lefty's random dog thread.

Originally Posted by lefty

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You might be overthinking this. If you're that concerned get a note from your current vet or do blood titers.

More info.

lefty

Probably. People can be crazy, though.

Originally Posted by gnatty8

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This would have come in very handy for me when I was bitten last spring. Guy couldn't produce a vaccination certificate, and I had to sweat while the dog was observed. Likely never gonna happen, but then again, my house is very unlikely to burn down either, but I still insure it.

Yes, I recall reading about that. Not a fun week, I'm sure.

Originally Posted by ClambakeSkate

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I used to bring my Aussie to doggy day care almost every day since both my wife and I work until he came home with a huge cut on his face (they kept him in the crate most of the day and he tried to eat his way out!) and he puked about 3 days worth of food that wasn't even the same color of the food that we feed him. NOT GOOD. That day care has since been seized by the city. GOOD.

Definitely be careful when selecting your doggy day care. I will be very reluctant to send him to another one, even if it has great reviews. When I go on vacation he goes to camp upstate which he seems to like. He comes back extremely dirty, but it's to be expected since he's running around all day outside and sleeping on a barn floor usually.
+1. My dog went to doggy daycare daily for several months. The place was rated the best in town, and expensive ($25/day). However, my dog was often sick, and I later realized that the supervision wasn't as advertised. It was good for my dog getting exercise, but terrible for his health. I stopped sending him.

Originally Posted by NorCal

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Could you just ignore the clause?
As Lefty noted this could open up a window for the breeder to sieze my dog. Of course they would have to travel from Florida to Canada to get him so the chances of that happening are close to zero. That being said, I don't intend on ignoring the clause out of respect for the breeder. There is another, more practical, reason for me getting him neutured as well: all the daycares I've found require the dogs to be spayed/neutered by six months. I suspect it's to limit their liability for injuires and accidental pregnancies. The daycare I'm currently using has let things slide in that Jake is 7.5 months old but they would like him to get fixed soon.

We obviously keep dogs very vastly different reasons.

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Maybe we do, maybe we don't.

I can't/won't turn my back on what dogs and breeds have been developed for, and believe it's responsible on any owner's part to understand breed specifics and be realistic about life with that animal. I've seen too many stupid people shocked that their greyhound likes to chase and kill squirrels and try to change it.

A proper Rott should be aloof, reserved, calm; aggression with other dogs is not a fault. Emasculation could not only affect the endocrine system and therefore his physical aspects and health, but also his very ability (either way) to perform his allotted task, if not his reason for being.

Here's a little more on castration from a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

On balance, it appears that no compelling case can be made for neutering most male dogs, especially immature male dogs, in order to prevent future health problems. The number of health problems associated with neutering may exceed the associated health benefits in most cases.

On the positive side, neutering male dogs
"¢ eliminates the small risk (probably <1%) of dying from testicular cancer
"¢ reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders
"¢ reduces the risk of perianal fistulas
"¢ may possibly reduce the risk of diabetes (data inconclusive)


On the negative side, neutering male dogs
"¢\tif done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis.
"¢\tincreases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6 "¢\ttriples the risk of hypothyroidism
"¢\tincreases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
"¢\ttriples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
"¢\tquadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer
"¢\tdoubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers
"¢\tincreases the risk of orthopedic disorders "¢\tincreases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations

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With that in mind and as an experienced dog and Rott owner, would you rethink castration of that little puppy?

Thanks for making the thread interesting.

lefty

so we've had the dog for a week and he's going back. just kidding.

he is awesome, sleeps through the night, loves running around the yard, pisses and ***** on the wee wee pads and is infinitely less trouble than my kids.

Originally Posted by JayJay

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+1. My dog went to doggy daycare daily for several months. The place was rated the best in town, and expensive ($25/day). However, my dog was often sick, and I later realized that the supervision wasn't as advertised. It was good for my dog getting exercise, but terrible for his health. I stopped sending him.
Was your dog ever given the bordetella vaccine? There are a lot of ****** daycares out there. Here's what I was told to consider when looking for a place: 1. Do they give tours of the facility? 2. Do they seperate dogs by size and temperment? 3. How do they break up fights? 4. What's the dog to supervisor ratio? 5. Do they require dogs to have up to date vaccination records? 6. Do they have webcams you can view during the day?

