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Post by kawaiitimes on Jun 5, 2015 21:00:24 GMT
I have typically stayed away from chows & mixes I've met that are agressive toward other animals. The mix that we've met several times is a nice dog, but she isn't enough to ruin my bias.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2015 14:24:11 GMT
Riding lessons did it for my kids. Once they got used to horses something the size of a dog held no terrors for them.
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Post by kawaiitimes on Jun 30, 2015 15:42:20 GMT
If I already had horses, introducing our 3 year old to them would be no big deal. But as we don't, I'm not sure that is the best option for us right now.  We have moved our shop back home and are going to spend the next few weeks reorganizing our living space and getting our back yard cleaned back up. I'm hoping we will find the right dog for us in the next few weeks. |
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Post by kawaiitimes on Aug 13, 2015 17:01:59 GMT
Just wanted to give everyone who offered their opinion on this an update - we may have found our match! Some good friends of ours need to rehome their dog due to job/living relocation and they have asked us to keep her. She is a six year old English Bulldog who grew up around foster and adopted children. It will be a couple of weeks before we finally get her as we have asked them to get her fixed first (DH and I made a pact to no longer take in unaltered pets after receiving the most expensive FREE kitten on the planet).
We are very much looking forward to adding her to our family and having many great adventures together.
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Post by kawaiitimes on Aug 13, 2015 17:19:02 GMT
 This is Susie. So far things look like they are going to work out to get her. But... you just never know until they are actually in your house. |
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Post by Maura on Aug 13, 2015 17:58:29 GMT
I can’t see the pic. I have met a few EB and think they are a wonderful dog. Tough but gentle. However, having fostered several dogs, I’ve had trouble even with dogs from a good home. Typically, with housebreaking. Treat her as an unhousebroken puppy. Stay with her outside and make sure she does her business. Count 1, 2, 3,… how long she pees for in the morning and how long it takes before she defecates and how much she produces. Repeat with the statistics throughout the day. When you let her out for potty, take her to the door and have her sit one step behind you, open door, then tell her “out” and wave your hand “out”. This might teach her to go sit at the door as her signal.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Aug 14, 2015 2:21:33 GMT
Aw, she's cute.  |
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Post by Otter on Aug 15, 2015 0:36:20 GMT
Great breed!
Like Maura said, every dog seems to "lose" housebreaking the first couple of days in a new house, what with all the excitement. Starting a solid routine right from the get helps them settle in more quickly.
She looks an absolute sweetheart.
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Post by kawaiitimes on Oct 2, 2015 9:49:23 GMT
After weeks and weeks of waiting for Suzy, her present caretaker has finally told us that she is ready. We go to get her tomorrow (Saturday)! Of course, the entire house is a wreck with all of the projects we have going on. So despite needing to keep working on painting the house trim, I need to dedicate today to New-To-You dog proofing the house/yard.
Yesterday I got started and pulled out the dog dishes, leashes and toys that we still have from my Boxer/Dane. I miss him so much that I almost considered sleeping with his box of ashes tonight. It is very hard laying his things out for another dog. But it will be good for us, I think.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Oct 2, 2015 20:32:22 GMT
I think it will do great honor to your Boxer/Dane to use his toys, etc for Suzy. I'm so excited for you! We will want to hear all about how her homecoming goes, and all about how she and your ds get along. Pics will be nice, too, of course. Yay! |
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Post by kawaiitimes on Oct 4, 2015 5:15:40 GMT
Well, it was an interesting day. DH spent 11.5 hours round trip picking up Suzy, and what a sweetheart she is! Got her home and settled before picking DS up from Grandma's house.
We got home and DS was suddenly concerned about the whereabouts of our tomcat. VERY concerned. Well the cat was just out in the world somewhere because that is what he does. So we get inside, the house is calm and quiet, everything was fine. Then Suzy poked her head out of our office and So Much SCREAMING!
DS somehow got it into his 3 hear old mind that Suzy was a monster who ate his cat!! Then of course the cat took forever to turn up to prove he was still alive an onry as ever.
