September 19, 2008

• I have nothing to say other than that Husky puppies are insanely cute, and that as a result, you cannot be held responsible for your actions whatever you may do.
• I've never trained a dog, so I don't have anything to say either except "Congratulations and good luck!" Oh, and pix of puppy when possible please.
• Yay puppehs!! Despite having three of 'em myself, I'm probably not the best person to give advice, so I've forwarded your question to my friend who is a dog behaviourist, and will report back...
• The Monks of New Skete have an excellent series of dog training books. I'd recommend How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners; it helped me train my mom's rambunctious English Mastiff puppy, and I'm really not a dog person. I'd also advise that you leave puppy in his crate for the first couple days, in a closed room (take him outside for exercise/house training, but always leave that room closed and put him back in his crate - do not let him have contact with kitties for the first couple days). That way kitties can get used to his scent in the house and on you. Then open the door to the room, but still leave him in his crate. Kitties can come up and sniff him, while he's safe in his crate and they're safe outside. Then once everyone seems comfortable, let him out of the crate but still keep him in the room, and let the friendlier kitties visit him if they want. Introduce him gradually, in other words. Whatever you do, do not let loud bouncy puppy loose in the house on the first day. Also pix pls.
• Thus my propensity to create badly behaved pets. I would strongly advise you to change this. There is a subset of cat people who raise their dogs like they do their cats, and this never works out (I live next door to one such family, can you tell?). Dogs are way more work and need way more attention. Sounds like you understand that, though. I can't give you any specific info about the breed other than what you could wiki up for yourself. As for proper training, in my experience a mixture of positive and negative reinforcement (not OW MAKE IT STOP pain) is the best way to go. I wouldn't recommend going to zap collars unless nothing else works -- the concept is not something I'm crazy about. I'd recommend barkingdogs.net for bark training, but the principles there are good for a lot of discipline training. Read the detailed explanation of his method -- it's long, but it's worth it and gives you a good feel for where he's coming from, with in-depth examples. Be prepared to give this dog a lot more attention than you do your cats. It's not going to be content to play by itself most of the time or run around in the back yard. It's going to crave love and attention from you, and it's going to need walk time. As to dealing with the cats, I don't know anything about keeping the peace in an interspecies household, so I'm no help there, sorry.
• From what I hear, huskies need fewer baths because their hairs are hollow for insulation or something to that effect. Good choice!
• I don't know squat about dogs, but I love you insanely for your adoption of feral cats, and your concern over them. It's a subject very close to my heart.
• *goes out to back alley with a bowl of milk*
• Oh, and I forgot to add: ba-ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
• Given that it is a puppy and not a full grown dog, you have a good chance of things going very well. Puppies are inquisitive and yours will probably approach the cats, but the cats will put the puppy in his/her place and it will learn. I have 2 cats and got a black lab puppy who coexists very well. Even the cats have learned to be ok about things. He is now 3+ years old and all has gone well. Your puppy will require a lot of attention, especially the first year when he has to learn everything. Lots of energy means lots of walks and play time. You should look for a local dog park where you can take the puppy to get him socialized to other dogs too. Make sure shots are up to date first. Training your dog is really putting the time in. You get out what you put in so to speak. Any number of books out there to help with that. Link to pics of Stan (my doggy) http://www.flickr.com/photos/a3matrix/collections/72157604490787470/ Mostly puppy pics Grown up pics.http://www.flickr.com/photos/a3matrix/sets/72157604499815362/
• *whufflesniff*
• I too have no advice except: why haven't you posted a pic of the baby husky yet???????????????????????? and I hope the pup doesn't eat yr cats!
• I'm a sucker for a black Lab. They look so dignified, which makes it funnier when they act like big silly puppies.
