Got a dog?

General Discussion
#1

I do. Here’s Callie (phonetic translation of a gaelic word for young girl). She’s a black lab. Not the kind you get from a breeder with papers. The kind you get from a friend when his lab has puppies after having sex with another lab. She was one of 13…pretty crazy. One was born dead, one died the first night, and the other 11 are all over the place now. They range in size from 55-60 lbs like Callie and her sisters to her brothers who are 80-90 lbs.

Here is a puppy pic when she was a few weeks old (looking at the camera)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG00173-20100314-1304_zpsgco9ybab.jpg

She likes to fuck my stuff up, like my golf socks

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20120522_081536_zpsffnhqlkc.jpg

or my telly remote…

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/Oakville-20110723-00252_zpssplvwn47.jpg

and then she likes to put a guilty face on when she gets caught

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20140817_135620_zpspophzlul.jpg

She likes to curl up in a ball when she’s cold

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20140512_080539_zpsqecw7nwy.jpg

She likes to steal toys (that bone is from another dog in the area, and that ball is from the kids who play hockey on the street)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20131224_084657_zpsb5wm2ayc.jpg

She likes to stare at the fire

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20131026_144150_zpswfygav2x.jpg

even when it’s not turned on…

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20131116_114054_zps1sugwkyc.jpg

She has a bulldog puppy friend

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Oscar%20and%20Callie/OCSmallSized-3.jpg

She likes to get hurt (that’s a ghetto bandage/field dressing I made using gauze and painter’s tape on a cut on her foot)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20130218_143350_zpsys8injws.jpg

She likes to be allergic to everything (those bumps all represent an allergic reaction. It’s for 25 different stimuli. She hit the ball out of the park! Only thing she wasn’t allergic to was the saline solution (the control test lol)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/20130319_144851_zps0zrhtsvq.jpg

Here’s her face after getting a shot she was allergic to…

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Screenshot_2014-09-18-08-11-46_zpsf63d9457.png

She loves her LL Bean beds…(they’re awesome…and last forever…and if they wear out, LL Bean will literallly send you a new one, for free)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/Oakville-20110815-00309_zpsmrxjzfdd.jpg

but she also likes to sneak up on the bed (not allowed)…

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/aaaa_zpsusfp03qt.jpg

and the couch (also not allowed)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG00483-20110217-1907_zpsovaejsqr.jpg

She learned all her tricks from our old Rottwhiler, Jamie. She died of bone cancer but managed to teach callie about food being in the garbage and how to scam second dinners when the second person comes home late from work etc.

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG00283-20100424-0955_zpsljc3vtsf.jpg

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG00275-20100424-0839_zpsmiwxesqk.jpg

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/Mobile%20Uploads/jamie_zpsxvjspo07.jpg

It was weird when Jamie died…for a few days, Callie was very quiet. Very down almost. Didn’t think a dog would grieve for another dog, especially when she wasn’t acutely aware Jamie had died at all (because we took Jamie out of the house very much alive, to the vet). When we were back at home, it was such a change. Callie who is normally a very high energy, happy go lucky dog was just sad and out of it. Wasn’t in our heads either…it was legit. Guess she could also have sensed our grief, but still. Pretty interesting.

Anyway, I couldn’t imagine not having a dog.

You got one?

#2

Good-looking dog! The pic of her staring into the unlit fireplace is pretty funny.

I don’t own a dog but consider my parents’ two golden retrievers to be very much part of the family. I would definitely get a dog if I didn’t live in the city.

#3

Cool dog!

No dogs here. We’re a cat household.

#4

3 here. No pictures though as my damn phone gallery seems to have lost a shit ton of pictures! Wtf

You can see one peering through the screen door. Shes a 4 yr old rescued put bill. We have another rescued pit who is 12. Shes showing her age really bad and has cancer. An insolinoma on her pancreas. Shes hypoglycemic and needs to be fed 4 times a day religiously or he bg dips too low and has seizures. Ill tell you its one of the most disturbing things ive had to witness. Our other is a 15 yr old chow, lab, sharpei mix. Hes got horrible hips, deaf, and not so bright. Still kicking it though.

The two older dogs had a bit of a homecoming with our move. They were born in Flagstaff. Glad they got to come home too. Sadly, they are not long for this world. I suspect we are going to have some tough decisions in the not so far off future.

