The dog appreciation thread. Don't like dogs?... Stay the eff out.

[T-ski]

Congrats on your new family member Progmetty!!

[Progmetty]

Congrats on your new family member Progmetty!!

Aww! Little cutie!

Although I grew up with dogs, Hudson is the first one I've had as an adult. Virtually all of his frustrating puppy phases came and went in just a short couple of weeks each. It felt like they stretched on for months but, in reality, they didn't. Try your best to be patient... you'll pick your way through it

Thanks you! Trying my best and failing hard 

I love Dogs to no end. I haven't posted here in this thread because I'm still hurting inside since I lost my baby girl a little over a year ago. She was a beautiful Redbone Coonhound and my ultimate best friend. She passed away at only eight years old and it just devastated me, and I still can't get passed it.  I wish I knew how to post a picture of her in this thread then you'd see what I'm talking about.  I feel she got robbed and should have been able to live much longer.  It's a long story about what happened, and I just can't rehash it. 

Go to https://imgbb.com/ upload a picture, it will give you a link, copy and paste here

Really cute dog Progmetty.  What breed is she?

German Shepherd mix, she's barely two month old. Came into the shelter with 4 siblings on Saturday, they spayed her and I picked her up on Tuesday. The person who interviewed me for the application said I asked her more questions than any other applicant ever and that she feels I'm prepared, she either lied or I was blasting rays of confidence from my 4 month of extensive research heh

Nothing I read applies, not the articles, not the books, nothing. For example I bought and read that book by The Monks of New Skete, renowned breeders and trainers, everybody recommended it, nothing applied since yesterday. There's that initial assumption in everything I read and seen in my research, that assumption is that the puppy wants to play and get treats, that's the starting point of all training.. but mine doesn't want these things, she doesn't understand existence yet, she's actually a philosopher at heart, sometimes I'm waving toys and making noises to tempt her to play and she just stares at me like "I don't know why you're doing this, I wish I could help you, or shut you up".

I think also, the thing nofuckinbody tells you, you can't have a puppy if you can't sit on the floor, I've had a hip replacement surgery a couple of month ago, I walk and sit just fine now but it's definitely dangerous for me to do the movements associated with sitting on the floor and getting back up. I think the puppy maybe terrified of my standing Michael Clark Duncan stature, even though I use a Justin Timberlake voice on her all the time.

Honesty: I'm enjoying none of this. I've slept 4 hours since Tuesday evening. It wasn't that bad when I had a human baby.
I don't think I can last more than a few more days. Actual honesty: only reason I haven't emailed the shelter about a return yet is that I'm embarrassed and ashamed of my failure.

[Anguyen92]

It's all right, when you bring a puppy home, it's never smooth sailing in the first place.  When my sister and her husband brought our beloved Corgi home, on the first day, he peed in our family room (thankfully, the floors are tiles so that makes it easier to clean up), and when he came out to our backyard, the first thing he did was jump into our pool (our pool that we haven't cleaned in a good long while due to laziness and lack of use.......).  My sister told me that she thinks that experience traumatized him from entering any body of water.

There are days were it never gets easier and our mother threaten us to give him away, but we couldn't do that to this dog and he gave us a lot of good years and fulfilled the life of our family dog well and gave us (especially me, since I was watching him at home alone for a good amount of time) a lot of enjoyment.  He lived a nice long life where he was able to see my sister and her husband's son for a few months before it was time for him to go.  I just wished he was able to stick around a little longer to see their son grow up more and be able to play with him.

[T-ski]

Patience will be rewarded.

Hang in there, puppies are a handful. Just remember positive reinforcement is better than negative reinforcement, dogs want to please you so when they know they you like what they’re doing they’ll keep doing it.

[nobloodyname]

My sister told me that she thinks that experience traumatized him from entering any body of water.

Do you know, I think something similar must have happened to Hudson somewhere along the line. Not with water but with things going near his head. He absolutely will not let us put anything on or near his head, legging it as soon as he realises what's going on. Literally the only exception is a hand to give him a loving pat. All we want to do is put a pair of antlers on him

He's also mortally terrified of tape measures. No, really.

[nobloodyname]

Honesty: I'm enjoying none of this. I've slept 4 hours since Tuesday evening. It wasn't that bad when I had a human baby.