Suzy spent the rest of the evening curled up in her crate enjoying a bone while DS peeked at her from the other side of the room. It is going to take some time to adjust.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Oct 4, 2015 15:46:43 GMT
Oh, my - that is hysterical. I'm sorry, it just IS. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes because I can so SEE this happening! I hope things go more smoothly today, and that they end up the best of friends.  |
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Post by kawaiitimes on Oct 4, 2015 16:47:34 GMT
I am sure they will be. She is one of those dogs that seems impossible to not fall in love with. So snuggely and happy all the time. DS is content when she is crated this morning. We tried letting her wander while we ate breakfast (we have a counter-high dining room set so DS and his food were well out of reach) and DS started crying again that the monster was loose.
We will get there. I know all it will take is some event where DS finds all that giant maw wants to do is lick and snort him and all will be well.
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Post by aoconnor on Oct 5, 2015 2:43:36 GMT
I have a lovely little English Bulldog named Sophia. She is the best e girl I have ever had, and I love her madly!! I've had her since she was 8 weeks old and she is coming on 10 years in January. She has been the best dog, I just adore her. I love the snores, the shuffles, the whole package. She does not really like my other dogs but she usually tolerates the. The cats are just annoying objects to her. A couple of things...not sure how much you know this breed...they are notoriously allergy prone. I feed Sophie a grain free fish and potato and she does very well on it. She weighs 46 pounds and has since she was a year old. I feed her 3/4 cup of food plus a tablespoon of plain, fat free yogurt twice daily, she gets along very well on that. I keep an eye on nose wrinkles so they don't get gunky. I use a little cotton all with a little hydrogen peroxide on it to make sure they stay clean, and I dry them with a paper towel. Does your girl have a tail pocket? You will find it under the tail, above her bum. It can be a deep or shallow pocket, but you need to clean it regularly. I use my sink, a rubber glove, and dish soap. I use the sprayer and luke warm water. Put some soap on your gloved finger and slip it into the pocket, clean well, spray well, and then dry with paper towels. Make sure it is very dry, I use a little dab of Desitin in the pocket, then wipe it out again with a paper towel. That will keep everything nice and clean. A little peroxide on a cotton ball will also keep her ears clean. Best of luck!! Bullies are my favorite! You can go to www.bulldogsworld.com for some good on all things bulldog, including a great medical forum for any questions you might have. |
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Post by kawaiitimes on Oct 5, 2015 3:06:23 GMT
Thank you for the information. I was very surprised when I found out that she has been on a diet of Pedigree Adult dog food for the last two years. She doesn't seem to be having any problems with it (aside from a few extra pounds) but I plan on moving her to a higher quality food in the next few weeks, and I'm happy to share my yogurt!
She does have a tail pocket, and thank you for the information. We have already started cleaning out her folds and ears. They weren't overly grimy, but they do have some build-up as her previous caretaker had several dogs and I think she just didn't get the individual attention that she needed. She is amazingly healthy and despite her age (6 years) doesn't appear to have any joint issues. She jumps up and down off the couch with no problem.
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Post by aoconnor on Oct 5, 2015 13:22:47 GMT
That's awesome:-) My girl hasn't had any health issues at all except for allergy stuff, but she is only allergic to chicken, so I'm lucky on that. Otherwise she has been a very healthy girl.
I do feed glucosamine to mine. I give a 1000 mg Glucosamine tab in one meal daily. She hasn't had any joint issues, but she likes to jump off her chair or my bed and has has a few limps from that. they all cleared up, but to be on the safe side I give her the supplement.
Have a great time with your new girl!!
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Post by Otter on Oct 5, 2015 14:39:15 GMT
Your poor little guy! Maybe you could watch some "monster" movies like Monsters Inc or Where the Wild Things Are with him on one side of you and Suzy on the other to help him adjust to the idea that he now has an awesome monster of his own.
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Post by kawaiitimes on Nov 11, 2015 17:00:57 GMT
So now that we've been at this for a month or so, DS and Suzy are good friends. This past weekend we ripped up the floor in our son's room and replaced it with laminate flooring (his was the last room in the house with carpet, and it was AWFUL). During the remodel, DS camped in a tent in the living room. Suzy stayed in the tent with him the whole weekend and they snuggled together and watched movies. It's taken a while, but maybe she's not too much of a scary monster after all.
