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Messages - CalistogaPyr

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1
Ripley is the worst at door bolting!  HE's even figured out how to open the screen door if it's not latched and take a stroll around the neighborhood!!  We have trained him to sit/stay at the front door until we release him.  I agree that a training collar or gentle leader of some kind will give you the control you need.  My girl, Bo, weighs 135lbs and we've used a variety of remedies to keep her in check (easy walk harness, gentle leader, prong collar, martingale collar)...all of which work well.  I prefer the prong collar mostly because of the amount of fur on her neck and the fact that it gets her attention better than anything else.
Good luck!!

2
So the other night, my husband took the dogs out to pee (about 2:30am).  Bo ran to the spot near the deck where the 'coons have been and was searching for them (this is her usual behavior).  The strange thing was, Ripley totally squared off at her and challenged her, which lead to a rather loud fight on the lawn that took both of us to break up.  There was no biting, just a lot of snarling & growling.  My husband said that Bo was totally minding her own business until Ripley challenged her.  Ripley is about 2 1/2 now (fixed), so I'm wondering if this is some kind of developmental stage where he's trying to assert himself as top dog?  Bo is pretty much the HBIC in our house (amongst the dogs, that is), and she outweighs him by about 80 pounds, so I'm just wondering if this is normal or if there's something we can do to thwart this behavior.  I'm enrolling him in formal obedience in June and he has some knowledge of basic commands that I've worked with him on.  Has anyone else had this kind of an issue?
Thanks!
Jenn

3
Thanks!!  I'm so happy to have this added layer of support.  I don't know if the dogs can sense that I'm pregnant...Bo seems to be more guardian-like, but she's like that normally so I could just be reading into it!!  My boys are love muffins all the time, so them being clingy is nothing new!!  I'll keep you  all posted on the progress and if you have any other pre-baby conditioning suggestions, I welcome them!
Jenn

4
Thanks, everyone!  I VERY MUCH appreciate everyone's feedback and support.  I know, common sense is always the best way to roll, right?  I just don't want to be one of those people who "have" to give up their dogs when they have children.  I have cared for and trained all three-including my Pyr, who is a CGC and retired therapy dog!  I just want to make sure that they aren't neglected in the whole transition.  I am hopeful that with time and patience, we can all be a big happy family.  On a side note, I have my first sonongram on Friday!  Cross your fingers for a healthy, beating heart!

5
Thanks, Jenn.  I appreciate your thoughts.  The WTH stage is definitely here...keeping me up all last night.  We really talked about the whole concept yesterday so it is really fresh on my mind.  I've got my first doctor's appointment on Friday and I will know more then.  I think I'm about 6 weeks along, though.  It's really surreal...cons idering I didn't think I could have kids nor did I plan to have them.  I'm a psychotherapis t and, frankly, I parent people for a living.  The idea of bringing a child into this world and possibly creating another client scared the beejeezus out of me!  Well, I guess I will have to work hard to not be the parent I always feared I would be!! =)  Thanks for the suggestion about household volume...with three big dogs in the house, quiet time is a rareity!!! =)  My husband thinks that once Bo figures out that baby is part of the pack, she'll protect & guard he/she as much as she does me.  Here's to plunging in with both feet...

6
Thanks, guys.  It's a big adjustment and we're going through lots of mixed feelings right now.  Haven't gotten to the acceptance & excited stage just yet...but I'm hoping it'll come!  Regarding Bo's reaction to toddlers...she mostly acts fearful of them and then barks at them.  Because she's so big, it's usually pretty scary for the kids (understandably) and for me!!  She's NEVER bitten anyone or anything, and is typically a dog that is louder than anything.  However, I don't want to put her in a bad position if she's fearful of the child (I attribute it to their height-eye level with her- and their unsteady gait).  I wish I had some brave friends with unflappable children...I'd certainly do some exposure work with her!!  Needless to say, this whole thing is uncharted territory for me.