For why? Yapping when you pop her in her cage? If so, ear plugs Everyone goes through that... *shudders at the memory*

[Progmetty]

For why? Yapping when you pop her in her cage?

Well that's one thing, I'm constantly anxious because I feel like the yapping is a plead for help with something painful that I cannot understand. That's stressful as fuck, the noise is not a big deal. She was spayed on the same day I picked her up and should have had a cone but the shelter said she must have taken it off before they brought her out and nobody noticed.. her incision is closed by water soluble glue and she's always trying to lick it and I'm just always there to stop her. I bought another cone but she won't let me put it on her and frankly I don't know how she'll eat or drink if she does put it on.


There's also that I have done nothing but care for and pay attention to her since she got here, I thought this would be something that takes up 3 or 4 hours of my day, which I have and willing to give, but it's taking up way more than that.

I'm having trouble adapting to the new smell in the house, that's another thing nobody warns you about, there's that constant odor, zoo smell, it's not shit smell at all, but it's just as strong.

But most importantly is the fact that all sources indicate you start training from day one and I'm yet to establish any sort of consistent communication with her, which should be bad for her as well since dogs need this initial discipline and patterns to orient them and keep them anchored.

I don't know, I'll give it till the weekend.

[jingle.boy]

I love Dogs to no end. I haven't posted here in this thread because I'm still hurting inside since I lost my baby girl a little over a year ago. She was a beautiful Redbone Coonhound and my ultimate best friend. She passed away at only eight years old and it just devastated me, and I still can't get passed it.  I wish I knew how to post a picture of her in this thread then you'd see what I'm talking about.  I feel she got robbed and should have been able to live much longer.  It's a long story about what happened, and I just can't rehash it. 

Btw Progmetty,  that's a really cute pup and good on you for rescuing her and giving her an opportunity for a bright future and long life.  You won't regret it. 

So sorry to hear this.  8 is so young.  It took mrs.jingle a few months to get past our loss last summer, so there's nothing wrong in struggling with the loss.

As for how to post pictures (assuming you were asking literally *how* to do it, you can also quote a post that has a picture so you can see how the syntax is supposed to be.  You can't attach pictures, only link to a url of a picture.

[goo-goo]

Hello guys

I have a 15 yr old Maltese that is starting to have seizures. He usually has one or two every 3-4 days. Pains me to see him suffer for about an hour (seizure itself lasts about 1 min) each time he goes through a seizure episode (seizure, crying in pain, disoriented, etc) and then returns to normal. He has a brain tumor, while not malignant, I believe it is growing since it was detected 4 years go. Also, he is 15 so he is up there in age as well.  He is under medication and basically told our vet we want him to be the most comfortable he can. He also has a heart murmur but vets can't do anything until the seizures are addressed (which they can't because of the tumor). There has been no physical ailment as far as the murmur goes.

I love the little guy to death. He is still playful, still eats great, still recognizes my wife and myself. We are kind of aware that he is going to get worse and worse. But, when do you decide to let him go? I want him to be remembered as a happy dog, a best friend...and not remember him suffering and struggling and not having a good quality of life. 

[gmillerdrake]

Hello guys

I have a 15 yr old Maltese that is starting to have seizures. He usually has one or two every 3-4 days. Pains me to see him suffer for about an hour (seizure itself lasts about 1 min) each time he goes through a seizure episode (seizure, crying in pain, disoriented, etc) and then returns to normal. He has a brain tumor, while not malignant, I believe it is growing since it was detected 4 years go. Also, he is 15 so he is up there in age as well.  He is under medication and basically told our vet we want him to be the most comfortable he can. He also has a heart murmur but vets can't do anything until the seizures are addressed (which they can't because of the tumor). There has been no physical ailment as far as the murmur goes.

I love the little guy to death. He is still playful, still eats great, still recognizes my wife and myself. We are kind of aware that he is going to get worse and worse. But, when do you decide to let him go? I want him to be remembered as a happy dog, a best friend...and not remember him suffering and struggling and not having a good quality of life.

Really sorry to heart this....I know how difficult it is. It's been 8 years (wow...already) since I had to put my buddy Drake down.....and it was a tough choice. But, my choice was 'easy' because his kidneys failed an it was basically made for me. He had all the typical older large breed dog issues as far as arthritis, moving slower, couldn't go up and down steps as easy....etc etc....but he was still 'happy' and getting around. When his kidneys failed and he started peeing straight blood and vomiting flourescent yellow bile.....the vet told me that there was really not much that could be done .....so, my choice was made.


