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Messages - mynameislola

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46
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Dog friendly flooring???
« on: February 04, 2008, 05:45:10 pm »
If you have a concrete floor, you could have a layer poured over it, get it stained, stamped and textured.  The cheapest people we found to do that are usually advertising that they work on garage floors in high-end houses.  They also do epoxy textured overlayers.


47
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: today sucks
« on: February 03, 2008, 02:12:56 pm »
Wow, it really sad when bad choices affect so many other people. 

48
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Frustrated, bummed - need to vent...
« on: February 03, 2008, 02:03:15 pm »
How about saving money until you have enough for an emergency dog surgery or two and then asking again?  You will feel lots worse if you get a pup, it has an accident, and you have to put it down because of budget issues. 

Our rule is $5,000.00 in the bank per dog.  So far, every dog I have had drained their accounts years before they crossed the bridge.  Cody had his down to $0.00 before he was two.

I feel your pain.  My hubby won't let me have any cats.  Something about me being allergic...

Side note from me, the risk manager, the $5.000.00 is AFTER saving a minimum of six months of expenses.

49
Bills & Other Legislative Acts / Re: Mandatory spay/neuter passed in LA
« on: February 02, 2008, 08:37:13 am »
Starting this year in San Bernardino County, California, a bit east of LA County, to register a spayed or neutered dog is $15.00 or $9.00 for owners over age 65.  Unaltered dogs cost $96.00.  It will be interesting to see how many unaltered dogs mysteriously disappear from the rolls.

The LA law has not actually passed yet.  It has preliminary approval and will undergo a second reading next week.  It will most likely pass.  Here is a summary of which dogs can be legally excluded from the order: 

The proposal includes exemptions for animals who show and have competed in at least one legitimate show or sporting competition; dogs that are in the process of earning an agility, carting, herding, protection, rally, hunting, working or other title; guide, signal or service dogs; dogs that are used by law enforcement agencies; and animals with valid breeding permits.

I should set up a business bringing my pygmy goat to Los Angeles and giving herding lessons.  I don't actually know how to do that, so the "process" will take a really long time.

50
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Baby and Hyper dogs?
« on: February 01, 2008, 09:40:48 pm »
For sure you are not thinking too hard about it.  Babies are fragile.  You have a good ten years before your child can resist being squashed.

Part of what you need to work on, IMO, is your dog's place in the pack.  By jumping on you and your guests, the dog is displaying their superiority in the pack.  Dogs shouldn't be the bosses of people. 

When it happens, putting the dog instantly into a Sit Stay or a Down Stay will remind it who is boss.  If your dog is not trained to that point yet, keep it leashed inside the house at all times and attached to an adult ready to do praise and corrections.  My rule is after three attempted jumps by a dog in training, they get a time out in the crate.

The licking is more difficult to analyze since dogs lick for different reasons, both submission and dominance.  "No Lick" is a command I teach starting at day one with bite inhibition and supression. 

Hubby says to add that the real reason I don't let them lick is because I like to kiss their liddle faces without getting slobbered on.

51
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Foreclosures lead to abandoned animals
« on: February 01, 2008, 09:22:55 pm »
A bit off-topic, but Merrill Lynch is being investigated for fraud over their sub-primes. 

If any home owners here are looking at a foreclosure, or knows someone on the brink of losing a job, find out if they can get a home-equity loan before they get so far in the hole that they won't qualify.  There are loans out there that incur no charges until and unless the money gets used. 

There are a few indicators of recession that I learned about in school.  One is a sharp decline in fast food sales since that is one of the first expenses that gets cut when times get difficult.  McDonalds stock dropped 8% last month after a report surfaced stating their growth was the flattest it had been in the past six years.

Another is less scientific.  Go to the mall and compare the amount of people carrying a purchase compared to those who aren't.  At my mall I'd guess 50% fewer people are carring purchases compared to this time last year.

Someone needs to set up a national foreclosure foster system.  All those nice people who took in Katrina fosters might go for another.  Our Katrina foster needed to be an only child and got rehomed after a year of training here.


52
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Hi! -Intro and Q about Nutro food lines!
« on: February 01, 2008, 08:57:45 pm »
A company can say their products are "Made in the USA"  and still have them contain ingredients from who-knows-where because the ingredients are processed and bagged here.  Some Nutro ingredients must come from overseas or they would not be catching them at the port bringing in toxic stuff. 

Ditto the idea that 30% protien is way too high for a large-breed pup.

