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Messages - Boyle

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121
Newfoundland Discussions / Re: Wild Bear Puppy mouthing...
« on: April 04, 2006, 09:20:53 am »
My Nola was a maniac as a puppy (truthfully, he still is a maniac  ;D).  If he wasn't sleeping, he was gnawing on us.  It was like being the owner of an alligator.  What really helped us was teaching the beast bite inhibition.  Here is a great link on teaching bite inhibition http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm
and you should check out the Yahoo group "Camp Naughtydog".  The moderator, Virginia, is very knowledgeable about puppy behavior and training.  Also, MastiffWeb has some great information on bite inhibition http://www.mastiffweb.com/cgi/webdiskusjon/hoved.pl?df=4326&meldID=7216&hID=7216.  If it can work for a mastiff, it should work for a newfie!

I cannot find the links but I read a number of articles on why a person should not do the alpha roll and how it can backfire if you continually use it on a dog.  I will keep looking to see if I can find those.

Good luck.

122
Newfoundland Discussions / Re: Oliver came home this weekend!
« on: March 31, 2006, 09:11:35 am »
Oh my, he is so beautiful.  And so stoic. 

123
Newfoundland Discussions / Re: Am I being paranoid?
« on: March 30, 2006, 01:33:15 pm »
Anytime Nola (aka the Money Pit) looked at me funny, he went to the Vet.  I am for heading to the vet's office even if it a false alarm.  Because of this, the vet now has a nice new BMW.

Nola spent the first 6 months of his life either sleeping or being a terror.  From what I have read, most large breeds sleep a majority of the time.  How old is Sadie?  If you look at Sadie's front knees, do they look really large compared to the leg bones?  That is a tell-tale sign that a growth spurt is coming. 

124
Newfoundland Discussions / Re: Humor me...because I gotta say...
« on: March 22, 2006, 09:58:42 am »
Your post made me crack up. 

125
Rottweiler Discussions / Re: Starting doggy on BARF
« on: March 22, 2006, 09:56:50 am »
Congrats on the switch!  We had Nola on pre-made BARF for about a month then switched over to prey model in January.  His coat is better, teeth cleaner and poops smaller.  Only a big dogs owner would get excited about smaller poops. ;D  We haven't noticed any real difference in his temperment but then he is only 1 and somewhat nuts. 

126
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Question about heirarchy....
« on: March 21, 2006, 05:23:47 pm »
Nola will create such big burps that his flews will expand then it seems that he blows the burp at me.  It kind of looks like he is holding it in there.  Totally lacking in respect.  Not that I want him to burp in my face anytime soon but I really wish I could get a picture of it.

127
Great Dane Pictures / Re: Then and Now
« on: March 17, 2006, 02:38:25 pm »
Love the thread.

Here are some pictures of Nola at 7 weeks (regular stairs behind him) and then when he is 10 months (Christmas) and 140 lbs.  Notice the look of terror on Santa's face.  It made the b/f and I crack up.




128
Anything Non-Dog Related / Re: Life begins at 30???
« on: March 17, 2006, 10:51:22 am »
Happy Birthday!!  Welcome to your 30s.  For me, 30 was easy.  The only thing that changed was the recovery period for late party nights.  It's a bit harder to bounce back.  Now 35 was a problem.  I could not longer check the 25-34 demographic catergory.  Brutal. 

129
Medical Conditions & Diseases / Re: ??? - question about ear wax & cleaning
« on: March 13, 2006, 12:51:59 pm »
Nola ears used to be the nasty, gunky, smelly, yeasty, etc.  We we were constantly cleaning them with a 50/5-0 alcohol and water mixture.  His ears really cleaned up when we switched him to a grain-free diet so we figured our problem was food allergies. 

There is something called the Blue Power Ear Wash which you can make.  I got this info from MastiffWeb.  The archives are still open even though the board shut down.  You can do a search to get even more info especially the fact that this is blue and can stain.  The ear wash is supposed to greatly help.

Here's an ear wash recipe that works better than anything I've ever had. I've been using it on both mastiffs and you cannot believe how clean and pink their ears are now.