I would say that if you notice his/her quality of life just beginning to be a burden on him/her.....if the seizures are more frequent and traumatizing.....then, the you should really think about it. I know it's tough.....it's not going to be easy.....but, you will be acting out of love. I wish you guys the best.

[romdrums]

I would say the same thing gmillerdrake said.  We adopted a bullmastiff at the end of February last year, and we discovered in June that he had large cell lymphoma.  We ended up deciding to put him down on July 4th because he was in so much pain from his lymph nodes being swollen that I ended up driving him to the emergency vet at 2:30 in the morning to have him put to sleep.  We only had him for four months, but he was a great dog, and he was really starting to fit in when we got the news.  We were going to wait, but he deteriorated so much on the 4th that we really didn't have a choice. 

[jingle.boy]

I'll echo these sentiments.  All three of our animals (2 dogs, 1 cat) had health issues.  The dogs both had tumors on their spleen, and one had his rupture; cat was almost 20 years old with a variety of ailments, but a seizure was the last straw.  In all cases, we simply weren't prepared to have them leave in pain and distress, which was the inevitable outcome in all 3 cases. 

Everyone has to make the decision of 'when' on their own, as everyone's circumstances are different.  Clearly I'm not there and don't have all the details, but just on what you indicate below, it would seem that time may be short, and hard decisions are coming.  As hard and painful as it is ....

you will be acting out of love. I wish you guys the best.

[hunnus2000]

The only thing I can add is, there is no good way to lose a pet. If you put it down, you may ask yourself 'did I do it too soon'? Or 'why didn't I do this sooner and let the pet suffer'. Or even, 'how could I have left the gate open'?

Like others say, if the pet is happy then that may sway your decision. My brother-in-law who is a Vet would never put a pet down if it was healthy and happy and trust me, he got asked to do this a lot!

I feel for you and anyone that has to go through this. I will be going through this in another few years but for now, I just hug Mr. T and kiss him as much as I can. They will eventually break our hearts.

Take care all and virtual hugs!   

[goo-goo]

Thanks guys for the feedback. He is still a happy dog and has a very good quality of life. I guess that's what I need to look for: happiness of the dog and his quality of life. Funny thing is Tobi still acts and has the energy of a pup. He still runs like crazy, goes up and down the stairs with no issues...very hyper dog.

Yo! Hello!!

[nobloodyname]

Picture made me smile.

This forum needs a like button.

[nobloodyname]

I don't know, I'll give it till the weekend.

What happened in the end?

[romdrums]

We adopted a new dog this weekend.  He's a 1.5 year old bulldog mix named Randolph.  He was found as a stray, and we think he was probably abused in his previous situation.  But, even though he's only been with us for about 48 hours now, he's adapting pretty quickly to our home.  He looks pretty ridiculous hanging out in the crate we had gotten for our late bullmastiff, but he's proving to be a real sweet pup.  Super quiet, super laid back, and really, really good with our 6 year old son.  With some training, he's going to be a great addition to our family.  It's nice to have a dog in the house again!

[T-ski]

Congrats on your new family member!

[Chino]

We adopted a new dog this weekend.  He's a 1.5 year old bulldog mix named Randolph.  He was found as a stray, and we think he was probably abused in his previous situation.  But, even though he's only been with us for about 48 hours now, he's adapting pretty quickly to our home.  He looks pretty ridiculous hanging out in the crate we had gotten for our late bullmastiff, but he's proving to be a real sweet pup.  Super quiet, super laid back, and really, really good with our 6 year old son.  With some training, he's going to be a great addition to our family.  It's nice to have a dog in the house again!

Happy for you and the fam, but THIS POST IS USELESS WITHOUT PICS!

[kirksnosehair]

This is Pebbles and BamBam

[ReaperKK]

Adorable! Do they shed a lot/at all?

[kirksnosehair]

Nope, no shedding at all.  They're Cocker Spaniel / Poodle mixes, referred to as "Cockapoos" and we got them specifically because they don't shed hair or dander

[goo-goo]

Those cockapoos are so cute. We had a cocker spaniel back in the day and he was so hyper. Incredible energy.

