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DOGS

Let me start out by once again saying that I am not a doctor of animals and any information you find here on these pages is what I have learned from my life raising our dogs.

Yes I have had many, many different breeds. They each have their own downfalls as well as great qualities. I do suggest though, that you look into your breed of choosing before you choose it. As some dogs may take more care than what you are willing to give or can afford. You can do this by a few ways. One way is to go to your local library and check out a few books on the breed you are interested in. (sort of like doing a school report isn’t it?) Another way is to call different Vets in your area and ask them about the breed you are interested in.This is also a great time to check out the VET to see if you and them agree on things and you want them treating your puppy. Some breeds have medical problems all of their own and can get rather expensive. You can also call breeders and ask them some questions about the breed. The reason I suggest this is because it is not fair to you or, the dog of choice to be left with a bad experience of the other. Some breeds are known for being a one person dog and would not do good in a family with children, and some breeds need to be around many people. You might also want to look into getting a mixed breed, insted of a pure breed, as these tend to have the best qualities of both breeds that have been bred. Now with all of that said lets get on with the tour.

I see you made it to the dog section. Looking to see if you would like a dog as a best friend? Well before you go out and get your pup you might want to just hang around and check out what it will take to keep both you and your furry friend happy. We will be taking a look at training, some different breeds, grooming.

SUPPLY LIST

Dog food/dishes
Collar/Leash
Bed or Pillow
Shampoo
Dog toys

News Papers/plastic
Carpet Shampoo
Old hair brush
Dog house
Vet

FOOD/DISHES:

The kind of dog food you choose will be up to you, your vet and your dog. When you choose a dog food try and stay with that kind. Some dogs can deal with food changes very well and some can not. To avoid any undo messes it is best to stick to just one food. As far as feeding your dog from the table it again is up to you as his owner, but it will make for a dog that thinks your dinner time is his dinner time and you both (along with any company) will be very uncomfortable. If you feel you must give your dog food from the table then save it to a plastic bag and use it as learning treats.(The bag of food can be frozen for use later without the worry of it spoiling.) Bones? Some people say you should not give your dog any bone, but lets face it....They are just so darn good. The only bones I give my dogs are ones that are large enough not to go down whole and big enough that they can not chew them up like dog food. When making the decision to give your dog bones or not keep in mind the breed you have. But what ever you decide never ever feed chicken bones to the dog. Chicken bones splinter and can rupture Fidos intestines or bowels. The type of dish you use should be large enough that enough food and water can be given without the worry that it will go all over the floor. They should be large at the base so they will not tip when Fido sticks his feet in the dish. They need to be easy to clean and sanitize. You would not want to eat out of a dish that was still dirty would you? Both water and food dish needs to be washed daily.

COLLAR/LEASH:

What kind of collar and leash to get...With small dogs I like to stay with the simple snap on collar, and the small nylon leash. With larger dogs I do suggest you get a halter for them, and a good strong leather leash. For the real BIG dogs I suggest you get a halter and a handle. A handle is just a loop of leather or nylon as the handle of a leash but there is no leash on it. Just a handle, and a hook. This is what I use for our two Dobies. You will find you have better control over them while out on your walks. I also keep a choke chain on them at all times. One reason is for their tags and another reason is it gives me something to grab here in the house if I need to. Yes I have needed to at times.

BED OR PILLOW:

Just like you, Fido needs his own bed. The smaller the dog the smaller the bed. As long as Fido has enough room to turn around, stand up, then the size is fine. Our little Terrier mix dog has a small box in my sons room as a bed. One of our Dobies and the Black Lab sleep in my closet, and the other Dobie sleeps in the laundry room. Each dog has their own comforter or blanket. When told to go to bed they go to their beds. In the day time they take turns sleeping on a over stuffed pillow in the living room.They are not allowed up on the furniture. I do not like to leave them outside as it is cold here at night in the winter and they are just like kids. If you choose to have an outside dog then make sure he has a very warm place to sleep. I will go into this more in the dog house section.

