View Full Version : 'Get one more animal and we're getting a divorce!' - The Camgirls & Their Pets Thread
justanothercamgirl
10-08-2015, 04:17 PM
42793 sadly I had to put my baby girl to sleep a few nights ago. I miss her terribly :(
I just saw this. I am so, sorry.
https://media.giphy.com/media/EvYHHSntaIl5m/giphy.gif
whirlerz
10-08-2015, 04:21 PM
Awww. Sorry, you know all animals go to the rainbow bridge!
webcamcutie
10-08-2015, 04:23 PM
Okay, incoming photo bomb, I didn't know this thread existed so my turn to litter it up with pictures;)
Left to right: Britian, her brother Tempest, Cleo, and Duke (AKA Fat puppy - he thinks this is his name)
All dogs I owned in prior years, Britian, Tempest and Cleo are deceased, and Fat puppy I gave to a good friend who needed a companion because I had 5 dogs at the time and it was becoming too much for me, especially since momma bear (Britian - She was the Alpha) passed away him and another one of my boys were fighting for dominance in the house, hes much happier, I miss him dearly and get to see him often and he's doing very well with her!
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Tempest, he thought he was driving my car for me. LOVED to go for car rides! I couldn't leave the house without him trying to tag along!
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But why can't I drive mom??? (Tempy I can't drive with you laying your head on my shift stick!)
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Sir Tempy! Knight of the roundtable. :)
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Taking a nap at the playground.
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Fat puppy, watching 'Santa' put together stockings for them.
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Cleo - enjoying her Santa stocking.
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Cleo, napping on a toy horse Santa brought while Fat puppy was worried about the treats.
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Tempest and Britian - Britian was the mother to several of my pups, some of which I have today, 2 of which I gave away. She was diagnosed with diabetes and survived a year until the disease finally claimed her last year. Tempest is my dog that was hit and killed tragically outside my house by a drunk kid driver. The whole ordeal is still too painful to talk about, but he was a pretty amazing dog and I love and miss them both very much. I accepted Brit passing as she was sick for a while, she left me with a legacy of puppies, but I'm still torn that Tempest was tragically stolen from me due to someone elses error, I miss him waking me up scratching at my blankets to get under them after I finally crawl into bed after camming literally ALL day and only getting to get 3 hours of sleep, its always the annoying things they did that you miss the most! But he DID keep me warm at night!
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webcamcutie
10-08-2015, 04:32 PM
Zeus and Ares as puppies, sleeping in my closet on my pillow pets.
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Taking over my old 'work station' when it was time for me to go to work, lol.
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Back when they loved eachother and slept together, the older they get the less they do it.
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Baby Ares sleeping with his momma (Britian from my previous post)
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Baby Savage, the last litter of Britians before she passed.
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Ares and momma bear taking over my futon and stripping off all of the sheets!
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Ares sleeping on my bed with Savage and Roxi, brother and sister (Roxi is the other dog I gave away to my friend with Fat puppy)
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Ares and Fat puppy sleeping on my bed.
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You would THINK they are being cute here, but they are just sleeping infront of the oven on Christmas guarding the ham cooking.
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Zeusy says, look I'm a tiger!
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webcamcutie
10-08-2015, 04:39 PM
Lemme tell you something about Ares, he ALWAYS has something in his mouth! My personal favorite is the water bottle in his mouth sitting on a paper bag... he's pretty special! LOL!
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Ares the first time he got sick waiting to hear from the vet.
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While recovering the first time he gained a lot of weight from Prednisone, sleeping guarding my door by his food bag like a fatty, lol.
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Zeusy still loves to sleep on pillow pets!
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All 3 of my boys, Ares, Zeusy and Fat puppy.
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webcamcutie
10-08-2015, 04:46 PM
Anddd last post for now because I SHOULD be getting ready to come on cam :P
A pic of my momma bear a few months before she passed away, she was a great mom, had 3 litters of puppies, was always great to her pups, took care of ME more than I took care of her, I miss her around taking care of the family.
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My daugher with Ares when he was just at the vet recently, we KNEW he was getting better because he was holding bottles and his duck in his mouth again! My little cone head, lol.
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My daughter with 'Mr.Cat' one of our newest additions.
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Zeusy seems to think the kitchen table is his bed?? lol.
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Mr. Cat and Lily, my 2 kitties.
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Ares sleeping in my bed with a treat in his mouth.
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Zeus and Ares sleeping in my bed (all my dogs have ALWAYS loved sleeping in my bed, or on my work futon!)
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Zeus and Ares enjoying some new treat bones, they love those things!
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Lily, sleeping on my box mod driller... lol
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And last for now, Ares the other day after I put him on a chicken and rice diet, looking at me like:
'Aww mom, I don't like this rice shit, it sticks to and UP my nose while digging through it looking for the chicken!'
He gave up, so I changed his formula to mix in chicken broth with the rice and more chicken, now he gobbles it up better!
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And THERE is my photobomb of my furbabies!
Issabelle
10-08-2015, 08:37 PM
Oh my god! I'm so excited to look at all of these webcam! There's just so many that I don't know where to begin. Cute babies!
EffyRose
10-08-2015, 09:50 PM
Introducing Mr. Chang and Trotsky. Mr. Chang had a collar embedded in his neck when we found him in our apartment parking lot- dump for dead. Trotsky was the only in his litter to survive, after a friend found them underneath an abandoned trailer. I love my babies so much and so happy we stumbled upon them.
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He never wants to me to work!
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webcamcutie
10-08-2015, 11:56 PM
Oh my god! I'm so excited to look at all of these webcam! There's just so many that I don't know where to begin. Cute babies!