Now... the real monsters. Tearing up that carpet, in conjunction with a week of rain after a dry summer/early fall has brought on the fleas! I've had a good handle on them for a long while, and the sudden hatching really caught me off guard (although looking back on it, it really has been the perfect storm for an infestation). So now I've got to combat the little buggers, which I wish I could put off but I know if I don't address it today, it will be a mess in a couple of weeks.
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Post by Maura on Nov 11, 2015 18:16:41 GMT
My border collie never had a flea. He ran in the woods, in the pasture, through meadows, no fleas. He is fourteen and about a month ago, fleas. I think it is his age, his body can’t fight them. I tried a spot on treatment, which did not work. Got Capguard from TSC and they all died. The box comes with six tablets so I can retreat if necessary. Getting rid of the carpet is probably a big help as fleas like to propagate on them. Glad things are working out with the beauty and the beast.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Nov 11, 2015 19:26:24 GMT
kawaiitimes, ugh on the fleas, but hurrah on a new friendship! I figured, given some time, they'd turn out to be good friends. So glad to hear they are now buddies!
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Post by aoconnor on Nov 17, 2015 13:30:11 GMT
kawaiitimes, There's just nothing like bullies and babes:-) So glad that Suzy and son are great pals, and it will only get better over time!! I hate fleas, so much! We have them every year, and I do everything I can to combat them. We have two ranch dogs and several indoor/outdoor cats that have issues with them, and of course they bring them in the house. Even treating monthly doesn't help. Sigh, I hate them.
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Post by kawaiitimes on Dec 14, 2015 6:51:11 GMT
Action shot!  |
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Dec 14, 2015 10:22:15 GMT
Not a care in the world. Love that face, and the tongue sticking out. Is that your hubby she's using for a heating pad?
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Post by kawaiitimes on Dec 14, 2015 15:03:09 GMT
It is his shirt... A few months ago I made slipcovers for our couch cushions out of upcycled jeans, and pillow cases for the couch pillows out of dh's old shirts floating around my mending pile. I call it the "casual couch".  |
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Post by here to stay on Dec 14, 2015 16:45:12 GMT
I can't believe I missed this thread. Loved all of it from the son's reaction though the dog pics to the jean couch.
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Dec 15, 2015 5:01:05 GMT
kawaiitimes, I absolutely love that idea for throw pillows. If you look at the way the pillow is set, and the jeans fabric below, it looks like a man with a little bit of a tummy, holding Suz on his lap, lol. Although, from what you've said, your dh doesn't have a tummy (just tummy issues).
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Post by kawaiitimes on Dec 15, 2015 7:07:05 GMT
kawaiitimes , I absolutely love that idea for throw pillows. If you look at the way the pillow is set, and the jeans fabric below, it looks like a man with a little bit of a tummy, holding Suz on his lap, lol. Although, from what you've said, your dh doesn't have a tummy (just tummy issues). DH has been a fluffy guy for as long as I've known him. Since August though, he's lost 50lbs from being sick. There is less and less of him every day. This morning he officially became thinner than he was when we first met/got married. The BEST part of the couch covers is when I do laundry, if I'm too tired to fold the clothes and put them away, I can just leave them on the couch and they blend right in. Seriously, one night DH walked into the living room and asked, "Did you do something different in here?" "Yes... I left six loads of laundry on the couch." |
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Post by manygoatsnmore on Dec 15, 2015 7:10:26 GMT
kawaiitimes, that totally cracked me up! Did you do something different, lol.... I knew you'd mentioned that he'd lost 50#, so I figured he might not have a tummy or much of one. Fluffy - yup, that's what I am, too...Fluffy!
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Post by kawaiitimes on Dec 15, 2015 7:12:47 GMT
I am so thankful that he had the weight to lose. If he had been at average weight when all of this started, he would likely have been hospitalized by now. Who knew that one could be thankful for all that fluff?
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Post by countrymom22 on Dec 16, 2015 0:45:43 GMT
kawaiitimes, love the pictures! And your couch looks amazing! What a great idea! Those couch covers look better than the ones I bought. Unfortunately, when we are done with jeans around here, they are good for nothing but throwing in the fire to get some extra BTU's! We are really hard on jeans!
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