Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Here is the potty training schedule we followed when Nola was a puppy:

1) 90 second rule:
a) Take pup outside on a leash to the exact same spot, be prepared by having very very special food treats in your pocket.
b) When you get to the potty place, stand still and make no eye contact and say nothing. Canine has 90 seconds to pee and/or poop. If canine eliminates, reward immediately and let it off the leash to play.
c) If nothing occurs after 90 seconds, go back inside the home and crate the canine. Crating after a no response is not punishment, its decreasing the ability of the canine using the home as a bathroom. Wait 20-30 minutes and return outside.

2) Timing of trips outside:
a) Immediately if the canine wakes up from a nap or when you arrive home.
b) 15-20 minutes after a meal or a large consumption of water or a play session.
c) Every 45 minutes excluding the above mentioned situations.

3) Increase supervision:
a) Canine is stationed on a 4 foot leash under supervision or dragging a 6 foot leash around that can be used to escort the canine outside.
b) When canine has an accident in the home, never never ever punish the animal. If you want, you can hit yourself with a newspaper. Through training, canines learn to eliminate in specific places and punishing them for an incorrect response is wrong.

Softhug, I agree with you that mastiffs are very slow to mature (rather reminds me of my brothers, honestly ) but I don't agree with the spay/neuter at 8-10 months.  After talking with our breeder, other breeders and other mastiff owners, the age to consider spay is no earlier than 1 year and neuter no earlier than 18 months.  If you do spay/neuter early, you may wind up with a mastiff that doesn't reach it's full growth potential. Mastiff4me, you may want to talk with your breeder about when to spay. 

Welcome!  Nala is adorable.  I am Boyle the chief food provider and belly scratcher of our 16 month male OEM, Nola.  The avatar is when Nola was 10-11 months and I have attached a photo from the beginning of May.

We have the colossal (54") crate Midwest Model 1154 and I don't know what we would do without it.  It is the black powder coat finish so it doesn't look gunked up like our old zinc one.  If you order the colossal, make sure you double check about the bottom pan.  We had to order that separately.  I think we spent about $250 for everything but that is much less than replacing the couchs, chairs, windows, doors, rugs, plumbing, etc.

This is really interesting and educational.  This was posted to another board that I am on and I had to share it.

How to grade your dog's food: (Some brands are done at the very bottom]

Start with a grade of 100:

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or
fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source,subtract 5 points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five
ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are
all the same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats
in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2
points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic
to other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or
nutritionist, add 5 points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than

the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source
but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free
add 1 point

94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D
69 = F

Here are some foods that have already been scored.
Dog Food scores:

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 D
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

I wish you the best of luck!  I quit last August then gained close to 30 pounds.  Recently, I went on Weight Watchers and have lost about 15.  I am terrible, though. I have been cheating on WW and have had a couple smokes after having drinks at the bar.  I am such a bad quitter!

Stay strong.

You need to get one of those beer hats that people wear at sporting events.  Just put insert your soft drink instead of beers. 

Just the other day there was talk on a thread about Beta fish.  Last night I get home and Red Moby Dick was looking a little worse for wear.  So, I asked the b/f what happened.  Boyfriend decided to transfer Dick to a clean bowl of water but dropped him into a soapy sink.  He washed him off then put him in the new bowl (I don't think he would have mentioned it if I hadn't noticed him looking ill).  Dick made a valiant effort to overcome soap poisoning but succumbed at approximately 9 pm last night.  Nola and I hummed Taps while the b/f flushed him down the toilet.  I don't think the b/f will be allowed anywhere near a new fish or the net ever again!

I found that once we bettered the quality of kibble, his intake decreased (from 8-10 cups to 5-7 cups) as did his "output."  We have Nola on raw now and it is barely a handful - I am not kidding - plus it doesn't smell quite so bad.  I hope that doesn't sound like I am gloating