• thanks all for the encouragement, resources, and advice... I appreciate the input.. I've been in a bit of a panic about this since the better half suggested it.... Pictures will follow, the plan is to pick the orphan up tonight or tomorrow... Lara.. you have the honor of having the pup named after you :) The wife's dad had a husky called Zhivago, this one is a female so she's getting the other half of the story and will be called Lara :)
• If you bring the puppy up in an environment with cats that you yourself treat well, it will not see the cats as potential prey animals. End of story. Plus, the cats will set the puppy in its place with a few cuffs, no doubt, if it gets too boisterous, and this will 'program' it for adulthood, to treat them as boss animals. This will be helped if you and your wife treat the cats as more important than the dog. Don't let the dog sit on the couch where the cats sit, don't let the dog usurp the cats' position or steal their food, etc, and it will grow up seeing itself as lower down in the pack as the felines, and this will usually prevent any problems, unless it feels that it is being given permission to move on up. Dogs basically need a sense of order and for an hierarchy of dominance over them to feel secure. As soon as you start letting them get away with jumping up on you, being naughty, etc, that is when the problems start. Huskies are in fact very intelligent and largely docile. They are not a breed, AFAIK, that is associated with a high level of agression, for that you have to look at Chow-Chows and other similar types, but the Husky has a good rep. They don't like to be left alone, so the chances are it will bond with the cats as part of its pack, rather than be aggressive toward them, but as I say, maintain its lower level in the pecking order.
• Monkeyfilter: very intelligent and largely docile. We're still waiting for those pix.
• We raised a Huskie some years ago. We also had cats that she bonded with quickly. her best friend among them was extremely self confident and patient male.she espressed her love by sutting on him while he purred contentedly the only one she herded was my daughter who was 7 at the time, but that was only on saturday mornings when i was trying to sleep in. huskies are high energy and need plenty of room to run. ours would strain against the leash so that walks were more like jogs.the neighborhood kids loved to "walk" her riding on their roller skates - her own personal iditerod. i still miss her.
• Monkeyfilter: We're still waiting for those pix.
• Quick off topic here: Is there some way I am not seeing to embed a link in a comment? The way I posted links to pix of my dog are the uber in lameness. Follow up to Hanks comment. All the huskies I have ever seen have been good dogs. No violent tendencies. At the dog park there are quite a few and they are all well behaved. Boy do they like to run. One of Stans first acquaintances as a very young 8 week old puppy was a ~6-8 month old Husky puppy that had gotten loose and wound up in my back yard playing with my tiny boy. I wound up putting her on a leash and walking the neighborhood until I came across the worried parent looking for her. Another time, when Stan was about 1.5 yo, I found 2 boxers in the backyard with him. They had done a jailbreak out of their fenced in yard. They were good doggies and climbed into the Stan limo ( a 92 Volvo 740 wagon) and we drove them back to the address on their tags to very relieved parents. Dogs are a source of great stories.
• Huskies were always my favorite breed of dog, and I am not a "dog person". They are loyal to the end, and I think you cannot go wrong by bringing this pup into your home... Husky pups are teh squee!! Pictures STAT!
• you guys are great! I've gone from being worried about this to looking forward to it.. The boss just told me we're picking up the pup tomorrow at 9.. Pics will follow!
• a3matrix: copy/paste this code into the comment box: a href="http://monkeyfilter.com">MonkeyFilterlike so. 3. put a < at the beginning and > at the end
• This is how it should look. <a href="http://monkeyfilter.com">MonkeyFilter</a> Koko is such a n00b.
• So how come when I posted it like that it made it a link instead of text? It's your fault somehow.
• html entities, n00b. Don't make me google it for you.
• *points finger at koko and snickers*
• *waves hand dismissively*
• Here's another endorsement of the books by The Monks of New Skete. Read them. Learn them. Live them. Training will be much less painful if you understand and utilize the instinctive social behaviors of your dog, and why they do what they do. You want your dog to consider the members of your family (including the cats) to be members of his pack, and that you are the alpha dog. Establish those ground rules early, and be consistent, and things can go surprisingly well. Good luck!
• See? I'm smart! Not like everybody says, like dumb! I'm smart and I want respect!
• No specific advice from me either. My sister and her husband have a malamute and he loves and needs to be around people, and he loves water. Take your dog swimming whenever you can! Also, the fur. It is everywhere.
