Tibbrix, do you have a link to where to buy the deer antlers cut in half?

Gooster, the furniture chewing is something I have not addressed yet and I am worried! I was going to put PVC on the legs . . . have not. Some sort of deterrent-- have not! Right now, it's all prevention!

We just started working on "give" today and I got him to give up socks, so that is good. I don't know if he'll ever be trusted but wouldn't it be great if he could just leave socks alone in hopes that he'll get something better???

Whitelacey-- AWWWWW! Saved twice! Sounds like a wonderful, wonderful dog! I hope you have MANY years left together!

Annie, thank you!

My3dogs-- wow! Models!!! And seven! Wow! Thank your kids for the warm welcome!

Tibb, oh no about the bully! My dog just loves them but I get the braided ones so it's harder to chew it whole He has not made much of a dent in the one he's had, though he hasn't had it a week yet! (Can't believe it's only the 5th day!) He does have an antler-- I think I can see the marrow-- but he is not too interested. I will get a bigger one, like you said! I am definitely not using Nylabones for the same reason you don't like bully sticks-- they can eat them. My last dog disliked them, and I've heard too many horror stories! Yes about the watchdogs! Some people I know have said their GRs have warned them a few times, which is good . . .but I (on purpose) wanted a dog friendly with everyone. We are around a lot of small kids. Next week we are going to start having him meet people so that he continues to love them. We are going to take him to Lowes and the shopping mall, too. Heee hee about the dog in the car! Too funny!

Yesterday we took our dog for a walk, and a dog walker came right up to us without asking and put her big Rhodesian Ridgeback right in my dog's face. Her dog was a on a prong collar. My dog was fine but I told her I wasn't comfortable with it . . .she told me I needed to socialize my dog. I couldn't really believe a professional would do that! I am putting my dog in puppy classes next week and having him hang out with dogs I know. A random dog on the street is not my idea of socializing. What she SHOULD have done is brought over the dog and have him walk past mine. That would have been very helpful. My vet just told me about how her Collie was attacked by a Great Pyrenees. Ugh! I bought spray to carry with me because I've just heard of many irresponsible owners thinking their dogs have great recall, and they don't!

Graywings, they sell them at pet shops. I get mine at Agway. Do you have an Agway near you?

I got mine from here: http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-toys/antler-chews.html

I like that this place sells only positive products, and they have good prices, too. Ship very fast.

Chewy.com is another place I shop.

I bet that DOES happen alot! I also recall her mentioning doing ads for Orvis, too.

She sends out emails at Easter and Halloween with them all lined up on her front steps wearing bunny ears and holding their Easter baskets, and then wearing their Halloween costumes. I don't think that I could get my 4 (Brittanys) to sit quietly side by side for anything. Maybe a treat, but the younger two would be too excited to sit still.

Here is info. on antler chews. Recommendation is actually to NOT give dogs the split chews since the edges get sharp (true) and they split more easily. You have to use your judgement. I've not had a problem with the split antlers, and I throw them away when they dogs have cleaned them out and the edges have become sharp and brittle.

I would much prefer to use the whole ones for the reasons mentioned, but as I said earlier, the dogs have had little interest in the whole antlers. Might want to start out with a whole one, though, and see how your dog takes to it.

I also never leave a dog alone with any chew. But my feeling is, dogs evolved from wolves and have been chewing in sticks and antlers and bones, etc., for eons. They're not idiots. And I think we humans get get a little over anxious about these kinds of things.

No socks in the wilderness!

Here is a link that might be useful: Antler chews

This post was edited by Tibbrix on Wed, Feb 4, 15 at 9:21

Ah! I just linked Petexpertise, Anele!

Lol.

No Agway near me. I've seen the whole antlers in stores, but want to try the split ones that you recommend. I found these split elk antlers.

Here is a link that might be useful: split elk antlers

The other good and VERY safe chews are the Himalayan Chews. They last a while not as long as the antlers. Also pricey.

I like to pick them out personally as they come in so many different shapes and sizes. I prefer the wider split antlers. I prefer the bulkier cuts to any with pointed or narrower ends.

Read the Antler Chews link to help you decide.

Congratulations on your beautiful Kevin!! I remember your earlier post. I am so happy you found the dog that's just right for your family. He looks sooooo cuddly!

