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Topics - Softhug

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1
Siberian Husky Pictures / Have I Lost My MIND????
« on: February 21, 2009, 03:50:16 am »
So after the issues we had with Boudreaux two weeks ago (all which seem to be working out ok), there is going to be a new addition to our family.  I have wanted something small for awhile now, a lapish kind of dog...pug to be precise.  WELL...hubby went home to visit family in AL last week and the ex-wife has a husky puppy that her new hubby got her in November.  See where this is going?  Yea, she isn't a dog person and is needing to get rid of her registered Husky already.  So Big Daddy will be returning to Cornfield h*ll with a Husky pup.  Lap dog?  nope.  But  I guess that is ok, we are keeping a pup from going to the shelter and that is where he was headed.  :)  I've been reading up on them but anyone with experience, feel free to send any tips/hints/knowledge my way!  I appreciate anything you can tell me about the breed. :) Oh his name will be Comrade and he will be here tomorrow!  Wish me luck!   

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American Mastiff Discussions & Pictures / With a heavy heart...***UPDATE***
« on: February 07, 2009, 02:21:46 am »
I haven't been on much but I know some of you will remember Boudreaux.  This past Wednesday he was laying on the living room floor and my 4 year old climbed onto his back.  I guess he didn't want that and turned to snap at him.  Caught Zac in the face warranting 3 stitches in the cheek and puncturing both cheeks in 3 different places.   :'(  Hubby and I weren't home, 17yo sis was there and said he didn't snarl, growl or anything and went right to his bed afterwards.  *sigh*  Nonetheless, I can't chance it again.  I am brokenhearted.  Boudreaux needs rehomed to a home with older children, that can understand NOT to climb on him.  This isn't the first time he's snapped at Zac, just the first time he's really made contact.  If anyone here on the board know a really good home, that preferrably has experience with Mastiffs let me know.  I will be taking him back to (breeder) on Valentine's Day which is also his 3rd birthday.   :'( :'( :'( 

***UPDATE***

We made the decision to work with Boudreaux and Zachary together.  Since none of us believe the snap was done out of aggression we are opting (I am sure to the displeasure of our parents) not to rehome him.  I spoke with the obedience instructor that worked with us and he gave me some ideas and we will be using a muzzle in the evenings while Zachary is awake (5-8pm)for awhile.  I think revisiting puppy school a few times would do us good too.  Neither of us really want to rehome him.  However, if the behavior would ever happen again, even though it would only be strike two...he will still be out.   ;)   Thank you for all your support on this.  I appreciate my BP family more than you know.   :-*

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American Mastiff Discussions & Pictures / Just about DONE
« on: September 06, 2008, 07:17:56 am »
Hope everyone is doing well!  I haven't been around in ages.  :) 

Starting to have issues and I was hoping someone out there could give me some direction before I become a "Big Pawless" home and I am VERY close. 

Over the past 6 months to a year, Boudreaux has become a snapper.  Not to family or people he is around even on occasion but to new people only.  Nothing specific has happened to cause this, he is never around strangers alone.  It SEEMS to be about introduction.  For example, I work with a woman that stops by the house every Thursday to bring the payroll to me for our location.  The first time she was scheduled to come by I told her that "Boudreaux would probably come to the front door, that he doesn't bite but he will come right up to her and start checking her out and he is BIG!  Just ignore him, don't pet him, don't talk to him, nothing."  She did that and now when she stops by he runs right up to her at the front door and she can pet him on the head, back, whatever and he is fine.  People that he hasn't 'met' before he will run (not charge, but will jog directly to them sometimes barking) right up to them and if they reach out to pet him, he will snap at them.  (It doesn't matter if we are outside or if this is at the front door) Sometime with his hair standing on end, sometimes not.  The snap doesn't seem to make contact, but I DO. NOT. LIKE. IT.  Boudreaux was thru obedience training and was neutered.  Unfortunately, he wasn't socialized well enough when he was little.  We used to be able to take him to social events like the town festivals in the area and walk him thru the crowds and people could pet him, etc.  Now, you couldn't pay me to do that.  Anyone have any suggestions?  I do plan on contacting our trainer to see what he says.  I hate to put him down...but I am getting frustrated enough that it is coming.  Any comments/suggestions are appreciated!     

