How Should A Dog Be Treated Right?

Call on me any time, Miri. I'm always good for a kick in the pants.

I have an old mutt that I rescued who has had a hard time of it. I share the couch, but she stays downstairs when I go upstairs to bed. She isn't so good on the steps. Only dog food for her, though. If I am away for more than 10 hours or so, I have a great pet-sitter that will come over and walk her. I love the different breeds of dogs, and just brought my tickets for the Westminster. It will be my first time to the big show!

Eamon

We have a leagle (or a bab) at best guess. We got her as a pup from the pound. She is definitely part black lab, the other part is questionable. Vet's guess is beagle. And as my other two dogs I had in my life were beagles I am more than willing to accept that guess.
She is more obedient than any beagle ever even thought of being on its best day and she is VERY protective of the children. I suppose what you get when you bring a puppy into a house with four children.

But from the first she understood I was the alpha and she was the dog. Even when she jumps the fence, she comes back immediately to my whistle. The kids are her fellow pups. She doesn't listen so well to them.

But as to the question of how dogs should be treated, I've come across this at my vets before. The vet himself is reasonable, the witch he has working the front desk isn't. I don't put my dogs on heartworm medicine. For one thing, where I live is in the city/suburb and it is sprayed heavily for mosquitoes every summer. The second reason is that there have been times I couldn't afford it. I have children. Their needs come first, not the dog's. The receptionist once made me feel like a horrible pet owner in front of a packed waiting room because I wouldn't buy heartworm medication.

Pets are wonderful, but there are times veterinary science has out distanced practicality. If an owner wishes to invest hundreds to thousands of dollars on their pet, I am glad the medical treatment is available for them. But for we pet owners who have to draw the line between needs of humans and needs of pets, I do not appreciate being treated like I don?t deserve to have a pet unless I utilize every available preventative medicine. I love my dog and I love my cat. But they are pets, not people.

As andylucy would say, just my tuppence.

That was the problem with out pointer.. when he saw/smelled his favourite prey (rabbits) he didn't see or hear anybody anymore =/ that meant running into the forest at night after a dog which is oblivious to everything around him... *sighs* that was annoying.

I'll train my dogs to hunt rabbits anyway, wouldn't want my horses to injure themselves in a rabbit hole.. and rabbits are sooo tasty !

Those desk people always seem to have some sort of power-complex or somthing...

Ours thinks she's the most powerful woman in the world.. I hate the way she looks down at Spats. He's not the most beautiful dog in the world (also he was a rescue, part golden lab part rotti, part.. indefineable) and he's not smelling the best either. He's got a constant ear infection because at some point in his life his ears clumped together into 2 big lumps. I think someone tried cutting them into shape or something.
He also has scars all over, cigarette burns on his testicles, scars from lying on rough surface too long and all that.
Can't stand that cow.. as if a dog like that wasn't worth living? He's cute, got a great personality and although he is old, he will always drag you along if he wants to go another round.

A_D, I beg to differ regarding coats. A small dog like a Boston Terrier with a single short coat (and I've had Bostons up until my most recent, a Lab-Border Collie mix) loses a lot more heat per cubic inch than a larger dog to begin with, and simply does not have the genetics (sadly, perhaps) to grow a coat thick enough to deal with cool/cold weather. Even in Southern California or South Texas, a Boston will need a sweater if he is going to be out in temperatures of about 40F (4C) for any length of time. I've had to deal with a hypothermic Boston Terrier - not fun. The smaller the dog, the bigger the problem- a 15-lb. male can deal with cooler temperatures than an 8 lb. female.

I usually used a snap-on garment rather like a horse blanket- much easier to get on and off than a sweater, and didn't involve pulling something over the animal's head, which my doggies definitely objected to.

Of course, my main problem with current Lab-BC mix is keeping her cool enough in South California summers - a totally different issue.

I apologise then.. I'm not overly fond of small dogs I have to say, may they be brave or what ever
But there should be smaller breeds that are suitable for colder weather (scotch terriers?).

Ok, (he said grudgingly), a small dog is ok if you can't have a REAL dog. At least they are better than a cat.....

Actually, we bread Cockers for a while. They are pure love toys. All love and affection. Dumb as a post. When my wife was in the CCU, I smuggled several 4 week old cocker puppies into the CCU in my briefcase. Puppy medicine is powerful!!! The nurse said they had to leave, but she was cracking up over the wee tykes bouncing around on my owner's bed.

Elspeth,

Down here in the deep, deep South we have to give our dogs the heartworm protection, because we have mosquitos the size of birds and a thousand times more than up North. Remember New Orleans was built on a swamp.

I had to learn the hard way with my Golden Retriever having to be treated for heartworms. This was a most expensive and irritating procedure, not to mention dangerous for the animal.
I totally agree your children come first, but the $60.00 six month preventative heartworm shot is a whole lot cheaper than treating a pet with heartworms.

As for those women behind the counter at the Vet's office, I just ignore them and talk only to the Vet concerning my dogs. If I didn't care about my pet(s) I wouldn't bring them into see the Vet...Duh?

Apology accepted. Having never owned one of the long-haired terriers like the Scotty or the West Highland White, I don't know how well they deal with colder weather, but it's got to be better than my shivering Bostons!

But really, Bostons are big dogs. They just confuse people by being so small on the outside, and needing sweaters. I watched one in the dog park last week stand up to everything including the big nasty pit bulls...

mmh nothing under 40cm shoulder for me.. simply because they might have an accident (me stumbling over them, without glasses I'm really blind). I need a dog able to survive that.

Westies, Scotch terriers and for example wirehaired teckel are bred to withstand weather. doesn't mean I like them though, I'm not overly fond of terriers as well.

OMG! How did I miss this thread being a major dog lover as myself?!

well, as most of you know I have two Shelties. I love them dearly. They are my children, but they are also house pets. Very protective, great house dogs, great watch dogs. But they are dogs! They do not get up on furniture, do not get people food. The only thing I allow them to do is get in our bed at night when we sleep! Does that make me bad? They are companion dogs, you might say. They were rescue dogs, both of them having come from abusive backgrounds, so I tend to lavish them with lots of love, attention and affection. They have more toys than than the dog store! Okay, I am probably bad and should leave now.

as I said, with a small dog my greatest fear is that something might happen (me crushing after getting out on my bed or stumbling over it etc).. a big dog looks a bit more stable.. and then I hate dogs that start yapping in these awful high tones to everything that might near the door.. a loud big grown-up bark, yes.. but only once. them small ratshaggers ( ) today get themselves in a frenzy each time the postie comes (oor neighbours have a pair of westies, the postie comes at 8 am.. the concert starts punctual each time the poor woman arrives at our door and goes on for at least 5 minutes.. ARRRGH!!)

I don't mind them as long as they are quiet and don't nip my trousers every step of the way *rolls eyes* if they are brought up right I have no problem with them, but too many old ladies with too many yorkies that have too many bad habits around in this world *sigh*

My mommy warned me about women like you!!!

When we had Cockers, they slept with us, until the male developed a bed wetting problem......

Our Chessie has her own bed on the floor next to my side of the bed. She sleeps there (with her teddy bear "babies") very nicely.

Buffy sleeps out by the front door. We close the animals off from the rest of the house at night, so they can't whine at the door and piss us off whilst we try to sleep. And she only gets to stay inside durring the day if it gets below -25*C (-13*F). She was meant to be outside, and outside she'll be. Besides, her dog house is good to -40*C (-40*F). If only we could teach her to use it more often.

You mean when your wife isn't making YOU use it?