Comfort dogs
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just saw this on FacebookDogs are God's way of apologizing for your relatives.
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Aww I love Violet.
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So cute of Violet. I love canoe and Kayaking with my pups.
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Thanks for all the Violet love! She's my girl! I am sure she is missing some of our adventuring this summer, but I'm really happy to have her to snuggle and talk to during the day!
I have another strange creature that seems to be adopting me. I've lived her for about 6 years and we've had a feral cat colony. I do catch, neuter, release with a rescue, but usually just chase them away. There is a little black ca that has adopted me. I might have to get her vetted. If we have a very cold winter, I won't be able to leave her out to freeze. .
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Today is Kris' Gotcha day!!!! 3 years with us.
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Happy Happy Gotcha Day Kris! and momma!
Smokey our pretend feral but very tame and loving "barn" kitty has been leaving us mangled rodents on the porch as a token of her appreciation.
Librarian - I just ordered Smokey a kitty heating pad that heats up when she is on it. I put it inside a small dog house ( yes Smokey it is a dog house). It has really good reviews at Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/3093-Extreme-Weather-Kitty-...
Did I tell you all that Hershel the goat and Clairabelle the donkey are the best of friends? I'm going to try my hand at training CB. Talk about the blind leading the blind. I noticed that CB was having a good time with this ring that was hanging from the dog agility jump. I ordered a donkey ball with a handle for her, but in the mean time I tossed DD's yoga ball in the barn yard. I noticed that she was having a grand time with it and managed to pick it up with her teeth. I'm not sure it will survive the night . . . but CB should be pretty zen.
I hope everyone is doing well. I weaned myself off Effexor, and though the HFs are fierce I like how clear I've been thinking.
Hugs and sloppy kisses to all.
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You do agility? Loved that with my Aussie. Great fun!! Met so many nice people. Doggy peeps are the best. This is Vulfie. He went to the Bridge 5 years ago tomorrow. I still miss him so much.
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aww Vulfie. It never really gets easier does it? I don't actually do agility. I just bought a set off craigslist and played with it a couple times with Olivia. I was just about to resell it when I got Hershel the goat. He is putting it to good use believe it or not. That ring that Vulfie is jumping through is just like the one Clairabelle was trying to rip out of the metal frame, and not before she put a hole in the side of the shed. Olivia did do Obedience I and II. She is a very smart dog, but would not accept a friendly stranger so she didn't pass.
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I got him with the intention of showing in obedience. He got his Canine Good Citizen first. Then Companion Dog. We were working on CDX, when agility exploded in this country. At one time he was in 4 registries. Then one night at school he said he was done jumping. That put an end to everything, as advanced obedience requires jumping too. He had a severe spine problem. Was 14 1/2 when he left.
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Princess Frankie came home with me today. She lived her entire life in the shelter since she was a kitten. When one of our cats died over the summer the other was left alone and never adjusted so now I hope she will have a friend. Frankie saw sunshine and smelled fresh air for the very first time today!
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ahhhhh, how wonderful that Frankie has a home. Hope your other kitty makes friends quickly.0 -
WW - How wonderful for you AND Frankie. She is very beautiful. I am so happy for both of you!
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WW - Miss Speckles will have a new friend and sister! I hope they will become fast friends.
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Hi. I'm new to posting, but I've poked around many of the forums. I just didn't have much to say. This topic is near and dear to me. I could not have made it through the ups and downs of treatment without my pup. He's kept me sane and motivated me to keep moving. He is my therapy dog.