SHAMPOO:

I know you are thinking.. shampoo?..I will just use my shampoo or regular soap. That might sound just fine but a dogs PH Balance is way different from ours. If you choose to use your shampoo or regular soap there are a few things that might happen. One thing that could happen is Fido will probably develop a severe case of dandruff. Another thing that could happen is he will most likely get hot spots and itch a lot not to mention that our shampoo does not kill fleas. Unless you, yourself use a flea shampoo. Even the Baby shampoo is not the right PH balance for a dog. There are many different kinds of shampoo out there for Fido just pick one. I go for the smell more than the flea control as our dogs are inside dogs and we don’t have a flea problem.

DOG TOYS:

I have to buy Fido toys of his own too? No you do not have to, but this action will result in the destruction of YOUR things. Fido is now a puppy, out on his own, away from his brothers, sisters and mom. Fido is now teething. If you have children, I know this will bring back a lot of memories. Everything goes into the mouth. He needs some of his own things to chew on. I stay away from the rawhide things at this point, because when they are chewed and swallowed they absorb the water in the puppies system and swell. This can not only dehydrate the puppy, but can cause a blockage. I use LARGE bones. Small enough Fido can carry them around, but pretty big. His own rough and tumble ball, and a good heavy stick (they just love wood and my coffee table is now safe.) Now these next two items is up to you. I have found this the best way. I go to a yard sale and buy an old pair of work boots (sorta clean) and a few old shirts. The old shirts, I tie knots in and use them as a tug-of-war game and the old boots, I let the puppy chew on. They do not have your scent on them, and therefor he will stay away form your things.

NEWS PAPERS/PLASTIC:

News papers are used for potty training. The plastic is used to put under the news papers so the urine will not go through to the carpet or floor. A large garbage bag will do just fine and if you do not take the paper I am sure one of your neighbors will be more than willing to give you their old papers.

CARPET SHAMPOO:

Like a child potty training, Fido will have a few accidents also. DO NOT STRESS OUT. Everything can be cleaned. Make sure your carpet and the shampoo you get are compatible. There are shampoos out there that remove odor. Get one that you can live with. Rubbing a fresh lemon on the carpet after it has been cleaned and is dry will also take out the smell if you happen not to have any shampoo on hand. The oil from the lemon is great, and your hands will smell nice too.

OLD HAIR BRUSH:

I know you must have one or two on hand. Not the new metal prong kind, but the old plastic ones that have like a million bristles in them. One will be used to help clean the carpet and one will be used for Fido. If you start them off young they will love to be brushed. Keep them separate from each other. Would you like to be brushed with something that was used to clean up a mess on a carpet?

DOG HOUSE:

Does Fido live inside or outside? That will be up to you. I do not get dogs or any animal, to make them live outside away from the family. The choice is yours. If you choose to let them live inside with you then there is no need for a dog house. If you choose to let them stay outside then they must have a dog house. Not only from the cold or rain or snow, but from the heat as well. The house must be big enough to let them walk inside without having to crawl on their bellies. Once inside they must have enough room to stand and stretch. They must also have enough room to lay down and stretch if they choose. I do not like sleeping in one scrunched up place all night and neither do they. Along with all of this there must also be a wind blocker at the door. I will draw you a picture of what I mean at the end of this. You can put an old blanket in the house for them (remember to keep it washed) or the best that I have found to use is hay. It will keep them warm and makes for a nice soft bed. It dries out on it own and if there is no floor to the house it will turn into dirt all by itself.Try to put the doghouse under some shade so in the summer time it will stay a little cooler.

Vet:

It is always best to pick a vet that you feel comfortable with before you get any animal. There is nothing worse than calling a Vet and taking your sick or hurt "Fido" to the doctor to find out when you get there that you and the Vet do not see eye to eye on things, or the place is dirty, or just not the right kind of place you would like your best friend to be. Always check out the Vets office before you decide to take your puppy there for treatment. You would not want to pick a doctor out of the yellow pages when your child is sick or hurt so why do it with Fido?....As with children it will be on the weekend or in the after hours of most Vets that your puppy needs to be seen. Make sure you have an emergency number where your vet will be or someone your vet trusts when they are not on call.

The good stuff:

If you look at training “Fido” the way you look at training children then you have half the battle won. You know the “LOOK” mom always gave you, that made you settle right down and behave?...well, my dogs I have now respond to that LOOK. Here is what you will need for your beloved Fido. It would be best if you have all of this BEFORE you bring Fido home.