"BLUE MAGIC EAR WASH:

*16 drops of Gentian Blue Solution, (also known as Gention Violet) found at pharmacies in dropper bottles

*4 Tablespoons of Boric Acid Powder, (also found at a pharmacy)

*16 ounces of Isopropyl Alcohol

Mix all the above ingredients well....... shaking it works well..... pour into a large squirt bottle, (like a large water bottle with the pop-up squirt top, try to get a bottle that will hold the entire amount you have made). And this is very important: SHAKE IT WELL before every use, so the boric acid powder is distributed in the solution before you squirt it out. I squirt a very generous amount onto a thick baby wipe, (like Huggies naturals, non-scented wipes), I put enough on the wipe to make a big circle and it is sopping wet with the blue solution..... then I wipe the outer ear flap first, until the dog gets used to the coolness of the solution, and then proceed to working deeper and deeper into the ear canal, gently swabbing it out, and removing the brown build-up,.... I never squirt this solution straight into their ears.... if you have the wipe soggy enough with this solution, it will be enough to coat the inside of the ears just fine.... do not wipe it out, leave it dry in their ears .......
This can be done every couple of days for a week or so, then once a week, then once every two weeks, until you only need to do it once a month until you see no build up any more...... (this may take several months if there is a really bad ear infection), but eventually you will only have to wipe their ears with this every 3-6 mos...... it seems to put a very nice balance back into their ears..... and over cleansing for too long, can actually cause some problems.... so once the dog has clear ears, I back off and let their body take care of itself..... there should be a little waxy build up which is normal and healthy and protects the ear canal...... (of course I don't mean the gross black/brown fudgey stuff, that isn't normal in large amounts....). OK, I hope this works for you, as well as it has for me! I love it! You can also use this on skin abrasions.... little fungal infections on the skin .... it works good for that too!

(another tip: I typed the recipe on a piece of paper and taped it to the bottle it's in, so I have the recipe right in front of me the next time I need to make it, but it lasts forever, so you don't have to make it often..... and it's sooooo inexpensive! Also, place a big "SHAKE WELL" tag on your bottle too.... you must shake it well before each use, even between squirts!)


130
Old English Mastiff Discussions / Re: Tell me the good and the bad.
« on: March 11, 2006, 01:11:20 pm »
As I sit and type this, our big lump is sleeping beneath my feet.  I must agree with everything stated above.  Yes, the cost is greater and the slingers are large but a mastiff is the most wonderful dog. 

Another thing to consider is how well trained this dog is right now.  When Nola (1 year old) decides to act like a ****head, he REALLY acts like a ****head but it seems to be exaggerated by his size.  If he leaps or pulls he can knock me down.  Every been pulled through the grass on your belly while holding a lease?  We are currently on our third set of training classes and will prbably continue for another few sessions.  I don't about anyone else's mastiff but our guy isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. 

Good luck and I hope you wind up with a wonderful companion.

131
Behavior, Housebreaking, Obedience / Re: Trashing my apartment while I'm gone! HELP!!!
« on: March 10, 2006, 11:32:28 am »
A Kong is a dog owner's best friend apart for their pooch. 

http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html

132
Behavior, Housebreaking, Obedience / Re: Trashing my apartment while I'm gone! HELP!!!
« on: March 10, 2006, 10:09:23 am »
If you cannot/will not crate, you should try baby gating the dog in the bathroom or another room which is easily cleaned since he is creating a mess.  Make sure you remove everything worth destroying.  Definitely leave the TV or radio on for some background noise and give him a Kong, fill with delightful treats, cover with peanut butter or liverwurst and frozen for a few hours or overnight.  Then leave the house for a couple minutes.  You just need to sit outside your front door.  Then do this again for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, etc.  Give the pup a fresh Kong everytime so you might want to buy a number of them.  I suggest bringing a book/magazine and watch.  When you return, do not overly excite the dog, just greet in a calm manner.  Since you have taken time off, there is no time like the present.  This type of training helped greatly with our mastiff.  Good luck

133
American Mastiff Discussions & Pictures / Re: Otis the Mastiff
« on: March 08, 2006, 09:10:32 am »
I live in Ravenswood/Lincoln Square and would be able to foster Otis between now and 3/23 (possibly longer but we will be away for a couple days).  My b/f works from home a few days a week, we have a dog walker and an extra crate.  I know Nola would love some company.  If I can help in any way, let me know. 

134
Helpful Groups & Dogs in Need / Re: A banner week on LA craigslist for BPOs
« on: March 03, 2006, 05:00:16 pm »
That second listing is so sad.  They are charging an adoption fee to defray the cost of getting a smaller dog. 

135
American Mastiff Discussions & Pictures / Re: Otis the Mastiff
« on: March 03, 2006, 04:57:00 pm »
I talked with Otis' owners also and let them know that I would be able to foster if they aren't able to find a forever home soon. 

Julie, I have a mastiff so I am prejudiced.  They are wonderful companions and we don't know what we would do without Nola.  Good luck with tomorrow's get together.  I hope it goes well for all of you. 

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