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Messages - willowtree

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I have a better idea... how about everyone meet up at the dog park for an unofficial Big Paws convention and line up every one of our BIG dogs while we stand next to them with a sign that says "I dare you!".. okay, maybe that is a litle middle school minded, but I am still in shock. I need some processing time before I can give any useful advice.
LOL I really like that idea.  Just the picture of it made me smile.  I've seen two different great pyrenees there and a big ol' St. Bernard pup that would probably be great additions to the group :)

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I was so in shock and Maddox was whimpering so I didn't react to the guy right away, but I definitely like your all's suggestions.  It was one of those things where after the shock wore off I was so pissed and just wanted to smack the guy in the nose myself and wished I had chased him down.  Because really... WHO DOES THAT?! My boyfriend said next time he will definitely go with me and we should take along one of our trusty gulf clubs while confronting him... not that we would do anything to get our butts in jail but just so he'd know that we are serious.  The other idea one of my friends had was to go without Maddos, see if we could be nice to him long enough to catch his name (although he doesn't seem like the friendly  chatty kind of person) and then somehow report him somewhere or put up warning signs around campus with his name and picture.

School gets out next week so there will be less people around the park, but the team will still be practicing so I might make a few extra trips to the dog park to try to confront him.  Boyfriend in tow of course.

Every time I think about it I still get soooooo angry and it's been hours!  argh.  jerk.

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I will definitely have to try the cream cheese thing with Maddox!  He won't take his benadryl in anything nowadays.  Glad you had success :)

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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Runner smacked my dog!
« on: May 02, 2008, 04:35:54 pm »
So I took Maddox to the dog park today.  I don't take him that much because there are a couple of dogs I would consider too aggressive and before he was just too much of a puppy to handle it well.  Still some aggressive dogs there today, but that is another story...

First, I should explain that our dog park is a large set of fields near on university.  The dogs usually stay in one small corner.  It isn't an official dog park, but on any given afternoon there are at least 10-15 dogs there at once.  The dog park is a large field that happens to also kind of be the cross-country team's course. 

So on our way in I had Maddox on his leash and we were walking to the dog play area.  He was sniffing around and I told him to come to me, just as practice for later while no dogs were around.  He is coming towards me when this guy comes running up from behind and SMACKS Maddox.  Hard.  In a very angry pissed off way.  Maddox was clearly coming towards me at a gentle trot, tongue hanging out, barely even looked at the guy and I know we were not in his running way as the guy took a step to the side of his gait to smack my dog in the eye.  He was running quite fast and I was in such shock that I didn't get to say anything and wanted to make sure Maddox was ok.  Maddox was whimpering and clearly knocked a little silly from the smack.

I'm so enraged.  I don't even know what to do.  I asked the people there if this had ever happened to them, and one girl who had just arrived said when she was walking in with her tiny dog the same runner screamed at her to get the f*** out of the way.  The path there is really wide (10+ feet) and her dog was on a short leash.  He just didn't want to break his  path, but he came running from behind her.

I realize this is the cross country team's practice path and this individual was clearly not a team member but could have been a coach, if not another adult from the community.  However, I still firmly believe it is not right to smack my dog, especially not as hard as he did, who was clearly not being aggressive or even jumping or running towards him.  How would you all handle it if this situation ever came up again?   ???  Like I said, I don't take Maddox to the park that often, but when I do, I want to be prepared.

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I would like to second (or third or whatever) the benadryl suggestion.  The vet thinks Maddox has environmental allergies and food changes didn't help.  So far benadryl has really helped with the itching and swelling of his skin.  I was told to give him 25 mg 3x a day and Maddox is ~50 lbs.  The only thing is that he hates it if it touches his tongue at all.  He won't even eat them in hot dogs now...

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Mixed Breed Pictures / Re: What is he?
« on: April 26, 2008, 06:32:08 am »
I can definitely see the beagle in him.  Although he look SO much like a smaller version of the dog (Cooper/Roy) we adopted a while back!  We couldn't figure out what mix he was and then when his real owners found us we discovered he was half Akita and half Tennessee Walker  Coonhound.  This one is such a cutie, give him a hug for me next time you see him at your friends!

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Thanks for all the great advice.  I'm kind of relieved that I was already sort of on the right track... tons of chewy toys, lots of walks outside, and consistant behavior/obedience training.  It takes a lot to wear him out-- my dad took him on a "short" jog last week while visiting me that turned out to be four miles long!  I got home an hour after they had gotten back and Maddox was still zooming around the room  ::)  We already do NILF is free kind of training, so he has to sit, lie down, or stay for everything from food to toys to going out to play.

I had instant results yesterday with a small spray bottle of water.  After two little sprays after the nipping, accompanied by a firm uh-uh, no more biting for the rest of the afternoon or evening!  He looked tempted a few times, but I kept the spray bottle hooked on to my belt and one look reminded him.  This morning he tried once, but I picked up the spray bottle and he instantly stopped before I even had to spray and started licking me instead.

Thanks again for all the great advice.  It's so good to have an arsenal of things to try from experienced dog owners!!


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Thanks!  I know it is just a stage, it's just so hard to deal with when it hurts so much!!!