All rescued. Wont have it any other way. Too many unwanted and neglected animals not to give one a good home in favor of a specific breed. Just my opinion.

#5

3 here. No pictures though as my damn phone gallery seems to have lost a shit ton of pictures! Wtf

You can see one peering through the screen door. Shes a 4 yr old rescued pit bull. We have another rescued pit who is 12. Shes showing her age really bad and has cancer. An insolinoma on her pancreas. Shes hypoglycemic and needs to be fed 4 times a day religiously or her bg dips too low and has seizures. Ill tell you its one of the most disturbing things ive had to witness. Our other is a 15 yr old chow, lab, sharpei mix. Hes got horrible hips, deaf, and not so bright. Still kicking it though.

The two older dogs had a bit of a homecoming with our move. They were born in Flagstaff. Glad they got to come home too. Sadly, they are not long for this world. I suspect we are going to have some tough decisions in the not so far off future.

All rescued. Wont have it any other way. Too many unwanted and neglected animals not to give one a good home in favor of a specific breed. Just my opinion.

#6

Present. We have a disgusting little French Bulldog named Boodrow that is the coolest little shit in the world.

#7

French bd’s are pretty damn cool! One of few littler dogs I could see me owning.

#8

French bd’s are pretty damn cool! One of few littler dogs I could see me owning.

#9

Very nice dog Saki

I have only ever had dogs - although i had a stage for 2 years where i didnt have any, they do make such a difference to your life.

I have an 11 month Alaskan Malamute named Bentley - I wanted to name him quattro, but I completely lost that argument with my partner, she absolutely refused.

Here he is at 3 months old

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/DSC_7634.jpg

And here he is at 9 months old

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/DSC_8596.jpg

We also have an 8 year old Pomeranian name Obie
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/DSC_7741.jpg

Thye both love cookies

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/20140902_214751.jpg

Bentley loves cows

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/20140817_074411_1.jpg

Bentley loves toys

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/20140621_165556.jpg

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/20140607_112635.jpg

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/20140529_0735520.jpg

A little too much

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/20140521_091657.jpg

http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/LoutJnr/Bentley/20140315_160933.jpg

#10

Here is my Loba

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/22/c15279cae3be11707b5174ec9034c89c.jpg

#11

^^ Nice. Very sophisticated looking.

#12

Lol right? I saw her sitting like that and I was like, you little snot. So I took a photo lol

#13

lol at the dog tag. cool looking dog, what kind of personality do they have?

#14

Shes one classy gal!

#15

Thanks. he has a good personality, like being part of the pack. He is very inquisitive and loves playing and being around me especially - he is still in a puppy so will be interesting to see his personality develop as he gets older. I find he has a really good sense about people. When I walk him around the neighbourhood and there are bogans walking towards us he doesnt want to be anywhere near them in comparison to “normal” people he is happy to walk up to and get a pat.

At the moment he weighs 38Kg

#16

Great lookin dogs guys!

Well, here is my absolute spaz of a black lab Lily. Got her in the same situation as Saki, was an oopsie pregnancy with one papered lab and one non papered so we got a good deal. She is an absolute sweetheart. She will be 2 this December and is about 75lbs. Unfortunatly all I have are cell pics…

A couple days after I brought her home

http://i58.tinypic.com/2nghl6s.jpg

A couple months old…and my ugly mug

http://i60.tinypic.com/11t3n79.jpg

She has been pretty good about not chewing up stuff, I kept her pretty busy as a pup. She will go through a rawhide bone in about 2 days though.

http://i60.tinypic.com/11jaomx.jpg

Riding around in the e34 I used to have

http://i61.tinypic.com/9k9vk8.jpg

Here is my dog on drugs…(after getting fixed and having dew claws removed)

http://i60.tinypic.com/2ih3rjr.jpg

Camping up in the Naches (WA)

http://i61.tinypic.com/4sz5ad.jpg

About a year old

http://i58.tinypic.com/2j432o4.jpg

Playing/swimming at my parents lake house a couple months ago waiting for me to throw the ball for her. She is a whore for balls and can sniff them out anywhere (lulz) for some reason its always baseballs at the park.

http://i57.tinypic.com/25evcls.jpg

#17

It’s so funny how similar black labs look when I see them. Our neighbour had a black lab puppy, and my gf dad has one he has had for ten years and I could use the photos of any one of them for each other and nobody would know.
This is three different lab puppies

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/2014-09-23_08-14-27_zpsquh7bwit.jpg

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/2014-09-23_08-14-12_zpsp0yvn31y.jpg

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/2014-09-23_08-14-51_zpssumuey7b.jpg

#18

That was a nice and thoughtful way to share your dog with the forum, Saki.