Oh my gosh, that face is adorable! BIG congrats, Anele! Kevin is so blessed to have been adopted into your loving family. One alternative to antlers, if you can't find them easily, is split beef long bones. My butcher cuts them for me for my Dobie, Ronin. He cuts them about 12-16" long and splits them in half so that Ronin can get at the marrow. We give him a semi-frozen one every Friday evening while DH & I have our pizza and DVD night. The long bones are very thick, thus being much harder to break pieces off of. And, they're not sharp or messy.
Best wishes on your new furbaby from Lynn, Ronin, Chloe & Sasha!

Kevin is a cutie! Love his name. We always give our pets people names: Henry, Sam, Vicky, Isabelle, Jones, Buck, Jake, Hannah, Lola and Tommy. I have a neighbor who named her cat James. For some reason James the Cat cracks me up!

Yesterday we took our dog for a walk, and a dog walker came right up to us without asking and put her big Rhodesian Ridgeback right in my dog's face. Her dog was a on a prong collar. My dog was fine but I told her I wasn't comfortable with it . . .she told me I needed to socialize my dog.

This is just wrong. Are you just suppose to assume the other person's dog is not aggressive? I don't allow people or other animals to approach my dogs without a controlled introduction. To do otherwise is just irresponsible.

OMG, Kevin is soooo cute, congratulations anele!!!

Mag, that dog walker was totally wrong doing that and I hope you told her. So rude and very dangerous.

Hi again, Anele,

I found the info on the Morris study in the latest newsletter from one of the rescue orgs I've worked with. They mentioned they had 1900 signups, but it,s possible that it's not the newest update.

We've had Trupanion insurance for our dogs for the past 4-5 years. Unfortunately for our chocolate lab, we've had to use it several times. He is now an 11 year old spleenless wonder!

We had looked for a policy which covers the catastrophic type of coverage rather than, as some do, the regular check ups and shots. You can decide on the deductible you're comfortable handling. We had chosen a $1000 deductible, after which they cover 90% of most expenses. For Spencer's splenectomy we only needed to pay a little over that $1000 out of our pocket. And a subsequent issue he had was also covered because he had already met the deductible. I recently received info from trupanion that they now cover such items as acupuncture, stem cell procedures, and other therapies. NAYY, but just a very satisfied client. I hope that they're on your list of companies to consider.

I'm horrified with the approach of that "professional" dog walker. I would be tempted spray HER if she did that to me.

Chill out everyone about the dog walker. Dogs were on leashes. Can't control the animal kingdom completely, and the best thing you can do for your puppy is to introduce him/her to all kinds of situations and let him/her see YOU respond calmly. That is how they learn. Dog walker was correct. Your puppy needs to learn that there are all kinds of things in his neighborhood, dogs, cars, dogs that walk up to him, dogs that avoid him…rather than trying to control the situation, best to show your dog that you are calm in them rather than teaching him to be leery of other dogs and people.

Kevin is adorable. What a lucky boy!

My3dogs, are those pics public or did you post before? I feel like I've seen a pic like that!

Tibb, I ordered Himalayan chews this week-- but I am sort of worried about them. I've heard of dogs having problems.

As for the dog walker, YES, my dog needs to be socialized, but as a puppy, they need to be in the best situations possible, so I am taking him to an excellent school, getting him together with trusted dogs, and we continually socializing him-- 100 people in 100 days. Bad experiences at this point are very damaging. It's only after he's had a million GOOD experiences that he can deal with the bad. He is only 9 weeks old. He is not an adult with reserves of positive experiences. She should have asked, period. I don't believe in prong collars at all-- let's say she corrected the dog and then the dog associated the correction with my dog. Corrections are very tricky. I have heard to way too many dogs getting out of control with others (even on leash) and then creating reactive dogs. No thanks!

Joanie, thank you!

Lynn, that is great advice . . .I guess I have to wait until he's older, though?

Magdalena, those are wonderful names! And exactly-- she should have at least asked. It's just like those early parenting days-- everyone assumes they know more than the new parent!!!

Caminnc, thank you!

Blubird, Trupanion is one I am strongly considering. Has great reviews. I am so glad you have had good luck with it, though sorry for your pup! We just got notice yesterday that the study is officially closed. They made it to 3000 members!

Romy, thank you!