I will try the spray bottle and high-pitched noise.  He has frozen wash cloths and a plethora of other chewy toys but I seem to be his new favorite...  :)

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Behavior, Housebreaking, Obedience / Getting majorly frustrated :'(
« on: April 20, 2008, 05:20:55 am »
  Hi all.  Let me first say that I love my puppy Maddox (now ~5 months old).  However, I do not love the behavior he has begun in the last week.  He has begun to nip at me HARD!!!! and will not stop, to the point where I can barely walk around the apartment.  Pushing into the nip, a stern uh-uh or no, and spending extra time doing training have not helped.  I don't want to put him in his crate because I don't want him to think that the crate is a place of punishment (we just recently got him to "hang out" in his crate and like it). He nips very fast and very hard, over and over again.  He just recently started getting in his adult teeth and these nips have broken my skin.  I'm just so frustrated because it hurts a lot and nothing I do seems to make it stop!!!!

He never does this to my boyfriend, and will only do it to me when my boyfriend is not around.  It has built up to the point that whenever my boyfriend is not home, he does it constantly.  He also tried to hump me the other day (while nipping), even though he is neutered.  We figure he is trying to challenge my spot in the pack and show his dominance.  I just want to know how I can keep it in check and walk around without getting painful puncture marks!!!

What happened to my sweet, adorable puppy?  I mean, he's still sweet and adorable, but it's like Jekyl and Hyde!   I know this is something I have to be patient with and work with him, but at this point, our normal "no stop that" actions are not working.  Any suggestions?


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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Re: Strange sightings...
« on: April 10, 2008, 09:34:58 am »
whew!  I knew there had to be another explanation.   That's just one great thing about this board... where else would I find the answers to such questions?   :)

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General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws / Strange sightings...
« on: April 08, 2008, 09:14:21 pm »
So Maddox just got neutered the other day.  Everything went well and he seems fine.  If anything he is hyper now (never really was before), but from the postings I've been reading lately, this is not abnormal

Now for my question...

The other morning I was rubbing Maddox's belly when I noticed two little round protrusions at the end of his youknowwhat.  It definitely looked like his testicles.  I was shocked and then he got up and the next time I looked they had disappeared.

I told my boyfriend this and we both dismissed it as me seeing things.

Then this morning I hear a big "huh?" from the kitchen.  My boyfriend had just spotted what he thought were testicles as well, but again they disappeared by the time I got there.

Just now Maddox was stretching out on the floor and they are back again!  I don't want to prod around as he just had surgery, but are these what they appear to be?

Are we crazy?  Is there anything else to explain these sightings?  We definitely did not get neuticles for Maddox, but according to the vet papers they definitely did the surgery.  Is a neuter not a full removal as I previously thought?

Thanks in advance for any replies to my semi-odd and embarrassing question.

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He's such a cutie!  I also have a 17 week old puppy (Maddox) that we adopted and he looks kind of like Balthazar, but without the white on his legs.  Can't wait to see more pictures  :)

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I see so many postings for pets everyday on the craigslists around me.  However, this one, by far, just blows my mind.  6 dogs!  If we didn't just get Maddox, I would definitely be inquiring about the Great Dane puppy.  I'm just not sure it would be best for us to take on another dog this soon.  I just hope they don't all go to the pound.  YIKES!  >:(

----------------
Date: 2008-03-15, 9:10PM EDT

I am having to get rid of some of my dogs due to having a business ran out of my home. I have 4 pugs male and females, 1 great dane male who is a puppy and a one year old chihuahua. They will be greatly missed. I am asking a very small adoption fee for each. It's best to call for questions. They will need to be gone very soon or will have to be sent to a shelter. Call DAY OR NIGHT 540-XXX-XXXX

Location:  Waynesboro, VA

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That is such a great story!  Any plans to bring her back soon?  Maybe she can make it a regular thing  :) 

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So after the whole Cooper/Roy incident, my boyfriend and I started looking for a new pound puppy to love and spoil.  We saw this guy on Petfinder at a shelter about an hour away and went to go check him out.  There were TONS of puppies and very young dogs there (including a huge, one year old Great Pyrenees), but after playing with and interacting with  a bunch of them I was still stuck on this one... so we got him on Thursday (our Valentines puppy).  We named him Maddox.

He's as sweet as can be and a bit shy when he is in new situations, but he warms up quickly.  He is a bit low energy, but he still plays around and likes to romp around outside. 

He got a clean bill of health from the vet yesterday, save some roundworms in his stool.  He is 24 pounds and somewhere between two and three months old.  He has the softest puppy fur... I just can't stop petting him!

We aren't quite sure what his mix is.  I think he's a lab/newfie mix.  The shelter had him listed as a lab/south russian ovtcharka.  My boyfriend thinks he has some caucasian ovtcharka in him, but only time will tell!  His webbed paws indicate some kind of water dog, but we don't know if that comes from having some lab or newfie or something else in him.  The vet said she was really curious too and told us about this test that they have to tell what breeds  he is.  It is $150 though and of course she wasn't curious enough to pay for it herself  ;)

Here are some pics and I'll be posting some better ones as I charge up my camera again!  The pictures do not do justice to how cute and fluffy he is!


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