Hehe aww thank you, I most definitely have had a lot of furbabies in my time, currently sitting at my lowest amount with the 2 kitties, and 3 pups ;) I'm an animal lover, what can I say! I didn't have any pics of Snoopy (aka noonoop) it was tempest and britians brother that i lost at a really early age (9 months, got hit by a car after getting out of my fenced in yard :() and then cleo (the other one that was deceased) was being watched by a family member and she got out of the yard and also hit and killed.. I say that Tempest is the most tragic because of HOW it happened, right infront of my house someone doing 30mph over the speed limit driving drunk and hit him and killed him instantly and he WAS car smart and knew how to stay out of the road, and was hit and killed on the side of the road right by my house and if the kid was never 1, drunk, and 2, speeding, it never would have happend, god forbid it was my daughter and not my dog!! he was also 7 years old when he was killed, still hurts to this day, losing all of them has but his was a rough rough circumstance, and even worse the police wouldn't do anything about it and the kid CAME to my house and TOLD me 'I think I hit someones dog.' YOU THINK? you DID! and you murdered him! I ran out there, laid on the ontop of him on the side of the road and just cried, for hours.. it was so terrible and tragic, making me tear up now :( some people really don't deserve the right to drive, at all! ugh.. anyways, memories.. but.. yes thats my zoo:)
Issabelle
10-09-2015, 02:17 AM
Hehe aww thank you, I most definitely have had a lot of furbabies in my time, currently sitting at my lowest amount with the 2 kitties, and 3 pups ;) I'm an animal lover, what can I say! I didn't have any pics of Snoopy (aka noonoop) it was tempest and britians brother that i lost at a really early age (9 months, got hit by a car after getting out of my fenced in yard :() and then cleo (the other one that was deceased) was being watched by a family member and she got out of the yard and also hit and killed.. I say that Tempest is the most tragic because of HOW it happened, right infront of my house someone doing 30mph over the speed limit driving drunk and hit him and killed him instantly and he WAS car smart and knew how to stay out of the road, and was hit and killed on the side of the road right by my house and if the kid was never 1, drunk, and 2, speeding, it never would have happend, god forbid it was my daughter and not my dog!! he was also 7 years old when he was killed, still hurts to this day, losing all of them has but his was a rough rough circumstance, and even worse the police wouldn't do anything about it and the kid CAME to my house and TOLD me 'I think I hit someones dog.' YOU THINK? you DID! and you murdered him! I ran out there, laid on the ontop of him on the side of the road and just cried, for hours.. it was so terrible and tragic, making me tear up now :( some people really don't deserve the right to drive, at all! ugh.. anyways, memories.. but.. yes thats my zoo:)
Oh baby, HUGS! I've lost a pup under tragic circumstances myself. My family was watching her for me while I was in the process of moving and their youngest dog started a horrible fight with her (they hadn't told me she was so dog aggressive!), then down played how bad it was. She went in to septic shock and died within 36 hours of the fight from a cut under her chin. Five and a half months old. I've never forgiven my father for telling me the vet could wait because I got there only a few hours before she died and there was basically nothing to be done at that point.
Where I live now, we have a huge fence and the same level of asshole 19 year old neighbor (constantly speeds, several DUIs, has almost hit more than a few people in the neighborhood) who does not give a shit about the fact he's almost slammed into my mother's car taking a blind corner right next to our gate at 60 mph. Everybody in the neighborhood knows very well that if he hits one of my dogs in his recklessness, the only cops showing up will be here to arrest me for murder. I'm SO sorry you had to go through that girl. <3
webcamcutie
10-09-2015, 05:36 PM
Oh baby, HUGS! I've lost a pup under tragic circumstances myself. My family was watching her for me while I was in the process of moving and their youngest dog started a horrible fight with her (they hadn't told me she was so dog aggressive!), then down played how bad it was. She went in to septic shock and died within 36 hours of the fight from a cut under her chin. Five and a half months old. I've never forgiven my father for telling me the vet could wait because I got there only a few hours before she died and there was basically nothing to be done at that point.
Where I live now, we have a huge fence and the same level of asshole 19 year old neighbor (constantly speeds, several DUIs, has almost hit more than a few people in the neighborhood) who does not give a shit about the fact he's almost slammed into my mother's car taking a blind corner right next to our gate at 60 mph. Everybody in the neighborhood knows very well that if he hits one of my dogs in his recklessness, the only cops showing up will be here to arrest me for murder. I'm SO sorry you had to go through that girl. <3
Thank you, yes it was quite the ordeal for sure. And I'm SO sorry to hear about your dog, that is just awful! I can't stand when they are suffering or hurt, I just wish they could talk to us sometimes. I've been through a lot with my furbabies, undergoing more circumstances with Ares again today. He's been home 3 weeks now and was doing better until last night.
When it rains it pours, they say and I THOUGHT my storm was over but Ares got sick again this morning, I didn't get much sleep. He's been throwing up everything and unable to keep anything down. I had to go to the vet today and get 2 medications to soothe his stomach, meanwhile I've had him on a rice/chicken diet for the last 4 days due to not feeling good. Hopefully he can keep these medications down and they will help him, and he's currently off his steriods because they aggrravate an empty stomach. If he doesn't eat by tomorrow mid morning I have to take him back to the vet again, I'm hoping he feels better soon and its just a mild side effect from one of his steriods (which is possible with one of the ones he is taking WOULD be kicking in about now, takes 3-4 weeks to get into his system).