4
Games & Jokes / go on...laugh...it's funny (NDR) but not about me
« on: October 04, 2007, 09:05:21 pm »
I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for Lola [my dog] and was standing in the check out line. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog........I was feeling a bit crabby, so on impulse, I told her no, I was starting The Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because the last time I tried it I ended up in the hospital, but that I had lost 50 pounds before I awakened in the intensive care unit with tubes coming out of almost everywhere and IV's in both arms.
Her eyes about bugged out of her head. So I went on and on with the bogus diet story and she was totally buying it. I told her that it was an easy, inexpensive diet and that the way it works is to just load your pockets or purse with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The package says the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again.
I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a tall guy behind her. Horrified, she asked if I thought something in the dog food had poisoned me and was that why I ended up in the hospital. I said no.....I was sitting in the road licking my butt when a car hit me.
I thought the tall guy was going to have to be carried out the door.

5
Games & Jokes / Adventures in waxing...(for the girls)
« on: September 21, 2007, 10:21:53 am »
All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax.
My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: "Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet."So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom. It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out.(YA THINK!!)So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them t together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees.("Cold wax," yeah...right)! I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire .With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the was strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my vagina and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRR IIIPPP!!!! I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning , I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP!!
Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal. I want to see my trophy -- a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip. I touch. I am touching wax. CRAP! I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...reme mber my foot is still propped up on the toilet? I know I need to do some thing. So I put my foot down.
DAMN!!!!! I hear the slamming of a cell door. Vagina? Sealed shut!.... Butt?? ...Sealed shut!I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? *WRONG!!!!!!!*I get in the tub -- the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax. So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cement-epoxied myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter - - - - "So, my butt and who-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!"There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or hole or who-ha?" She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box.YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night. While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!! It works!!" I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair.... THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......AL L OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.Next week I'm going to try hair color......

6
I received this email today and did check the validity on www.snopes.com.  Right now the claim is marked there as "undetermined", however it is also noted on the site that the American Veterinary Medical Assoc. has started receiving complaints recently.  The link is www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/dogtreat.asp  The following is the email...
*******************************************************

Maybe we should avoid anything from China. I have two bags of these treats, they are expensive and looks like they will be in the trash. My dogs well being is more important than the cost of dried chicken breast.

PLEASE READ AND SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE WHO HAS DOGS, ESPECIALLY SMALL DOGS

Bella, 3 years old, 4 pounds

Product - Smoke House Chicken Breast Tenders Treats

Bella became suddenly ill ,and now hospitalized with her life threatened due to Smoke House Chicken Tenders.I recently purchased at Pet Smart. It doesn't matter where you purchase them, just don't purchase them.

This was the first time I bought the Smoke House treats. Having read the label, it was listed as all natural, no additives, dyes etc. The treats were purchased on or about August 17. She loved them and I was happy because she typically only likes one treat. By August 23 she vomited bile, and again on August 24. Her personality began to change becoming lethargic, wanting to stay in her bed, loss of appetite. excessive drinking, urinating frequently in excessive amounts. urine became orange like in color. By August 28 she was severely dehydrated and lost one of her three pounds.

Sugar was found in her urine which would typically indicate diabetes. Bella was put on IV and given an antibiotic to take while tests were being done over Labor Day weekend.

Test results showed "irregularity in the lower part of her kidney. Possibly a hole in the kidney because of the malfunction.

By today Sept 7, she was no better and very low on energy and interest in being around anyone. I brought the package of Smoke House Chicken Tenders with me to the vet because it was the only thing that was different in her diet.