• I have 2 dogs, 1 cat and 2 parrots. The mix has changed over the years, losing one here, gaining one there. I have never had a problem with my dogs (a yellow lab, a Great Pyrenees) attacking the cat, and with some weeks of conditioning, I can now also trust them both with the parrots. (and the cat is terrified of the birds. They bite. Hard.) Get. A. Crate. Don't think you are caging a dog, you are not. You are provide a safe haven, a place of shelter. My lab has his crate. He also has a dog door so he can go outside or inside any time he pleases, day or night. And yet, he naps in his crate every day - his choice. If we have people coming who do not like dogs or if we just want to make sure the house remains tidy, we close the door, give him a toy, and he is quite happy in what some would see as confinement, but he sees as being in his bedroom. Koko's advice re cats and the crate is exactly right, this despite her persistent body odor. Above all, have fun! New pets are a riot!
• I know it was you, Koko. You broke my heart. YOU BROKE MY HEART.
• Bob: Listen up! By all means read the Monks of Skete books--there's several, lovely reads, BUT! Read them AFTER you have taken your pup to an obedience class. Cat peeps need to learn dog-speak, especially with cats at home and with a larger dog in the house. Huskies are great dogs, but they can and will be boss dogs if allowed, and you don't want your pup to go there: dragging you around, refusing to come, stealing from the table, and eating cats. :0 I've trained several dogs to be good canine citizens without attending obedience class, but even if you're sure of what you're doing, taking your dog to a class gives the dog that extra edge that you get from enforcing your commands around other dogs right from the first. It also gives you an insight as to how other people handle their dogs, and how different dogs react--this is helpful if/when you run into a slight roadblock in your training (and everyone does, you just need to work it out) Not to mention you will have that great resource to fall back on in the form of your class leader. You want a GOOOOOOOD doggie! My test of a good dog? One that will walk by your side into Pet Smart, sit next to you quietly while you look through all the luscious dog treats, walk back to the dog food and sit while you pick out your bag, walk up to the front quietly, past other dogs tangling their leashes around the owners, then offer to shake when the cashier hands over the dog treat before you leave. Without being on a leash! Attending an obedience class may save some other cat's life, and your dog's, too. My dogs leave "their" cats strictly alone, but you never know when a strange running cat will trigger the chase reflex. Mine stop when they realize "cat" but many dogs in the heat of a chase don't. If you can do a recall on your dog, even if he only slows down, you may save a life. One of my dogs was a fiend for playing fetch, and had I not been able to recall him from running out into the street after a poorly thrown ball, (grandkid) he'd have been toast. Koko and Hank speak truth about your pup being best buds with the cats--but only if YOU are the top dog. It helps if you have pretty bossy cats that like to put puppies in their place, but the bottom line is your control over your animal kingdom. It doesn't have to be asserted by some particular action, just your knowledge that the cats are above the humans, the adults above the fish and the kids, and the dogs below everybody in the pecking order is what works. Look forward to losing ten pounds in a couple months of walking your hairy new buddy. If you want to lose twenty, or just have hella fun, try an agility class. Even if you decide it's not for you, your dog may persuade you that it's the best thing since kibble, and you will be COMPELLED to do it. Finally, if you really want the *PERFECT* dog, and you have a yard you will be housebreaking in, teach your pup to always go in one corner spot. Take him out, and encourage him to do his dooty in one place only--carrying him there is best at first. Make him stay in that spot till he goes, then let him run around in the yard for fun. Praise him to the skies--the best dog owners use tons of praise--very enthusiastic and sometimes high and silly voices--dogs love it. If you can stand to put the effort into training him to go in a potty spot, for the next 15+ years your life will be gold. Pickin' up the turds will be a piece of cake, and you can still walk on the grass in your barefeets.