Here's our story. Our Lab/Shepard mix rescue dog passed away after almost 16 years a few months earlier, so I was ready to fill the void. I adopted Bear - a Cavalier King Charles / Cocker Spaniel - when he was 8 weeks old from a local rescue society, one of 23 pups born from dogs collected from a breeder turned hoarder. Bear was housebroken and through with most of the tough puppy business by the time BC entered my life. The day of the official diagnosis, my close Aunt passed away. The day of my mastectomy surgery was my 30th wedding anniversary. I attempted reconstruction (twice) before my chemo treatment - DIEP flap (which failed because of my anatomy) followed by a TE (which my body detested) so it was removed a week later. Following surgeries, lots of infections then chemo treatments, a lingering side effect from chemo (neuropathy) and now Lat Flap/TE reconstruction. Throughout all this, Bear was my constant companion. Bear was near me when I didn't feel good. When I felt down, Bear and I would snuggle and I could make it through another day. His fur is a magnet for twigs/leaves etc and grooming him is very calming. He needs lots of brushing.
We started Nose Work after we did the puppy obedience classes. Bear is a natural sniffer and even though he was a 7 month old puppy he caught onto the "game". Nose Work classes got me out of the house and helped me focus on something other than my aches and pains. It was the perfect dog sport because the dog does all the work/running and the handler stands/walks slowly about. When I couldn't walk, I went to class while my son handled the dog. The classes and people gave me a new community to be around and some sense of purpose. The activity was something new to learn instead of obsessing about BC treatments and options. (side note: Bear and I participated in our first trial this August. We didn't title but it was a great experience.)
In April, Bear got sick. He was hospitalized for a week with pancreatitis and irritable bowel. Some dog breeds are more dependent on being around people. I didn't realize how dependent I was on Bear. I missed him terribly and felt kinda lost without him around. He's back home and doing well. I get to obsess about his disease and treatments instead of mine for a change.
As I get better and can do more things, Bear and I venture out more and more. We are attending agility classes, now that I can move faster. He is my security blanket. He is my therapy dog.
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I love you bear! ***kisses***
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Sooty -Welcome! Bear sounds like a special gift sent from heaven! I'm glad you are both on the mend. What a tough journey you've had. Bear is a doll baby. He makes one just want to snuggle.
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Bear is such a cutie!!0 -
What a story for both of you! I've never heard of nose work, is that a lead up to search and rescue? Agility is soooooo much fun! I did it with my Aussie he had some titles Can't do it anymore, SPOOKIE could, not me. Ha
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Thank you all for the welcome. Bear is considered a sleeping narcotic in our house. The minute he snuggles with you, you instantly fall asleep. He is known for making people late for work when he snuggles with you in the morning.
Nose Work is the recreational version of drug/bomb sniffing dogs. It is an air scent sport vs tracking which is ground scents. The dogs first learn to "hunt" for a treat, then migrate to a very specific odor - Birch. They are forced to interpret what they smell then problem solve to get to where the odor is strongest. The dogs have to think for themselves (which is tiring). For instance a big dog has to figure out how to maneuver in a tight space between tables and chairs that a little dog can run under. On the other hand, a little dog has to figure out how to find the odor up high (4' in the beginning) when it's at nose height for a large dog. Nose Work is another sport some agility retirees try out.
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That sounds so interesting! It's always fun doing something with your dog. I loved agility, and if I were 10 years younger and not so creaky I'd try it. Oh, have another Aussie too. Maltese aren't quite working dogs. LOL
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Hi Sooty - This is a great thread and I am glad you and Bear are both moving to good health. I run with my dog and I find that by working together our bond grows stronger. I doubt she could do nose work though unless it involved sniffing out cookies. I'm having a bilateral LD in November and I'm not looking forward to it.
I told everyone we adopted Frankie but that meant her BFF was left behind. You can see where this is going, right? Our pack proudly welcomes the newest addition - "Anna" Bo Banna. Real pics to follow. She is snuggled up with Frankie and I can't get a clear shot of her. Both were in the shelter as kittens. Frankie is now 2 and Anna is now 3. I hope they will have better lives with us.
So how many pets does one need to have before they're labeled a crazy dog/cat lady? I'm up to 2 dogs and 3 cats. Let the rumors begin!
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WW -- one dog and three cats and two eight-year-olds. Can I join you?
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Crazy Ladies Unite!
