The dog musing/vent thread

Have to say it again 'cause I haven't said it in awhile: Squash is just a really, really genuinely good guy.
 
My ACDs have no problems with vet handling...Fiona maybe a bit wiggly, or if she doesn't like something she flails a little, but not at all aggressive or "will bite". Romeo's just whatever dude.

Sometimes when I show I'm walking around and someone wants to say hi to her, they say Oh, she's friendly?! And I'll never forget a popular vendor guy said Oh, a nice cattle dog?! We were at the specialty and they were all nasty dogs... It makes me sad :(.
 
That makes me feel better that it's possible for them to be nice lol. Even my coworkers when I first got him were like.... WHY a cattle dog?!
He's such a happy social guy right now and does pretty good with me manipulating and handling him, other than normal puppy wiggles, so I just can't see him being aggressive about it in the future... but it does not paint a good picture when people make it sound like it is inevitable that they will require a muzzle! Either way just sad that that's accepted as normal.
 
Well, we ended up needing our recall today... and the dog completely blew it. The last 1-3 times we were in a situation where we REALLY needed a recall, he was brilliant... but this, I don't know what happened. Granted it's been a while since we needed to use it badly, and I probably don't train it enough, and he'd had relatively little exercise today... but I'm severely disappointed and just kind of discouraged over it.

He nearly got himself into a fight, too. Ran up to a tethered dog in the neighborhood in his overstimulated way, and the other dog didn't take kindly to it and bit him in the face - not badly but enough to draw a little blood in one place. He's such a huge twerp (or "gritty" as cur dog folks would say) that of course he didn't get the message and just kept acting like a butthole. He did bare his teeth briefly and when the dog's owner came out to try and keep his dog calm by taking hold of him he started circling and barking at the other dog.

And a woman with a spare taco saved the day.

We are going to have to step up our game training recalls on the long line in more diverse places, and from here on out he's going to wear a short traffic leash while in the house. When he decides there's something outside he really needs to get to he seems to be very good at finding his way outside. 9/10ths of the time he doesn't behave intelligently enough that you'd think it would be a problem, but maybe he just lacks motivation.

Honestly, beyond embarrassed.
 
Briz is great for everything that doesn't involve his feet. He has to be muzzled and held down by three people for the vet to snip off a tiny bit of tar from the hair between his toes. I've been working with him on it for over a decade now, but he's had quite a few foot injuries and is pretty sure that messing with his nails or toes will kill him.
 
Hank is a mutt (according to DNA test at least there's ACD in there).

He is very friendly overall with people and dogs but he is definitely growing into a dog that won't diffuse situations well. He is a sweet sweet boy and a favorite with pretty much everyone. I am seeing his dog tolerance diminish as he gets older. He's still overall much much more dog friendly than the papillons but there is an 'edge' to him. And he doesn't tend to react with 'flight' like my past dogs. His instinct is to react with fight. He is not a dog that I'd expect to tolerate anything he thought was unfair. He also has an energy level that can just kind of... get other dogs going over the top fast.
 
Stumpy puppy shuts down when stressed, at this point I can't imagine her biting at the vet but that could change. She's eight months and pretty uncertain about strangers though, and would like to shark passersby on the sidewalk. I sort of feel like that's a breed thing, Briz also wants to shark people on the sidewalk.

Briz is outgoing and likes to go meet people, but he also gets overwhelmed and snarky so I'm very selective about letting him greet. He has giant Bambi eyes and is happy to see most people.

My multiple-severe-bites-might-be-neurological-problem foster was lovely for all vet handling and grooming and meeting strangers and was basically an angel when he wasn't savaging arms.

Right now I'm dogsitting an 11 year old ACD and a 10 year old ACD/basenji mix. Neither needs to be muzzled for vetting or grooming, but neither is terribly outgoing with strangers either.
 
Ran into Addie's trainer at the new food store we went to yesterday. Apparently, people have been talking about how cute she is to the trainer, lol. So, she asked us if we were going to do Agility in the fall and we said yes. I was terribly embarassed though, because Addie is a mess. She still has about a week before she can get a bath. She is not happy about it either. She keeps trying to hop in the bathtub or into the shower. I had to tell the trainer she got spayed, because I didn't want her thinking we slacked off on grooming.

Anyway, we are transitioning food from Merrick to Fromm because of the whole Purina thing. The food already seems different the canned food which she loved she is barely eating. It has gotten watery. We have had to microwave it to get her to eat it. The kibble has been in the bowl for days. She hasn't eaten really anything out of this new bag. So, we got some Fromm based on a lot of people suggesting it. Addie ate a ton of the Fromm between last night and this morning and left all the Merrick. I feel so bad. I thought she just wasn't feeling well from the surgery...but she just didn't want that food. Hoping that she continues to eat this brand.
 
Liminal said:
Well, we ended up needing our recall today... and the dog completely blew it. The last 1-3 times we were in a situation where we REALLY needed a recall, he was brilliant... but this, I don't know what happened. Granted it's been a while since we needed to use it badly, and I probably don't train it enough, and he'd had relatively little exercise today... but I'm severely disappointed and just kind of discouraged over it.

He nearly got himself into a fight, too. Ran up to a tethered dog in the neighborhood in his overstimulated way, and the other dog didn't take kindly to it and bit him in the face - not badly but enough to draw a little blood in one place. He's such a huge twerp (or "gritty" as cur dog folks would say) that of course he didn't get the message and just kept acting like a butthole. He did bare his teeth briefly and when the dog's owner came out to try and keep his dog calm by taking hold of him he started circling and barking at the other dog.