• RTD beat me to it, but yes, invest in a crate, a kong, and a jar of peanut butter. Get the large crate and just put a cardboard box in it to shrink it down. You can take it out as the pup grows--which he will--fast! Crating your pup makes housebreaking so much easier, and having a dog that will "go to your crate," is wonderful. It's not cruel--dogs lurve their crates--it's THEIR** cave and hideaway, a sanctuary away from the feline and primate world. Even if you always leave the door open after your pup's trained, it's so nice to have them sleeping there/hanging out with most of the hair and dirt confined to one spot. **Well, it's theirs if teh mean kittehs let them use it. Mine gets into the old dog's crate and sleeps Right. In. The. Middle. She graciously allows him to curl up somehow around her, as long as he doesn't disturb her beauty sleep. Otherwise, she sleeps right in the door, and he's not allowed out till she's done napping. But he does love his kitteh bud, even if she does embarrass him by washing his face in public and eating out of his dish first in front of the other dogs.
• Pffft you have 5 cats - not even gonna notice the extra fur! Most puppies need love, a safe place, food and training. Give puppy lots of exercise and you'll be ahead in the game already.
• Aww man everyone is gonna be too exhausted reading Gramma's brilliant epic advice to even notice mine. *sulks*
• Awwww...a doggie namesake! That's totally awesome! I was named for the Lara in Dr. Zhivago. I add my name to the list of people requesting demanding pics. (Wouldn't hurt if you got a cat or four in the frame, either :)
• *goes fishing with Al Neri*
• O lord. I am raising a puppy right now. I had to quit drinking to do it. Parker is a very gentle and bright girl but there has been quite a bit of poop. I like the New Skete books but there is much emphasis on using choke corrections which will either produce a dog that will obey you or fear you. Learn your 'dog voice' and only use it when she is doing something bad. I use 'leave it' instead of 'no'. Love her a lot-bonding is key to training. And exercise-a tired dog is a good dog, as they say. I took Parkie to a puppy class (this is for socialization) where she surprisingly fell in love with a pitt bull named Mastodon. It was really good for her. We started when she was three months old. Also, puppies go through a 'fear period' that must be honored-read up on this. And yes, you are going to do a lot of walking. It's really the best thing you can do for your dog and it is the one thing that totally insures your bond. Three places you can take your dog: hardware store, pet store, liquor store. Also, treats. Dogs can be bribed-it's the standard way to train. Use hot dog pieces. You must also be consistent, using simple commands and make sure that everyone in the house follows the same training program. This was really hard for me because I tended to ask a question instead of issuing a command: "Hi baby, do you want to sit?" will not respected. Dog parks are not a good idea until the puppy is about six months old, according to trainers. Keep tags on her with your phone number. You might think about micro-chippping her. If so, use AVID. It's very inexpensive and most breeders recommend it. Most importantly, read up on the breed to find out the best way to train your puppy. An Afghan is very intelligent but bores easily, a Golden has a tremendous desire to please, a Border Collie will go nuts without a job. Breeds are far more distinct than I ever understood until I got my sighthounds. As far as cats are concerned there are only two rules: 1. Your dog is not a cat. 2. Your dog is not a cat. Everything else will sort itself out pretty well. Parker liked to chase the cats at first but after a few firm 'leave it' commands (and you really do have to command, not suggest, which will be new to you as a cat owner) she caught on. Most dogs won't harm a cat indoors but might outdoors so watch the cats if they are outside with the puppy. Lastly, buy a book on dog health-not just a training book but one that will tell you what to do in an emergency. They really will eat anything so hide all the small stuff. Parker ate an energy saving light bulb a few weeks ago. And everything Gramma said.
• HuronBob, check your email!
• Ok, folks, here she is... Trip home was uneventful. Once at the house there was NO bloodshed, although Cyde, the feral male cat is NOT happy about this, sat under the table and hissed and growled... the rest of the cats seemed to take the "meh, so what" approach, the Siamese decided that dog leash makes a good cat toy, new puppy is curious about the cats, but in a playful way... Elder cat Whitaker is a bit miffed that the blundering puppy keeps running into him when chasing her ball. Lara is now sleeping with two cats sitting outside the crate staring at her... New Puppy! Let me add, that this is one neat community of people here at Monkeyfilter! The responses here helped a bunch in getting past my panic/anxiety about doing a new puppy. You've also directed me to some great resources.. In addition to the remarks made in this thread I've received a few e/mails and folks have passed along names of people to contact. Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond! THIS is why I will always hang out here, you are a great group of generous folks! Thanks!
