Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Nylon Dog Harness for large St. Bernard. Poor Frodobert has outgrown his petco X-Large dog harness. Although I can adjust it just large enough to go around his withers, the pieces that go from the collar strap to the back strap are too short and the back strap rides right behind his front legs and shoulders instead of the middle of his back. Can anyone recommend someplace to get a correctly proportional nylon harness for a 150 pound st. bernard while we raise funds for his mobility/bracing/pulling harness which will be custom made for him according to his measurements but will cost us nearly $700. Insurance only covers a portion of it and we have to pay for it first and then get reimbursed as they don't have a method for servic dog harnesses to be filed directly with them.
Righ now, he needs to be training and working in a harness instead of a collar and I know the one he has now has to hurt to wear but he insists on wearing it if he knows he is going out to work and he absolutely hates to be left behind and hubby really needs him to be doing his job for him. Atleast with a regular harness and back pack set he can do some of the work he needs to do, even if he can't do all his tasks he will eventually do when he gets his "professional" harness.
Thanks,
Nike.

Nutro Max is ok, if you mix it with a higher quality food. We feed Natural Choice and a modified barf (bones and raw foods) diet. Along with the kibble, the dogs get a bit of cottage cheese, some yoghurt-helps prevent ear infections as most ear infections in dogs with floppy ears are yeast infections. Frozen Green Beans-no sodium added. A mix of rice boiled with chicken broth. Frozen carrots and then a meat blend of 85% lean beef, kidney, liver,and beef heart that I put through the meat grinder attachment of my Kitchenaid and make a sausage type meat. I keep it frozen in a container in the freezer and scoop it like ice cream and warm it for about a minute on 30% power in the microwave before serving. They also get raw chicken and bones to chew on. The bones to chew on help clean their teeth and helps keep them from chewing other things.
You can also feed baked yams/sweet potatoes instead of rice for a bit of variety and a spoonful of pumpkin works great to keep them regular. If they get the runs or get constipated, Canned Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) works great to correct the problem.
For the bladder infection, you might check with the vet on adding some cranberry. Also if the bladder infection is due to a yeast infection, yoghurt may help.

Frodobert the Huge just turned a year old about 2 weeks ago and weighed in at 165 pounds and is about 33 inches tall at the withers. Watch out for that bony butt to sit on you. Still thinks he is a lap puppy. We're hoping this next year will be spent mostly with him filling out.
He too sits on the couch like a person and has his own captain's chair in the van. Fortunately for us, his two companions are spayed females so even though he is still intact he hasn't learned the tripod potty.
How the heck we are going to fit him under the table at I-hop I don't know.. what were we thinking ?
Yes, he begins his public access training this month. Hopefully about a year from now he will be start his mobility training for hubby. Right now we are just concentrating on general public manners.

Not only would I give them this information, I would suggest they install a doggie waste station at several spots in the commons area complete with baggies and a waste can and/or a pooper scooper and check to see if your city has a dog waste disposal law that requires dog owners to remove dog waste from common areas.. if so suggest the apartment complex start enforcing the law or fining owners who do not.
I also recommend that each time someone new moves into the complex with a pet, they are given a copy of the rules regarding animals, and a Pet Starter Kit... for dogs a few dog biscuits, and several baggies,maybe a dog groomer in the neighborhood would give the apartment complex some coupons for a free nail clipping and information on local vets, etc. This way new people could be educated before they become a contributor to the problem. I know several of the apartment complexes have begun giving out the pet owner's handbook and a welcome pack and each person who receives one has to sign a statement saying they received the handbook. This way it puts the responsibility back on the pet owner.

The part about cleaning up after your dog could be prefaced with something like, help keep all our furry friends happy and healthy by cleaning up after them.
Hookworm can be spread not only to other dogs but humans as well.

We have several neighborhoods in our area that have dog "fueling" stations that everyone takes turns refilling with fresh water, doggie treats and plastic bags, and a little scooper for people to use to pick up their doggie waste.  Some of them even have little trash cans for depositing the baggies.

I have to admit that I don't always scoop up at 3am, but it is in my own yard and we do scoop the yard every morning before the children leave for school and every afternoon when they get home from school. If they take the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood for me, they are all trained to take an emergency baggie just in case. If a 10 year old can remember to shove  a ziploc in his pocket, what is wrong with these adults.

I always take spare baggies to the park with me in case someone else forgets to bring theirs.
Nike and Lily,SDIT

Well, now the Gentle Giants have a sight and the Tiny dogs have a sight.. how about those of us in between the extremes. 

Poor Lily at 22.5 inches tall and 70 pounds certainly feels lost... Too big for one sight and too small for the other.



Well at just a year old, she might still grow into the Big Paws.
Nike and Lily,SDIT

I think there are some chemicals that are definately cancer encouraging.. but I think there is a genetic link as well.

That being said, although we keep the front yard, nice, short and green, it is not all Kentucky blue grasss and we have some buffalo grass and clover mixed in.. we pull weeds, but I do use Sevin dust to control ticks, fleas, mites and grubs. Because of Amanda's age I do not even use the monthly flea and tick preventative and at 17 if she gets heartworm, she would probably die of old age before the heart worm. She also only goes to the back yard. She doesn't even have to travel to the vet's office.. he comes to the house.

I do use the a combined flea tick and heart worm preventative on the other two dogs who do go places other than our own backyard.

The back yard is a mix of vetch, buffallo grass, and wild strawberries which seems to hold up to the dogs fairly well. We use one specific spot in the yard for Potties and in the fall, I do a soil PH test and apply a product called  PDZ that is used in horse barns to neutralize horse urine just to that area.

We have baby locks on all the cabinets that house our household cleaners even though our baby is 10, just to keep the dogs out of them and we limit access to places like the bathroom where they can get ahold of shampoo and soap and other items.

Just a word of caution.. Zest brand soap is not poisonous in small doses, although it will definately clean out their digestive track for a few days. This is how we found out Lily knew how to turn door knobs and we had to install baby door knob covers to put on the bathroom doors.

I actually heard it was a towel over the dogs head.
I don't think it is really a test of intelligence but of temperment;
some dogs could just care less if the towel is there.. hey why make an effort if I can lay here in peace and go back to sleep and nobody is bothering me. I think that is actually the smart dog...