Community Chat

[happycat]

Thank you all for your replies. I didn't realize it was better to crate on than to leave on the run outside. I will feel better now, leaving him in his crate if I have to go somewhere. He does have full run of the house, he loves our bed, or the loveseat. His last vet visit he weight around 90 lbs., but he doesn't know it, (or doesn't care) and he loves to get in our laps.

Lilysmom, you are right, a pet is a wonderful companion and I think we needed him about as much as he needed us . It is just special when a stray adopts you, and it turns out like this.

[Lilysmom]

Happycat, I think your dog is very lucky to have found such a good home. I hope you have many happy years together. LM

[151949]

On 7/6/2014 Feline Fine said:

On 7/6/2014 happy housewife said:

Our weims loved the kennel - came to us crate trained from the wonderful breeder here in Pitts. We would leave the crate on the porch at our camp with the door open and she would go and lay in there all day. When we went out on our boat fishing we would leave her there and our neighbors would keep and eye on her - they nsaid she never barked, or ran but would sleep most of the day in the crate, occasionally coming over for a scratch on the ear or out for a pee.

When you keep a large dog in a crate all day long you absolutely HAVE TO spend time in the evening to get them tired out outside or they will drive you crazy and they will be up all night because they sleep all day in the crate. When ours were pups we had a dog walk service come and take them for a long, long walk twice every day. It definitely helped because i worked 12 hour shifts, was way too tired to walk a dog by the time I got home, and it tired the puppy out for me. As she got older I started to only work 2 days a week and I would work on the days my DH was working at home so she was not alone any day and then we would take her to the industrial park where she could run free in the evenings. Once a dog learns that good behavior like coming when called and staying by your side when commanded gets them a daily off leash walk they will behave with no problem. Occasionally, ours would go after a deer or a rabbit but would come back when called. Chasing a deer through the woods is great exercise as they will never catch it and it really gives them a run for the money.

What a good girl! Aww...

We could not have left her if she wasn't so well behaved because the neighbors who kept an eye on her for us were in their 80's and could not have chased her.I think they fed her while we weren't there because she never wanted to eat, and I know the lady used to give her saucers of very milky coffee which the dog just loved.

[Feline Fine]

On 7/6/2014 happy housewife said:

On 7/6/2014 Feline Fine said:

On 7/6/2014 happy housewife said:

Our weims loved the kennel - came to us crate trained from the wonderful breeder here in Pitts. We would leave the crate on the porch at our camp with the door open and she would go and lay in there all day. When we went out on our boat fishing we would leave her there and our neighbors would keep and eye on her - they nsaid she never barked, or ran but would sleep most of the day in the crate, occasionally coming over for a scratch on the ear or out for a pee.

When you keep a large dog in a crate all day long you absolutely HAVE TO spend time in the evening to get them tired out outside or they will drive you crazy and they will be up all night because they sleep all day in the crate. When ours were pups we had a dog walk service come and take them for a long, long walk twice every day. It definitely helped because i worked 12 hour shifts, was way too tired to walk a dog by the time I got home, and it tired the puppy out for me. As she got older I started to only work 2 days a week and I would work on the days my DH was working at home so she was not alone any day and then we would take her to the industrial park where she could run free in the evenings. Once a dog learns that good behavior like coming when called and staying by your side when commanded gets them a daily off leash walk they will behave with no problem. Occasionally, ours would go after a deer or a rabbit but would come back when called. Chasing a deer through the woods is great exercise as they will never catch it and it really gives them a run for the money.

What a good girl! Aww...

We could not have left her if she wasn't so well behaved because the neighbors who kept an eye on her for us were in their 80's and could not have chased her.I think they fed her while we weren't there because she never wanted to eat, and I know the lady used to give her saucers of very milky coffee which the dog just loved.

Some extra protein & calcium.

[Feline Fine]

On 7/6/2014 happycat said:

Thank you all for your replies. I didn't realize it was better to crate on than to leave on the run outside. I will feel better now, leaving him in his crate if I have to go somewhere.

