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Pet Talk - My dog/cat is my best friend!

2

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well don't freak him out. I'm no dog expert, just an eye witness to a few incidents. But he should go in eyes open and take all precautions.

    Most people say they have good dispositions but they always throw in a little caveat. I think the quote below is more accurate than what I told you---these dogs can be protective and that's where the trouble starts:

    "The Mastiff breed is a combination of grandeur, dignity, and courage; calm and affectionate to its master, but capable of guarding. The breed is innately good natured, calm, easygoing, and surprisingly gentle. It is a well-mannered house pet but needs sufficient room to stretch out. This is an extremely loyal breed and though not excessively demonstrative, it is devoted to its family and good with children. However, it can be very protective of its owners and must be handled sensibly, since it is exceptionally powerful and can be difficult to control.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    From the quote Shifty provided "must be handled sensibly" - that means obedience training as soon as possible and that cannot be overemphasized.
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    I've always been a cat person .. had them at home growing up.

    About 7 1/2 years ago, my wife and kids start asking if we can get a dog in the house. I'm reluctant at first, but slowly warm up to the idea. So, off to the pound we go.

    We're looking for something medium sized, as my daughter had problems staying home alone and a guard dog would make her feel more comfortable.

    We come home with Max - part Shar-pei, part hound dog, part who-knows-what. Great, great dog. Bark is much worse than his bite.

    A couple of years ago, my wife started making noise about getting Max a companion. She wanted a female dog and wanted to name her Lily.

    So, one day while at work, our son showed up with a miniature dachshund puppy. My wife commented on how cute she was and asked her name. Told it was Lily, my wife was quite surprised -- this was a gift to her.

    She has turned into my wife's pride and joy. She has owned many dogs over the years and has never felt so attached to one as she does to Lily. She is quite jealous of me, and her and Max get along great, despite the 30+ pound weight difference.

    We still have cats - 3 of them - and their relationship to the dogs is quite interesting to watch.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Our dog, Hadji, has some dachsund in him. He has that long torso.

    WONDERFUL dog. Still, we travel a lot so I think he's our last pet for a while.

    No cats! I'm allergic. :sick:
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Shhh... don;t tell my dog-crazy daughter.

    There may be an addition to our household in Sept as one of my wife's coworkers just had... well her DOG did ;) ... a litter of labs. My father in law used to breed and train labs for field trials, so there's a family history of this sort of thing.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I still miss my dog. His name was Christopher, a yellow lab. Very intelligent and a total gentleman. He lived a good long life until 1982 or so. After that, I really didn't want the responsibility of another dog. It's like having a kid, but without the college tuition.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    And you're right, it IS a huge responsibility and your health insurance doesn't cover office visits!

    My last dog was an English Springer Spaniel named Blackjack. I always said I won him in Atlantic City because after a 3 day visit to Harrah's I came back with enough money to buy the dog, a new refrigerator, and my first home computer system!

    Blackjack THOUGHT he was a puppy right up the the day he died. He weighed 78 pounds and was pure ENERGY. Heart conditions are relatively common in Springers. At age 10, he was working his retrieving dummies one day, and the next morning we found him lying still in the kennel.
    A great dog!

    I'd get another Springer, except I'd like to bypass all the grooming that went with him ;)
  • okko1okko1 Member Posts: 327
    good luck i got my daughter on from a friend. as it turns out i got her an 80 lb. psycho with a tail that kills. dog is dumb as a box of rocks but is one of the best pets we ever had. if you have the patience and the time to commit to lab i think their the best for children. they have a program at the school where my wife works in which the school principal used his lab with the special education student.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Can't you get doggie health insurance now?
  • okko1okko1 Member Posts: 327
    yes one of my other daughters has 2 dogs and she does have a plan with her vet clinic for check ups and emergency services. some surgeries are covered
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    We've got the junior dog and the senior dog. Both are lab mutts.

    Gromit, the senior dog, is about twelve and has some chow mixed in with the black lab. As a result his tongue looks like he tried to eat a magic marker. He is hands down the best kid dog I have ever seen. They bounce on him, dress him up, put the leash on him to walk around the house and he just goes along with it. Only time he growls is when another dog walks by the house so if a burglar dog is in the neighborhood we are safe.

    Wally is a yellow lab - husky mix. He shows signs of being a Gromit in training and is definitely got the aim to please gene but is taking a little work. Good dog, though.

