Pet Peeves

Multi-pitt households?

Smacks83 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:48:54 -0700

Ok, so in a few months I'm going to be moving with my bf to our own apartment (right now, we both live at home). I know right off the bat there is this one pitt ata rescue that I am planning to try to adopt (2-3yr old fixed male), and last month I saw another dog in the same rescue that was about 2-3yr old, fixed female I am seriously considering getting as well.
Here's the situation though, a lot of what I've read online (a good protion pro-pitt websites), say that two pitts cannot really live together and if they do, must be kept separated at all times. I was wondering if anyone out there either has a multi-pitt home or a pitt-other dog home. Do you keep them separated all the time? Only when you aren't home? Can this situation possibly work? There is so much anti-pitt info out there, I'm just trying to get a real answer that isn't "just don't get a pitt" (I've always wanted a pitt, I love the breed. I have had a rott and a pitt/lab/shepard pound mutt before, if any of that info helps). Thanks!

Grooming

lylpookie — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:47:50 -0700

I have a new puppy and this is my first time as a dog mommy...so I want to do things right.
How often should I be bathing him? I've heard that if you bathe too much he could get dry skin and other non-fun skin issues. Additionally, any recommendations on shampoos?
How often should I be clipping his nails...he had them clipped at the kennel 3 weeks ago and it already feels a bit scratchy when he jumps on me (we're working on that) but I don't want to clip them too early either.
Lastly, he has slightly droopy ears (he's part lab/jack russell) and I'm not sure how to go about cleaning his ears either. Any advice?

Doves Stranded in The Park

RubyDreams — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:24:51 -0700

NEW YORK (July 28) -- More than two dozen doves apparently released during a wedding were left clinging to life in a New York City park.
A couple discovered the albino ringneck doves in Flushing Meadow Park in Queens over the weekend.Rita McMahon of the Wild Bird Fund says such birds shouldn't be released. She says they usually haven't flown, are vulnerable to predators, don't know how to find food and can starve.
The New York Post reported 45 birds were seen near the park at the start of the weekend, but by Monday afternoon only 25 birds remained. Some birds had been rescued by volunteers.
Of the remaining birds, a few had fallen to the ground during a Sunday rainstorm and were too weak to fly back up into the trees, according to the Post.
City animal welfare workers plan to check on the remaining birds. Mike Pastore, who work for the local Animal Care and Control Center, told the Post handlers would tend to sick birds and leave healthy ones where they are.
James Theurer, a Staten Island bird handler, says there are unscrupulous businessmen who buy doves at pet stores and release them at weddings.
Theurer says wedding birds should be homing pigeons that are trained to return to their coops. That's what his business uses.
George Axiotakis, one of the first to report the birds in the park, agreed the doves should be better protected.
"They're really clueless, and they don't know how to avoid predators," Axiotakis said to the Post. "This practice of letting them go at weddings is not cool.
I hope people realize this it made me feel so bad for those poor little birds!!DovesDove In The Park

Cat is soooooo needy

FrostyRose — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:45:29 -0700

I got my cat Grendel about 8 months ago from the Humane Society. I have a small studio apt with no outdoor access, so I've been really worried about him getting bored. He's REALLY needy, and I can't tell if I'm not stimulating him enough or spoiling him rotten.
First, he needs me to stand over him while he eats. The vet said to feed him for 40 mins twice a day & take it away, so I could monitor how much he's eating. He almost never eats all his food, but just enough not to worry. Every time I walk away he comes back & either starts doing something else or meowing at me. I walk back to his dish & he follows me & with a little encouragement he starts eating again. The only way to avoid either him starving or having to get up a dozen times is to stand there over him talking to him while he eats. If I do this......he eats about 2/3 of his food (1/4 cup twice a day) & then stops for good. The vet says this is strange, but he appears to be in great health.
Second, he bits........and not just occasionally or in certain moods. He bites when I pet him, when we're playing, or if he just happens to notice a part of me is within reach. I was bending over checking my email the other day & he bit my butt...........numerous times. It may be that a certain part of him doesn't like to be touched.......but he also bites me when I've been petting him in general & he's been purring. I don't know how to explain this or what to do about it.
He's very playful but refuses to play by himself unless he's been meowing for hours on end & I won't give in. My tiny apt is littered with toys. He loves knocking things off my tables, but won't play with them after that. I leave bottle caps everywhere, on top of my kitchen table, on my end table, on my chairs, everywhere he likes & he knocks them down w/in seconds. I leave paper & plastic bags for him & balls everywhere. Aside from knocking things off tables he won't play by himself. Whenever he's awake (he sleeps most of the day like many cats) he wants my full attention snuggling him, playing, or chasing him around. I do so for a couple of mins & then want to do my own thing.
I've been trying to think of anything I can to stimulate him since we have such a small place. The neighbors love cats & suggested I let him wander around the hall. They all think he's adorable & don't mind. Good news: he loves it. Bad news: He wants & expects to do this constantly & meows for hours when I deny him. What do I do? Is there a way to let him know this is just a treat? Is it cruel to keep a cat in a tiny studio all the time? Am I expected to play with him all the time when he's awake, or should he be able to play by himself?
Today, I let him out for a little while in the afternoon & at nt when he was demanding it I refused. He meowed for 2 1/2 hours. I stopped every few mins to pet him or play for a min like normal, thinking I'm cruel & he's bored. However I know all he does out there is lie around. It's not like there's much of interest out there. He runs inside whenever any neighbors come out, though I think he enjoys spying on them. Is there a way to teach a cat what's normal & what's a treat? Please help. I feel like whatever I do is wrong & I don't know what to do.

