Are Labs stinky?

[Polpetta]

Protein shouldn't be higher than 24-26% for large dogs.

My previous dog, lived til he was 16 (Great Dane, Belgian Shepard)

The women that runs Gentle Giants adopts dogs out at 8 - 16  plus years as well as younger.

I now have 3 large dogs and I fully expect that they will live a long life with us! I can't imagine it being less than 16 yrs.

I agree with SacDuc that care and food makes a big difference!

[Polpetta]

My dogs do get stinky and I wash them. (they like to run around and play in the dirt)

They get a bath about every 2 to 3 weeks, I brush their teeth and clean their ears.
They actually hop in the tub and I give them a bubble bath...it a sight to see  They are great at this!

Works well for me!

[Triple J]

Protein shouldn't be higher than 24-26% for large dogs.

I wouldn't call that a low protein diet. Most dog foods, even the premium ones, are in the 22%-24% range. I've only seen a few higher (like EVO)...and honestly, they were too rich for my dogs. The dogs loved them, but they didn't love the dogs back!  

Agreed that proper care is vital to longevity.   My Dane will be 9 in August, and she still acts young...although she's started developing fatty bumps in the last 2 years, one of which was large enough to have removed 19 months ago but is coming back.  

Oh...and all dogs stink. It's just a matter of degrees of stench. 

[Polpetta]

Oh...and all dogs stink. It's just a matter of degrees of stench. 

true 

Glad to hear about your Dane still acting young!

24 is the protein on their current food, if I am remembering correct it was there puppy food that was a little higher.

We have changed their diet twice because our one dog (our Shepard mix was having food allergies) and our other dog was stinky because the food wasn't agreeing with him. They are all now currently on food that is Salmon and Potato. We are watching for any food allergies because we just switched the other two to this diet from "gentle giants food". That was great food but they ordered it special for us at our local pet store but ran out and was going to take over a week to get and our other dog was doing well on the salmon and potato food.

Just making adjustment based on the individual dogs really helps!

[The Bacon Junkie]

Don't let Polpetta tell you stories...

Sac makes omelettes for the dogs and she cooks them rice with beans.

Of course Fritzy like Cosmos as well... 

[Veloce-Fino]

Get a Cane Corso

100% Italian bred killing machine.

Well, not really killing (right away), but they are the #1 best home defense dog (you can't argue this, it's fact).

Do some reading about them. Extremely smart and don't have the drawbacks of the more common breeds of "defense" dog.

Just pay good money and get GOOD training done for yours and everyone else's safety.

[Polpetta]

Don't let Polpetta tell you stories...

Sac makes omelette's for the dogs and she cooks them rice with beans

Nice

Yes, Carl does make them omelette's from eggs of  our hens for our puppies.

I do make them rice but "oh no I don't" ....no beans for my puppies ... It's  potato's ...  OMG can't imagine them on beans ... Roll'n my eyes @ U

If they don't feel good I give them boiled meat and rice or cottage cheese.

Sometimes we give them warm chicken stock in their kibble instead of warm water. Sometimes they get a little pumpkin in their food too! 

As for the Cosmos and Crowbar and Fritzy....well Fritzy loves alcohol but that was Dimby and when I heard what was going on I took Fritzy to get water and sit outside with him Mama ... LOL I was told it wasn't that much...

So they get good food and maybe we spoil our puppies a little, I love having the 3 of them

I love the Cane Corso's I have heard they are loyal but I thought they are sweet too?

[RAT900]

Captain Stink Bomb!!!

Our Cane Corso




A thorough washing with bucket, scrub brush and hose set to "shower" will get him to tolerable for about 3 days

We never forget to move laundry sitting in the washing machine in the basement over to the drier anymore.....why?.....because he smells like a laundry load that was left wet in the washer for a few days

Extremely gentle, affectionate and loving, with those whom they trust and love.....do not like changes to their environment...rearrange your furniture and they get bent out of shape.....very very happy with a solid routine of daily events in sequence and on-schedule

temperament can vary since they are a big favorite in the ghetto now...so backyard breeders are doing their thing to the detriment of the breed

they have moods...they are "mouthy", they drool when uncomfortable with situations....thick viscous spooge....they could make a room full of Turkey Buzzards vomit with one small fart, they snore, they try to use their paws like hands and they throw their body-weight into their play

they are nowhere close to being Presa Canario types though they look similar...they do not have that level of inherent aggression

Since mine is a rescue who survived horrible abuse and abandonment I will never casually trust him with unfamiliar children or unfamiliar people in situations where he does not have the ability to retreat if he wishes to....

he is not aggressive but could be a sharp-shy liability and I don't plan on discovering he is, the hard way

they take their time warming up to new people....