    Mittens the cat hates Wally and will hiss at the slightest provocation, such as his being awake. She leaves Gromit alone since he has seniority. Must be a union cat.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,149
    Here's my pup, Matty, looking sad because no one will play "Hippo" with her. "Hippo" is, of course the game where she brings you the stuffed hippo, runs away, you toss it to her, and she brings it back. This is a totally different game than "Duck," because in "Duck" you are throwing a duck. Duh.

    She's about 10 months old now, starting to grow out of the real puppy energy, but still plenty playful.

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Very cute!
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    Nice chocolate lab. Our 1 1/2 year old chocolate lab goes by the name "Cocoa". Due to wanting to chew the furniture up as a pup, we sacrificed a small wooden table and chair the kids use to sit in. We sprayed the other furniture with that lemon stuff. Worked really well. By the time she finished her chewing phase... she had whittled that table and chair down to a couple toothpicks. :)
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Dogs and Cats Everywhere Jump for Joy as Progressive Introduces Pet Injury Coverage, Included At No Extra Charge For Customers With Collision Coverage"

    ''Finally!'' Says Fido, ''A Car Insurance Company That Gets It''
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Why not? They sell pet health insurance.
  • 08blackrt08blackrt Member Posts: 10
    My last dog was 14 and a half when he had to be put down due to metastatic prostate cancer. That was a rough one, he was a great dog, and never started a fight in his life. Lots of people were shocked to learn, either just before, or after he was gone, that he was half Pit Bull. He was insanely strong, and an amazingly compact 75 pounds. I got talked into taking him by one of my Vet's stepkids who worked there. He loved everyone, and just about every dog he ever met, with a couple of exceptions. I still miss him, over 9 years later

    We also had a cat, a very big grey and white one, who terrorized the poor dog, who could have killed him in a second. When the dog got put down, we were going to wait a while before getting two pups, but we lasted just two weeks. A friend of mine knew someone who had 13 pups to find homes for, and we went over, just to "look", knowing full well that unless they were sick or something, we would be taking two of them. One, a black and white male, climbed up on the couch and went to sleep in about 30 seconds, and a grey and white female was a nice pup so we took them. The female, Molly, has a genetic skin condition and bad hips that so far, haven't caused any problems. The male, King, is the healthiest dog I have ever had, and the smartest too, but not in a good way. He doesn't do anything he doesn't want to, ignores you if he feels like it, even when food is offered. He's a pain, but he really is my "Dog of a lifetime". He's a lot of fun, runs like a pup, and his only real problem is he plays insanely rough, and most dogs are scared of him, including poor Molly.

    When we got them, King weighed 7 pounds and the cat, Orville was 28 (one of the biggest cats I ever saw), and unlike the previous dog, King was unimpressed with all the cat's hissing and yelling, and proceeded to torment the cat nearly every second he was awake. The cat thought he was being murdered and was a mess. Sadly, just after the cat discovered that King really liked him, and started playing with him, the cat went sour, and we had to put him down, he was almost 17. Eight years later, if I ask, "Where's Orville?", King runs all over, looking for his long gone buddy. Molly never seemed to even know the cat existed.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    It's been over two years since our beloved Lab passed. We weren't sure if another dog could ever fill the hole she left in our family, but looks like Jasmine may do the trick. My husband and I were not exactly thrilled with the idea, but we had run out of excuses to give our daughter as to why she couldn't bring a puppy home. Within two hours, she had us wrapped securely around her paws. :)

    image">
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Is that a cat scratch on her nose and did Houdini give it to her? :shades:
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Nope, that would be mud on her nose. She's determined to uproot the daffodils. FWIW, Houdini seems to like her. :shades:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Awwwwwwwww!

    So cute!

    Look at those puppy eyes!

    I've said that Hadji will be my last dog, because we travel too much. Wonder if that will last...
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Aw! That is a cute pup. Labs are such great dogs. Both our dogs are part lab - the one is mostly black lab but with some definite chow in him. The other is a cross between a yellow lab and a husky. I learned the hard way that for the most part you are better off with a darker colored dog.... Good thing for lint brushes.