Simple spray bottle, treats, lots of love, lots of time, and PATIENCE. With the spray bottle you fill it with lemon juice, set it on stream, keep it handy at all times. When Fido does something he is not allowed to do, in a stern voice (no yelling) tell him “NO” while you spray him once in the face. Sometimes to get the attention of Fido you might want to clap your hands together before you spray and while you are telling him no. If he is chewing on something that is not his, take it away at the same time and give him one of his things to chew on while telling him “that is not yours, this is yours.” Once Fido learns the command "NO" then most of the time all you have to do is tell him this. Putting your hands on your hips at the same time, he soon learns that when you put your hands on your hips with the “LOOK” then no voice or spray bottle is needed. My dogs respond to the words, “Excuse me?”, along with the hands on the hips. Get comfortable with whatever you choose to say and say the same thing each time.

Potty training- Now this is time consuming, but well worth it. Have Fido’s potty spot already picked out and set up. When he comes home put him there (you will have to stay with him) until he goes potty. Always praise him when he does what you want. You have to remember to take Fido outside or to the paper every 40 - 45 min. at first. As he gets older you can increase the time between outings. If you start with paper training then keep him with the paper till he has very few accidents and then you can start moving the paper that he uses, closer to the door he will soon learn to scratch at. You must remember to change the paper when he uses it, but rub a small part of the new paper with some of the old urine so he can smell where to go next time. When Fido does do what you want then give him a little treat while telling him what a good boy he is. If he does not make it to the paper in time just pick him up in mid stream and place him on the paper. Do not spank him or he might get the idea he is not to go potty. After he knows where to go for a while then you can put him where he made an accident and tell him no and put him where he is to go

Tricks:

If Fido decides to jump up on you, draw your knee up so it will hit him in the chest as he jumps. This will not hurt the dog but will teach him it is a bit uncomfortable to jump on people. To keep him from starting to jump, bend down to his level when you are greeting him.

Now you have had Fido for a few days. You need to go to the store or out of the house and the kids have all gone to school. There is no one to stay with Fido while you go out. You can leave him in a room or to run the house. You decide to let him run the house while you are gone. You come back and find he has gotten in the cloths basket and played with your socks. Maybe he has gotten your drapes and tried to rip them from the rods. All is not lost. What I do with a puppy is only give him one or two rooms to run while I am gone. Puppy proof the two rooms, and right before walking out the door I hand him a bone that he has been chewing on or playing with but this time it is filled with peanutbutter. For the next two hours he will be working on getting the last morsel of peanut butter out of the center of the bone, which his tongue can not seem to reach, and your house is safe. I only give them the peanut butter bones when I am leaving. It is like a special treat. When I come back home there they are all tired from trying to get the center of the bone clean.

Different Breeds:

I have had many different breeds of dogs over the years. Here is what I have found out about these breeds.

Dobie - Very smart, protective, can be aggressive, and demanding. Loves to please. Needs to be around the family, active, loves to play. Feels the need to be touched, petted, loved. They are bleeders, which means that if they get cut they can bleed to death quickly. They eat almost anything you hand them. They get along with other animals in the house real good.

Sadie, our 5 year old Dobi will sit in front of the bathroom door if I am the only one home and I use the bathroom. When I am up stairs on the puter, she is right there with me until she hears the chimes that say I am turning it off. At that time she gets up and goes to bed. When my husband is home, and I run to the store she will watch the truck drive down the street till she can not see it and then runs in and jumps up on the couch. The minute I drive in the driveway she jumps down and lays on the floor next to his feet. she knows I will not allow her to get on the furniture, but my husband does.

Molly, our 9 year old Dobi we have learned to love. She is a sweet old pup. She has cancer and is just living out her days. She is not in any pain at the present. She is just happy to be here with us. After her owner died, she was taken by a friend who put her in an outside pen away from everyone, where she lived for about 6 months. They only went and checked on her about every 3 days. She had plenty of food and water but no contact with people at all. When we became her owners she has lived a life of luxury so to speak. I don’t think she has a mean bone in her body. A 2 year old, that she just met, would crawl all over her and poke her, and do many other things and all she did is lay there. It takes her some time to get up and going, but she does have her fun with the other dogs.