And a woman with a spare taco saved the day.

We are going to have to step up our game training recalls on the long line in more diverse places, and from here on out he's going to wear a short traffic leash while in the house. When he decides there's something outside he really needs to get to he seems to be very good at finding his way outside. 9/10ths of the time he doesn't behave intelligently enough that you'd think it would be a problem, but maybe he just lacks motivation.

Honestly, beyond embarrassed.
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But of course his call-offs from the sheep at herding were pretty darn good today. Maybe the recall drills we did before bed last night did help. Now to master "down" without a session of ecstatic sheep chasing first.
 
crazedACD said:
My ACDs have no problems with vet handling...Fiona maybe a bit wiggly, or if she doesn't like something she flails a little, but not at all aggressive or "will bite". Romeo's just whatever dude.

Sometimes when I show I'm walking around and someone wants to say hi to her, they say Oh, she's friendly?! And I'll never forget a popular vendor guy said Oh, a nice cattle dog?! We were at the specialty and they were all nasty dogs... It makes me sad :(.
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Mine are very similar. Tulsa just doesn't care. All the chiro and vet stuff she's had done with her she has handled with love (no, seriously, she just loves to kiss all the vets). Rider gets nervous with handling, but basically just hides his face to handle it.

I've had similar people say the same thing about meeting a "nice" ACD, but their previous point of reference was working cattle dogs out west so I'm not super surprised. :P Tuls is lovey to strangers as far as greeting them, but she doesn't really want them to touch her, which typically offends them. Rider would just rather not, but will accept pets if they are polite.
 
Very good! Obviously I dont know where these other dogs arw from or how they were raised but it starts to make you think it's inevitable that they'll be bad. I've always had very easy, tolerant dogs and would prefer it stayed that way!
 
Finn gets soooo fat when I'm at my parents' house over the summer. When we're at my apartment during school, he's fine, but he probably gains 5-10 pounds here. My mom gives him SO MUCH FOOD, and when I ask her not to, she just says "my house, my rules, you keep him too skinny".

Ughhhhhghghgh. It's especially annoying because I can't do that much training, because I'm scared if I give him training treats in addition to all the freebies he's getting, he will blow up.
 
Picklepaige said:
Finn gets soooo fat when I'm at my parents' house over the summer. When we're at my apartment during school, he's fine, but he probably gains 5-10 pounds here. My mom gives him SO MUCH FOOD, and when I ask her not to, she just says "my house, my rules, you keep him too skinny".

Ughhhhhghghgh. It's especially annoying because I can't do that much training, because I'm scared if I give him training treats in addition to all the freebies he's getting, he will blow up.
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My word, that doesn't even make sense. Would the same rules apply to a grandchild? Maybe switch him to a low calorie kibble without telling her (put it in a bin or something) over the summer?
 
Three Australian Shepherds posted on Craigslist today....though one looks more a mix to me. Two posted together, and one is a 12 year old senior. Yes, I'll take them all.
 
Finn gets soooo fat when I'm at my parents' house over the summer. When we're at my apartment during school, he's fine, but he probably gains 5-10 pounds here. My mom gives him SO MUCH FOOD, and when I ask her not to, she just says "my house, my rules, you keep him too skinny".
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I live with my parents, and the dogs get FAR too many treats during the day. It isn't mean spirited or like she's trying to force me to live under her rules - she's just incapable of saying no. This is a woman who now cuts up cheese and baloney for them every day for lunch, and somehow that also turned into animal crackers for dessert (I limit that to one, at least).

And honestly, I just try to look on the bright side that she saves me a ton of money in dog food, because my dogs eat barely any. Are you home so that you can be the one feeding him actual "meals"? Can you just cut his food way back?
 
BostonBanker said:
I live with my parents, and the dogs get FAR too many treats during the day. It isn't mean spirited or like she's trying to force me to live under her rules - she's just incapable of saying no. This is a woman who now cuts up cheese and baloney for them every day for lunch, and somehow that also turned into animal crackers for dessert (I limit that to one, at least).
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Alright, I have to ask, does she buy the bologna for human consumption, or specifically for the dogs? :lol-sign:
 
Took the stumpy foster puppy and the two babysittee ACDs to Brisbane's herding lesson. Stumpy foster puppy is amazing and perfect and runs lovely circles around the sheep. Big blue 11-year-old ACD is amazing and perfect and runs lovely circles around the sheep. Little red 10-year-old ACD mix needed some encouragement but finally ran some lovely circles around the sheep.

I am proud, but dizzy from spinning in circles with them. So, so dizzy.
 
Alright, I have to ask, does she buy the bologna for human consumption, or specifically for the dogs?
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Just for the dogs. When I told her to ease up a bit, because Gusto was looking a little round, she got a little defensive and switched them to the lean bologna.

She also gives them a handful of Rice Chex every morning for breakfast. Nobody else in the house eats Rice Chex, and there are four boxes in the pantry so they don't run out.

Suffice to say, my dogs are pretty sure my mother hung the stars in the sky.
 
BostonBanker said:
Just for the dogs. When I told her to ease up a bit, because Gusto was looking a little round, she got a little defensive and switched them to the lean bologna.

She also gives them a handful of Rice Chex every morning for breakfast. Nobody else in the house eats Rice Chex, and there are four boxes in the pantry so they don't run out.

Suffice to say, my dogs are pretty sure my mother hung the stars in the sky.
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:rofl1: Your mom is awesome.

I just had to ask about the bologna cause I don't know anybody over 5 that actually eats that stuff :p
 
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