The Official "Dogs of the DMF" Thread

[somegirl]

((hugs)) to Mary, Laura and Owen.  He's such a sweetie too.

Stella, sorry to hear about your friend's dog.

[Howie]

Indeed a sad day in DMF dogie land.  Sorry, Mary and Laura.  Owen looks like a good guy.

Stella, sorry to hear, condolences to your friend. 

[IZ]

Owen, our 11 year old dog, has Lymphoma.  We are waiting on the test results, but it has been clear to me that he has it based on his signs.  He will get some pills to make his life easier.  Not much time left now.  

So sad to hear Mary.  Owen is a cool dog!!  Wish we could've gotten him together with Winston and Emma when we were up in Seattle. 

[IZ]

Sad day for canines.  Couple of Frenchie pics for a smile.  





The long ride from MI to AZ..'09

[TiNi]

i'm so sorry mary
<hugs>

[angler]

I installed a dog door yesterday. Our dog Tiger has always been trained not to open doors and is not allowed to go through doors/gates without permission.  In the summer, we leave the back door open and she goes through that any time she wants, but if you open the front door or the gate she won't go through them without permission.

So I cut the hole yesterday and we had her running in and out of the hole in the door no problem.  Hung the door and taped the flaps up and again she would go in an out no problem.  Let the flaps down and she want nothing to do with it.  After coaxing with treats, she will go out no problem, but will sit and whine to come back in. 

Any tips?  I think I may tape the flaps back up all day.

[somegirl]

Can someone stand there and hold the flap? 

Tape one side up, then have one person hold the flap up.

Call her through and give her a treat for coming.

Then repeat but hold the flap slightly lower.  Keep lowering it until she gets used to it.

You might also try holding it up until she starts going through and then lowering it so she gets used to the feeling of it brushing her back & butt.

If you see her nosing the flap at all while she's learning, praise and reward her for it.

Once she figures it out, it should be no problem.    In agility training we teach the dogs to go through these, the dog door flaps are a similar idea.

[angler]

Can someone stand there and hold the flap? 

Tape one side up, then have one person hold the flap up.

Call her through and give her a treat for coming.

Then repeat but hold the flap slightly lower.  Keep lowering it until she gets used to it.

You might also try holding it up until she starts going through and then lowering it so she gets used to the feeling of it brushing her back & butt.

If you see her nosing the flap at all while she's learning, praise and reward her for it.

Once she figures it out, it should be no problem.    In agility training we teach the dogs to go through these, the dog door flaps are a similar idea.

That is basically what we have been doing with treats and praise.  She did it once last night, both out and then back in, without any assistance.  Now if we start the flap, she will do it.  We'll keep at it.  The GF is more in the structured mindset and I'm more in the let need take care of it camp (you know just let her figure it out when she sees a squirrel in the yard or needs to pee bad enough).

[angler]

Can someone stand there and hold the flap? 

Once she figures it out, it should be no problem.    In agility training we teach the dogs to go through these, the dog door flaps are a similar idea.

She catching on quickly.  We just ran a drill in and out about 10 times; me on the inside and the GF on the outside with treats.  Invited, she now has no problem pushing the flap open, although she has this look on her face like wtf is that when she noses the flap.  We'll see if she does it on her own without our permission.  She is now enjoying the peanut butter and kong afternoon treat for her good work.

[somegirl]

Nice work, glad to hear it's going well!

[factorPlayer]

Owen, our 11 year old dog, has Lymphoma.  We are waiting on the test results, but it has been clear to me that he has it based on his signs.  He will get some pills to make his life easier.  Not much time left now. 

I know what it's like, yesterday was 6 months to the day I had to let my boy Cliff go and I still think about him *every* day.  I got some great support from DMF people here which was very welcome too.  There's no way around it - it sucks.  But at least I could look back and know that I took care of him and never let him get injured or hit by a car or anything like that. 

I feel for ya - that is a raw deal for old Owen there.

[Randimus Maximus]

Ugh.  Another friend of mine (non DMF) just lost their dog today. 

Update on the B-Man...

He went back to the ortho doc (with Stella, of course) for more x-rays on his legs today.

We've been seeing signs of depression with him and he's definitely showing signs of pain with the legs.  Doc feels now is the time to go for it.  He'll have surgery on his right hind leg tomorrow for a pretty radical procedure to realign his patella tendon.  If that is a success, we'll do the same procedure on the left down the road.

[acalles]

suckage..

lots of sick dogs lately..  

one of my grandmas dogs is diagnosed with cancer.
13 year old sheltie. he's been a really, really good dog. totally non destructive, protective, obedient, smart, and loyal as it gets.
he was grandpa's dog, but grandpa passed back in January, and I think his dog took it the hardest, he really slowed down and put on a lot of weight after that...

[Stella]

Uh, that is so sad for both the dog and your grandma and you of course Acalles.  We sign up for this but it doesn't make it any easier.  I hope the "process" goes as well as it can for everyone.    

As far as Brian, we went in for a 30 day x-ray / growth status. Open growth plates means there's still growing to do.  His are almost closed but not quite.  BUT after seeing Brian's mental state (definitely depressed and the self awareness that he's not right), the level of atrophy in the legs, the battle between growth and the atrophy, the vet suggested we wait only another few weeks.  I suggested tomorrow and he fully approved but recommended on his right only.  Too many other issues and variables to list here that keep us from doing both legs which is fine by all of us. 

So yes, they'll realign the patella tendon but they'll also pull the patella down 2-3mm ("significant"), cut away bone and deepen the patella groove.

The x-rays are fascinating but the entire process since July has been draining.  Thanks everyone for the kind words and well wishes.  We'll definitely need them in the next few months!

[Stella]

Surgery #1:  Done.  It went good (not great but we'll take good) and he's now in recovery.  They'll let me in at 7pm tonight to hang with him.