    I had the world's smartest dog years ago but she's been gone 15 years now and I still miss her. Puli with German Shepherd and Husky mixed in.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • okko1okko1 Member Posts: 327
    i don't fell sorry for ya haha. i have raised dogs and been around them all my life. but you don't own a lab they own you. got my first one about 5 years ago and she is still nuts. good luck! :D
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    Cute puppy. Our circumstance was much like yours. We had a large black lab (Abby), who was almost 14 years old when we had to put her down. It took about 2 years before we were ready for another dog. Our dog now...Cocoa, is a chocolate lab, is a little over 2 years old and doing great.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • tlcruztlcruz Member Posts: 54
    I have a 2 year old Chihuahua/Jack Russel Mix named Rice! He's a light tan color and was really small when I got him, So I thought he looked like Fried Rice! :P So he's the light of my life (among other things) and I really want to get him a brother or sister soon!

    image

    here's another picture
    and another
    and last one!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    What a combo! He must be very active (when not sleeping).
  • alltorquealltorque Member Posts: 535
    Ladies and Gentlemen. Yesterday, on this forum, I made a post which contained an inappropriate comment. It has, rightly, been removed. Your forum moderators are both polite and vigilant. My apologies for any offence I may have, inadvertently, caused.
  • tlcruztlcruz Member Posts: 54
    He's quite a handful, lemme tell ya. lol

    But he's got alot of spunk and he's really smart! He keeps me and my boyfriend on our toys with the weird things he does. :P

    Just like today, I got home from running my errands and set the bags on the ground and all of a sudden, he's got his nose in my target bag, trying to pull out his new toy. What a silly puppy I have :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    image
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    :D
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Yeah, but my cat can change oil.

    image
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Animals are probably attracted to the residual warmth of the engine/exhaust.

    I had a problem where a chip munk was chewing up some of my ignition wires on my old Forester. I guess Subaru bastes the wires in au-jus or something. :D
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You may be able to see the sun/shade stripe in the lower part of the photo. It was a late May photo and I think we were unloading garden stuff that day so the van was left in the yard instead of the garage, and the cat was looking for some shade.

    I remember all the mess you had with the chipmunk. Haj(?) fell down on the job - you should get a real cat, and not depend on a dog that looks like a cat. :shades:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Big deal. I had to pull Superdog off a Doberman the other day.
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    For a second there I thought you had lost your mind steve. At first glance your picture looks like a cat that was run over. :sick:
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Fortunately that one runs for the hills if he hears a car coming 2 blocks away, or if we just open a car door.

    I've had cats forever, and this is the first one we've had that loves to sprawl out on his back. Most don't even tolerate being held upside down.

    Guess I better tweak the photo caption. And I lost my mind back in the IDLSWDY days. :)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Have you cat lovers (ewwww.....cats) seen this?

    http://video.yahoo.com/network/100284668/3774740?v=2369949
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I looked over at Hadji and he just hissed. :D
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Years ago we had a cat that liked to live on the top of one of the front tires of one of the cars. If you forgot to check when you'd start the car there was this gray tiger striped bolt of lightning that would shoot out toward the porch.

    Another cat (the first one's mom) used to go sleep in the middle of the street. Luckily it was a quiet street and everybody knew about the cat. She lived to a ripe old age and died of natural causes having never been s much as grazed by a car.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • madpistolmadpistol Member Posts: 126
    image

    Aria and Jazz

    I'm sure they're conspiring to kill me or something :P
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Kill you? Nahhh, just plotting to hypnotize you to buying them the premium tuna. :P

    Nice looking friends!
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    a few days ago. She is the cinnamon colored Chow pup on the left in this picture.

    image

    She is 6 weeks old. We named her Meggy and my wife is threatening to call her Meggy May every now and a then. She loves her Daddy and I am pledging to do my best to not allow her to scare off friends and neighbors and those running for office in the days ahead. :D

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Still red x'd. :cry:

    Did you see my note about putting in your CarSpace album and linking from there? - since you got the Chow to ease your gas price pain, it's sort of car related....
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    I tried posting it to an album over there on My Carspace, but the picture wouldn't stick. The message said "no pictures posted." Oh well, I'll be working on this very subject 'cause we just bought a digital camera. I'll be putting my own(that was the breeder's digi-pic that she sent to our e-mail)digital pics on the net soon. So, I will put one of our own pictures of this little baby on the net and put one in My CarSpace soon. Thanks for your help!

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'm guessing it didn't get saved as a .jpg file.

    Oh wait, it's showing up ok in the Gas Prices discussion.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Jasmine - 6 months old and making our lives an adventure every day. Where is my other shoe? What happened to the pound of bacon that was on the table? Jasmine, of course.

    image
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    And what happened to everyone else's schedule the 24 hours after she ate the bacon? ;)

    She is just adorable!!
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    What happened? The grass is oh so much greener in certain parts of the yard now. :blush:
  • tapgypsytapgypsy Member Posts: 11
    Cute dog!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    CAUTION: "Superdog" is a trained professional. Pets without flying experience should not attempt similar maneuvers.
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