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Messages - marypr2

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16
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Got Him Fixed, Now What?
« on: September 17, 2007, 12:49:29 pm »
Hi-
My husband and I took the plunge and got our 7 year old Alaskan Malamute "fixed" about 10 days ago.  This dog has only been with our family for 2 and a half months and we have been trying to cure various problems as we go.  He has been prone to howling and whining, and escaping, and that is why we got him fixed.

Unfortunately, things seem to have gone from bad to worse.  His howling, etc. goes on all day long.  When we spend time with him one on one, it doesn't seem to satiate him.  He also has been much more agitated to the point that it is hard to calm him down before we feed him or give him a treat. 

My question now is, have any of you ever seen this kind of thing happen when a dog gets fixed?  Could it be that the hormone changes are causing him to be uneasy or unstable?  He has developed some kind of rash near his penis that we will be taking him to the vet today to look at.  He may have gotten into something on one of his escapes last week that gave him the rash.  It's also in the area that was shaved for his procedure, so it may be a rash that most of these dogs don't usually get for the hair, but the hair is right now gone.  The area where the rash is seems sensitive to the touch.

Any insight would be appreciated.  I think he feels bad, but can't figure out what to do for him.  My husband is again talking about "getting rid of him" which really breaks my heart.  I feel like we haven't given him a fair trial yet, and the "fixing" of him may not yet have run its course.

Thanks,
Mary   

17
Collars, crates, & other cool things / Ants in Dogfood
« on: August 30, 2007, 04:15:44 pm »
Hi-
We just had to waste an entire bag of dry dog food because of a great ant invasion. The previous bag did not have ant problems and was left open all the time in the garage.   

Last night we bought this thing that looks like a trash can that has a pop up lid to put dog food in.  Do any of you who have potential for ant invasions of your dog food know if these things will work?  I thought we would need something with a screw-on lid, but didn't find anything like that.

We know we could always keep the stuff inside, but don't want to, if we can help it.

Thanks,
Mary

18
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Alaskan Malamute: Whining, howling, carrying on
« on: August 29, 2007, 06:07:17 pm »
Hello-
I have been away for a while, and have returned seeking advice.

Our Alaskan Malamute has caused us all to lose sleep for his howling, but this past night and today have really been hard.  He howled and whined basically all night long even after I let him out to potty and get water. Today hasn't been any better, though he is now outside.  He managed to get himself covered in mud while he was howling and whining which makes him pretty unapproachable right now.

I don't know if it is the phases of the moon or what affecting him.  My husband says we probably need to get him neutered and he would stop doing all of this howling.  Do you all think that is true?  From what I read briefly on line this morning, it doesn't sound like the howling would be any less after neutering, unless the howling is related to his sex drive.

This is driving me really crazy, and my neighbors are starting to comment about all the noise he is making.

Oh, just in case you are wondering, we try very hard to get him out to run/walk every day.  We had him out for a vigorous walk last night.  It didn't seem to stem the whining and howling when we got home.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mary

19
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Re: Any ideas about how to make my Malamute happy by pulling wagons/toys with kids?
« on: July 13, 2007, 02:25:06 am »
What is bike journed?  My husband is a big bike-rider.

Mary

20
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Alaskan Malamutes and cats
« on: July 13, 2007, 02:14:04 am »
Hi-
Our family welcomed a 7-year old Alaskan Malamute a few weeks ago.  We also have a cat.  The cat and dog currently "reside" in separate quarters...the cat has the front yard and the upstairs, the dog has the back yard and basement.  The first time these critters crossed paths (though I am sure they were aware of each other well before seeing each other), the dog was leashed and she was on the front lawn.  The dog started to lunge , but was easily stopped.  The cat arched her back, had her hair standing straight up and froze.  We moved on with the dog and there was no further hub bub about it.

Since then, we have had the dog on the back deck while opening the door to the house so that the dog and cat could view each other.  They both just did that...looked at each other.  The cat this time did not arch its back, but was frozen.

I would love to know how to get these two critters together.  I think they could be good company for each other.  This cat is actually quite dog-like.  I call and whistle for her to come in at night, and she comes.  She is also quite friendly.....a celebrity of sorts in the neighborhood.

So, do any of you have any ideas about getting these two together?  I was thinking I might want to handle the cat a lot before I go pet the dog and vice-versa so they know I am connected to both of them.  Other than that, I don't have a clue as to how to move this along, or if I CAN move this along.