I hate seeing him like this, reminds me of a month ago when he was dying, but he is still going potty fine and has some nice bright red gums still (which is what almost killed him last time) but if he doesn't eat he can't take his medicine orally and will have to stay at the vet to get injectable medication until he starts eating again. I swear if its not one thing, its another.
Waiting for my rainbow any day now, if this storm cloud could pass my head I would definitely appreciate it for sure!
sovereignv
10-23-2015, 08:49 PM
Sorry for the thread necromancy, but then again, I'm not really sorry. Who doesn't love looking at pictures of animals?
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This is the cat I live with, Dipsy. She belongs to my housemate but she's like obsessed with hanging out in my room and I'm obsessed with her and her tiny beautiful face. She's old as balls and croaks endlessly in a creaky old cat voice but has a rewarding life of sleeping, licking plastic bags, exploring tight spaces, and trying to jump into my camming chair while I am working.
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Chilling in my camming chair like an insolent little asshat
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Chilling on me bed like a beautiful baby... the most beautiful baby in the world!!!! *cries*
IvyRose
11-09-2015, 10:40 AM
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NEED this thread back bbs!
Vlodina
11-09-2015, 11:01 AM
A pic of my girl with her current favourite toy.
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caramelcraze
11-10-2015, 04:27 AM
And THERE is my photobomb of my furbabies!
This made me miss having a beagle (and a hound in general) so freaking much.
I started hunting again recently though, so I'll probably end up with a large water dog when I get another pup. My childhood dog was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and I miss having one of those tanks around. Best 100lb dog a 60lb kid could've owned. :p Also an excellent duck dog and highly trainable.
...damn it, I just want a house full of dogs!
euro_princess
11-10-2015, 01:51 PM
A pic of my girl with her current favourite toy.
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I have the same breed, but mine is blenheim. <3
On the other hand, I want to get another dog, a bigger breed. I am debating between my all time fav, a doberman and a labrador retriever. But training for a doberman takes consistency, which I don't own. Still, they are so gorgeous. Hard choice!
Vlodina
11-10-2015, 02:46 PM
I have the same breed, but mine is blenheim. <3
On the other hand, I want to get another dog, a bigger breed. I am debating between my all time fav, a doberman and a labrador retriever. But training for a doberman takes consistency, which I don't own. Still, they are so gorgeous. Hard choice!
I would love one in every colour!
DeepThoughts
11-11-2015, 06:05 AM
I have the same breed, but mine is blenheim. <3
On the other hand, I want to get another dog, a bigger breed. I am debating between my all time fav, a doberman and a labrador retriever. But training for a doberman takes consistency, which I don't own. Still, they are so gorgeous. Hard choice!
I showed and trained Dobermans for years. I had two that I put championship titles on and then trained them for obedience trials. They are super smart and they DONT require more or less consistency then a lab, unless you are planning to trial them! If you just want a great pet then dobbies can get by with minimal training and be perfect companions plus people will never fuck with you when you have a dobbie. Both breeds require regular exercise of at least an hour walk every day to burn off their energy and keep their minds sharp but that is a rule that is true for most breeds of dogs. The bonus for Dobermans is that they are super duper easy to clean, when they shed its minimal (labs throw their coats twice a year and its a big mess!) and if you get the black and tan (my personal favorite colour) then you wont have any annoying hairs showing up on dark furniture or clothing. I would recommend a dobbie 100% if its between those to. Dont let the common rhetoric dissaude you. Its not true that just because they are breed to be protection dogs that means they need a firm hand or some sort of special training in their hearts they are exactly like a lab, loving, egar to please, over size lap dogs.
Oh and in my opinion they are much more beautiful and you will look super hot walking beside a dog like that! Dobbies make you feel powerful!
Issabelle
11-11-2015, 02:34 PM
I showed and trained Dobermans for years. I had two that I put championship titles on and then trained them for obedience trials. They are super smart and they DONT require more or less consistency then a lab, unless you are planning to trial them! If you just want a great pet then dobbies can get by with minimal training and be perfect companions plus people will never fuck with you when you have a dobbie. Both breeds require regular exercise of at least an hour walk every day to burn off their energy and keep their minds sharp but that is a rule that is true for most breeds of dogs. The bonus for Dobermans is that they are super duper easy to clean, when they shed its minimal (labs throw their coats twice a year and its a big mess!) and if you get the black and tan (my personal favorite colour) then you wont have any annoying hairs showing up on dark furniture or clothing. I would recommend a dobbie 100% if its between those to. Dont let the common rhetoric dissaude you. Its not true that just because they are breed to be protection dogs that means they need a firm hand or some sort of special training in their hearts they are exactly like a lab, loving, egar to please, over size lap dogs.
Oh and in my opinion they are much more beautiful and you will look super hot walking beside a dog like that! Dobbies make you feel powerful!
^^ See Euro--Deep agrees with me about the training/time aspect, so go and find yourself that sweetie pie. ;)
@Deep--this is what Euro and I message each other about all darn day. Puppy training, puppy advice, puppy health, lol. But I'm a German Shepherd girl, so mine are a bit different than Dobbies. Plus, my male GSD is a special baby. I love him dearly and he is one of the most eager-to-please, trainable dogs I've ever had, but he's also afraid of every person that isn't me/has intense guarding instincts (we're working on it and it's improving s-l-o-w-l-y). Even my trainer is amazed I survived his puppy stage without strangling him for all the nonsense he got up to--you'd think I'd never properly trained a dog in my life for how much trouble that one gave me! Meanwhile, my oldest (9) and youngest (nearly 1) are both female and excel as certified therapy and obedience dogs. I'm in the process of getting my youngest into competitions for a title as I type this.