• Pretty cute pup, there, HB. Remember the blue eyes...they won't last.
• Nice looking animal.
• Ralph, we've got one blue, one brown....she appears to be heterachromic. I'm hoping she stays that way!
• oh my, that puppy is toooo cute. Have fun HB!!
• Parker has one blue eye and one brown eye-has had since she was born. I think Lara's might stay blue. Also Huskies frequently have blue eyes. What a cute little bundle of stuff. Train her young, they get big in a hurry.
• Mwaaa. Wook at the puppee...
• One other note: this is not easy. It will require a lot of patience on your family's part. Just take it a day at a time. Training goes a lot more slowly than you think it should but it does progress. Just remember that she will have no attention span for about five months but is always taking things in. Love and timing are the deal.
• Oh, she is bewitchingly beautiful! I'm so glad you have her and not me, because all she'd have to do is turn those puppy eyes and black nosicle on me and I would be powerless to refrain from just spoiling her silly.
• Puppy is adorable. Stubby legs :) Right now, she's not too much bigger than the cats, so they should be able to teach her a lesson if need be. And of course, her name is fantastic! I am head-over-heels for Whitaker.
• AWWWW PUPPEH! KYOOOOT!
• Beautiful goggy! I see you ignored the advice to introduce the prior occupants slowly ;) Glad it worked out for you. Most cats know they are superior. Meh. Puppy. Not. Impressed. Now fill my dish.
• Beautiful little dog. The blue eyes will probably remain. It's quite common for them to have one blue and one brown eye too.
• Bluehorse... well, yeah, we sort of did it different. We brought the pup into the house on a leash, it's been on the leash for the past twentyfour hours (whenever not in her den). Cats were allowed to come see. Cats are still interested, but things seem ok.. Three of them will sit on my lap on the floor while the pup plays/lays next to me.. one of the others will sit two feet away and watch, the last one is still keeping a six foot distance, but not growling/hissing any longer. Pup wants to play with them, no mean agression towards them noted. Were into day two... update: Lara slept in the den all night, no accidents... has only missed going out one time (my fault, i just did it wrong after one of her naps)... The little gal eats like a horse. Issue for today, she gets playful, wants to play/bite... me and the cats...
• *squeesplosion*
• I can't see the puppy! (link doesn't work for me) I want to second (third, forth) the suggestion for exercise. Our dog Steve is a totally different guy when he's properly tuckered out.
• meredithea- edit the url down to his root folder then select the one for lara... ah, fergit it, i'll make it easier for you. puppeh!
• es el Queso... thanks for fixing the link... have no idea why it stopped working...
• HB, you MUST provide us with regular updates. I'm such a sucker for Huskies! Especially, PUPS!!! Wow, what a cutie... congrats on the new family member!! I enjoyed the captions too!
• You made my day, es el Queso, thanks!! Sweeeet puppeeeeee!
• Sure, I provide an update, y'all call it double and make fun of me! Day three was interesting... exhausted so I called into work, told them I wouldn't there...then ran some errands and stopped by anyway (Alternative education program for behavior problem type kids), took puppy with me... Lara got lots of pets, I warned folks she may be coming on a regular basis... She's found the place on the kitchen floor where the air conditioning vent comes out from under the cupboard, nice and cool for long haired pup. she also found the cat food, haven't figured out how to deal with that yet...one cat is too old to jump to a high place to eat...
• I made a box with a small, catsized hold in in and hinged lid. Cat goes to eat, doggies can't fit.
• Ah yes, rearranging the whole house to suit the critters. The things we do for our pets. So Bob, has he found the *kitty glitter box* yet? This cutsie poo term comes from the extremely spoiled and obnoxious little girl down the block. She came flouncing up to me one day and told me she had a new white kitty cat with a jeweled collar, plus, her cat was softer than mine. And HER cat had a *glitter box*. So I told her that my cat eats the guts out of mice, *craps outside* and could probably take hers in a fight.
