Lilly Update

Lilly is MUCH better. Took her to the vet this morning. She does not have Parvo or an infection. Vet suggested some sort of stress. She was seeming anxious to me. Missing litter mates? Today, the anxiety is gone. Bowel movements are looking better. Vet suggested Pepto Bismal 1cc twice a day.

Have to say that she was a HUGE handful at the vet. Lilly wanted to visit with everyone. Vet Tech asked me not to let her down from my arms or touch anything because of the possibility of Parvo. Lilly let everyone within two blocks know that was not part of HER plan! Think I have a very social little girl with a big mind of her own. Very quick to learn. Crate training is such a blessing! She has taken to it very well and goes to the crate by herself when she is tired. Very few accidents and she has taken to running to the exterior door when she has to go. All this in a small creature that barely weighs five pounds. Amazing! Obviously, I'm in LillyLove.

Once again, Thank You All for your advice and encouragement. I'll make this site one of my favs.

Great news .... Keep reporting !!

Good to hear! Sorry if we scared you, but sometimes you can't be too careful with puppies!

Whew! I bet that's a relief. It is scary when a pup has diarrhea. I'm glad everything is OK. You're a good doggie mom.

I agree with you Zoom and Thank You for your interest, both of you. Think the Vet took pity on me because of the whole thing with my guy that had cancer--no charge today. Miss Lilly had been napping for a very long time this p.m. Think her little tizzy at the vet's tired her out. I'll be jiggeling her a little in order to get her up and fed & pottied so Mom can maybe sleep a few hours. You guys are wonderful!

So glad to hear she's okay!
You must have been SO worried about her! *Hugs*

Glad you like us .

~Tucker

Yes, Doberluv

Yes, it was such a relief! I lost my beautiful Teddy about a month ago to cancer. He was an Akbash mix. He was the most amazing dog. Akbash dogs are flock/gaurdian dogs and he absolutely lived up to the genetics. I have a flock of geese. Actually, they were Teddy's geese. He learned their language and could tell if the ganders were fighting. He hated them to fight and woud beg to be let out to break up the fight. Amazingly enough he would not hurt them but just run at them until they broke up. We have coyotes in this area and he was also on the lookout for them. He was forever sitting at my sliding glass door watching the geese. He was fearless about chasing the coyotes away. He will be missed and i worry about the geese since he is gone. But, with Lilly's little "attitude" I won't be surprised if she takes up the challenge. Already, she has noticed them and seems to be studying and reacting to their sounds. So many thanks for your interest! LillyLover

Thank You for your interest Tucker & Me. It has meant so much to me that I've had dog lovers interest. Love your quote "A dog is not almost human..." Sometimes their love is too much to understand. Why do they trust us so much when "we" collectively have done so much harm to them? I've had so many wonderful experiences with dogs. So many times when they have been my protector or they have taught me something that I needed to know. So many thanks for your interest in my little Lilly, LillyLover

I'm so sorry about Teddy. What an interesting breed. I never even heard of that one. What a great dog he was. I bet Lilly will be a great dog too.

Yes, Doberluv, They are very interesting. There are several sites on the web that discuss them. They are part of a class of dogs called: Guardian or Flock Dogs. They originated in Turkey and are especially used to guard sheep. I originally thought that he was a Golden mix but my Vet identified him as Akbash because of his size, 95 lbs, his double coat and his build. Unfortunately, he obviously had a very bad beginning and had lots of health problems. All the dogs that I've had have been great dogs. Some more of a challenge that others, I have to admit.

If you're interested in guardian or flock dogs, you might especially enjoy the book, Dogs, a Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution by Ray and Lorna Coppinger. It's a fascinating book and there's a lot of discussion about guardian dogs, herding dogs, sled dogs and more, how domestic dogs came to be, a lot of scientific evidence and theory, very detailed....I enjoyed this book immensely. I highly recommend it.

Guardian Dogs

Thanks for the book suggestion Doberluv, I'll check the local library. Actually, the whole thing with Teddy and the geese was a total accident. I didn't put two and two together until the vet identified him as an Akbash cross. I was just plain amazed that he was so good with the geese. At this point, I'm planning to sell this rural property in the Spring and will leave the large dog thing to the next owner. Lilly is going to be a small dog that will hopefully be a better choice for a smaller piece of property. Also, I would hesitate to have another dog with such a dense coat. It gets so hot here in the Summer. Poor Teddy suffered so much during the heat. Seems to me that this breed belongs in a cooler climate.

However, the fascination with Guardians remains. I actually came across an Akbash doing his/her thing in my area. Out on a Sunday ride in the way out back, on a dirt road, I came across a herd of sheep. There was no house, farm or ranch in sight. But there was the Akbash and a dog house sitting on a hill. It appeared to me that the dog was out there alone--left to care for the sheep. LillyLover

Wow, that's a rare sight I bet...to see that rare dog out there with the sheep. I hope everything works out for Teddy.