OMG I got a dog...

[Mrs Pantherfan]

Too Cute, Scrum! How old is she?? She looks like she's got some rotty in her

We have a galley style kitchen...which would be perfect for her..definitely more room and she'd have a window...just need some baby gates...will definitely make sure and give treats when she gets in there when it's time for bed...or I leave for work

[Mrs Pantherfan]

OH..no bed for Izzy...and honestly right now..I don't want her on the couch either

Our bedroom is the cats room..they sleep with us..and right now they're probably a little more than irritated and I don't want to piss them off and destroy their one safe place to go to.... I actually need to get a gate so she can't get in there when she's following me around everywhere

and Catfang... Think she can do 3 miles with me??? start off slow..build up to 3 miles?? I'd only take her now when I go at 6 a/m so it's not too hot

[Scrumtrilescent]

Indy is now 11 weeks old...and it's a he. A lot of people say he has rottweiler in him, but I was able to see both the dad and mom (who wasn't fixed stupidly) before the pups were given to the shelter as well as a person I trust ran the genetic screen (i.e., me). A lot of shepherd pups have similar markings at this age to rottweilers, but now he's starting to look like a shepherd with the facial colorings now that he's getting bigger (I don't have any pics lately, those were from the first day). The only feature of the retriever we see right now is the face is structured like a retriever and the ears are floppy like one. We were looking long and hard for breeds and mixes that were good with kids and this fit the bill perfectly. He's doubled his weight from 9 lbs. to about 20 in the few weeks we've had him.

As far as crate training, he took to it overnight in less than a week. He now easily sleeps there from 11ish to 6 when I wake up. I only throw in a dental stick at night for him to eat for his teefs, then he passes out. With his thick coat, he loves my hardwood floors and the tile so instead of the metal floor, I put tiles over the metal in the crate so it felt more homey and yet still cool. Pretty cheap at Lowe's, not like you are having to match it to anything. During the day at work, in heat above 90 degrees, I have him contained in part of the house with babygates (kohls.com has buy one, get one half off right now for passthrough gates which I think are a must) until I get back. During the cooler days, he'll be outside in the fenced in yard while I'm gone, he's already gotten comfortable in his dog house.

As soon as we got him, Ellen, we started leash training. He can go 4 miles easy which is what we run him in the mornings (and a 30 minute walk at night)...but remember, a dog will literally run itself to death if you let them. Take it easy on them, especially in the summer.

Diet is incredibly important, too....cheap dog food is cheap for a reason. And two more words previously mentioned: postive reinforcement. For everything (which is sorta hard for me since I was raised old school when it came to dogs).

[Jase]

Hey..skinny dudes need love too...isn't that right, Jase?

yeah, but usually we have to pay.

[Scrumtrilescent]

FYI...if you have a male cat (and I know you do), watch out for him spraying now that you have a dog in the house, even if the cat is fixed.

[Mrs Pantherfan]

Gotcha on the running...will just keep an eye on her..running her in the a/m would help her sleep while we're at work

We got her Authority Brand food...chick at Petsmart said it was good...any of ya'll know anything about it??

Also...flea and tick stuff...we picked up some VetGuard last night and put it on her....She just got spayed about 5 days ago so I can't bathe her yet..so I'm going to have to reapply something next week right?? What flea/tick stuff is best...the pill form or the stuff you put on their back?

[CatofWar]

Authority is the pets mart brand of food

Eta. Bio defense is great and cheap for fleas and ticks.

[The Saltman]

Cute dog. Mine has been crate trained since she was 3 months old. She has come to love it but now that she is 5 yrs old we leave her out. Funny thing is when she hears thunder or something the first thing she does is go to the crate. Also leaving a dog outside in this heat is cruel as poo. Dogs can't stand the heat like us, but leaving them out for like 30 min isn't a big deal but not 6 hrs. Anyways Goodluck.

[Luke Cage]

Just make sure you pick up the dog's poop (if it poops outside your property). I freakin hate when people don't clean up after their pets. Dog waste is unsanitary, bad for the environment, and bad for kids (they play in a lot of the same places that dogs want to poop at). I'm plotting the deaths of about 3 or 4 dogs at my apartment complex bc their owners are too lazy to pick up the poop (despite the signs everywhere). Enjoy your dog /rant.

[Mrs Pantherfan]

I carry a bag with me when I take her walking...but she seems to like droppin' bombs in her own backyard

[CatofWar]

Just curious, how is dog poo bad for the environment?

[The Saltman]

Lol.

[Guest]

I carry a bag with me when I take her walking...but she seems to like droppin' bombs in her own backyard

Best thing I've ever found, Flush Doggy. They are biodegradeable poop bags that you can flush down the toilet. I was tired of my trash can reeking to high heaven, esp in the summer, so I did a little research and I found them. They really are degradeable, too, they instantly start to degrade when they hit water.

http://www.flushdoggy.com/

[Luke Cage]

Just curious, how is dog poo bad for the environment?

Why don't you freaking google it? According to the EPA dog poop is considered a dangerous pollutant. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sourcewater/pubs/fs_swpp_petwaste.pdf

http://pettastics.blogspot.com/2011/01/dog-poo-is-bad-for-you.html

This issue drives me insane. How freaking lazy can people be? Just pick it up. I've gotten into several altercations because of this idiocy.