I had a black labrador when I was a child. A big one that we got when I lived in Scotland. Nearly 100 lbs. Perfect temperament and very intelligent.

He always wanted to be with people. Never needed a leash. He’d sit right next to you while a parade of squirrels and rabbits marched across the street. Then look up to ask, “Permission to chase them, sir?”

But you could not let him alone in the yard! We used to call him Houdini, because there was no fence, collar, or harness that could keep him. Strong as a bull. He’d rip fences apart from posts, dig under them, climb over them. I watched him dislocate his shoulder to pull out of a full chest harness.

Once, my family got a call on vacation that we had to remove him from the boarding kennel. Overnight, he ripped the kennel’s fence apart to get into the handlers’ area, peed on all the other dogs, and then escaped into the street. When we got there next day, they were keeping him in the office area. He had that look, “This place is awesome! Where have you been?”

No dogs currently. My last dog was beautiful 180 lb mutt, but he was never comfortable around children. After he growled and showed teeth at my toddler, he had to go. He went back to his mom (owned by my mom), so it was a bittersweet moment.

#19

Oh I know. Yet somehow they all have such different personalities. But I suppose that is true for most breeds.

#20

That sounds like a real handful DD! Not saying this is the case with your dog, but I’ve found that dogs who escape tend to be dogs who need more of a walk.

For dogs, the walk imitates that primal ritual of a wolf pack patrolling the territory and hunting for food for the family. It’s a basic need canines have. If they don’t get that need filled, they escape. Go check out wolves at the zoo…they’re nuts. They’ve worn a path around the perimeter of their enclosure because they’re literally going bonkers trapped in there. Dogs vary widely…some need a 20 minute walk every other day and are satisfied taking it easy otherwise. Others (like our lab) need a 30-40 minute jog or bikeride every morning, or they spaz the fuck out and annoy you. Key is to physically (and mentally) tire them out with that ritual early in the day. It’s immensely satisfying for them. See the photo of my remote control above. There were 20 days like that over the course of the first few months we had Callie. We finally figured out the 30 minute morning walk we would take with her and our rottwhiler wasn’t enough. So we started with the bike ride for Callie once Jamie got bone cancer and couldn’t walk anymore. It was like flicking a switch…she didn’t wreck anything anymore. She didn’t spaz out and run sprint circles in the backyard, alone. She just chilled out all day after a 3-5 mile bike ride.

We had friends with 3 German sheppards and a 1 acre property, of which they had access to 50% of it. They were guard dogs first, pets second. They lived in a rural area, with bears and wolf packs in the area, as well as a prison 10 minutes away (talk about a gauntlet!). our friends didn’t think they needed a walk because htey had such a big yard. Well, they too were houdinis. They used to escape about 2x per summer. Once they were found 30 kms away from the house a month later. It’s a need they have.

The dog who growled at the kids might have just thought he was the family pack leader, and maybe the kids got in his space uninvited. It’s a big deal in a dog pack (which your family is with a dog)…the pack leader is boss, and nobody comes up to them uninvited or pets them or kisses them uninvited. If you do, they warn you with a growl or stripping their teeth. If you don’t heed the warning, they snap. Not biting to kill…just a quick snap. Dominanace, not aggression. Just a quick…‘Fuck off’. Unfortunately with a big dog that can look terrible. When a chihuahua does it, everyone laughs at the ornery little pooch. When your mastiff does it…everyone calls the police. I totally understand your decision. Can’t fuck around with a predator. Next time, give Cesar’s book ‘Cesar’s Way’ a read for how to interpret some of that dog language. It’s pretty cool.

Tough to speak dog. Our rottwheiler was a bit like that…and when we got Cesar Milan’s book, it was a real wake up call. She was 6 years old when we got that book, and then watched his show…and afterwards, it was like she was re-born. She went from being a dog we walked only late late at night for fear of coming across another person/dog/kid/ etc to being a fantastic dog who we were comfortable with 100% of the time in 100% of situations.