I need more suggestions for toys of all kinds. We have some balls (basic), fuzzy things (can't have even embroidery or he chews them in minutes), a few pull toys . . .many Kongs-- need more!

anele, what have you heard about the Himalayan chews? Maybe that they cause diarrhea? My understanding is that they are fully digestible, which is the biggest concern when it comes to chews, IMO. But who wants a dog with diarrhea too right?

Do keep in mind that dogs have very heart digestive systems, so long as what's going in there is "natural" to their systems. So, for example, socks are not. Sticks, antlers, etc., are. AGain, wolves and coyotes, etc., are out there in the wilderness chewing on all kinds of stuff. it's natural for dogs to do so.

As for the dog walking thing, if you don't want someone coming up to your dog, then it's up to you to prevent that, not for the other dog walker/owner to know that. If I'm walking a dog and I don't want the other dog coming near mine, I cross the street, which lets the other person know I can't have the dogs together, or I call ahead and yell, "Is your dog friendly?"

But every time you tug on that leash to "protect" your dog, you are teaching your puppy that that thing is a bad/dangerous/scary thing, and that is not the message you want to send to your puppy w/r/t other dogs. If someone walks up to your puppy with another dog, so what? It's good for your puppy. Presumably the other person would not do so if their dog was aggressive toward other dogs, and it sounds like the Ridgeback was not. Again, the dog sitter was correct, that you need to send messages throughout the day to your puppy as to what is dangerous and what is not. You don't want your dog thinking other dogs are dangerous or that he needs to protect you from them, and that is what you're telling him when you tug that leash and send a message that you don't want another dog near him.

Dogs have their social hierarchies. The older ones put the younger ones in their place, and that is how it should be. but they don't hurt them. We impose our human fears on dogs. You can control yourself and your dog, but not your environment or other people. Better to have let your puppy sniff the ridgeback and listen to you speak happily to its owner, see you pat the ridgeback, etc.

"Presumably the other person would not do so if their dog was aggressive toward other dogs, and it sounds like the Ridgeback was not."

I made the presumption with disastrous results. That's why I don't allow strange dogs/people to approach my dogs. Just because someone is walking their dog on a leash doesn't mean they are responsible or have a clue about dog ownership.

That is unfortunate, Magdalena, that you would allow one incident to teach your dog to be afraid of all dogs and people.

That is not a good lesson for dogs. That is also why I said it's not a bad idea to yell ahead and ask if the dog is friendly.

Responsible dog ownership includes teaching your dog how to behave around ALL people and dogs, not to avoid them.

OK...I've had enuff!!!

If you think ONE pic of that cutie is fine....
YOU'RE WRONG!!!!
;-)

Faron

No matter how responsible one is as a dog owner you can't be assured that other pet owners are responsible. I had a neighborhood GSD that was not on a leash try to attack my two that were leashed (small dogs). The owner called for the dog to come back but seemed in no hurry meanwhile I got in front of my dogs and kept yelling no and lunging to the side that the GSD did. He was definitely going for my dogs. The owner finally got to her dog and said she thought the dog had his shock collar on but guessed that he didn't. I just glared at her and made up my mind if the dog tried to attack again I was calling animal control. I know it wasn't the dog's fault, it was the owner's fault but a dog that is unfriendly to other dogs should be leashed when they are outside.

I think large dogs intimidate small dogs but if they are friendly it isn't a problem. My DD has a golden Doodle named Marley and he is the size of a Great Dane. He is absolutely huge but a sweetheart of a dog. My Yorkie, and Havanese have no problem being around Marley. KoKo jumps on the back of the sofa and tells him to stay away but Murphy plays with him. It's hilarious to see them chase each other around.

Tibb-- I will have to look it up . . .was in reviews I saw for them. I just remember it gave me pause, but so many like them that I thought I'd take the chance. And, like you said, it is a natural product, unlike Nylabones. I have often wondered HOW dogs survive in the wild since we seem to have to "protect" them from things like sticks!! So, your point is a really good one-- if it's natural, it's less likely to harm.

