Our pets

[Andy M.]

Good luck, Andy. I love dogs, but yappy little ones are not my favorite.

Me too. I've had bigger dogs before. Perhaps the little guy will calm down as our home will be much more low key than what he's used to.

 

[medtran49]

Andy, more than likely it will be yippy and yappy, maybe even snappy for a bit. DD has one and he has to get used to me being there EVERY SINGLE TIME. Treats seem to be a way to break the ice though, not in quantity, however.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

And if all else fails, Andy, there is duct tape. Or, at least, a nice, small bungee cord...

 

[Andy M.]

No doubt there will be an adjustment period. For him and us. He's a two year old.

 

[ixamnis]

Halloween cat? I haven't heard of that before. Is it another term for a tortoise shell?
.....

Here is "Kitty". I tried to explain what a "Halloween Calico" was earlier, but I didn't do a very good job, so I took some photos. (I realized I had never intentionally photographed her before, so it's about time). I wouldn't have known what it was, but when she showed up at our doorstep, a coworker who is very "animal savvy" came over and identified her as a "halloween calico." Her colors are primarily black and brown, with the brown being almost a cross between brown and rust or orange. Most of her colors are dark, but she has a couple of white patches. Unlike tortoise calicos, Halloween calico has very little white or other lighter colors. Kitty does have a white patch at the base of her neck (on the front) and a couple of other very small white patches. The light brown/orange spot on her nose is lighter in color than most of the brown/orange patches on her.

 

[Cheryl J]

Best wishes for a quick adjustment for the Chihuahua, Andy.

Ross....beautiful story!

"eyes" (sorry for the abbreviation, I hope you don't mind...) that's a gorgeous kitty. Looks like she likes sinks , I had a kitty like that once. She LOVED the bathroom sink.

 

[dragnlaw]

Good Luck Andy! Never been a fan of small yappy dogs either. While I was the Humane Officer for a couple of towns they were the worst offenders!

I was never bitten by big dogs or any dog except one of the little guys! Gosh, wonder why the owner got written up with such a big fine!

 

[Addie]

Good Luck Andy! Never been a fan of small yappy dogs either. While I was the Humane Officer for a couple of towns they were the worst offenders!

I was never bitten by big dogs or any dog except one of the little guys! Gosh, wonder why the owner got written up with such a big fine!

Folks with ill will in their hearts hate little dogs. They either have to kick them to shut them up or bend down to grab them. They will nip at your heels or bite them. All the time barking while biting and nipping at you. So if you are planning on doing a B&E, don't pick a house with a small dog.

We had a break-in a few years back in this town. The wannabe burglar said that he would have been all right if it hadn't been for the little dog that wouldn't stop barking or biting him. The dog kept it up long enough for the owner to call the cops. The would be thief required stitches for some of the bites.

 

[GotGarlic]

Pretty kitty, Ross! That's rather unusual coloring. Most cats I see are some sort of tabby.

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL Addie, just said I wasn't a fan. I don't hate them. Both my sisters have small dogs and we get along just fine.

 

[RPCookin]

Psycho poodle very rarely gets people food. Well, not at my house -- at my parent's house, he does, even though I tell them not to give it to him.

He always gets steak scraps when I have a steak. He knows. He lays patiently near the table, and waits for me to lower the plate when I am all done.

Otherwise, it is dry dog food. It may not be the best tasting food in the world, but it is good for him. My last dog lived 17 years on dry dog food -- until her last few months, when I spoiled her rotten knowing she was not going to be around much longer. I figured that the worst thing that could happen was that she'd die a few weeks earlier -- but much happier. Her vet agreed.

CD

Our Miley doesn't get people food regularly either. That's how most of the fat dogs you see got that way, so he gets the occasional scraps from steak or other meats, but not on a regular basis, and when he does get table scraps, it's always in his own dish.

He does get more dog treats than he probably should. We keep Milk Bones, small marrow bone treats, bacon treats, and chicken jerky treats in an antique baker's cupboard in the kitchen, and anytime any time we walk by he stands and looks at us, then at the cupboard, then back at us, until he gets his goodies.

We would actually like for him to gain a little weight - he is so skinny that you can see his ribs, but he eats all he wants. His dish always has food and he just eats when he is hungry. I will sometimes pour a couple of tablespoons of bacon fat over his dry food, but the vet said to go easy on that too. He is healthy and happy, so the vet said that he is just a naturally skinny dog, just like some lucky people (not me )

My latest photos - we took the camping trailer out last week for a couple of days at a local state park. He decided that the king size bed was his:

Playing tug-o-war:

 

[Mad Cook]

My sister had a cocker spaniel named Heather that I called Odie, after the dog in the Garfield cartoons. My sister hated that, but it was actually very accurate. Dumbest dog I've ever encountered. She was like a puppy that never became a dog.

My dog would be taking a nap, and "Odie" would decide she wanted to play, and would swat my dog in the face with her big, fat paw. My dog would look at me, as if asking for permission, and if I didn't stop her, she would open up a can of woopass on "Odie." My sister didn't like it, but couldn't argue that it wasn't a well deserved asswhooping.