Black Labs - The first and for-most on a labs mind is FOOD. Everything is about food. The best way to train a lab is with food. Keep your trash can well out of their way or you will find yourself picking up trash every time you turn around. They are highly intelligent, loving, playful, and can learn commands not only verbal, but sign commands quickly. A Lab is very gentle. Their tails are very, very strong and can swipe a coffee table clean in a matter of seconds. They do get hip and joint displasia. It is a genetic thing with them. This can lead to expenses as the dog gets older. They also tend to loose their eyesight by way of cataracts.

Buddy our Lab is only about 5 months old now. He was saved by my son. Buddy was found stuck in a drain pipe. The potty training with him in the normal manner was not working very well at all. This went on for almost two weeks. After I tried the food as praise bit with him, it took him all of 2 days to get it. He learned hand signs to sit and stay in about 3 days. They are so gentle, that when he and Sadie play he will knaw on her ear never once causing her to wince. Yes he is the one that gets the peanut butter bones. I do give the other dogs the peanut butter bones as well, because I believe you can not do for one without doing for the others. Sometimes this does not work if you are going to be gone for a long time, so you might have to go to a muzzel. Find a pet store that you can take your dog in with you, and get a good proper fit. Only put the muzzel on when you leave the house, and take it off as soon as you get home. Praise him for not getting into anything while you were gone and for being such a good dog. (never mind that he couldn't get into anything because of the muzzle)

Terrier mix - Very loyal dogs. Protective and possessive. Intelligence is in the middle range. They do get hip displasia in later years. Active and playful. Good escape artists. They have memories like elephants. Never forget anything. They will take revenge on a person. They are also nippers. Never grabbing alot of flesh, but just enough to make it known that they are there.

Scruffers our Terrier mix is now about 13 years old. She adopted us at about 6 weeks old. I came home from work one day and there she was. She had been abused by the way she acted. It took us (daughter and I) about 3 months to get her to come to us from cross the room without crawling on her belly. I have never had to do more than talk to her in a low voice to reprimand her. It takes her a while to make it from down stairs to up stairs or vice-versa but she is doing good. She is the Queen of the house were the other animals are concerned and she lets them know it. She took revenge on my father, who had slapped her, by way of strategically placing a pile on his bed while he was sleeping. I know that I should have corrected her for this, but I did think it was funny. She has never done anything like that again. One thing she does do that we find funny is, she will pull her right hind leg up and walk on three legs while you are watching her. The second she thinks you are not looking she will take off at a dead run on all four legs, until she sees you are watching and then the leg comes up and she is back to hobbling on three legs. Yes she is a faker. All for sympathy.

Cocker Spaniel- This breed is not a breed to have if you have children. Cocker Spaniels are known bitters. Insurance can go up or get canceled if you have one. Hip displasia is high in this breed. They must be bathed, groomed, and clipped weekly for them to look good. If you do your own dog grooming this will not be bad, but if you depend on someone else to do this it could get expensive. They are very protective dogs, and good watch dogs as far as letting you know someone is around the house that should not be there. They can be destructive if left on their own for too long. For this breed I do suggest getting a large cage for them to call home during the day when you are away at work. They are high strung and have tons of energy. The need for companionship from their owner is strong. They love going in the car with you if started from an early age.

Sam- My husbands dog has passed away and a story or two of her is featured on the “In Memory Of” page.

Cock-a-Poo- Wonderful breed. (mix of Cocker Spaniel and Poodle) They have the protective instinct of the Cocker Spaniel but love children. Very playful, and willing to please. Easy to train. Low care. Bathe when needed and most of the time do not need to be clipped. These tend to be on the small side and make lovely house dogs. Great trick learners. They will pick one person if the family to belong to but, get along with the rest of the family members very well. Loves life and shows it, lives it to the fullest.

Princess- Our Cock-a-Poo has passed away and can be read about on the page titled “In Memory Of”.

Maltese- Lots of care needed. This breed tends to have kidney problems. They are very beautiful dogs but, need brushing at least twice a day. Not a dog to have if you want a dog to protect you. Show dog yes. Quiet and stays to self except with owner. If you are by yourself and want a good house dog and have time to spend with it then this might be the dog for you. Not a destructive dog in the least. The first word that comes to mind with this breed is Prissy.

Sugar- Passed away but never forgotten. Read all about her on the “In Memory Of”.

If you have any questions about dogs please e-mail me from the link on the home page. I will be more than happy to help you if I can and if I can not answer your question then I will try and tell you where you can get the information from. I know about other breeds but have not had some of them as pets.