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only one dog here,, but WW,, you need more to qualify as crazy dog/cat lady. No worries,,, yet,,,,,
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Four dogs, two or three cats (one barn cat has been missing a week) a goat, a donkey, and there is one lone goldfish the blue heron didn't catch yet in the fish pond.
Speaking of heartworm pills. I've been ordering from Pet Shed out of Australia. The beagle rescue gives liquid ivermectin but I am not brave enough to try it. I do give it to the goat and the donkey. Heartworm meds are such a profit item but an absolute must here in the south.
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ww - yay for Anna Bo Banna! She's a lucky girl!
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I won't do ivermectin. Period. It is toxic to ALL the herding breeds. The mfg. has finally admitted it.
I just don't trust that stuff, so Spookie and Kris don't get it either.
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Hi Everyone!
I've been away from these boards for a long time. I've just scheduled a delayed unilateral diep reconstruction for November 11th. I have 2 Havanese dogs. My first, Riley is 3 and I've had him from a pup. He is my heart dog. He is sweet, well behaved and he makes me laugh every day. My second, Reo, will be 3 in a few weeks. I got him 6 months ago from a rescue. They told me he had been kept crated for long hours and poorly socialized. He is very sweet too but has some behavior issues that worry me related to how things will work when i'm recovering.
I actually think Reo has an anxiety issue. He is very demanding of attention. It's not enough for him to be on my lap, he wants to be climbing up my chest and wrap himself around my neck. He's 14 lbs. When I bar him from my lap, he'll pace back and forth in front of my chair. He paces and pants, paces and pants. He's done this for more than an hour at a time. It makes me anxious!
We have a love seat where I'm teaching him to sit nicely next to me and not come on my lap. As soon as a paw touches my lap i tell him UH-UH and sit him next to me. This is working somewhat but I feel everyday we start over from scratch. He doesn't seem to remember from the day before. Or doesn't want to remember! Today I sat in the love seat and put an ex-pen fence around the front so he could not jump up. There went the pacing, for an hour and a half!
I've had a trainer come to the house, and have been through 3 sets of group lessons with him. He's done very well with basic and intermediate training. It just seems he doesn't have control of himself when it comes to getting attention from me.
Does anyone have any suggestions about how I can manage this situation? BTW, They both get LOTS of exercise. They play like maniacs every day!
This thread is a great addition to the forum, I love it! Thank you all!
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Can you make him down-stay on your lap only?
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Norita - my little rescue min pin is the same way - he came out of a home where the owner suffered from mental illness and he's very very needy. He was apparently left to his own devices for so many years, and being a very non-dominant dog, it's obvious he couldn't handle being left in charge. Unfortunately, his owner's incapacitation forced him into that role. After a lot of trial and error, we found that what seems to make him happy is to not just tell him No when he's doing something we don't want him to do. We found it was better to tell him exactly what to do in any given situation. For instance, instead of saying, "No, get down" leaving him to figure out what his next move is, we give him an affirmative command - Sit, or Stay, or Lie Down. Then he gets a "Good Boy" and a treat. I've gotten him to the point when he's all over me, I can put him next to me, and like Spookie says, put in him a Down-Stay, and he'll curl up next to my leg. Then I can pet him, giving him the attention he needs, but not having him all up on my chest wrapping his neck around me. It's taken a lot of patience and effort, but he's so much better than he used to be.
If your Reo is like my Mikey, he's terribly insecure. With Mikey, having someone tell him what to do was a tremendous relief to him - he's slowly learning he doesn't have to be in charge any more, and that's helped lower his stress levels a lot. Fortunately, he's very food-driven, so treats work wonders in training.
The other thing is, when the time comes Reo may instinctively know that he needs to stay calm around you and not jump all over you. During my post-DIEP recovery, my little chihuahua, Molly, instinctively curled up next to me or at my feet when I was in the recliner - in contrast to her normal place on my lap. Somehow she just knew.
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