Take a look at the feed store that has the Canidae and observe the condition of the bags of other brands.  If it is like my local store, the non-Canidae bags are worn and stained because they do not sell if Canidae is available.  My guys have to keep so much of the Canidae in stock that they are getting it delivered to the owner's garage and bringing it over as needed.  The store is just to small to keep it all there.

As the proud Mama to a Chihuahua and three big paws, I am curious how you plan to keep your new pup from squashing the Chihuahua.  We have multiple dog gates and the Chihuahua has his own room.  Hubby thinks it is his room, but shhhhhh.

53
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Hi! -Intro and Q about Nutro food lines!
« on: February 01, 2008, 08:01:44 am »
Our Vet. said to feed our large-breed pup a high-quality adult formula.

If you look up recalls and blocked imports for dog food, Nutro is one of the brands I see most that is being blocked at the ports for things like toxins.  They were one of the brands found to be contaminated with melamine and use the synthetic form of Vitamin K.  This site, http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com, gives Nutro two of six stars.

We feed Canidae because it is made in the USA with no imported products and the local feed store sells a lot of it so it is always fresh.  That site gives it four of six.

54
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Cody is sick
« on: January 31, 2008, 09:54:18 pm »
Awww, poor Cody.  Luckily Cody has a dog Mama who knows when to get the Vet.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Any idea where the Giardia is coming from? 

55
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: lol...you know nutrisystem?
« on: January 31, 2008, 09:51:40 pm »
Maybe it said something like only 5% of people who lose weight keep it off for more than a year.  The group of people with the highest rate of success are usually those who consulted a nutritionist and got taught how to weigh food, count the calories, portion sizes according to amounts of calories and nutrition needed, and kept a food journal documenting what, when, where and why they were eating.

If there is anyone here interested, there is a book out called Eat This, Not That which inspired a dear friend of mine to loose 10 pounds a month, every month since she got the book, just by making better fast food choices.  My choice is to not let strangers with questionable hygene touch my food, but hey, that's why I am in risk management.


56
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Baby and Hyper dogs?
« on: January 31, 2008, 09:33:54 pm »
Ditto the idea that you will need to do some intensive training, fast.  Let them in the baby's room and work on training them to stay off the furniture.  If you know any babies you can borrow, you could evaluate the dogs' activity level around an infant.  Some settle in well, but some go ballistic with happiness.

If your dogs are trained before the baby arrives to go lay down and stay there until called, you will have a way to remove them from any area if necessary.  The last thing a new mother needs is a large dog jumping on her while she is holding an infant.

One dog I worked with had little or no exposure to children until his owners had a baby.  It had not occurred to them that specific training could make the blessed event go smoother.  Once the dog discovered that baby bottles had something yummy inside, the bottles got taken, nipples chewed off, the contents scattered and mostly consumed. 

When they got to the point where they had a hungry baby in the middle of the night, no nipples, and a dog who could leap into the crib, they hired a trainer.


57
Anything Non-Dog Related / Re: The Early Bird catches the tax refund.
« on: January 31, 2008, 10:56:10 pm »
We also do not give the government interest-free loans.  We pay, and as late as possible.

58
Food Discussion & Information / Re: Kongs,What to stuff them with?
« on: January 31, 2008, 10:50:29 pm »
Just a few drops of almost any condiment will do it for Zita.  BBQ sauce, salad dressings, flavored vinegars, mayonaisse or soy sauce is fine with her.  She has that with the Kong in a crate so mess is not as much of an issue.

59
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Pee-Pee question
« on: January 30, 2008, 11:34:19 am »
The only times I have had a dog housebroken at 16 weeks was when they were contained from day 1 in a small area that included a dog door.  IMO it is normal.

Side note, we also have a Cody.  Ours is a boy Newfie.

60
Great Pyrenees Discussions / Re: The Escape Artist
« on: January 30, 2008, 11:25:25 am »
If anyone is interested in purchasing a nice kennel like the one in the pictures above, some Home Depots sell the kit in pieces back by the lumber.  For true escape artists, like our Vizsla Georgia, we got a similar, but stronger kennel with two extra sides from a fence company and used the extra pieces as the top and bottom of the kennel. 

Then we put the whole shebang up on a slab of concrete when we got Ursula the Chow so her fur stayed less messy when she was outside resting.  Her first nickname was One Thousand Points of Mud.

Something about being outside kept them much calmer.  We have fostered dogs with shattered teeth from escaping crates who were not chewing at all in the kennel.

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