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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / 3 big paws & a baby-help!
« on: April 13, 2009, 07:18:05 am »
I tried posting this earlier...let me try again!!  Well, it looks like the family is going to expand.  I am now 6 weeks pregnant with a VERY unplanned pregnancy!  As you can understand, I'm overwhelmed with feelings, fears and a TOTALY LOSS OF CONTROL!  Needless to say, my husband & I want to keep our fur family intact during and after the transition to a skin child being in the house.  I wanted to hear from others how they facilitated this transition.  Bo (our Pyr girl) has no exposure to newborns but does not like toddlers (they make her nervous).  Floyd does well with toddlers but has no exposure to newborns, and Ripley, we just don't know yet!  I welcome support and feedback...fee ling a little flummoxed by this big change in life-plan.
Thanks,
Jenn in CA

8
Good News!  It's just a lipoma (fatty tumor).  I think her offical diagnosis was "Fatty Bo Batty" as the vet seemed more concerned with me bringing her weight (135.5lbs)down than the "hard boiled egg" shaped lump!! =)  He also confirmed that the seizures were not related to the tumor and gave us guidelines of what to look for in regards to changes in seizure frequency and tumor density. 
=)

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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Found a lump on Bo...
« on: February 25, 2009, 05:08:52 am »
Thanks for the feedback, everyone!  Bo's lump is actually on her side...just before where her back leg connects with her torso.  I'm sure it's nothing and she doesn't seem to be feeling badly, so I am hopeful that it will be a benign visit to the vet's tomorrow. The worst thing will probably be just getting her there, since she becomes IMMOVABLE when she goes to the vet!!  She HATES it there and makes it well known with all 132lbs of herself!

10
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Found a lump on Bo...
« on: February 24, 2009, 08:43:17 am »
I'm hoping it's just a fatty tumor...that would be the best explanation, for sure!!  Again, since it's my first go-around with lumps of any kind, I'm a little nervous, but hopeful that it's nothing.  When I called the vet, I had to preface the conversation with the fact that I'm a total hypochondriac when it comes to my dog!!

11
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Found a lump on Bo...
« on: February 24, 2009, 07:17:04 am »
Hey BPO-ers!  I haven't been around for a while...busy with work & life (and husband's pre-Christmas pink slip).  I wanted to pose a question to the group for thoughts as I'm out of my depth on this one.

We discovered a lump on Bo's right side (just in front of her right leg...I guess it's like a dog leg armpit area) over the weekend.  It's about 1" in length and shaped like a football.  It's a solid mass, but it seems as though you can move it (although since this is my first experience with it, I don't know if I'm actually moving it or if that's the skin).  It doesn't seem to be causing her any pain, although when I was pressing on it the other day, she turned her head to explore what I was doing to her.  I have an appointment scheduled with the vet for Thursday, but one of the reasons I'm concerned is that she had a seizure about three weeks ago, pretty much out of nowhere.  The vet attributed it to the Reconcile (prozac) she was on for seperation anxiety, but since she'd been on it for over a year with not seizure behavior, I wasn't too sure about that diagnosis.  That was before we found the lump.  Anyway, I know that we can't know anything until the vet looks at it, but I wanted to know if anyone had a suggestion as to questions I should ask or things I should look out for.  Thanks for reading & responding...I appreciate the support and information!!

Jenn in CA. 

12
I think I may have found a culprit this weekend... A FLEA!!!  I noticed, too, that she has these little bumps on her like mosquito bites.  I had lapsed on her monthly flea dose and I think she may have picked them up from my mom's husband's dogs (who aren't very well cared for) at Thanksgiving.  I dosed her with some Advantage and I bought some herbal skin soother spray to try to help her feel better.  She's still itchy, but not nearly as bad.  I guess it might be a flea alergy?  Anyway, I agree that the weather is still a factor, but I think it was probably the flea thing.  D'oh!!

13
Good point...she does have a delicate tummy.  Her brothers, on the other hand, will eat a tin can if they could!! =)

14
Yeah, this is her first winter with less hair!!  I know I'M itchy and dry, so I imagine that she is, too.  We haven't had much rain here in Nor Cal to speak of.  My husband is blaming it on the new food, but I think it's just a coincidence.  The food is really good...plus it's available where we live which is a plus!  I was driving an hour from home to buy Instinct and couldn't see the sense in doing that when I'm trying to save money!! =)
I'll try the olive oil...got lots of that around!

15
General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / allergies, dry skin or haircut?
« on: December 05, 2008, 07:21:34 am »
Happy holidays all!!  I wanted to post this question to see if anyone had any ideas as to the recent onset of itchy skin in Bo.  She started itching a lot a few weeks ago and I don't know if it's because we changed her food, the really dry weather (my face is peeling off) or the fact that we had her hair clipped to 1/4" about two months ago (it's now about an inch long) due to BAD dreadlocks and BIG STINK.  We changed her food from Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken to Evangers Pheasant & brown rice.  She's not having any bowel or tummy problems that we can see (which is what usually happens when she's allergic to something), so I am at a loss as to whether or not this is an allergy to food, fleas (which we haven't seen) or bad weather!! =)   

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