Thanks,
Mary 

21
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Any ideas about how to make my Malamute happy by pulling wagons/toys with kids?
« on: July 13, 2007, 01:54:51 am »
Hi-
I am fermenting an idea to find some way of letting my new Malamute do what he does best while he entertains kids.  I was thinking of hooking him up to a wagon or something, letting kids get in the wagon, and letting him pull them around the cul-du-sac.  The things I am not sure about are 1) who and how to control him so that no one gets hurt; 2) what kind of harness or whatever would be required; 3) if there is anything commercially available for doing something like this with a dog and cargo and/or kids.  I've also thought about rigging up something with a thick rubber or plastic sheet that I could hook a harness up to so he could pull kids around on that on a lawn or yard.

Have any of you done that or seen it done?  Does anybody know of a website or someplace I could go to read about this kind of thing?

Thanks,
Mary

22
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Re: Alaskan Malamute and Family Pool (vinyl lined)....Need advice quick!!
« on: July 11, 2007, 07:50:08 am »
Aha, so that's where the quotes come from.  I LOVE them.  I surely don't have any of my own, but may one day.

I wouldn't have nearly the same aversion to having Kuma in the pool, if it wasn't a vinyl-lined pool.  We've lived through 7 years of "stuff" with this pool and finally kind of know how to keep it clean and comfortable.  The liner too is relatively new.  I really wish we had a different situation.

We'll try with the kiddie pool and see if that works.  We can always make sure the kiddie pool has very fresh water in it when we go for a dip, so he will at least feel like he is not getting short-changed.

I just wonder if Malamutes perhaps don't have the same love of swimming as some other breeds do.  That would ease my conscience a little bit to know it's not the top thing on his list of fun things to do...to go swimming.

Thanks again,
Mary 

23
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: The Poop Rules
« on: July 11, 2007, 07:10:02 am »
Hi-
I am the newcomer here, and I am happy to say that for now, Kuma poops in the back forty of our lot,in English Ivy, so we dont' have to scoop.  YAY!

However, I was told by my brother, a dog breeder, that in order to get the dog to go where you want him to, you leash them 15 minutes after they eat, then take them to where you WANT them to poop.  Stay there till they poop, then praise them.  Sounded good to me, but I didn't have to try it.

The dog will poop on other people's yards when my husband is walking him, but won't when I walk him.  I have a pretty quick pace I guess, and I don't let him meander too much.  Since I don't have to scoop in my yard, I would prefer he not poop in someone else's yard for me to pick up.

I do laugh at my husband carrying a shovel when he walks the dog.  He doesn't apparently think a plastic bag provides sufficient protection for his hands. 
Take care,
Mary


24
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Re: Alaskan Malamute and Family Pool (vinyl lined)....Need advice quick!!
« on: July 11, 2007, 06:57:02 am »
Hi All-
Well, we set up a kiddie pool last night.  This morning, my daughter went out with Kuma determined to get him into the pool.  While he initially drank the water, she finally faked like she was sticking her feet in the water several times and then he tried it.  Eventually, he got totally in, and at least once he sat/laid down in the water.  Today was a day full of showers and not devilishly hot, so I suppose we haven't gotten a good test of it yet.

(I was very proud of my little girl (she is only 7)for taking on this task and succeeding.  She was quite excited about it all.)

Meanwhile, something happened to one of the gates leading to the family pool, and it was opened for at least part of the day today  (the latch is tricky).  Anyway, Kuma apparently didn't jump in the pool despite the gate being opened.  He wouldn't have been able to get to the stairs without a lot of effort, since we have those barricaded, but he could have jumped in.  Perhaps that is progress.

By the way, is wrapping a Malamute on the nose and saying "NO" very effective for discipline?  When I was a kid my parents wrapped the dogs on the noses when they were disciplining.  I don't know if that is considered uncool/uneffective now or not, OR if it works with big dogs.

I also ordered a super duper KONG to see how that works.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I also got pig ears.  I hope he likes them.....they are expensive as h*ll.

Thanks again for all your comments,
Mary

25
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Re: Alaskan Malamute and Family Pool (vinyl lined)....Need advice quick!!
« on: July 10, 2007, 02:46:54 am »
Say, where do these fantastic quotes come from?  Do the responders include those quotes or is there a list of them somewhere.  Love those!

Mary

26
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Re: Alaskan Malamute and Family Pool (vinyl lined)....Need advice quick!!
« on: July 10, 2007, 01:54:41 am »
OOps!  Too many reponses coming all at once.

First, the device I was referring to is here http://lentek.com/Main/Main.asp?CategoryID=8&SubCategoryID=31&ContentID=106&
It's called a KOOLATRON DOG OFF PRO-SERIES, and it is $29.99.  I don't know about the citronella collars, but we don't have a barking issue, just a training issue/barrier issue.