I work my dogs probably 30 minutes/day each in terms of games that mentally tire them out and let them run in my yard together for what energy I can't get out that way. Obviously, if I'm going to be gearing up for a title competition, I'd be working my dogs more, but my oldest is retired and my youngest is still growing a bit, so we aren't ready yet. The trick to dog training is that it does NOT have to be a huge production. Take three minutes to make them 'earn' their breakfast with commands, work them through heeling/on-leash commands on a short walk, hide toys and make them find them, etc., etc., each day and your dog will stay up on it. My girls' are tired out for the entire day by a visit to the hospital/VA/nursing home, for example, and my male is crashed out on the couch after 30 minutes of heeling work during a walk. Basically, training is all a matter of quality, not quantity, when it comes to a companion animal.
Also--she's dead right about the shedding issue. I refer to my babes as 'German Shedders' during coat blowing season. I could make a sweater for every damned member of the Weasley family with all their left over fur, I swear.
DeepThoughts
11-13-2015, 11:57 PM
^^I know you and I have discussed doggies in many other posts. I have to say that one of my goals is to walk my doggies everyday and so far we are doing an hour everyday with the occasional half hour or 45 min. walk if an hour cant be done. Me and my doggies are very proud of this!
I really hope it all comes together for your GSD though. I have to say I have two male (brother) chihuahua mixes that were NEVER socialized properly so when I adopted them at 5 years old I did it knowing that their first tendency was to bite everyone (people and dogs) when they first met them. I adopted them because of this because I specifically wanted to train them to behave better but realistically I went into it knowing that they would probably never become friendly I just wanted them to behave calmly and not feel the need to bite everyone! (just a side note they do not close their mouths when they bite they more just lay their teeth on people and dogs and bark like crazy so they are not actually even a threat to anyone but themselves!) I realize having a GSD that has aggression issues is more serious then chihuahuaX's with aggression issues but the process is the same for both breeds and I have have had AMAZING success so you must feel really proud of what you have accomplished. Keep with it girl, sometimes its all about finding that one thing or routine that makes it all come together for the dog. I love thinking outside the box in terms of dog training to solve solutions but in the end its all about helping the dogs to be their happy, anxiety free selves.
Issabelle
11-14-2015, 01:12 AM
^^ He's coming together nicely. People he's familiar with can pet him now usually and strangers who are approved by family members are worthy of a sniff before he proceeds to ignore them. No bite history, thank god, but he love to growl as threateningly as possible anytime someone comes up to my door or sneaks up on him. He's not a fan of sneaking up. We're working on that annoying tendency the most. It involves a LOT of spray bottles and water directly squirted in his face when he growls.
Yeah, I spray my dogs in the face with water. Single fastest 'bad habit breaker' I've ever run into in terms of general effectiveness on all behaviors. Digging? Spray bottle. Barking? Spray bottle. Growling? Jumping? Inappropriate chewing? Yup, spray bottle that sucker!
I wouldn't mind him doing it so much if it weren't with family just walking towards my office door during the day. Warning me the mailman or a random person is coming up to my door is great. My dad is just plain dumb since they live in the same house, lol. Ah, trusty spray bottle, come here!
DeepThoughts
11-14-2015, 02:57 AM
^^ I dont know why but I thought that you were using only positive reinforcement to train your doggie. I must have it confused with an earlier post from someone else. I know that using punishment can achieve the result your looking for in the moment but if your dog is still being aggressive with people who live in the same home as him then its doing nothing to actually "train" him. If, for example, you want him to not bark when people approach your office door then then train him to lay in a single spot and not get up from that spot even when people approach, then start training to remain calm and frequently reward him when he is, Including when no one is approaching the door! You want to reward the behavior rather then punish him otherwise your probably just causing other problems because a dog is not capable to make the connection of "I am being sprayed in the face because I am barking". If any connection is being made there its "when someone approaches I get sprayed in the face" or even just "Spray bottle means I'm going to get sprayed in the face" which means he continues to view it as a bad thing that people approach so the growling or barking will continue or get worse OR end up being expressed in another way like someone getting bitten.
To calm your dog down when he is growling go to him and speak to him softly, pat him gently, tell him its okay and baby him! Do that thing he really loves like scratch his belly or that spot behind his ears! I dont know what he likes but you will so use that to break the habit and every time he stops growling or barking for one fraction of a second while you do then reward him with a really tasty treat or even a toy. Even if it lasts one second its a start, together with rewarding him when he is just calmly lieing down and relaxing (the way you want him to be when people DO approach your office) you will eventually teach him that people approaching is an awesome thing because good things can happen like treats and being praised! The results will also come much much much faster! You said he is eager to learn so he will pick this up in no time as long as you go step by step.
Dogs do not think the way we think. They cannot reason out solutions in their heads and they dont draw the same conclusions as we do. To successfully train your dog you need to think like your dog. Also if you have been dealing with this since he was a puppy I wonder if he has a medical problem like bad eyesight or hearing that is causing him to be protective. If you havent already I would rule that out to be sure that this isnt caused by some deeper issue.
euro_princess
11-14-2015, 10:17 AM
Omg. So a trainer came today to review my girl and I didn't like how she behaved. She was so scared, that she peed on herself, when he entered the room. He tried to play with her, but mostly she kept a distance and didn't even touch the toy. She's so shy that she got scared of anybody else besides me. Every second she looked for my confirmation or tried to jump in my arms. Because she was sick for a couple of months and I couldn't take her out, I still can't, she has 3 vaccines left to do, she didn't develop no social skills. Damn fucking breeder, wanna burn his house!!!