As for the dog walker-- this is how it played out. I was with my 3 and 5 year old on our sidewalk. My 3 year old just turned 3 so she is closer to 2. Our streets are very snowy, and it's hard to see the driveways (where they start). So, I was out there with them, monitoring them not going into driveways (which was hard!) and minding my dog. The dog walker arrived at someone's home across the street. She shouted out to me to get ready for fun with our Golden. I was surprised she did not come to say hi then. Then she went in, came out with the dog. (I never, ever, EVER see this dog walked around here so I don't know how much exercise he/she gets.) SHE crossed the street in order to have her dog interact with mine. She came right over. I was in front of my own house with my own 2 little kids with all that snow . . .I think she should have asked if ONLY because I have young children. I would not expect a random person to ask but I would expect a pro. I did not see signs of aggression, but the dog did not look loose and wiggly either. Alert, but not soft. So, I know what you mean-- it's up to me-- but geeze . . .people usually go out of their way not to come near me when I have my kids. I just found it very odd. And, yes, I know all about not pulling back on the leash. I didn't. I let my dog play. I just communicated with the walker, but I was relaxed with my own dog.

Magdalena, yes-- and honestly, it's good to ask because even though your dog is fine, the other dog could have issues. I know some dogs wear little vests with "I bite" or whatever . . .but I think most people assume they know way more about dogs than they do, and they say, "I don't know how this could have happened" when something does.

Beth, I forgot to tell you where we got the name: HOUSE HUNTERS. No joke!!!!!! (link)

Faron, hee, hee!!!! OK! Here are a few more:

{{gwi:2144233}}

{{gwi:2144234}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Kevin on House Hunters

Oh for the love of Pete, that face is making me crazy. I love GRs! I think Kevin would be a great model for LLBean!

One of my favorite customers has two Bernese Mountain Dogs that I adore. He came in again the other day and when I asked about his boys he invited me to see his new puppy Sophie who was waiting in his truck. She is also a BMD and what a sweet baby. I truly think I need a GR or a BMD to keep my pupsters company.

First of all, anele, you made NO mention of your being outside, on your property, with two small children. You first post on this subject simply said WE took our dog FOR A WALK, which implies you were not on your own property, and no mention of young children. Yes, people with dogs should not approach young children with them. But your expressed concern was for Kevin.

As far as the puppy goes, the dog walker was correct. and was only trying to be neighborly and friendly and getting the dogs to play, which is a good thing. IF you don't want someone with another dog approaching you, you need to yell ahead about that.

HK, small dogs are not intimidated by large dogs. I've seen large dogs intimidated by small dogs. It'd depends entirely on the dog's personality.

If you're going to involve yourself in the animal kingdom, then you have to be accepting of what comes with that and it isn't' always predictable precisely because they are animals. If you don't want your dog interacting with other dogs, put a fence up in your yard and let the dog play there…alone.

Otherwise, respect the animal kingdom and have some faith that dogs know what they're doing. Chances are, HK, that dog only wanted to play with yours. Best scenarios are: all dogs off leashes OR all dogs on leashes. Worst is one dog on, one dog off. That gets otherwise very well behaved dogs agitated.

"That is unfortunate, Magdalena, that you would allow one incident to teach your dog to be afraid of all dogs and people."

Exactly what is your expertise on the subject? I'm curious because you seem to be putting your opinion above those of us who have successfully and responsibly owned dogs for our entire lives.

HK-- exactly-- one never knows how the other dog will react. I have a puppy, so likely my dog will react fine-- but who knows. Some puppies are shy. Granted, those are ones with issues and one I would not have chosen, but the dog walker didn't know. I agree with you about small dogs. I know of places where they have separate areas for each. Sure, there are confident small dogs, but this can't be assumed . . .nothing can be assumed, and that is the problem.

I love BMD. They are just amazing. My DH would not go for so big a dog, but had he-- that was another breed I considered.

Tibb, I just did a search for dog walking etiquette. I haven't read all of my search results, but the top 10 would 100% disagree with you and the dog walker. Here are two.

http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/dog-safety-training-walking-etiquette-tips

Here is a link that might be useful: Dog Walking Etiquette

I am in love.

Actually, Anele, that blog says exactly what I said. that one dog on lead one off is the worst of the situations and should be avoided. Two on a lead is fine, two off is fine, and that the person who has the DINO should make clear to the other that their dog doesn't do well with other dogs.

You were the one who didn't want the other dog near you or your dog. You therefore should have yelled ahead to the dog walker that you didn't want her to come over.

Kevin is a beauty! We are long-time (tho now retired) Golden breeders and exhibitors. Kevin looks like he has some awfully nice genes in his family tree!

