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Awwwww!  Poor Stella!  I'm glad to hear that she's back home with you.  I know you'll keep her as happy and comfortable as you can.  Sending positive thoughts and prayers for a speedy and uneventful recovery.  Before you know it, you'll be posting pics of her running around.

You Guys can send some of that rain my way anytime. The weather has been nuts all over the place. Some parts of MN and WI are flooded horribly. We're sitting in a draught. The ground is cracked. Wells are going dry. Fields are brown. But - at least - the temps are cool.

Angel101798 - you'll probably laugh at this - but I'm kind of like "GRRRRRR" too. Not because of the rain. (I wish!) But because my garden has been DRYING UP before my eyes! It's too far from the house to string a hose. And the water barrels just aren't doing it. SO - I'm hauling it up the hill via wheel barrel.

However, I can identify with pups not wanting to get their feet wet. When it DOES get wet around here my guys have to be literally pulled out that back door and then act like "EWWWWWW!!!!! Yuuuuck!" 

Snow. Well that's another story and the pulling is to get them BACK inside. 

Awww, I'm sorry for your garden, that really sucks!  If I could, believe me I'd spread this weather all over the place.  A little rain here, a little there just enough to keep things nice and green but not flooded.  I'm kinda curious as to what happened to the happy-medium too.  I seem to remember that after a good storm the air would be clean and cool, apparently I don't my memories not what it used to be . 

Cheyenne doesn't mind when it gets wet, she splashes in the puddles with gusto.  But if it's raining hard, she stuck at my side like glue to squeeze under the umbrella with me.

We use it too, a must for a Malinois.  Basically you're teaching them your the boss ALL THE TIME.  We don't step over her, we give her the "Excuse me" command to make her move (she used to snap if we walked over her), she has to "Wait" a minute before she can get out of the car, walk down the stairs or walk through a door.  We also go down the stairs and through the door first.  Of coarse, if we don't move fast enough she'll nudge us from behind and then give us a "What?!?" look.  She has to sit for her meals, lay down for a bone, "kennel up" for a treat, "settle down" for pets, etc.

Sorry guys, but I have to get this out.  We've been getting an endless stream of bad storms and the kids and dog are stuck inside driving me crazy!  It wasn't so bad at first, a day of rain, and then out they went the next.  But so far we're on day three with no sign of relief until the weekend.  I work from home so this has been testing my sanity more than usual.  If the dog isn't getting the kids up all worked up, the kids are getting her worked up.  I lost count of everything that's been spilled, dumped and ground into my carpets and I'm losing my patience and my voice.  And the worst part is, I can't stop them when I'm talking to a client on the phone!  Instead I look like some lunatic with my arms waving all over the place and throwing dirty looks at the kids and dog, which of coarse, they all play dumb to.  I feel like biting something!  GRRRRR!

I'm glad someone else said exactly how I feel about this whole thing!  I can't even talk about it because I get so worked up and upset I can only fume.  I certainly hope he's getting a lot more time than 12-18 mths, that would be a slap in the face to all those poor dogs, their rescuers and everyone else who cares.  It never fails to amaze me how many monsters there are that think there's nothing wrong with breeding and fighting animals.  It makes me so angry I could just scream!   As far as PETA goes, most of them are no better than these monsters.  There's no logic or reason behind what they do and most, if not all, of thier goals are just as cruel!!!

I am so sorry you experieced that with Otis.   Everyone has given you some great advice.  There were just a couple of things I wanted to add.  You stated this wasn't the first time you grabbed his collar.  In dog terms, grabbing their collar is like someone grabbing the front of your shirt and shaking you.  It's thier natural instinct to fight that sensation.  Luring with treats and making the bathroom more comfortable for Otis is a great idea. 

The only other thing I wanted to address are your emotions.  Everyone is right, you need to stay calm and in control - a lot easier said than done!  Facing a dog, especially your own baby, with his teeth bared is not an easy situation to be in.  Take a deep breath and face him as if you were facing one of your kids, no nonsense.  Dogs pick up on body language and voice changes much more quickly and accurately that we silly humans.  By standing up straight (never lean over your dog when he's upset, they see that as a form of aggression) and speaking firmly and calmly you portray yourself as in control, even if your heart is ready to beat right out of your chest.  Keeping him on a leash, may make this easier for both of you.  With practice it gets much easier, trust me.  I strongly suggest you take Holly's suggestion earlier and talk to your vet.  Good Luck!   Sorry this was so long.

I just tried it with my 9 yr old daughter's pic.  You can choose different ages and when I transformed her pic to Baby I just about fell out of my chair laughing!  She looks kind of evil.  Thanks for finding this, I needed a good laugh!

Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately he's also allergic to all tree nuts as well .  Come to think of it, I don't know if any other nuts are safe for dogs either.  I only know that peanut butter is a common ingredient in dog treats.  Dairy, wheat and eggs are hard to avoid, that must be very difficult for you and your family.  We joined a food allergy support group in our area to keep up on the latest research and for an occassional shoulder to cry on; they've been a wonderful help.  Especially when trying to deal with the aftermath of an allergy attack.