When bored they can dig a grave-sized hole in minutes in the backyard...which is a handy feature

[Mother]

oh holy deity

that is the most frighteningly adorable dog I've ever seen

and the puppy versions are worse


grace needs one of these as a toy

[IZ]

Corsos are a lot of dog to take care of.  Not as Massive as an English Mastiff but a lot to take care of if you don't know how to handle large breeds.

I'd stick with the Newfie Trav!! 

[RAT900]

Corsos are a lot of dog to take care of.  Not as Massive as an English Mastiff but a lot to take care of if you don't know how to handle large breeds.

I'd stick with the Newfie Trav!!  

Corso's are ...ours is 130 lbs and not overweight....I only have a 60 lbs. advantage on him weight-wise

I am used to large breeds, decades with Shepherds.... but he hopefully will be my last one...I wasn't planning on another but circumstances dictated that I take him on for my daughter and continue working with him

He still has terrible nightmares of his puppyhood probably always will....and every now and then at night he will let out a long, low soft mournful bale in his sleep.... it is a sound the likes of which that could find and melt the deadened heart of a serial killer...it brings tears to my eyes because it is the sad song of abject sorrow wordlessly describing all wrong things that could happen to a creature capable of feeling anything

and while he is a gentle beautiful giant I will never and can never overlook or ignore his damage....his bite-force and size are deadly, the bite energy is 3 times that of a pit-bull and I am not a believer in an animal being anything more than an animal...a creature governed by instincts....dressing Travis the Chimp up like a human does not preclude his capacity to rip or chew a person's face off

Animals are not dress-up dolls...and the misguided trait in humans to imbue human qualities upon an animal are foolish at the least and dangerous at worst

[pitbull]

Protein shouldn't be higher than 24-26% for large dogs.

My previous dog, lived til he was 16 (Great Dane, Belgian Shepard)

The women that runs Gentle Giants adopts dogs out at 8 - 16  plus years as well as younger.

I now have 3 large dogs and I fully expect that they will live a long life with us! I can't imagine it being less than 16 yrs.

I agree with SacDuc that care and food makes a big difference!

24-26% protein is considered a high protein diet as far as prepared dog food is concerned, and I still think it's likely too low.

I have yet to see any research that supports a low protein diet for health in dogs, but would be curious to see some. Vet's are most often a poor source of info. regarding nutrition, just as doctors are usually a poor source of info. regarding human nutrition.
The longest living and healthiest dogs I've seen (including an 18 year old pitbull who still acts like a pup) are those on high protein, raw diets with added omega 3 fats.

[pitbull]

I love cane corso's, however as Rat900 mentioned, their current popularity is producing a lesser dog from backyard breeders. Sadly, this is how it goes as dogs get more popular.

If I were looking for a large protection dog, I would go with the south african borboel........... at the present, the longest living, best tempered, most athletic and the best performance breed of the large mastiff type dogs. I also think they are mighty handsome. Sadly, they are becoming more popular and will likely suffer the same breeding issues as other popular large breeds.

[Triple J]

Cane Corsos are cool dogs. Sad about them becoming in fashion for douchebags.

Personally, I think most dogs make good watch dogs as long as they aren't too small. My Dane is a great watch dog due to her size and loud bark. She's also very protective.   Nothing like having a dog stand against the front door and look down on the person knocking.  

Argentinian Dogos are my favorite breed (I prefer the ears being natural though). Beautiful dogs with great temperments, and I don't think the breed has been ruined by bad breeders. Loyal, protective, fearless, good with other dogs, and affectionate...all in one 120+ lb package.   There is one at the local dog park that is very cool.

I'll probably never have one though as they are rare, and I refuse to buy a dog from a breeder since there are so moany great ones for adoption.

Adult Dogo:



Puppy shot for Jacob  

[pitbull]

I love the dogo as well, although I live in a working class city with a number of rough neighbourhoods and dogos have already become fairly popular with the backyard breeding, douchebag set, as are cane corsos, as are presas. I believe it's due to the pitbull ban in the province I live in. Sadly, the result has been the douchebags moving on to bigger breeds.

I see this happening in short order to the south african boerboel as well. Two years ago I had never actually seen one in the flesh and since that time I have seen four or five, all of which were beautiful dogs with great temperments.......but it's only a matter of time before some start breeding for aggressiveness.