Thanks,
Cordellia & Grendel

P.S. He's really freakishly cute & soft. He's so funny in the little things he goes crazy over. When he's quiet, I could watch him all the time. Oh, and I used to be gone long hours, but now I'm home most of the time.

HELP! Am worried about my neighbors cat...

SeptemberLights — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:30:31 -0700

I need some advice, I am really worried about our neighbors cat and think they might be neglecting it. We live in a large apartment and the people below us have a cat that they leave on the porch all the time. It is a 2nd story porch so that cat cannot get up or down. The people are never home and the cat is literally out there all day and night. She meows really loudly and sounds like she is in distress/pain. She sounds very unhappy and I have seen her try to jump off the porch a couple of times. It has been going on for about 2 months and it has been too long for her to just be in heat. I really feel like I should do something to help it. I do not think they are necessarily abusing the cat but they are definatley neglecting it. My boyfriend works from home so he is home all day and he never sees anyone home and the poor cat is out there meowing day and night. If you could hear this cat meowing it would literally break your heart. To me that is the equivalent of locking your child in a room all day and night with no human interaction. I am really worried that this cat is not being cared for properly. I have thought about going down there and knocking on their down but I don't want to come off the wrong way. My boyfriend and I really want to adopt the cat and do not want to see anything happen to it. I'm worried that if we do something they will try to get rid of the cat. I checked with our local humane society and you can file a report but they do not give you the results of the investigation. I am really concerned and do not know what to do....

So Sweet

ladyr — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:12:43 -0700

I don't know if my post is totally applicable to this group or not, but I think it kinda is since it's about the frustrating and sad fact that our pets don't live as long as we do, which i guess could sorta be a peave. Well anyway, someone sent this to me and I thought I would share it so here goes:

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

pls help!! my neighbors dog, driving me nuts

hippielovebaby — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:34:27 -0700

well my neighbors dog is a pit bull and dont get me wrong i have 2 myself so im naturally attracted to them . but my neighbors is 2xs the size of brutus my three legged pit pup and he has been commin into our yrad eating my dogs food and attacking him, plus ive had to replace two chains cuz of brutus trying to get away from him and i cant get the neighbors or the cops to do anything about it, since there is a leash law too. so what can i do now with the cops and the owners not doing anything and i cant bring him in everynight just to make sure that the other dog wont kill him , what am i to do?

pls help i dnt want to loose him hes my baby

Boxer outta control!

SeaAre86 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:44:24 -0800

My boyfriend and I are debating moving in together, but there is a small problem: his dog is out of control. I have come to the conclusion that she is the dominant one in their relationship. She is used to having free reign over the house and has thus far been allowed to do whatever she wants.. which I think is unacceptable.

She growls and paws at people and can't handle not getting attention when she wants it. She doesn't move out of the way on stairs, and risks people falling over her. She also stares.. a lot. I don't let her win staring contests cause I think it's creepy, but is this also an issue?

She is also terrible when people come to visit, she jumps up and absolutely WON'T listen.

I made a list of changes to make when interacting with her. I know this all sounds really controlling, but I want her to be a good dog. Most of these are aimed at her dominance issue, but is there anything else I need to take into account? She is very good natured, but I just would like her to have some manners so she isn't as overbearing.

- No kissing her near the mouth.
- No laying down beside her when you play.
- Tell her no and then ignore her when she growls.
- Make her sit before she gets attention.
- Praise her excessively for good behavior.
- Don't let her scratch/paw at you.

I'm sure I will have more to add later, just wanted to get this up and see if I am doing the right things.

Get to know my pit bull

BloodyFuFu — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:14:20 -0800

I'm looking for a little advice on dogs in close quarters.
A few of us at my work bring our dogs with us, which is great, but I'm having trouble with one dog owner and her fear of my dog. I have a pit bull, and I understand that a lot of people are nervous with the breed based on things they've heard but I work hard to have people get to know my dog and once they do they see that she's a sweetie. This one woman has been scared of Harley since I adopted her almost 2 years ago and that fear passes on to her dog. Now, I know Harley and I know that she does not, but I can tell my dog's intentions from the pitch of her bark to her movements to her posture and I know that Harley sees this other dog as a potential playmate. The problem is really that due to fear, this woman sees Harley as a threat, her dog sees Harley as a threat, and she doesn't see when her dog is the aggressor or make any attempts to control her dog. I feel bad for trying to correct my dog for wanting to play, but I don't know what else to do.
This woman also recently moved offices so now she is right next door and it seems like this will be a major issue.
What can I do about someone that is unwilling to look past stereotypes and be comfortable with my dog? I don't want constant tension between the dogs, but if the owner is unwilling the dog is unwilling.

Help with Introducing New Puppy

Renees3 — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:45:50 -0800

We're getting a new puppy this weekend! I was wondering if anyone had any tips on helping to introduce her to our current dog. He's 2 yrs old and I want to make it as easy and calm as possible for him! Also, he has full run of the house while we're gone, but I can't trust a puppy to not get into things, so is it ok to crate one (or put her in a playpen or some kind of containment thing) and not the other?? Will that create weirdness with them? I don't want to start crating B-Bop, he sleeps in there at night but is always out and about during the day. I just want to make it as smooth and painless as possible!