Kevin is one handsome GR pup! We got our "pick of the litter" male GR
back on Valentine's Day 1992- "Yanni" had a great temperament...but he
was a chewer! I took him to obedience training and he was very stubborn
the first few classes....did not want to sit down. We then got him a sibling
Yellow Labrador (rescue) and they became great pals. Ditto what Faron
said...keep posting his pics please!

Magdalena, I am a dog sitter and trainer and have been around, owned, cared for…dogs my entire life. I never said I was an expert, btw.

Holly-Kay, that is awful about the GSD. Well, not the dog-- the owner! I'm glad your dogs are OK.

Tibb, now I am confused. In the blog, it starts off by referencing another post . . .called, "My Dog Is Friendly!"

"These DINOS (Dogs In Need of Space) have every right to walk the streets, using a standard 4-6 foot leash, without interacting with strangers, human or canine. And yet…they are hounded, day after day, by cheery, well meaning dog owners who insist on meeting them.

Despite frantic efforts to cross the street or hiding between parked cars, DINOS are chased down by other people walking dogs, who refuse to believe that there is someone out there that do not want to meet them.

How do you spot these terrorists? You can recognize these people by their battle cry, “My dog is friendly!” Henceforth known as My Dog is Friendly (MDIF)."

In the blog, it does NOT say 2 dogs leashed are fine?

2. Both dogs on lead

Ask permission first and wait for the answer. Even if the owner says it is OK, be careful: being on leads adds extra tension to any meeting. If the answer is no, respect this, give space and move on quickly and quietly. See DINOS manifesto for more details.

Again-- she did not ask permission. I was just taken aback that it was all happening. I was first surprised she was crossing the street, then I was surprised she didn't ask, you know? And, I'm not sure if you've ever had a 3 and 5 year old out near driveways with a puppy (I didn't grow up with driveways-- hate that about the suburbs), but let me tell you, it's a little distracting. Sad to say, now I am not walking with my young kids and dog until at least 2/3rds of them are more reliable. Usually it is dead, dead, dead around here, so it was all very unexpected. And remember, I did finally speak up when I got over my shock. To be honest, had she asked permission, I am almost positive I would have said yes. It would show respect for dog and owner, not the typical attitude of so many dog "experts" of, "I know better than you."

Every single article says you should ask permission. It's so basic. I'm not sure why you are getting on me, with my young kids-- and not a professional-- for somehow not yelling across the street at her when I had no idea what she was doing. As a pro, SHE should have known better, period, or at least that's what every article I've read confirms.

I guess we can agree to disagree?

Sushipup-- wow!!! That is amazing. I would love to see photos of your dogs if you ever post publicly. Are you still involved in any capacity? Thank you for your kind words, too. Here are his parents:
{{gwi:2144235}}

and
{{gwi:2144236}}

Irish-- awww! I would love to see pics!!! Hee hee about him being stubborn! Ours is very, very food motivated. I want him to wear a sign, 'WILL WORK FOR FOOD"."

Kitchendetective, aww!

The fact that you are calling these people "terrorists" only adds to my point, that the hysteria and rage at "IRRESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS/WALKERS!" is, in most cases, misplaced and has more to do with the complainer than the other dog owner/walker. In all my years of taking care of dogs and working with them, I have NEVER seen anyone 'insist' on tracking down the person with the dog who is clearly trying to keep their dog away from the other, nor have I ever had it happen to me when I have crossed the street to avoid contact with another dog or person if I know I have a difficult dog.

Every single article says you should ask permission: did I not say that you should yell ahead and ask if the dog is friendly if YOU are the one concerned? I did say that.

What I am saying is that if you are the one with the anxiety about other dogs, then the burden should be on YOU to keep any meeting. You should have yelled back to the dog walker, No, please don't bring your dog over here. and fi she did bring the dog over and there was not a problem, which it sounds like there wasn't, I don't think you should have lit into her.

The best thing you can do for your dog, as I said, is to NOT fear other people and dogs., and that should be done everywhere, not only in controlled environments like training places.
Also, anyone who has or works with animals should know that you have to roll with the punches. Animal owners who scold other human beings, putting a dog above another person, I think are irresponsible animal owners.

And irresponsible dog owner is one who: doesn't clean up after their dog; knows their dog is aggressive yet allows their dog to be off leash in public areas and brings them to dog parks.

