Big Paws Only Dog Forums

I took this picture with my camera phone the other day & wanted to share it!  Bo likes to ride in the back with her head on the seat...not sure why, she's always done this!  If you have any Dog is my Copilot pictures...pos t them!! =)
Jenn

I'm starting to think that Bo has allergies...he r nose is contstantly dripping & her right ear is always full of this reddish-brown waxy junk.  She WON'T let me near her ear (never has, thoug) and when I took her to the vet to have them clean her ears, she knocked down 3 vet techs like they were bowling pins!!  I read online that you can give your dogs Tavist D for allergy symptoms, but I wans't sure if this is what she has.  Any suggestions?  Anyone else have this problem?
Thanks!
Jenn, Bo & Floyd

I have noticed that whenever Floyd meets a new dog, his jaw begin chattering & he froths at the mouth heavily.  I assume that this is because he's so excited, but I've NEVER seen a dog do that before!  He's not dog aggressive (or aggressive in general) and is always friendly to other dogs.  Any ideas why he might be doing this?
Thanks!
Jenn, Bo & Floyd 

My vet has recommended Z/D for Bo's tender tummy/chornic pancreatitis.  I don't know the first thing about this food, but I have some concerns about Science Diet in general.  I wondered if anyone had a recommendation for an alternative food brand/type that would be ok for sensitive stomachs.  I have used Natural Balance Fish & Potato in the past, but she said we can't use that anymore.  I don't want to think that she's promoting a brand that I can only buy from the vet's office, but hey...the thought had crossed my mind.  Suggestions, anyone?
Jenn & Bo

Bo (3 y.o. Great Pyrenees) had a bad night last night...threw up, pooped, & peed all over the living room at 2am.  She has been having problems with IBS for the past two weeks and has been on a strict bland diet (chicken & rice), which hasn't helped at all.  LAst night after she threw up her dinner, she then threw up what looked like a giant jellyfish (sorry, it's gross)!!  That was a new one for me!!  I have to take her to the vet tomorrow for lab work & an ultrasound to see if they can find anything structural that's wrong.  I guess I'm just scared & feeling powerless because I can't figure out how to help her.  I'm also really stressed about the cost that this is going to incur, because we just bought a house & everything we have is going into it.  I know that money is irrelevant when dealing with the health of your dog, but it keeps coming up as a source of stress for me.  And I hate that.  I'm not sure what I'm hoping to get from posting this, but I feel kind of isolated, as not many of my friends have big dogs and don't understand why I get so worked up at the idea of Bo being sick.  We don't have children, so our dogs really are like our kids!!  So, here I am, hopefully among friends, who can hear me out & not think I'm crazy for worrying about my big dog!!  Please keep Bo in your thoughts, if you can, and hopefully tomorrow I can report good news.
Thanks BPO crew!
Jenn & Bo (with the bad tummy)

Greetings, all!  I am new to the land of Border Collie dog, so some help would be appreciated!  Our B.C mix Floyd (a.k.a. Captain Naughty Pants) is coming along nicely after being with us for almost 2 months.  My question is about his inability to respond to correction.  He gets really wired up & starts jumping & nipping and nothing we do can correct the behavior.  We've tried ignoring him, pushing him away (this makes it worse, now it's a game), sprizing him with bitter apple, everything.  He seems to get more & more amped up the more we try to redirect him.  I seem to remember reading in A Dog Year (Jon Katz) about B.C's insistant nature & constant struggle for dominance.  Does this sound accurate to other B.C owners?  We've got Floyd in obedience, which helps somewhat, but it's during these daily "freak outs" that I wonder if there's something else I can do to work on correcting him in the moment.
Thanks!!
Jenn, Bo & Floyd

My father-in-law sent this to me today & I wanted to share!
Jenn

TO: GOD:           FROM: THE DOG

Dear God: Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?

Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old   story?

Dear God: If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?

Dear God: We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beeper s, scent ID's, electromagneti c energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God: More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

Dear God: Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Dear God: Let me give you a list of just some of the things I must remember to be a good dog.

1. I will not eat the cats' food before they eat it or after they throw it up.

2.. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

3 I will not munch on "leftovers" in the kitty litter box, although they are tasty. 

4. The diaper pail is not a cookie jar.

5. The sofa is not a 'face towel'. Neither are Mom and Dad's laps.

6. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

7. My head does not belong in the refrigerator.

8. I will not bite the officer' s hand when he reaches in for Mom's driver's license and registration.

9. I will not play tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.

10. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is an unacceptable way of saying "hello".

11. I don't need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm under the coffee table.

12.. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house - not after.

13. I will not throw up in the car.

14. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt.

15. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch when we have company.!

16. The cat is not a 'squeaky toy' so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.

And, finally, My last two questions . .

Dear God: Why do humans only have 10 Commandments and dogs have 16?
 
Dear God: When I get to Heaven may I have my testicles back?