Originally Posted by thekunk07

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so we've had the dog for a week and he's going back. just kidding. he is awesome, sleeps through the night, loves running around the yard, pisses and ***** on the wee wee pads and is infinitely less trouble than my kids.
What did you end up getting?

male goldendoodle puppy, he's 10 weeks now

Originally Posted by thekunk07

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male goldendoodle puppy, he's 10 weeks now

Pics.

lefty

uploading some now, here's a crappy one for now

He looks just like you.

lefty

Originally Posted by Stazy

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Was your dog ever given the bordetella vaccine? There are a lot of ****** daycares out there. Here's what I was told to consider when looking for a place:

1. Do they give tours of the facility?
2. Do they seperate dogs by size and temperment?
3. How do they break up fights?
4. What's the dog to supervisor ratio?
5. Do they require dogs to have up to date vaccination records?
6. Do they have webcams you can view during the day?
Yes, he gets the Bordetella vaccine annually.

The most problematic illness attributed to daycare was Giarda supposedly from poop. He eventually was given a Giarda vaccine.

The list of criteria you were given is good, IMO. The daycare my dog went to simply wasn't as good as its rating. It did not have a webcam and tours were only allowed for an hour or so in the morning and evening. I later learned that the dog to supervisor ratio wasn't consistent throughout the day, in addition to a host of other issues which called their integrity into question.

There are some very good daycares available, I happened to stumble upon one that wasn't.

Originally Posted by lefty

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He looks just like you.

lefty
+1.

Originally Posted by lefty

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He looks just like you. lefty
He hasn't even started breaking deca pills into the dogs food yet. Give it time.

Originally Posted by dcg

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Yes, I recall reading about that. Not a fun week, I'm sure.

Originally Posted by lefty

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I can't/won't turn my back on what dogs and breeds have been developed for, and believe it's responsible on any owner's part to understand breed specifics and be realistic about life with that animal. I've seen too many stupid people shocked that their greyhound likes to chase and kill squirrels and try to change it.

I think the majority of dog owners keep dogs as companions/pets now, and not because they have strong herding instincts or their ability to retrieve game. The best thing to be is properly define what one is looking for in an animal and narrow one's choices from there. If I was looking for a good cattle dog, I might choose an Australian Shepherd or Border Collie. If I was looking for a good hunting dog, I might choose a German Short Haired Pointer. If I was looking for a pet, either of these dogs could work for me, and I would spend time with each breed to narrow my decision. In my case, I grew up around Rotties, so was already very familiar with their desirable qualities when it came time to choose my own first dog which was, you guessed it, a Rottie. I did not herd cattle with him, nor did I use him to protect me from brigands who might beset upon me as I travelled from town to town, selling prime rib and flank steaks.

Originally Posted by lefty

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A proper Rott should be aloof, reserved, calm; aggression with other dogs is not a fault. Emasculation could not only affect the endocrine system and therefore his physical aspects and health, but also his very ability (either way) to perform his allotted task, if not his reason for being.

Aggression with otehr dogs IS a fault to me, as I don't want to be sued or worse, have my dog mistake a child with an overly aggressive petting manner as a threat and maul him. I am entirely convinced by the evidence that neutering reduces aggressive tendencies in male dogs, so I view it as incumbent on me, who makes a personal choice to own a large, powerful dog in an urban setting, to reduce the likelihood he will injure another human being or dog. All of my Rotties have been aloof, reserved, and calm, but I give my business to breeders who focus on maintaining a flawless appearance, but breed towards pet quality dogs who will not be overly aggressive. As a dog owner, and a responsible member of society I view unjustified aggression towards anything, whether it is the mailman or another dog, as a major fault, and in my case, a disqualifying fault. You may not, which is fine, but please let me know if you ever decide to relocate to the South so I can be sure my kids don't play near your backyard..

Originally Posted by lefty

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With that in mind and as an experienced dog and Rott owner, would you rethink castration of that little puppy?

Absolutely not at all.