He said will take a while to train her, because she skipped some steps in her education. So wasn't enough that she is shy as a temper, which I noticed since I got her, she got worse with time. Now I feel such a bad mommy. :( Spoiling her made things escalate faster. She is bubbly only when she's with me, if you add another person in the equation, she gets anxious.
So our plan will be 5 day of training per week, for at least 2 months, not to mention $450 per month (hope he's worth). I searched infos about the trainer and people talk nicely about him, plus I've seen how he acted with her and other dogs (from videos on the internet). I just hope he will get her back on track.
Issabelle
11-14-2015, 03:10 PM
@Deep--hey, I won't knock different approaches. I've used yours before on my females effectively; this was the adjustment I made for my male because he's a total pain (and I love him). Yes, I use a spray bottle to correct incessant barking/growling. I also use neck massages, calming words, and a number of techniques you've listed out. Hell, outside of a loud 'no' and that sprayer, there aren't any negative reinforcements in my house (number three IS coming soon, but I'll discuss that later). The water doesn't hurt them and as long as you spray them while they are doing it, they will associate that behavior with a negative consequence. I throw a loud 'no *whatever he's doing*' in as I spray, and then redirect him. He absolutely has learned something from the spray bottle.
I absolutely will not touch my dog when he is snarling at someone. We love our dogs with our hands and our touches and our soft voices. I'm not going to treat him nicely and like he's behaving when he's growling at family. That's a positive reinforcement of a very bad behavior. If he growls and I pet him (like I do when he's doing something else good), he will associate growling with petting = good behavior and keep doing it. Last month I literally watched a guy bring his *super rare, super fancy* toy dog to class. Said dog BIT two people because the owner wasn't watching and started snarling at the rest of us. The owner picked said tiny dog up, cuddled it in his lap, and kept petting the dog as he continued to snarl at everyone in class, while trying to lunge out of his owner's lap. In this case, he was literally reinforcing the behavior by telling the dog 'it's okay; that's a good boy' and petting him. Weirdly, the spray bottle stopped it within like 3 sprays over the course of 5 minutes, but the guy was so pissed the trainer dared to spray his fancy dog with water that he wouldn't give it a chance. He didn't come back to class and somewhere that toy breed is biting people. Seriously--the guy showed up to class like 'he barks and snarls and has bitten my young grandchildren repeatedly; what do I do?' and then blew off the ONLY thing that was working. The dog tried to bite the OWNER when he tried to put the dog in a calming neck massage and talk him down. Drove me insane.
To be clear, when my doggy is behaving in an appropriate way, he gets cuddles, loves, and peanut butter snacks. My motto is 'love the dog you want,' meaning I only do those things when he behaves. He also gets to hear 'good *whatever thing*' a lot--good off, good down, good stay, good quiet, etc. He melts into a puddle when I tell him he's being good, lol, but I do make him work for praise when we're doing work together. At home, well, he's spoiled, okay? lol.
TL,DR--yeah, different training for different situations for sure. I started out with the calming techniques and slow rewards when he was 2 months old. He never responded to them under my guidance or a trainers (two of 'em), so we started using physical techniques (neck massage while having someone come up, slowly building tolerance, etc) and that dealt with the worst of his issues with family (unless it's a tall men--he hates tall men!), but the growling has been a stand still issue and I'm not interested in using a static (not electric shock!!! very different things!!!) e-collar on him for this. The spray bottle works when I use it consistently and couple it with immediately pulling him into a neck massage and letting the family member in question pet him. Now when he doesn't growl, he gets peanut butter. He growls, he gets sprayed.
That option #3 for negative correction is a static collar (again, not an electric shock collar; very different!). I'm not thrilled to be shelling out $300-400 on a set of 'em next pay check, but my neighbor has a very friendly yellow lab and whenever said lab is out my dogs are at the fence line barking/howling/trying to climb the six foot fence (and nearly succeeding these days! holy shit--I was terrified!). In and of itself, it's just kind of annoying that they bark. It annoys me, it annoys my neighbors, and the dogs just wanna play. Whatever. No, what's insane is that they won't stop and nearly ended up in the road with my maniac neighbor (not the one across the street) nearly running all of the dogs over (he's a drunk asshole the cops never manage to catch; long story). I pull the dogs inside when they start barking/climbing the fence, but now that they know I'm just going to 'ruin their fun' they don't come. Matter of fact, they run away when I go down to get them and I can't get them leashed to get inside. Literally, my dogs are out of control and I look like a moron. I'd say I was primarily frustrated by how annoying it is, but I'm terrified because my dogs have strong recalls under any other circumstance and this could turn very dangerous if they get out in the road before I catch them (and they seriously were halfway over the fence two weeks ago when I caught them). Enter the static collar. They use static/vibrations every time a dog barks to 'surprise' them. It only goes off when the dog barks and increases in intensity of vibration until the dog remains quiet (resetting to lowest level after 10 minutes of quiet). Barking is a big part of drive in GSDs, so stopping it does stop the climbing. And before anyone asks if I'm SUPER sure about the e-collar, I use ALL tools on myself before I put them on my dog. When my oldest female needed a prong collar for handling work, I fitted one to my own neck to test out first (they're not bad; you literally can't leave them on outside of training; that shit isn't supposed to grow into your dog's neck, lord!). Did the same with the e-collar. It tickled to all shit and got worse the longer I talked; no pain, but very irritating.
We need to start having the private dog training debate Deep. I feel like we would have so much fun, haha. I was basically 100% with the philosophies you've described in past posts until my male showed up. I do not joke--he's an asshole and made me revise some of my approaches when it comes to 'difficult cases' lol.