But a person who knows they have a friendly dog approaching a puppy is not an irresponsible person at all. To ask permission is, yes, proper etiquette and is a nice thing to do. But it is not an outrage if it's not done.

Know your outrages. This is not one of them. Kevin probably would have had a blast with the Ridgeback if you and simply let him and been cool about it yourself.

And here is a link that supports what I"m saying, that exposing esp. puppies to all kinds of situations, people, other dogs, in all settings, is very important and that the real factor is how the owner responds as the puppy learns from that.

Also, what I meant by "both on leads is fine" is that they're both under control. I also said both off is fine. The equal situations tend to be fine. But the one on, one off scenario can be risky.

Here is a link that might be useful: exposing dogs to all situations

OMG, Tibb. I did not call them terrorists. I c/p that from the blog.

If you read dog forums there are actually MANY stories of people with reactive dogs being ignored when they tell others to stay away.

Anyway, sure. It was fine for a pro to come up to a mom with a puppy and 2 young kids and shove a dog in the puppy's face without asking. She had zero responsibility otherwise, and the mom should be thanking her for the opportunity to socialize, right?

No one is saying my dog shouldn't be socialized. Trust me--I am on it. That isn't the point, but somehow I guess we will disagree with how a professional should behave.

I don't need any lectures, honestly. Believe it or not, I owned a dog before and, gasp, we were regulars at the dog park. He loved dogs and people.

This post was edited by anele on Thu, Feb 5, 15 at 18:23

I'm not lecturing you. I'm giving you my opinion, just as you have given me yours.

But I don't understand why you didn't yell ahead and ask her to not bring the dog over; and I doubt the took her dog's head and shoved it in your puppy's face. It is natural for dogs to sniff each other when they are getting to know each other.

But yes, if she took the ridgeback by the neck and shoved his face into Kevin's, I agree that is not good behavior.

Yes, you had a socializing opportunity and for some reason it upset you rather than embracing it. This is where we do disagree. I would have embraced it.

One of my dogs doesn't like to meet stranger dogs when he is on a leash and I have had multiple people's off-leash dogs come right up to him.

There is nothing more frustrating to me than when a dog is off leash on the road (hello- leash laws!) and the people don't have good enough recall to get the dog back before it approaches my dog.

I've had people actually act aggravated when their off leash dog approached my scared on-leash dog and I've told them to get their dog away from him.

There are absolutely some RUDE dog owners out there who think their dog's right to run free in the world (hello- leash laws!) trumps other dog's right to feel safe. The excuse is always "Oh, he's friendly." I don't care. My dog is scared, and they had no right to make him feel that way.

I think that this dog walker should have asked if it was OK. Then it would have been a good socialization opportunity. The person who initiates the contact, I believe, has the onus to make sure the contact is acceptable to the owner.

This post was edited by beaglesdoitbetter on Thu, Feb 5, 15 at 18:59

That's what I said: one on a leash, one off is not a good situation.

There are absolutely rude dog owners…of all stripes.

Ah, Kevin has a lovely family. I have seen many of Daddy's relatives in the ring here in California. We have one dog out on the show circuit right now, but with retirement staring us in the face, he might be the last that we show. Are you familiar with the website k9data.com? All the Golden pedigrees are there.

I'm not wild about posting details online, tho.

Kevin will bring a great deal of joy to your family.

oh, my. cutest eva! hope he brings much love to your family.

What a cutie pie! I just want to reach through the screen and snuggle him! As for toys, we are still figuring out which ones are best for our puppy. The first toy we bought him was a cheap Christmas penguin from the dollar store. It quickly became his lovey. He took it immediately to his pen and has been nothing but gentle with it. Then I bought supposedly sturdy toys from Cesar Milan's brand and he had them destroyed in 2 days. My sister bought him a rubber ball for Christmas that had a barking noise inside of it. He was afraid of it for a little while but now he LOVES it. He has learned to fetch with it and because it is round and rubber, he cannot tear it up (yet). We also got him one that lights up when you throw it. Most other toys, aside from rope toys he has destroyed. Love the idea of the antlers and beef bones. I will check into those.
Enjoy your Kevin!

Thx Anele!!!

GADZ that lil' Guy is cute!!!

HOWEVER...
A "truly proud" Dog-Mommy would be posting waaaayy more than 3 pics...
;-)

Faron
Here's our goofball, Callie, "tipped-over" in the entry. She apparently like to lay like this....goofy dog!!