My wonderful vet, a graduate of Cornell University searched the Cornell Veterinarian site where veterinarians report unusual cases which are tracked. The search was done by symptoms. A second search by chicken treats.

There were numerous cases on the Cornell University Veterinarian web site, all with the same symptoms, test results and yes, related to chicken tender treats made in China. Never did it cross my mind that this product was made in China. When Dr. didn't find complete listing of ingredients on the package he called the number listed on the back of the package identifying himself and asked for ingredients to help understand what was happening to my pet. The onlything the person on the phone with a strong Chinese accent was "all natural, all natural". Sure enough looking at the small print on the bottom back of the package is "product of China", the same source of other products that have been killing our pets. I sat beside my vet and read along with him. Following are primary repeated findings;

-severe damage to the kidney often resulting in complete renal failure and death
-numerous reports in the past four to five weeks, a larger number on the East Coast
- chicken and beef treats promoted as all natural
-it does not matter what the label is, if it is a product of China
-if caught early enough, hospitalized on IV hydrating and flushing the kidney over days with nutrients may help the kidney heal itself and the pet could then live with the damaged kidney
-if not caught early complete renal failure is expected
-most cases reported are related to small dogs
-initial symptoms indicate diabetes
-mold is often found when flushing the kidney (found in Bella)

I have been in touch with Pet Smart requesting them to help get the ingredients. Time is lost analyzing the food. Today a vet at Cornell purchased a bag after reading the report my Vet posted on Bella. He then contacted my vet to say the bag he bought had mold in it despite an expiration date one year from now. I was asked to look closely at whatever was left in my bag, but saw none.

After Bella was admitted to the vet I went directly to Pet Smart in Nanuet NY, told the Manager what happened and asked her to assist getting the ingredients identified. I was met with a hostile attitude. She was only interested in getting my name because she felt I was going to file a complaint. The person at PS headquarters responsible for knowing food ingredients at Pet Smart headquarters is trying to help.

The information available to vets on the Cornell web site is not public information. No one seems to be aware of this. Dogs are misdiagnosed

PLEASE SEND THIS ON TO YOUR PET LOVING FRIENDS AND SAVE A PET AND LOTS OF HEARTACHE.

PLEASE POST THIS INFORMATION ON ANY WEB SITE YOU CAN CONCERNING PETS.


7
  :'( :'( :'(  My Tsufur, my poor little poopsie.  Every time I would see someone lose a furkid I told myself, "Tsu is almost 13 and her time is coming soon."  Tried to deal with it over the past year or so.  It doesn't help.  My little old lady bloated early this morning and I had to run her to the emergency vet over 50 miles away.  She went into shock and I had to make the heart-wrenching decision to let her go.  I know it was the right decision but it doesn't make it any easier.   :-* My beautiful little, white fluffball baby I fell in love with. :-* I am so sad.  She followed me to Michigan, Indiana, Alabama and followed behind the lawnmower everytime I mowed when she was younger.  The vets I had all said the same thing, "She has the best disposition I have ever seen in a chow."  She never once growled or snapped at anyone.  She was one of a kind.  I guess we all think that way though.  I miss her so much already, that I don't know what to do.  My heart feels like it weighs 20# inside my chest.  I know so many of you have already been thru this and now I can belong to the club. :'( :'( :'(

8
We went to a doggy birthday party at a local pet store and there was a man with these dog water fountains.  I LOVED IT!  The puppy in the video was there and was a pro with it and Boudreaux could use the same one!  We are SO going to get one!  Here is the link to the product info and a video with the puppy using it.

www.metalplasmart.com

I just thought it was a GREAT idea and wanted to share with my BPO family!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!


9
Here are 2 new photos...sorry it took so long.  ;D

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Anything Non-Dog Related / Fun Eatery in Chi-town for teens...
« on: March 11, 2007, 10:05:21 am »
Hey all!  The girls (15 and 13) will be with us up from Alabama over Spring Break and I am taking them to Chicago.  I need any suggestions on fun places to take them to eat.  I already thought Hard Rock, Rain Forest, Ed Debvic's, Gino's or Bubba Gump's.  Are there any cool Mexican places that have character???  Heaven only knows what they will be in the mood for, so I want to have a few options to choose from.  Thanks in advance!