Issabelle
11-14-2015, 03:19 PM
@Euro--yeah, that'll happen. First day of class, most dogs are either very submissive (like your girl and my Lord) or rather aggressive (barking, trying to dominate trainer, etc). It's because it's a new environment and situation. Rare dogs are like 'okay, cool, whatcha wanna do? That thing? K, sounds fun, let's go.'
She'll develop social skills by being around other people and animals. Ask the trainer if he knows any animals that are fully vaccinated for your girl to hang around. I'd offer you Lord (because he LOVES EVERY PUPPY!!!), but, ya know, different continents and all that. Training school is a type of socialization in and of itself. With proper handling, your girl will be fine. She's young and you're working her. :)
Yes, puppies take time to train. Anxious puppies need work too. She'll learn. Relax. Let the trainer do his thing. My Lord basically did the exact same things as Ruby on the first day of class and he loooooved to make the trainer sweat when she handled him, but he's top of the class right now for obedience when we're working together and no one realize how insecure he is when he's next to me. Your girl will learn to be confident as you learn to be confident, which training will do. <3
MistressX
11-14-2015, 07:41 PM
Well I dont have any "pets" per se, but I do have "babies" of a different kind. 99% of the reason I cam is because I own 3 hearses and they suck all my money away. My next goat is to raise $20,000 to restore the exterior of a "one of one" hearse I have that is currently my daily driver. I wish I could have actual pets but I just cant afford one lol
charlie61
11-16-2015, 02:24 PM
Omg I wish I still lived in Arizona. I'd rescue her in a heartbeat!
charlie61
11-16-2015, 02:25 PM
You can tell that she'll be absolutely stunning once she's eating good food in a relaxing home with plenty of love!
Marina Starr
11-16-2015, 03:23 PM
I'm a dog person but she's gorgeous. Love her fur. What kind of cat is she? I've never seen a cat with such beautiful fur.
Omg I wish I still lived in Arizona. I'd rescue her in a heartbeat!
http://www.lostourhome.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=4846006
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charlie61
11-16-2015, 03:29 PM
I'm a dog person but she's gorgeous. Love her fur. What kind of cat is she? I've never seen a cat with such beautiful fur.
She looks like a Siberian Forest cat mix to me. Seriously - if she looks that good all stressed out and underfed in a shelter, she'll be a stunner after a few months of loving care!
charlie61
11-16-2015, 03:30 PM
HER NOSE IS SHAPED LIKE A HEART. I'm dying a slow death over here.
charlie61
11-16-2015, 03:55 PM
I already have four Siberian rescues. It'd be irresponsible to get another. They're just the most amazing cats...healthy, robust, intelligent, dog-like personalities. Aaaaah.
Okay, I'll stop spamming this thread.
audritwo
11-16-2015, 05:37 PM
http://i.imgur.com/MrKoc1F.jpg?1
He really doesn't like it when we leave. Every morning he sits on my husband's laptop case begging him not to leave.
And yes, that is a foot from a toy he destroyed the first day of giving it to him. Ripped off the feet and now carries them in his mouth as if it's his trophy.
Does anyone have any recommendations on heavy duty dog toys? My little white mutt destroys everything within minutes of receiving.
pippapippa
11-16-2015, 05:45 PM
^^ West Paw Design if he likes rubber type toys. goDog toys if he likes the stuffed kind.
Issabelle
11-16-2015, 10:01 PM
^^ Kong indestructible toys. You can fill 'em with treats or peanut butter and they've survived every big dog I know of. Especially popular with pit bulls.
DeepThoughts
11-17-2015, 12:17 AM
Okay I want to hijack again in response to both Euro and Issabelle regarding the "praising bad behaviour" thingy. Euro said she spoiled her fearful dog too much and Issabelle saying you dont want to praise your boy when he is doing the wrong thing. I think its tempting to think in these terms because we associate how dogs learn with how we learn but its just anthropomorphism at its best (worst?). @Euro if your doggie is scared and peeing on herself then you 100% need to be cuddling her and scratching her in her favorite spots and offering her comfort all the time. She needs that from you right now. Socialization is easier to teach to shy dogs then aggressive ones so dont worry! You need to stop worrying about her being socialized with other dogs and get her interacting with other people. Men, Women, Kids. She doesnt need her vaccinations for that. Let her go at her own pace. Give people treats to give her. It doesnt matter if she is to shy to take them its the thought that counts and always instruct everyone who meets her to scratch her under the chin or chest and never to raise a hand above her head or stare in her eyes. At first the most you might get is that she will sniff someone and stand stiffly if they try to touch her or she will go to you. Please continue to comfort her it really is what will help her the most.
@Issabella I understand exactly how your training your dog but my argument would be that there is Zero evidence that you are "rewarding negative behavior" in your dogs mind. Now I understand that in your mind you think of it that way but your dog does not understand the world the way you do and all research into dog behavior has concluded that dogs are incapable of making this connection. Now I would agree that if your dog is growling/barking and being aggressive with others patting him nicely in that moment is going to have no effect, good or bad, because he is in an agitated state. The key is to redirect him to something he knows and teach him to pay attention to you and your signals so that you have something to reward him for in those situations. Studies into dog behavior show that the most effective training comes from setting your dog up to succeed in every situation that way life and training becomes a positive in your dogs mind rather then a stressful thing where he is being punished for what feels natural to him. But this is all way too much information! I am constantly reading about dog behavior and to try and put it all here is stupid I just want to make the point that positive reinforcement is the very best way to train a dog and honestly if I went to a trainer to help my aggressive dog (which I also have as I mentioned before) and that person sprayed him in the face with a sprayer I would walk out and never come back either because after decades of research into dog behavior there is over whelming evidence that this method of training is not very effective or humane.