Small update from my pooch Tobi. It's been a good 6 weeks, only 3 seizures (they were back-to-back-to-back unfortunately) but so far the medicine is working.

Hello y'all!

[nobloodyname]

Oh jeez! I can't usually bear small 'dogs' but how cute is he?!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

A very dignified and articulate woof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83m261lAlrs&ab_channel=Ulterios

[Progmetty]

Can you believe that this ^ is that 40 pounder now 

She's been great, took to training pretty good. Only problem is that I couldn't socialize her with dogs when she was the right age so now she shows a lot of aggression/fear when she sees one.

[El Barto]

My first thought was "holly fuck, how big is that cage," before I noticed there was a link to the actual 40lb dog. 

[Progmetty]

Oh hell 

[goo-goo]

Today was the day my soon to be ex-wife and I said goodbye to Tobi. Went out as a fighter. Took him out for one last walk this morning and saw the sunrise with him. Last time we would walk/run together (just walking lately). His seizures got a bit worse (12 over the course of a weekend two weeks ago) and he was coughing and wheezing for the last two weeks because of his heart condition (enlarged heart, congestive heart failure). Took him to the vet and went ahead with the process. I feel extremely guilty of putting him asleep. But I knew deep down it was time. I feel heartbroken, large void inside of me. He passed in my arms surrounded by myself and wife. I think I couldn't have had it any other way. I think the guilt of finding him one day lifeless would have been worse. I feel devastated and heart broken.

Played the song Kindred Spirts from Arch Matheos driving to work and I just bawled my guts out when I listened to the last minute or so of the song with this lyrics.

Bright eyes, tired eyes
Unpretentious heart of gold
The innocence, so vulnerable
If they wander into the darkness
Bright eyes, precious life
Living in the moment
Soon to be a dream
Blue skies, spirits high
In that moment we believed
Forever would never die
Man has deemed them lesser than
And they can't understand or love
But I know they can

In the palm of my hand
Melting into my heart
You changed my life
Took my darkness away
And all that you were
Is now all that I am
You kindred spirit
Alone again
Blue sky, spirits
In that moment we believed
Forever would never die
Sad eyes, tired eyes
It's never easy to say goodbye





To my best friend, rest in piece little bud. Will always keep you in my heart and never forget you. 

[jingle.boy]

What a cutie! Such a huge smile for such a tiny dog. So sorry for your loss, goo.

[T-ski]

A cutie indeed, the smile on the dogs face tells you everything you need to know.

Condolences to you.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Sry for your loss, that smile is just.. 

[Cool Chris]

He passed in my arms surrounded by myself and wife. I think I couldn't have had it any other way.

I remember when my cat Sally died, I had scheduled an appointment with the vet to put her down, but the day before I honestly thought would be her last. I spent a restless night with her and when she breathed her last I was content believing she knew I was there comforting her at the end, as I am sure your Tobi was with you.

[Chino]

Very sorry to read this news Those are some fantastic photos 

[Podaar]

Well, we're currently going through end-of-life hell with Sagan (there are pictures of him in this thread). His arthritis is getting horrific. I won't bore you with the details of how we got to this point, but a couple of weeks ago we thought we finally solved his pain management issues, and he improved.

Yesterday, he was really clingy and had to be with me everywhere, but since I was just watching golf and barbequing a roast, no problem. Everytime he got down from the couch, and came back, I had to physically lift his hind legs for him. By comparison, a year ago he'd leap up and because he's tall, he only has to lift his paws a bit higher than his chest to climb up. One time, he came in from out back and he had shit on the back of his left leg and on the top of his left hip. He'd literally shit and fell back in it. We had a little washcloth session after that and he just laid there passively as I cleaned him up. Two years ago, he would have snapped at me for daring to touch his hind quarters, let alone wash his ass. Then, at dinner time, he couldn't stand on his own while he ate from his bowl. Mrs. P or I had to be there to hold him upright while he slowly consumed his meal with none, and I mean none, of his normal enthusiasm for food. He was totally robotic, and seemed to be completely unaware that one of us was bent over with our arms round his crotch supporting his hind legs. Completely bummed me out and I proceeded to get shit-faced and passed out early.

Of course, this morning when I got up he stood up, as naturally as can be, from his bed in the next room and proceeded to wag his tail in greeting. I realized then, that I hadn't seen him wag his tail in days. But, yeah, so far this morning he's doing really good.