Sushipup-- so neat that you see his family members! Wow!

Violet, he has brought so much joy already. I love that my kids can be cray-cray (haha) around him and he isn't fazed a bit. We train him amidst the chaos and he is 100% focused, at least for now. I make sure he gets tons of goodies from them so he is always happy to see them.

Joanie, I need pics of your pup! I remember when you got him! A barking ball sounds like fun! Have you tried Kongs? So far my guy does not like to actually chew on them . . .just licks them for the food inside.

FARON!!! Sooooooo cute, that Callie girl! She is just gorgeous! Aww! Hahaha, I do need to take more pics! My hands are usually so busy when I am with him that it isn't easy! More pics of Callie, please!

This post was edited by anele on Fri, Feb 6, 15 at 8:05

Anele,
Thanks for the extra photos. He's really adorable. Kudos to you for doing all your research and being responsible and careful with little Kevin.
When I got my Frenchie puppy I was SO nervous about everything. It felt like such a huge responsibility. I was terrified of reporting to his breeder that I had messed him up.I did the same as you, puppy playtime and then basic obedience classes with a great instructor. He's a great little dog and it was worth all of the effort.
We often have the same problem with people allowing their dogs to run right up to him when we're walking on the beach. I was warned that oftentimes other dogs don't "read" bulldogs well because they don't have a tail and Oscar has bad dog manners. We keep him on a long leash on the beach and just keep walking when other dogs approach. If the dog seems OK, we might allow a quick hello, but we just keep walking. In NH, there is a gorgeous German Shepherd (one of the ones from the Monks at New Skete) who the owner lets run loose. He's sneaky. Comes up from behind and tries to get to our dog and my elderly Lab nephew. Mostly the Lab, he seems intimidated by Oscar. I've spoken to the owner, but he's just an ass and insists the dog is "under his control". I've spoken to the PD, as there are leash laws and they want me to call next time the dog is out without the owner. It's a small town and they knew exactly what I was talking about.
Sorry, got off on a tangent...as far as the nipping at clothes, this is what worked for us. Whenever Oscar would nip or bite at clothes or fingers we'd immediately gasp really loudly and stand, pulling our arms in and turning our back on him. Whatever game or training came immediately to an end. Toys went away. It worked surprisingly well. Even now if we're wrestling or something and he accidentally nips his face just changes and he sits. A similar strategy works when he growls as well. He has a tendency to growl at DD and other people he thinks are "lower" than him. (She gets SO mad that at 22 she is less important than the dog..haha). Depending on how he's acting a growl might find him in his crate for a little time out as well.
That's what works for us. I'm sure there are a ton of differing opinions.

@anele-- I lost track of this thread..... but the big time chewing starts with teething. Boredom also contributes. At the time, this was pre remodel and our formal LR had so little traffic he thought it was a "safe" place to go -- especially when sick (ugh!). We had to put a baby gate up. oh tip -- the baby gates are 1/2 the price of the "puppy gates" and in the case of the one we bought -- IDENTICAL. Just marketing and 2x the price for the dog owner.

A lot of socks were lost in those early years. He had a little yellow ducky that was the only thing he did not shred to pieces. It was the oddest thing. To this day, he'll chew any dog bed but his "sofa", he'll leave alone.

Callie curled-up on the lower-level Black-Leather sectional!

Faron
Now....MORE pics of that cute little monster of yours!!!!

What an adorable wee soul!!!! :)

Lots of love, kisses and hugs to Kevin! :)

What a sweetie-pie face!

Faron - one of our cats likes to lie the way Callie likes to - showing the world his belly except he does it in the middle of the kitchen floor.

I run in the trails and it is an off-leash area and so a lot of dogs. For the most part the owners are very respectful of us and keep their dogs by them as we go by. Sometimes someone will have a puppy and of course we just have to stop to say hi but we would never approach or pat the puppy without asking for permission of the owner. The puppy may be under training, or may have specific rules for being petted - we don't know that.

One of our running partners brings her dog and the dog is afraid of other dogs. All are off leash but our friend knows that it is her responsibility to care for her dog if he gets apprehensive - she doesn't fault other dogs or owners. Now if it was an on-leash area and dogs are off-leash that might be a different matter.