11
Introduce Yourself to the Forum / Figured I Should Start Here...AGAIN!!
« on: February 14, 2007, 08:17:08 am »
Yes we are FINALLY back, but after 5 months and a few hundred new members I thought I would reintroduce us!
I am Jacquie and my furkids are Tsu (12yo Chow), Griffey (7yo hateful, yellow, fat cat) and the baby who is ONE today-Boudreaux (1yo AM). 

I unfortunately can't post photos right now (or don't think I can), or I would post some new ones of the "kids".  Boudreaux is now 138#!  But shoot, I am just happy to be back on the internet!!  I am looking forward to reading up on what all that I have missed.  I see some people have new puppers!!!  Yay!  I just can't WAIT to become re-addicted!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

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American Mastiff Discussions & Pictures / HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOUDREAUX!!
« on: February 14, 2007, 08:09:21 am »
Just wanted to wish my big puppy a big "Happy First  Birthday" and send everyone else a big cyber-hug for Valentine's Day! 

13
Great Dane Discussions / Dane Attacks Child...
« on: August 07, 2006, 02:30:05 pm »

I just don't know about Danes with kids...this makes me wonder about the viscious big paws.
 ;) ;D

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Groans, Gripes, Brags & Boasts / I Just Bit My Tongue...
« on: August 07, 2006, 07:49:33 am »
So my mother-in-law (gotta love when a gripe starts out like that...) who has bred poodles and is an animal lover, rescued 2 little white moppy dogs(lasa's maybe, I forget) from a breeder that had 80 dogs in cages in her house maybe a month ago.  Yay for her...but that is the only yay she gets.  >:( 

We got together for a going away party yesterday and on her way to the party she stopped off at WalMart for two grocery items. Seems that the animal police came and had her paged at Wally World as SHE LEFT THE DOGS IN THEIR CRATES IN THE CAR!  What the #$%^? (insert any 4-letter word of your choice)  Granted she had the A/C on prior to going in, but turned the car off and kept the windows up to hold the air in.  She has a new car so she could have taken off the little fob that will lock/unlock the car and left it running, but locked~oh no, that would be too easy.  Seems someone reported the dogs being in a closed car-good for them.  She was PI55ED!  <I have to giggle a little> The car was still cool inside but that isn't the point.  Any passer-by has NO idea how long the pooches have been in the closed car, how hot the car is inside (it was about 100 outside-and we know how much a car can heat up in <15 minutes).  I don't give a RIP that she was only going in for 2 items.   >:( >:( >:(  Did I mention that she, my FIL, DH and myself were just talking about people leaving their kids/pets in closed cars 3 DAYS AGO?!?! Sometimes I just want to flick her in the forehead!  She said to her daughter, "This is YOUR fault for telling me to stop and get the two things".  Daughter and my DH both responded that had she gotten taken to jail that they wouldn't have bailed her out as they were always told growing up that if they got put in jail, they would sit.  I can't believe she didn't get a ticket!!  I guess since she showed the car was still cool?  No idea. 

I asked her if the car was left running.  She said, "No, but it was cool and I was only getting two things!"  I just responded with an "oh", bit my tongue and went about my business.  She was none to happy that no one felt bad or stood up for her.  Whatever.  Poor Mother-in-Law... >:(

15
Groans, Gripes, Brags & Boasts / Can I just say I am annoyed???
« on: July 25, 2006, 03:16:52 pm »
So the Mid-West Meet N' Greet is this weekend in Indiana and I am in Alabama...then the next So. Alabama get together is August 12th and I will be checking things out in Indiana before we move.  Therefore I miss BOTH! >:( :( >:(  Argh!!

 <grobble...grob ble...grobble. ..b*tch and moan>
Can I get a hug?   :(

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