Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Austin loves those play pop up tunnels, he plays hide and seek with himself constantly.  He was introduced to them at puppy preschool, now I have tunnels, a sandbox  in the back, I am waiting for the baby wading pools to be stocked for the summer, he loves the one at Day Care.  My daughter wants to know why the dog gets more toys than they had a children.

Cheryl

Your babies are adorable.  Here is one of four of my boys.  The Saint is Austin the Adorable, the boys are my grandsons, Noble and Sterling and the Swiss Mountain Dog is my granddog Count Fosco.  You couldn't have picked a nicer breed to have with kids.

Cheryl and her furkids, Saint Austin the Adorable, Smokey, Mr. Spock, Warlock and Mouse.

I had a Saint Bernard named Troubles, I made her go for a walk one day, I thought we were doing well, she cruised to the park, walked around the lake but then about four blocks from home she spied a twin mattress someone put out for the trash men!  She plopped down and refused to budge.  I sat on the curb for 40 minutes while Miss
Troubles rested up for the walk home!!! 

So far Austin seems to enjoy walks, although he can't seem to focus on the goal, he is easily distracted by other dogs, windchimes etc.  He heads up everyones sidewalk like we are there to visit.

Cheryl and her furkids, Smokey, Mr. Spock, Warlock, Mouse and Saint Austin the Adorable.

We go to a 24 hour emergancy facility called Falls Road Animal Hospital.  The negative side is I do not usually get to pick which vet sees my animal, it is whomever is on duty.  The plus side is there is always someone on duty.  We go there even though it is farther for us because mine seem to always get sick or need attention during the night or on weekends.  And if anyone has to stay someone is there all the time.  I get to call at all kind of ungodly hours to check up on them. 

They also have a pet store, kennel and a Doggie Day Care.  Saint Austin goes to Doggie Day Care there one day a week, he LOVES it, and has no issues with going to the vet because they are also in the same place.  If I ever need to leave him to go out of town he can stay in the kennel at night and go to Day Care during the day, avoiding the endless hours in a cage.

I do not think they are any more expensive than anyone else, I have tried other local doctors. There is a small surcharge, something like $12.00 if the visit is on an emergency basis and not scheduled.   In general I find that vets, not just there but everywhere are addicted to running tests.  Maybe this is because the patient can not communicate well so they test for everything.

Cheryl and her furkids, Smokey The Cat, Mr. Spock, Warlock, Mouse and Saint Austin the Adorable.

I had rentals for years as well as managed rentals for others.  I am a dog and cat lover, always allowed dogs but found that there needed to be guidelines, not everyone is a responsible dog owner.  Cat were another story, you can not get cat smell out of anything, not even hardwood floors, so we were far more selective with cats. 

Dog we insisted that they had to have all there shots, must be fixed unless specifically a breeding dog, did not allow dogs to be tied, must provide shelter for any dog allowed outside.  We lived in Northern New York (Lake Placid) and the number of people who would put a dog out in the cold was unreal.  This did not eliminate all problems but the people who meet these criteria were in general dog lovers who cared for their animals.

29 years ago, my then husband saw an ad in the paper for a $25.00 Saint Bernard, she was about 8 months old and the guy got her from a breeder because she was "too small"  I had never had a big dog, and never been close to a dog, as a child dogs were in a pen in the back yard.  I was not at all sure I wanted a dog much less a "monster" dog.  I was also four months pregnant with my oldest daughter. 

We went to get her, the man had toy poodles all over the house, he opened the back door and this huge pile of fur came running in and jumped onto the couch.  It was abvious that he was intimidated by her and she HATED the poodles, and was used to doing exactly as she pleased. 

We took her home. After she almost bit my hand off when I tried to feed her a hotdog I decided that if we were going to co-exist she needed to learn some manners.  From that point on living with Molly was a pure joy.  We had her for eight years and she was a total love. She taught me about dogs being part of the family, not part of the wildlife in the back yard.  We also had a pyr. during that time and I later had several other Saints who were rescues and a Saint Bernard/Springer Mix who I loved to death but was certainly NOT SAINTLY.   

I have not had a dog in many years until last month, when I got Saint Austin, the BEST Valentines Day present in the world.  He is everything Molly taught me Saints could be.

Cheryl

After many years without a dog I have a new baby.  His name is Saint Austin, and he is, of course, a Saint Bernard.  He is five months old and an absolute doll.  He is doing very well, despite a rough start.  When I got him he had a bad case of worms, had been kept for a month in a cat carrier I could barely get him out of it as was so small, and had a very bad skin infection.  After two rounds of antibiotics, and 100's of $$$ in test the skin infection seems to finally be clearing up.  We have gotten him all of his shots, gotten him fixed and he is enrolled in puppy playtime at the SPCA and goes to Doggie Daycare one day a week.  He loves everyone, canine, feline and human. 

I have had four Saints before as well as a Saint/Springer mix (that was a trip, looked like a Saint, acted like a Springer.  A 140lb Springer is a handful) But I have never had a puppy Saint before, all the others have been rescues, the youngest was about 18 months when I got her.  Saint Austin is also the first male.  The vet tells me he is small for his age, possibly from earlier malnutrition?  He was being fed adult "Ole Roy" when I got him.  He was 24lbs when we got him at 15 weeks old and now at five months he is up to 40lbs but still looks thin.  I am not sure if this is because he is so long legged and lanky at this time, or because his hair is shorter than I am used to, what should he weigh at this stage?  How far behind is he?  When are they considered full grown?  Can anyone help me with Saint growing info.  I just want him to be healthy and happy.

Thanks Cheryl and her furkids, Saint Austin, Smokey the Cat, Mr. Spock, Warlock and Mouse.

Many years ago I was given my Pry. Damion, because he was eating his owners cabinets, not just chewing on the edges, he had eaten the doors off the cabinets when she left him alone.  Luckily I lived on five acres, with an stream and an additional seven acres that he could use, and was able to let him live outside, getting him to come in the house involved two people, one pushing and one pulling.  He never seemed to mind being left, as long as he was outside, but HATED to be confined.  When he had a broken leg and I was told to confine him  he first paced up and down a flight of stairs in his cast and ate the curtains, I put him in a horse stall and he almost hung himself trying to jump over the stall door, at a hole in the barn door I tried to lock him up in.  When I gave up and let him go he walked five feet outside the door, laid down and didn't go anywhere for five weeks while his leg healed.  He just couldn't handle being confined.  The ONLY time he wanted to be in the house was when I worked third shift and he did not trust my then husband to babysit, he would come in when I left, lay across the end of my daughters bed and stay there until I came home and he figured he was no longer needed to care for his "flock"

Cheryl and her furkids, Saint Austin, Smokey the Cat, Mr. Spock, Warlock and Mouse.