CD

Over here (UK) cockers have a reputation for being a bit "thick" (translation - "dumb"). Considering that they are descended from working dogs it seems a bit strange

 

[Mad Cook]

Our Miley doesn't get people food regularly either. That's how most of the fat dogs you see got that way, so he gets the occasional scraps from steak or other meats, but not on a regular basis, and when he does get table scraps, it's always in his own dish.

He does get more dog treats than he probably should. We keep Milk Bones, small marrow bone treats, bacon treats, and chicken jerky treats in an antique baker's cupboard in the kitchen, and anytime any time we walk by he stands and looks at us, then at the cupboard, then back at us, until he gets his goodies.

We would actually like for him to gain a little weight - he is so skinny that you can see his ribs, but he eats all he wants. His dish always has food and he just eats when he is hungry. I will sometimes pour a couple of tablespoons of bacon fat over his dry food, but the vet said to go easy on that too. He is healthy and happy, so the vet said that he is just a naturally skinny dog, just like some lucky people (not me )

]

I had a similar problem with my GSD bitch. The vet advised me to remove the feed she left when she walked away. It took a little while before she cottoned-on but she eventually realised that if she didn't eat it it would disappear and started to eat up.

 

[LPBeier]

Over here (UK) cockers have a reputation for being a bit "thick" (translation - "dumb"). Considering that they are descended from working dogs it seems a bit strange

I have heard this about the breed but I had an English Cocker who was probably the smartest dog (yes, even more than my dear sweet Violet) I have ever known. We did not have a fence around our yard and the balcony did not have a gate. In the summer I would leave the front door open and even with all those temptations Brewster would not leave the yard. He also was used to walks so wouldn't do his business in the yard.

One day at 3 pm (our walk time) the phone rang and I had to take the call. All of a sudden I see my dog crossing the street and walking the one house-length to the small park we walked in. I told the person I was talking to I had to go, grabbed the leash and was ready to give Brewster what-for. But as I crossed the street I couldn't believe my eyes! He had just made it to the park, did his business and sat there beside it waiting for me to come and clean it up. I bent down and gave him a big hug and a "good boy". He knew it was time and needed to go. I knew he knew he did a wrong, but because he sat there waiting for me I couldn't get mad. It was my fault after all. I never missed three o'clock again.

He wasn't the best with children, but if he didn't like them, he would just disappear.

That was so many years ago but just thinking about him brings a smile to my lips and tears to my eyes.

 

[Addie]

When Spike got Teddy, he was adamant that he would never be one of those fat dogs that can barely walk. He walks Teddy three times a day, no matter what the weather is, until he does what he is there for. Sometimes up to three hours for a walk. And he does this faithfully every day. Teddy hates the rain. As he is walking in the rain, he will run up every set of steps he sees hoping he will get out of the rain. But yet Teddy loves the snow. Go figure.

 

[caseydog]

I took psycho-poodle for a walk, and his favorite person, even above me, was outside. She is a professional dog show judge -- we are talking super-bowl level dog shows. She LOVES my Teddy. He goes nuts when he sees her. Her dog loves me, too. We sat on her patio and had a beer, and her dog, Beau, sat in my lap, while Teddy was a pest to Betty, but she didn't mind.

Here is a video of Betty as Best In Show judge at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show a couple years ago. Teddy hangs out with a dog celebrity -- and has no idea she is a celebrity. The video is 15 minutes. Betty is the very elegant woman in the long purple dress. She loves my psycho-poodle. It doesn't get any better than that, in my opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2OYkZpBboY

CD

 

[caseydog]

Part two...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UZrpzZpYn4

BTW, Betty and I were in 100 percent agreement on her choice of best in show. That Terrier owned the room. I saw it, and she saw it.

The bloodhound was the crowd favorite, and the poodle was the elitist favorite, but that terrier absolutely "owned" the room.

CD

 

[Mad Cook]

The Wonder Horse is thoroughly enjoying the fine weather. He doesn't get turned out much in the winter as he is old (he's 26!)and has a touch of arthritis and doesn't like the cold but he's been going out in the sun for a couple of hours a day this last week or two. He bucks and broncs and shows off to his "ladies" like a horse half his age.

Despite his absence from the field during the winter he still has the respect of the other horses. He isn't nasty to them but if they are behaving badly at the gate he only has to look at them and they move away. The mares think he's god's gift!

His cataract has now completed blinded his left eye but, as the vet said, it doesn't bother him and he compensates well. He's still ridden occasionally, often by friends who are competent but a bit nervous, and enjoys a hack down the new bridleway which is at the bottom of the farm and doesn't require him to go on the road in traffic.

I'm 68 and the the joke on the farm is that he will end up pulling the cart that takes my coffin to the cemetary when I'm 90!

 

[Dawgluver]

Teehee, your Tetley is quite the character, MC! Glad to hear he's still feeling his oats!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Good for Tetley! He is a Wonder Horse! He needs a cape and crown.