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Post by dobermoms on Apr 29, 2013 20:17:13 GMT -5
Hey you two....I've enjoyed reading the stories about your boys. They are both such handsome dogs. Marion, we had the pleasure of visiting Tyrion before you picked him up from Monica's, and I fell in love with him. He is such a sweet and gentle boy, I would have loved to have been able to bring him to our home. And of course Jack.....Kazi is waiting to walk with him again at a D.O.G. event again.....but this time she won't be so "hard to get" with him....lol
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on Apr 30, 2013 10:08:00 GMT -5
Hopefully you will get to see Tyrion again, dobermoms, but right now we're trying to heal a self-inflicted wound on his hock joint. This is the same spot we were dealing with last summer and he had to wear a cone on his head for two months.
The cone isn't very effective because it's not long enough to prevent him reaching his limbs, but I'm at my wits end with this. Just as the wound looks like it's going to heal, he licks it raw again. I'm using a spray bandage because the hock joint is impossible to wrap effectively.
This happened because I'd bought him some really nice treats that proved to be a bad idea. They're salmon and sweet potato, but the main ingredient is actually potato.
I'm hoping the wound will be dry and closed in a week--fingers crossed. We both hate the dam cone!
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Post by hooligan on May 4, 2013 11:06:01 GMT -5
Now that sunny weather is here, Jack has become -- like Kazi -- a lover of the outdoors. Except that he doesn't play outside. He just likes to lie on the deck and bask in the sun. To try to avoid calluses, we've put down a cushioned pad for him to lie on.
This little habit of his is fine at this time of year, when we can leave the deck door open so that when he gets too hot, he can come inside on his own and go up to his crate to cool down. Then it's back outside for more basking, then back inside to cool down . . . and on and on, for as long as the sun is on the deck. We're happy to deal with the occasional fly, wasp, etc. that decides to take advantage of the open door.
But when it gets hot enough to turn on the AC, his habit becomes a real PITA. Because every time he wants in or out, one of us must go and open the door for him. And if we're not fast enough, he's quick to let the entire neighbourhood know that we have failed (yet again!) to respond to his every whim. Sigh.
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on May 17, 2013 11:20:10 GMT -5
Yes, Tyrion does exactly the same thing. Interesting how their brains are wired the same way!
I must be pretty well trained, but if I'm busy I can tell T to wait, and he will wait quietly. Otherwise, I tell myself it's not healthy to sit too long without moving around and I usually find other things to do while I'm up. Tyrion is very vocal, and I've learned to decode his woofs, yips, grunts, growls, and sqeaks.
But what I'm not trained to do is to get out of bed at a ridiculous hour to open the door when it's sunny. He thinks if he goes to the balcony door I'm going to roll out of bed--how many times?--to let him out and in. . . .
Come to think of it, it's been awhile since he's gotten me up in the middle of the night because he needs to go out. We seem to have a pretty good routine working for us now. Relief!
I've put foam squares out for him to lie on but they're not always where he wants them, so I can see callouses forming.
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Post by hooligan on May 21, 2013 9:12:31 GMT -5
. . . I've put foam squares out for him to lie on but they're not always where he wants them, so I can see callouses forming. Ya mean Tyrion doesn't demand that you go out and shift the squares back into the sunshine for him? LOL. Fortunately, Jack is a great overnight sleeper. In the morning, he is nearly always happy to sleep as long as we do. In fact, on mornings when we get up very early to get out to tracking, he gets up with us, potties and has breakfast, but then he rushes straight back to his crate to grab a few more zzzs while we're showering and preparing to go.
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on May 21, 2013 12:37:06 GMT -5
Hehe, things can always be worse. I think the food issues caused the 4 a.m. outings; the Orijen Six Fish worked well until they changed the formula. None of the other kibbles I'm trying can compare for freshness and quality. I'm trying out Go! Salmon, but seeing inflammation between his toes with only 25% of his meal containing grains. And no one seems to carry the Canidae Pure Sea kibble. I've been using Tomlin's Protecta Pad which is good for callouses as well as paw care, but I'm almost out and can't find it locally. Is there a preferred pad cream that works best for Dobes and is available in pet stores?
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Post by hooligan on Jun 17, 2013 9:34:19 GMT -5
I can't resist another little Jack brag. While out on our hike yesterday afternoon, we encountered a dad and his four kids, the eldest of whom was probably about six. These very well-behaved kids were fascinated by Jack and asked if they could say hello. So I put him in a down and the four of them came over and petted him and asked all kinds of questions. They were very sweet, and Jack was perfectly calm and quiet throughout. I was especially pleased because Jack hasn't been around a lot of kids.
