Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Hi, Tina - I just now saw your post.  Thank you for responding. It is reassuring to hear from someone who has similar issues to deal with.  I'm sorry to hear about your arthritis.  Sometimes my ankle is so arthritic it simply will not bend.  Not good dog-walking mode, for sure, lurching around unevenly and being pulled and pummeled to boot.  Walking a large breed is hard enough without the whammy of a handicap, right?     To his credit, Chris (my husband) is a big help with the walking whenever I ask him.  But with our schedules, I am the one who spends the most time with our dogs.  And although he loves them, Chris has never had pets before I came along and he could honestly be content without the huge responsibility of having dogs in his life.  I, on the other hand, have always had dogs and will always want at least one by my side in this life.   

Herman passed his basic obedience with flying colors.  He is smart as a whip in many ways...."COME" was a big issue with me from the beginning, making sure he knew that command was a priority.  So, he does great with it in the house and in our fenced-in yard in Queens.  It's the mountain home that concerns me.  He just gets so excited - hysterical with joy almost - even when we exercise him in the local park on his retractable leash (26 feet) ... my gut tells me that he would take off and very well not heed "COME" if he were free-as-a-bird-unleashed. 

This kills me, because I'd truly love to be able to let him run independently now and then. It does not help that my husband argues with me on it - he's like: "GIVE IT A TRY - LET HIM RUN - HAVE SOME FAITH THAT HE WILL COME BACK."  I wish it were that easy for me, but it is not. 

Anyhow, I do have faith in Herman.  He IS getting a little better every day.  It's all about patience, etc., and I feel that this forum will help me.  Talking to you and others is already lifting my spirits...

Thanks again for writing!
Peace,
Lena

Hi, Fumble - (which is probably your dog's name and not yours, either...haha. ..o brother) great to hear from you!
I just know Herman will go nuts with the halti leader.  But I gotta try SOMEthing...or risk flying through the air again.  Not pleasant.

I posted a picture of me and Herman when he was only 7 weeks old, about 3 days before I brought him home.  Since then, he's at least 6 X that size and I've lost some weight - purely from trying to keep up with him.  I guess that's a good thing.  Raising Herman is like joining a gym that forces you to attend 24/7.  Like boot-camp.

Now I just need some advice about how to handle the lad up in the wilderness...

 
~Lena

Hi, everybody.  I'm Lena.  I'm from New York and I am a fairly new mommy to Herman.  Herman is an 8-month-old mixed breed hound.  There's no way to be sure of his breed, but he looks to be some type of black & tan coonhound/shepherd/mountain dog/something-or-other.  I adopted Herman from a rescue organization when he was 7 weeks old.  (I also have a 7-year old Corgi-shep named Ellie and 2 cats.)  Me and my husband are musicians.  We live in an average-sized apartment in Queens, New York and we also have a cabin and some land in the Catskill mountains which we frequent from spring thru autumn.

Herman just keeps growing bigger and bigger and his energy is boundless.  I love him dearly - love him more each day -but he is such a handful that it is unreal. I needed to join this list to just feel like I had a support group to turn to, I swear.  I have had dogs for most of my life,  and yet nothing has prepared me for life with Herman. 

Without going into too many of the gory details....One of my main concerns is walking with Herman...I have a very shakey, shattered ankle ever since a serious accident some years ago.  While I can walk at a mild pace, I cannot get around as easily or quickly as I used to and I can be pulled off-balance pretty quickly.  Herman can be a good boy, but if he sees something or someone he wants to get at, he will lunge on the leash with a strength that literally pulls my arm out of it's socket or pulls MY ENTIRE BODY into the air - and I am not a petite woman.  I have used Cesar Milan's walking tips and some of them work, but when Herm is really on a tear, it's still scary. As it is, there is no way I can walk both of my dogs at the same time anymore, because Herman constantly badgers Ellie vigorously and tries to wrestle with the poor little thing while we're walking and almost knocks me on my butt in the process.

Another concern is bringing Herman up to our mountains retreat.  I am so afraid that he will start tracking something and run away and end up either lost in the dense woods of our remote mountain or find his way down on to a highway somewhere.  I am having major anxiety anticipating springtime and how I will handle him THEN if he is as unruly, and strong as an ox right now at only 8 months.  He seems like the type of dog who would love nothing better than to run, lope, and hunt endlessly.  Unfortunately, I could never join him on such grueling expeditions. Our terrain is very wild, steep and rough.  We have alot of coyotes, bear and porcupines also.  Any suggestions on how to handle this?  Anyone?  Please? I need to have hope.

I long to enjoy the new addition to our family - he is so wonderful and such a beautiful spirit in so many ways - but worrying about him is over-shadowing everything for me.

Anyhow - nice to meet you all. Your dogs are all so pretty. I will post some pix soon.

Peace,
Lena