All this aside though in the big picture I am really impressed that your taking this all on the way you are. Most people would have given up on a GSD with aggression issues a long time ago. Its a testament to your love and strength that your still walking this path with him (sorry its my emotional hippie getting out). As far as a dog training debate thread we sort have done that here ;) and how distracting would that be!?! I got to get on cam and make some $$$. :D
Issabelle
11-17-2015, 01:15 AM
^^ All fair points. I think I've worked with like six trainers in the last ten years by now and they all had different philosophies. One was very in line with yours and she had great results with her dogs. The trainer I'm in line with uses what I consider to be 'middle of the road' in terms of discouraging negative behavior (punishments, as you describe) and high praise of successes. I've stuck with her strategy because it's the only one that's worked on my Lord, but it doesn't make it the best for any or every doggy by any means. He was just a dog that became more withdrawn from others/defensive of me when I comforted him during his protective phases. Your mileage may vary, as always.
I'm pretty sure I've stolen some of your previous tips from months ago too, haha, so it's all great info to have. I will say I'm pleased to report that Lord is no longer growling at family and I don't need to keep the bottle anymore after about two weeks of use to break that habit so YAY FOR THAT! Unfortunately I do have to up the ante on the fence-fighting, climbing, and barking behaviors now. Our neighbor refuses to keep his dog away from our fence and Lord and my female have both nearly gotten caught on the top of the fence trying to get to the neighbor dog. An emergency vet trip/surgery because my dog gutted himself trying to get to another dog just isn't gonna fly with me. Hopefully the high vibration/static collar eliminates this because I can't keep them inside all day. I tried one on myself (because I refuse to put anything on my dogs I haven't personally tested) and BOY is that static/vibration annoying! I wonder if it could be programmed for freeloading cam customers... If you've got any ideas to reduce the fence-fighting/climbing issue Deep, I am seriously all ears. If the collars don't work, I'm completely out of ideas and this is getting to be dangerous as all get out...
I love my GSDs and my male has a special soft spot in my heart. He's one of the best companion dogs I've ever owned, super attuned to my moods, and very eager to please in obedience/rally/agility exercises. He's all protective of 'short people' in the family--a few months ago a stranger tried to come up to my three year old god daughter at the park while we were out. I was about 10 feet away watching her play and Lord stepped right in between them to make it clear there would be no touching his kid without making so much as a noise. The guy seriously gave the creepiest vibe and Lord read it right away. He has his difficult moments, but he's really amazing and I wouldn't trade him. Soul animal for sure. (now who sounds like an emotional hippie? lol)
But enough debates! We do need to work, lol! Unless you have input on the fence-fighting/climbing issue. Because I've talked to the neighbor and that guy does NOT get it.
Issabelle
11-17-2015, 01:18 AM
And since I've never posted a PICTURE of my current pack in my own pet thread, let me remedy that:
http://i66.tinypic.com/s13mzs.jpg
In order left to right: Lord, Valkyrie, and Bella
For anyone wondering about my pit bull mix (from earlier in this thread, last year): she was a last minute rescue I fell in love with who needed to be taken out asap. Great dog, but had been abused previously by a female owner by animal control accounts. I ended up working with her until a veteran friend of mine got out of the service and moved back home looking for a companion/therapy baby. He had a lot of experience with pits and she is night-and-day more comfortable with him. So, yes, she found her 'fur-ever human' in my good friend.
Marina Starr
11-17-2015, 07:02 AM
I've come to the realization that the more time I spend with my dog, the less I like people!
Vlodina
11-17-2015, 07:23 AM
@Isabelle Lovely dogs, I love German Shepherds. Are you a Twilight fan per chance?
PhatGirlDynomite!!!
11-17-2015, 10:01 AM
^^ Kong indestructible toys. You can fill 'em with treats or peanut butter and they've survived every big dog I know of. Especially popular with pit bulls.
Recently I spent $15 for a giant kong filled it up with treats $3.99 then gave it to the bouncy pitbull puppy next door. She immediately dug a hole and dropped it in. Its been 3 days. For some reason I don't think she realized how gratifying it would have been for me to see her play with it.
PhatGirlDynomite!!!
11-17-2015, 10:11 AM
http://i.imgur.com/MrKoc1F.jpg?1
He really doesn't like it when we leave. Every morning he sits on my husband's laptop case begging him not to leave.
And yes, that is a foot from a toy he destroyed the first day of giving it to him. Ripped off the feet and now carries them in his mouth as if it's his trophy.
Does anyone have any recommendations on heavy duty dog toys? My little white mutt destroys everything within minutes of receiving.
Sometimes I make toys for that exact reason. Mine will get the squeaker out of any toy in under five minutes. So I have a basket filled with "dead" stuffed animals. Now I take old socks and stuff them with empty water bottles. They like the crackle sound. And it's not money wasted because I already have the stuff.
Issabelle
11-17-2015, 12:57 PM
@Isabelle Lovely dogs, I love German Shepherds. Are you a Twilight fan per chance?
Haha, nah. I actually named Bella after Isabella in Wuthering Heights because I was reading it at the time. She's almost 10 years old now. I think she might actually pre-date Twilight popularity.
Recently I spent $15 for a giant kong filled it up with treats $3.99 then gave it to the bouncy pitbull puppy next door. She immediately dug a hole and dropped it in. Its been 3 days. For some reason I don't think she realized how gratifying it would have been for me to see her play with it.
LOL! That would definitely be worth digging it up out of my neighbor's yard when they aren't home to teach her how to play with it! Little goof!