Of course, dad complimented Jack on his excellent behaviour . . . and I didn't reveal the reason he was happy to lie quietly -- because we had already played fetch in the heat so that he was completely whacked out. LOL.
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Post by hooligan on Jun 17, 2013 9:37:52 GMT -5
Hehe, things can always be worse. I think the food issues caused the 4 a.m. outings; the Orijen Six Fish worked well until they changed the formula. None of the other kibbles I'm trying can compare for freshness and quality. I'm trying out Go! Salmon, but seeing inflammation between his toes with only 25% of his meal containing grains. And no one seems to carry the Canidae Pure Sea kibble. I've been using Tomlin's Protecta Pad which is good for callouses as well as paw care, but I'm almost out and can't find it locally. Is there a preferred pad cream that works best for Dobes and is available in pet stores? How is Tyrion coming along? Sorry I can't be of any help with this. Jack is a picky eater, but otherwise, he has no skin or coat issues at all.
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on Jun 17, 2013 13:18:28 GMT -5
I think we're almost out of the woods, Dyanne. There are still a couple toes that need to heal, but at least the hock wound is almost "haired over". Funny, that reminds me of hiking to the store for the trial packs of Go! Salmon. It was a muggier day than expected, but Tyrion had his backpack with water, ice packs, and his silicone bowl, so we stopped a few times. When we got home neighbours came over to see the backpack, and as I was showing them the compartments I took out one of the kibble packs. Tyrion tried to grab it every time I tried to put it back in the pack, until I put him in a stay and zipped up the pack. One neighbour suggested Tyrion would try to unzip it next. lol The neighbours kept saying how laid back and mellow T is, but I kept telling them he was just hot (everyone in my neighbourhood wants a Dobe now). Had to laugh when we got in and he went to the recroom where it's cool. About a minute later he was jumping around like a kangaroo, shaking his blankie. Wish they could've seen that! Or when he comes in from a walk in the rain when his head's gotten damp, so he has to run up and down the stairs sounding like a herd of buffalo. So . . . laid back?
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Post by hooligan on Jun 17, 2013 18:00:34 GMT -5
What a great photo! LOL. The e-collar doesn't seem to be bothering Tyrion. At all.
Your story about the neighbours reminds of what happened just last Friday. As I was unloading Jack from the vehicle after our hike, our next-door neighbour came rushing over . Among other things, she mentioned lying in bed at night and hearing Jack barking in the yard (presumably on his last potty break of the evening, when it's pitch black and he can't resist very loudly warning every critter for blocks around that he's on his way outside). I immediately started to apologize, but she said, "Oh, no. Don't apologize. I'm not complaining. I'm glad to hear him. I find it comforting to know that he's watching over the neighbourhood."
Surprisingly, that's pretty much what all the neighbours say. Jack (and Fred before him) seems to be the neighbourhood warning system. Who needs Neighbourhood Watch when Jack's on patrol? LOL.
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Post by hooligan on Jun 17, 2013 18:13:55 GMT -5
Here's a photo of Jack practising the A-frame. This was taken a few weeks ago, and he has now advanced beyond this stage. The A-frame is set much higher, and Bill no longer needs to leap up on it to lure him back over (which is good because Bill isn't nearly as agile as Jack, and disaster was imminent). Attachments:
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Post by dobermoms on Jun 17, 2013 21:00:32 GMT -5
Well done....and I mean BOTH Jack and Bill!
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dreambarks
Junior Member
Every Dobe has his day!
Posts: 66
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Post by dreambarks on Jun 18, 2013 10:47:08 GMT -5
Yes, congrats, that does look like a lot of fun! Good timing on the photo.
Tyrion and I are still working on his heeling position, but at least he hasn't tripped me this year. He actually seems concerned now about hurting me and he's one of the better running partners I've had.
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Post by Dobereich on Jun 18, 2013 19:22:09 GMT -5
LOL, was thinking Bill must be thrilled that he doesn't have to climb the A-frame anymore. Good going guys, isn't it nice that Jack is able to provide you with the opportunity to continue to learn new things in the dog world? Keep up the good work.
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Post by Lisa on Jun 23, 2013 10:26:26 GMT -5
Here's a photo of Jack practising the A-frame. This was taken a few weeks ago, and he has now advanced beyond this stage. The A-frame is set much higher, and Bill no longer needs to leap up on it to lure him back over (which is good because Bill isn't nearly as agile as Jack, and disaster was imminent). That's so cool picture!
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