• "she also found the cat food.." This is a significant problem, because if the dog becomes accustomed to raiding the cat food, it will tend to do it its whole life. If you leave cat food down all the time, this is gonna be a problem. If you only put food down when the cat eats, then it's not such a problem, you put the dog outside during feed time. But some cats do prefer to have food down that they can go back to and eat a bit now and again, if this is the case with yours you will have to strictly discipline the puppy when it tries to steal the cat food, no ifs or buts. You are gonna have to make the stealing of cat food an unpleasant prospect for the dog in such a way that it will not want to do it, no matter how tasty that cat chow looks. And the cat food will give the puppy the squirts, too. Don't be a pussy about this .. if you forgive the expression. This is exactly the sort of thing I was warning about, if the dog gets the idea it can take the cats' food with no problem, then it will think it can rule you.
• My mother's dog and cat eat each other's kibble, and it hasn't seemed to have any ill effects on either of them.
• Of course we're talking about a dog who also eats pens and charcoal, so she *may* just have some kind of armor-plated innards.
• yeah, maybe I'm being too fanatical about this, it's Bob's dog, so he can do what he likes, really. I would also like to add that lots of dogs also like to eat cat shit.
• Still though, you don't want poor old kitty to starve. Maybe Ralph's box idea will work.
• The thread that never ends! :) Nope, we've not found the "glitter boxes" (4 of them) yet... three are in the basement and the dog hasn't ventured down there yet, one in a bathroom that she hasn't entered. Lara is under 24/7 supervision right now, on a leash with me most of the time, in sight being watched 99.9% of the rest of the time... Eventually the plan is to put cat doors into rooms that the cats are allowed but not the dog.. problem right now is that two of the cats won't fit through a standard "cat door", and puppy is small enough to fit through the next size up... we need some growing before we do the doors. All of the cats are "grazers", no set feeding time, and they've been that way since kittens, we didn't think it would be fair to impose a new system on them, so we're watching the dog and the cat food until we can move the bowls into rooms she can't get into. I like ralph's idea, but, same problem as with the cat doors, puppy is not any bigger than two of the cats... she could get in too. Lara has come to work with me the past two days, actually does well, gets lots of attention... Slept through a meeting I had with the administrators from one of the local school districts. She's sleeping through the night, still...Yea! And, Blanky nailed it WAY up-thread with the "I had to stop drinking" comment... I love a glass or two of wine in the evening...but since the dog moved in I haven't cracked a cork... too tired, too busy, no time! (and, thanks again folks, for all the advice!)
• Cat poop is dog candy, so get ready for that somewhere down the line.
• "Cat poop is dog candy"... I like to think that this concept solves both the "who's going to empty the litter box?" and the "who's going to feed the dog?" questions... However it will probably give a new meaning to the recently discovered (for me, anyway) concept of "puppy breath".
• My brother used to have a lab with some serious behavioral problems. Poor little dude just couldn't eat enough poop to satisy him. He would literally follow the other dog around the back yard, and when that dog squatted to poop, he'd hold his mouth open to catch and eat it fresh before it hit the ground. It was like 2dogs1cup out there, simultaneously bizarre, horrifying and sad.
• was the dog's name Divine?
• Strikingly simple cat box answer: keep it clean. I didn't catch on to this at first. No poop, no poop to eat. And puppies between two and three months are commonly referred to as 'crap machines', producing an improbable amount of fecal matter. With very little warning.
• I like my dogs. Heck, I might even say I love my dogs, but no way in HELL am I ever going to be one of those women who lets her dogs lick her, or Dog help me, KISSES her dog. I have cowdogs and horses. I KNOW what these dogs eat in addition to catshit. I know exactly what, and where, they lick, and I don't kiss things on the muzzle that lick their butts. Especially things that I worm several times a year to keep them from growing gobs and gobs of worms. YMMV. You may love kissing your dog and letting it lick your face. Remind me not to kiss YOU!
• Possible solution to the cat door thing: baby gate. Get one with vertical metal bars so cats can slip through but Lara can't. A friend has a Burmese mountain dog and two cats and uses a baby gate to split the house into catzone and dogzone.