He does have full run of the house, he loves our bed, or the loveseat. His last vet visit he weight around 90 lbs., but he doesn't know it, (or doesn't care) and he loves to get in our laps.

Lilysmom, you are right, a pet is a wonderful companion and I think we needed him about as much as he needed us . It is just special when a stray adopts you, and it turns out like this.

Most of us learn something new everyday.

(most big dogs think they're lap dogs, LOL)

Bless the whole fam, and it really sounds like you all were meant to share life together.

What did you name him, BTW? He sounds fantastic and like quite a character, who brings laughter into your lives on a daily basis. 8)

[happycat]

Our daughter named him Forrest, because she loves Forrest Gump. Our daughter had to move for her job, but she calls me every night and Forrest is the first thing she asks about. He is now snoring on the loveseat. Our walk this morning seemed to wear us both out. He is definitely a character. He loves to be chased, when my husband sits down in the evening, Forrest will come up to him and bark, and bark wanting dh to chase him around the house, and usually he gets his way. He is just lucky we are not high class! He thinks nothing is off limits, and I do wish he would not counter surf. On the other hand he forces me to keep a clean and tidy kitchen.

When I think about how he was when he first came, the difference is really astounding. He was just so sick and scared of us.

Oh, I was gonna ask what ya'll think of this. Our son bought a banjo a few weeks ago. Forrest HATES it. He freaks out if he plays it in his room with the door shut. When he first got it and would play Forrest would run to wherever I was and get behind me, like he was just terrified, hair standing on end, barking like crazy. What in the world? Did someone beat him with a banjo? Have you ever hear of such? so now our son takes it outside to practice because it terrorizes Forrest so much.

[Kachina624]

The sound probably on some level hurts his ears. I have a big male collie. Whenever he hears a siren, which is pretty often, he puts his nose in the air and emits the most eerie, ghostly howl you ever heard. He looks just like the silhouette of the howling coyote. I often wonder what the neighbors think. They probably think my house is haunted. He has done it a couple of times in the middle of the night in the house and scared me half to death. He could do sound effects for horror movies.

[happycat]

On 7/11/2014 kachina624 said: The sound probably on some level hurts his ears. I have a big male collie. Whenever he hears a siren, which is pretty often, he puts his nose in the air and emits the most eerie, ghostly howl you ever heard. He looks just like the silhouette of the howling coyote. I often wonder what the neighbors think. They probably think my house is haunted. He has done it a couple of times in the middle of the night in the house and scared me half to death. He could do sound effects for horror movies.

Oh, goodness! That would be something to wake up to- Your collie could probably give someone a heart attack, if they were spending the night and weren't forewarned. Maybe it is the sound that hurts Forrests ears. He doesn't even like to look at that banjo, so we try to make it where he doesn't.

[Feline Fine]

On 7/10/2014 happycat said:

Our daughter named him Forrest, because she loves Forrest Gump. Our daughter had to move for her job, but she calls me every night and Forrest is the first thing she asks about. He is now snoring on the loveseat. Our walk this morning seemed to wear us both out. He is definitely a character. He loves to be chased, when my husband sits down in the evening, Forrest will come up to him and bark, and bark wanting dh to chase him around the house, and usually he gets his way. He is just lucky we are not high class! He thinks nothing is off limits, and I do wish he would not counter surf. On the other hand he forces me to keep a clean and tidy kitchen.

When I think about how he was when he first came, the difference is really astounding. He was just so sick and scared of us.

Oh, I was gonna ask what ya'll think of this. Our son bought a banjo a few weeks ago. Forrest HATES it. He freaks out if he plays it in his room with the door shut. When he first got it and would play Forrest would run to wherever I was and get behind me, like he was just terrified, hair standing on end, barking like crazy. What in the world? Did someone beat him with a banjo? Have you ever hear of such? so now our son takes it outside to practice because it terrorizes Forrest so much.

I knew a Chocolate Lab who - when they were done eating a meal - would grab the kitchen towel when he wanted his mom to chase him around the table.

Bless your son, you, & your hubs for your empathy and understanding about the 'evil banjo'.