Sometimes I make toys for that exact reason. Mine will get the squeaker out of any toy in under five minutes. So I have a basket filled with "dead" stuffed animals. Now I take old socks and stuff them with empty water bottles. They like the crackle sound. And it's not money wasted because I already have the stuff.
I saw this super cute DIY dog toy/treat dispenser made of old 2 liter soda bottles. The guy made a saw-horse stand (round rod with two pieces of wood as support at each end) and cut two holes through each soda bottle slightly bigger than the rod so the bottles would hang from the center rod and have enough room to spin freely when you hit them. Then he cut a treat sized hole in each bottle somewhere and filled them with treats (keeping the cap on each bottle). His dog spent hours pawing at the bottles to get treats out. I dunno how safe the plastic is if the dog decides to naw on it, but if I could find that 'safe for paranoid dog moms' solution, I'd be ALL over that.
22lligm
11-17-2015, 01:32 PM
I'm a dancer but I love this thread and I'm obsessed with my fur baby and wanted to share. I just moved and my mom is keeping her while I get my place together out here and I realized how much nobody else really matters to me haha I don't miss anyone except my dog. But I finally get to reunite with her tomorrow after a month! Her name is Lilly & she's a chow german shepherd mix (I think so anyway that's what they told me when I rescued her).
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This is her crazy hyper face lol
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& this is how she tells me our walk is over
SweetJulia
11-17-2015, 02:32 PM
1-What does tl dr mean?
2-How can I get my thirteen year old female cat to stop snoring loudly?
charlie61
11-17-2015, 02:48 PM
1-What does tl dr mean?
2-How can I get my thirteen year old female cat to stop snoring loudly?
Too long; didn't read (in other words, you put it at the end of longer posts so that people who don't want to read the whole post can still get a summary of what you've said)
Also, kitty snores are the BEST.
charlie61
11-17-2015, 02:53 PM
She looks like a Siberian Forest cat mix to me. Seriously - if she looks that good all stressed out and underfed in a shelter, she'll be a stunner after a few months of loving care!
Now that I've exhausted every possibility for adopting her (I can't - I have a full house, and no one I know in Tucson can either), I'm doing everything I can to try to get this kitty adopted. I'm contacting the agency to see if I can pay her adoption fee. I got all attached to her, and now that I can't have her, I'm suffering thinking that she might not be placed in a loving home soon. :'(
Vlodina
11-17-2015, 02:58 PM
Haha, nah. I actually named Bella after Isabella in Wuthering Heights because I was reading it at the time. She's almost 10 years old now. I think she might actually pre-date Twilight popularity.
My bad, I was thinking that Valkyrie was one of the evil vampires too! xxx
Issabelle
11-17-2015, 05:36 PM
My bad, I was thinking that Valkyrie was one of the evil vampires too! xxx
Was she? I had no idea, lol. Can you tell I didn't read further than the first book in the Twilight series?
Valkyries are part of Viking lore. Odin would send his Valkyries into battles to find those worthy of Valhalla and slay those who acted with dishonor. As the legend goes--half of those who died in battle went to Odin's hall, as collected by his 'Warrior Goddesses' (literal translation). As an aside--my Valkyrie is being trained as a PTSD therapy dog for children and veterans, so I guess she's getting to choose the worthy as well. To answer the question no one ever asks--the other half of the worthy slain in battle belong to the hall of Odin's wife, Freya (literal translation-The Lady). Since, for some strange reason, women were just about the only ones any good at picking worthy warriors for the twin halls, Freya didn't send Valkyries of her own to collect her chosen. She did it herself and rode a chariot pulled by cats into battle to collect souls. Because why the fuck not?
At the time, my Lord was in need of a sister and I finally found a pup I adored. I wanted to name her some variant of Lady without it being too cliche, so I selected Freya. Unfortunately, Freya is the pup I lost in June to an infection. I debated another pup, but only wanted to purchase Freya's remaining sister from her liter. And, really, shouldn't the names of sisters be related? In mythology, Freya had nine sisters, none of whom were named, but the Valkyries were and so my youngest female was named Valkyrie in honor of her late sister.
My next dog (in several years, unless I get the puppy cravings again, lol) will be male, hopefully a pure black long hair GSD, and I intend to name him either Odin, Thor, or Warden. I haven't quite decided if I want Norse names to be a tradition for my female dogs only and just pair them to logical English names. I mean, Odin--the ruler; Thor--the arrogant lightning god; or Warden--because nothing will scare the shit out of people more than a 110+ pound black GSD trained in protection work named after a prison guard, lol. It'll all depend on personality in my next male.
webcamcutie
11-17-2015, 05:51 PM
Long time since I've posted an update but since ares had a check up today I wanted to fill everyone in.
We're on 60 days since he's been home, his recent PCV test was 40 after being 37 30 days ago with tapering his prednisone down to 30mg from 60mg. He's gained 26lbs in total (getting fat) in 60 days, finally done with accidents, his attitude is improving, and he is slowly getting better. We're tapering him down on his prednisone for another 30 days before his next check up.
That being said he is a far ways away from the dog that was dying 2 months ago, and I'm very proud of him and his will to survive. He will have this condition the rest of his life and is on continued steroids and medications for it, but we are currently out of the 'danger zone' as long as he doesn't relapse while being tapered from pred. So far so good!
Very grateful that I found a vet that gave him a chance when over 50 vets told me that he was a lost cause, he's proving them wrong, and I cherish everyday he is still in my life! Everyone who has been here for me through his ordeal, I love you to death and I'm happy for all the positive vibes and prayers, you guys rock and Ares and I say thanks for the positive vibes, made a huge difference!