• Put the cat food on a high place for now. Lara is so little that she won't be able to get up there. By the time she gets big you will have trained her not to eat it ("LEAVE IT! pause GOOD GIRL!"). Altitude works for all my cats except the arthritic one, Hayden. The baby gate I have is good for confinement but my cats can't get through the fencing. Although Bella will go right over it. I do kiss Parker on the muzzle but she isn't allowed to kiss me. Again, what Gramma said. Try not to use papers or pee pads. The appropriate place for Lara to 'go' is outside. Which is why you crate, watch and don't drink. If she is sniffing around inside ask her if she wants to go out. Make a big deal of it: "OUTSIDE? OUTSIDE?" (which is actually inappropriate-you never tell a dog anything twice because that waters down the command). Eventually she will give you a meaningful look. Then when she does go tell her that she's good and that it's a "GOOD SPOT". My dogs know to poop when I tell them to 'find a good spot'. Puppies pee about an hour after they have had water so know that. Take up her water dish after 8:00 p.m.. Also, when a puppy poops there is no stopping it so don't even try. You will be able to have a drink in about two months. Put her in puppy class as soon as you can. It really does a lot of good. Remember, training is all about the hot dog. I cannot emphasize this enough. Very small pieces of hot dog. Turkey dog is better for her but hot dog twill draw your dog off a cliff.
• Also: I have found rearing a dog to be all consuming. This not good for the cats. I really neglected them when Parker was younger, just because I didn't make the time. Make sure that they get some love. It's one more thing to do but it's worth it.
• MonkeyFilter: Cat poop is dog candy
• The appropriate place for Lara to 'go' is outside Boy, did I do a double take on this one.
• Bad puppy update: Lara is still going to work with me each day...no accidents in the building yet, she loves the attention from everyone. Today was a meeting of the agency's Board of Directors (we're a nonprofit).. I decided what the heck and brought her to the meeting. On the agenda was my annual evaluation and discussion of salary and continued employment. I figured that "cute dog" would help. Seems it did, I'm still employed! Thanks all for the cat food ideas, we're trying a variety of things, primarily constant supervision. I would make the statement that bad dog has not found the cat box yet, but that would jinx it... but...so far...so good... Sill working on the biting thing.. Blanky is right, having a dog is "all consuming"... But I am making sure that, when dog is sleeping, cats get proper attention.. I've, of course, neglected every other hobby I ever had, haven't been boating, fishing, bike riding, lawn mowing, or done laundry in a week... I've managed, in the past week, to fix exactly one good meal, other than that it's been left-overs and pizza!
• My mother's dog lives for pizza crust rinds (the crispy bit around the edge with no sauce)
• I didn't wash my hair for almost two weeks when I got Parker. About the biting (I'm assuming that she's biting human beings): she's not allowed to. When she bites your hand immediately give her a toy to chew on, praising her for taking it. That way she can be a good girl instead of a bad one. Distraction is everything. It was recommended to me that I get Parker some cow hoofs to chew on. Well, they are great, they are cheap and she loves to bite them. They also reek of ammonia and her poop does too. But they have made teething a breeze.
• This thread has my "me me me they're talking about me" alarm going off all the time! It seems like Lara's settling in. And she's so damned cute.
• Don't forget dear, The appropriate place for Lara to 'go' is outside I'm afraid your rear's going to get awful cold this winter unless they rescind this order.
• *whimpers* *digs at door*
• We'll have to start calling you Lara 2 and the dog Lara 1. It's just easier that way.
• "No Digging! But you can come on in and use the bathroom anytime".
• It's hard to stop a puppy from biting while she's teething, but lots and lots of appropriate chew toys help. Once she's done teething, though, draw the line and don't even let her bite you in a playful way. I had a dog once who'd get a little bitey while we were playing and one day she bit me one too many times. I got mad and bit her back, not too hard, on the foot. She never bit anyone ever again. A few notes: I was ten at the time, and it seemed like a good idea to my ten year old brain. This dog also hated to have her feet touched, so I knew that even a light bite would get my point across.