I would like to ask if any of you Malamute owners would agree with me that the dog might just jump the fence if he wants in the pool badly enough, and unless we have a six foot fence, that won't be enough to keep the pool from being inaccessible.

Regarding my comment about the collars being expensive and time-intensive, years back my husband had a blind (yes, blind) yellow lab that we tried a collar/field device with.  It didn't take too long for us to discover we didnt' have the time to do all the training it took to make it work.  It WAS years ago, and they may have improved since then, but at the time, it didn't work for us.

We came upon this dog because my sister in law could not keep him for financial reasons.  We weren't really looking to be dog owners, but it is obvious that it gives my daughter great joy, kind of like the sibling she has been wanting, so we are trying to make this work.

I am just thinking that the kiddie pool might work with this dog since he rolls around a lot on the yard, I suppose to cool off.  We have watched him a couple of times roll down the hill in the English ivy or on the grass.  I don't know if he finds it fun, but WE do.

Please tell me more about this KONG toy.  I have never heard of it.  What's it all about?

Thanks for your responses.

Mary   

27
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Re: Alaskan Malamute and Family Pool (vinyl lined)....Need advice quick!!
« on: July 10, 2007, 01:18:26 am »
Here's our dog, Kuma, with my daughter.

28
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Re: Alaskan Malamute and Family Pool (vinyl lined)....Need advice quick!!
« on: July 10, 2007, 01:13:01 am »
Hi-
thanks for the welcome.

The 5:30 howling thing (remember Malamutes don't really bark, thank god)happens right after my husband puts him outside and leaves for work.  Unfortunately, it continues most of the early morning.   

It could be other critters making noise that I don't hear, or he could be bored.  We haven't yet found a toy he likes to play with.  Any suggestions here would be welcomed too.  We've tried balls that squeak and don't squeak, ropes to chew on, and various other things, and the only thing he responds to is rawhides, which aren't really toys.  He has buried all the rawhides we have given him, but we know he knows where they are, since the first one we gave him reappeared.

I'm not sure we are game for the collars, as that entails expense and time that we may not have to invest.  The hand-held device appeals more if it will work.

This dog is really great, and my daughter loves him to death, though his size scares her still.  (He's only been with us a week.)   It's kind of cute what she does.  She goes to our screened porch and talks to him or gives him snacks from the other side of the screened door.  That's how she "hangs" with him if the adults aren't with her.

I don't really want to give up on the dog because of the pool thing, but the pool is a major investment and source of enjoyment for our family.  We need to get to the other side of this problem quickly.

Regards,
Mary


29
Alaskan Malamute Discussions / Alaskan Malamute and Family Pool (vinyl lined)....Need advice quick!!
« on: July 10, 2007, 12:34:26 am »
Just last week we became the owners of an Alaskan Malamute needing a home.  His name is Akuma, and he is 7 years old.  We have been dealing with the sort-of howling at 5:30 in the morning, and the digging here and there, but yesterday, he took a dip in the family pool and ended up popping two holes in the liner because he couldn't get out and tried to climb out rather than just doggy paddle back to the stairs.  I ended up getting my daughter to bring me the leash and I lead him with the leash to the stairs where he climbed out.  Though the pool has been repaired, we don't know what to do to prevent a recurrence  (despite the trauma of what happened to him, he tried 3 times after that to get in the pool again)....even if we teach him how to use the stairs to get in and out, we really don't want to risk damaging our pool, not to mention having dog hairs floating in the pool.  The pool is enough work to maintain as it is.

SO, here are my questions..... .
1) If we get a kiddy pool for him, will he use that instead of the family pool?  Anyone have experience with that?

2) Someone sells this training device that makes a high pitched sound that annoys dogs to make them quit doing what they are doing.  Does this kind of device work?  Would it be a long-term deterrent?  If these doo dads work, I would be glad to have it to keep him from eating my flowers and stuff too.  Any comments on these devices?

3) I saw mentioned elsewhere that wet sand in a kiddy pool may be preferred to water, as that way, the dog can also dig there.  Anyone with experience with that?

FYI, we live in Georgia, and it is hot here this time of year.  The dog spends his days on a shaded rock patio, and he always has plenty of water.

Any advice and comments would be very welcomed.  This dog is smart and strong.  We fear that if he wants into the pool he will eventually just jump the barricades we have put up.  We don't want him to drown, and as I said, we don't want him in the pool generally anyway.

Thanks,
Mary   

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