General Dog Chat 4

[geekone]

Apologies I just noticed the thread was running out so I am going to repost.

I don't think they resort to surgery unless really really bad and BiteyDog just gets it when his poo has been very soft for a while. It will be a quick 30 second job to expel them but there is no way I would want to do it. The last time we went I came out to pay and the receptionist sniffed and went 'oooo have you had his anal glands done' .

Aw bless 'em - I had no idea about anal glands until we took Ddog to the vet the first time for her general check over and vaccinations - when she was still absolutely terrified of everyone and everything - and the assistant after a while pulled a face and said "I can smell something - I think it's her glands" and got a tissue and mopped up a tiny secretion. I had no idea what glands she was talking about. The conversation was not in English and the vet didn't even flinch so I wasn't sure what the assistant was on about and wondered if it was my lack of language understanding... google later explained all! Fortunately that's been the only instance of that but I imagine it must be really upsetting for BiteyDog and a little unpleasant for you.

I used to think my parents dog used to scoot along the floor due to worms when I was little but it's only now I know it's most likely due to their glands irritating them.

I can actually put up with the aroma as you can at least ignore it after a while if you stay in the same room. It's the constant obsessive biting of his bottom as you just can't stop him and I am afraid he will make it worse.

Yes that's what I learned too from my "google research" - I have seen Ddog "wipe her bottom" - once on the grass and once on her rug but as it's literally only been a couple of times in the space of months and there's no bum-biting I don't think it's an issue but it is definitely something new I've learned to look out for. And I understand completely the worry is them making things worse, so think we too will definitely be making the call to the vet tomorrow about this limping/stiffness thing... with both humans and animals, I really do think better to try to nip something in the bud asap before things spiral so don't think it's too "precious" to make the call at an early stage. Hope BiteyDog manages to get some decent sleep tonight.

Good luck with the vets as well tomorrow. Here's hoping it's just a bit of stiffness after lying down and nothing more.

Hope all the poorly dogs feel better soon.

Bitey I used to joke with the vet when I turned up once again with my delicate cat that I needed a loyalty card

Anal glands now empty . He is a bit stinky so might have to bathe his bottom tomorrow [boak]

Well at least Biteydog will be feeling better now.

Think I might need to head over to the teenage dog thread.

I came home to ripped up carpet today. He hasn’t done that for ages so safe to say I wasn’t very happy. It turns out he was doing it while,y dad was over to visit him so I think it’s excess energy more than anything else.

I’ve cut back daycare from twice every week to twice a week one week and once a week on the alternating week. He may need to go back to twice a week if this is the result!

Obviously he goes out with me or my parents every day but I just don’t think it’s the same as having a full on da6 at daycare.

Oh dear blue hope you can salvage the carpet somehow.

BiteyDog will have 4 days at daycare this week as he's going to his backup one day just to keep him used to it. It is bloody expensive but it does keep him active. I know that if we have a week when we don't go he definitely doesn't need half as much food and drives me crazy

Don’t worry about the carpet. The bloody moths killed it before Bluepuppy did

blue , bluepuppy was just helping you remove it for a new carpet.

My Christmas trees are going up this weekend. Really hoping BiteyDog is completely indifferent to them like he was last year. I was noticing the other day how many things I drop on the floor that he doesn't even sniff whereas once upon a time he would be trying to grab them.

However, it's a real shame he isn't calm when meeting new people. It was embarrassing again in the vets last night as he had to get to everyone all the time to have a fuss. I came out with aching arms trying to stop him from jumping and pulling

We’re supposed to be working on that, Bitey. I’m supposed to provide people with treats, and get them to reward him for lying down, then ‘divert’ him using an enrichment toy. I could, tbh, be doing better at implementing this (must do some homework before next session...)

Did anyone give you any tips on how to do that for strangers in the street as it's in unfamiliar surrounds and places he's a pain with.

Anyone comes to the house he gives them a bum waggle and does a spaniel pee on the floor but is mostly ok.

We didn’t get that far, sorry! Maybe next time.

Doh! I was hoping you would have the answer .

BiteyDog will be back from daycare soon but there is no way I am venturing outside with him in this storm so looks like we will have to have a little play in the house instead.

Bit sad with the weather. Agility was cancelled last week due to weather and looks like this storm is going to continue into tomorrow so will be cancelled again.

It's funny isn't it - we look forward to the day when Ddog allows other people to make a fuss of her, let alone going up to strangers and asking them to do so! Ddog seems to be doing ok so we've held off from the vets for a couple of days to see... but she has been very clingy today. DH and I had a disagreement this morning - really, genuinely, not an argument but he was frustrated with a problem and I was frustrated with him for not communicating it properly so we could resolve it together. No raised voices or anything but she is so, so sensitive to any rise in tension (e.g. when watching a football match on the telly) that it immediately puts her a bit out of sorts and she wants to virtually sit on my lap. She's actually very good for us because it's like having a marriage counsellor in the room saying "ok, you might want to think about your body language/tone/phrasing during this conversation"

Glad distantdog seems better.

BiteyDog is the same here. If we are disagreeing he picks up on the vibes and jumps up looking for reassurance.

I do wonder how our dogs coped when we were growing up - lots of siblings, all with their mates over all the time = lots of chaos and argy bargy! Nothing like the chilled out environment Ddog is in! Then again, although they were "rescue dogs" we'd got them as puppies and were their first homes, so were much more secure.

Hmm thinking back I think my family dog used to hide under the chair to get away from us children

DH has a stinking cold so has taken himself off to bed so I have a nice quiet evening ahead of me with BiteyDog. The only problem is that he has whacked the heating up as he has a fever and it's now a sweltering 22.5 degrees and I am boiling

Actually, thinking back, one of our dogs was far more cross about affection than arguments - if any of us (dad or kids) hugged or snuggled up to my Mum on the sofa she would insist on getting right in the middle until the fuss and focus was on her! Ha, what a little madam... and of course we all obeyed her wishes immediately!!

Going back to trying to get him to be calm around dogs and people I was telling the trainer that BiteyDog is overly friendly when he is on the lead but off lead completely ignores them or if they do approach him he is really submissive and cautious. She thinks it's because he knows I am close by when on the lead and it gives him more confidence (especially as other dogs are also on the lead) as he knows I can and will step in. He won't be distracted by treats or toys either when on lead so perhaps I am just going to have to get used to the embarrassment factor.

Again, Ddog is the exact opposite - if she's going to ever even tiptoe towards approaching people/allowing them to approach her, it is only when she's off the lead - I'm clearly not a trainer but I think she needs to know she can bolt if she needs to and feels a bit bolder with that knowledge, but on the lead (even the 10m extendable) it's a whole different story.

She's become very bold with the local dogs here, which is great with the domestic ones as she loves being chased and playing in the meadows but we also have working farm dogs here who we are a much more cautious with and that's when we put her on the lead and she seems to now get that 'signal' to calm down herself and not go haring over to them.

When you talk of the 'embarrassment factor', do you get the impression that other people actually mind/dislike that Biteydog is so excitable? (I understand it's extra pressure on you).

Isn't it funny how they are totally opposite. The embarrassment is that he lunges and pulls and ties me in knots with his lead all the time I am trying to keep him calm. Everyone thinks he is still a puppy and goes awww is he young and badly trained that I might start saying yes

BastardPup has grown balls. Which may explain why he has been a little sod for the past two weeks

Ooo is he a bit of a late developer? BiteyDogs were very much in your face as he liked to display them lying upside down to the world until we had him castrated