
And the little guy grows quickly.
He's about twice the size he was when we got him now. He's about the same height as our older dog now, and still has a lot of growing to do. I've got a feeling he's gonna be a big one.
My dad originally had Huskies, but our last one died a couple of years ago. Ever since then, black guy over there has been alone. My dad didn't want to buy a replacement, but this year me and my sister decided that we did.
We went to a few shelters, but didn't find anything we liked. Ultimately, we went to the same breeder the dog you see above came from. He had a batch of young puppies he'd recently bought from a nearby farmer. We brought one home.
This is the little guy. This picture was taken the day we got him. He's a crossbreed as well, half-Labrador and half-Beauceron.
He wasn't really all that frightened when we brought him home, though he and the big guy didn't really get along at first.
Fortunately, that didn't last long, and now they get along fine. Well, when they're not play-fighting.
And the little guy grows quickly.
He's about twice the size he was when we got him now. He's about the same height as our older dog now, and still has a lot of growing to do. I've got a feeling he's gonna be a big one.
Came here by the accident, but here's photo of my/my father Labrador Retriever. He's around 4 year old and he is such a baby To be honest, I don't want dog after all, but when he came to my house I was happiest person ever.
I know, he may seems sad, but he isn't. It's more "nah, what do you want from me?" than sadness
To be honest, I don't want dog after all, but when he came to my house I was happiest person ever.
I know, he may seems sad, but he isn't. It's more "nah, what do you want from me?" than sadness