~:~:~:The Doggie Thread!!:~:~:~

Wobbie

norm wrote:

comebackgirl wrote:

Elvis and Dakota

AWWWWWWW!!!

+1

ZiggyStar

My dogs are really pushing each other for dominance at the moment and it's starting to get annoying. Everytime I pat one, the other comes over and pushes its nose under my arm or hand to try and take my attention off the other one. Floyd the Dalmatian was in bed the other day with my bf and Ziggy the Boxer jumped up, walked on top of Floyd and laid down and put all his weight on him so she was in between my bf and Floyd. Floyd let us this really high pitched "fuck off" bark/noise and she shit herself and jumped up.

And when I get home from work, they both run out and jump on the fence all excited and if I pat one and not the other (I try to do it in turns), the other will jump on the back of the other one and start humping! ha ha ha

Any advice? Should we just let them figure it out?

I've also been wondering if we should be spending alone time with each of them eg just take one for a walk in the morning and one in the afternoon every now and then (instead of both together).

Who Princess

ZiggyStar wrote:

My dogs are really pushing each other for dominance at the moment and it's starting to get annoying. Everytime I pat one, the other comes over and pushes its nose under my arm or hand to try and take my attention off the other one. Floyd the Dalmatian was in bed the other day with my bf and Ziggy the Boxer jumped up, walked on top of Floyd and laid down and put all his weight on him so she was in between my bf and Floyd. Floyd let us this really high pitched "fuck off" bark/noise and she shit herself and jumped up.

And when I get home from work, they both run out and jump on the fence all excited and if I pat one and not the other (I try to do it in turns), the other will jump on the back of the other one and start humping! ha ha ha

Any advice? Should we just let them figure it out?

I've also been wondering if we should be spending alone time with each of them eg just take one for a walk in the morning and one in the afternoon every now and then (instead of both together).

I can relate. For 30+ years we've had 2 dogs at a time. For several years we even had 3. So these kinds of things always come up.

When it comes to affection, I try to pay attention to both dogs as much as I can. It's the same as you described. If I start to play with or pet one, the other comes running so they both get some lovey time. But they're not like humans--if you spend individual time with each one, that's great for each dog, but they won't rationalize it and demand less affection from you when they see you petting the other dog! They will still want as much love and attention as you will give them. So I just try to balance it out, making sure that they're both getting enough of my time. Our dog Penny is a rescue and I'm taking her to training so she sometimes gets more of my time but we make sure that Django gets plenty of attention too.

As far as working out the "pack" hierarchy, I leave that to my fur-kids to work out between themselves (with enough supervision to make sure that nobody ever gets hurt). What I've seen over the years is that every time we introduce a new dog to the household, the dogs take a while to sort out their relationships. It takes a little time but eventually they work out the pecking order. And the dog who's being bossed around now ends up being the top dog eventually.

HeavyHands

My dog had to be put down on Sunday.

I'm completely devastated. I'm hoping that the Chicago shows are going to be a catharsis for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing pictures of your pooches. They look awesome.

HeavyHands

PJaddicted

HeavyHands wrote:

My dog had to be put down on Sunday.

I'm completely devastated. I'm hoping that the Chicago shows are going to be a catharsis for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing pictures of your pooches. They look awesome.

HeavyHands

I am so sorry. The pain of losing a cherished pet can be unbearable, you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

ox

norm

HeavyHands wrote:

My dog had to be put down on Sunday.

I'm completely devastated. I'm hoping that the Chicago shows are going to be a catharsis for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing pictures of your pooches. They look awesome.

HeavyHands

so sorry :(

jimed14

HeavyHands wrote:

My dog had to be put down on Sunday.

I'm completely devastated. I'm hoping that the Chicago shows are going to be a catharsis for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing pictures of your pooches. They look awesome.

HeavyHands

man, that really sucks, sorry for your loss. always remember the good times.

HeavyHands

Thanks everybody for the nice comments. You're a good group.

I'll post some shots of her later on. Luckily for me I rarely go anywhere without a camera.

PJ_ROCKS

HeavyHands wrote:

My dog had to be put down on Sunday.

I'm completely devastated. I'm hoping that the Chicago shows are going to be a catharsis for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing pictures of your pooches. They look awesome.

HeavyHands

i am so sorry to hear that....

supersonicyears

My dog died today. Very sudden and unexpected. I can't believe she's gone. I keep trying to work it in my head to figure out what the fuck happened. What I should have done.............
I love you Pearl. I'm gonna miss you so much.

norm

:( sorry...rip pearl

Who Princess

HeavyHands wrote:

My dog had to be put down on Sunday.

I'm completely devastated. I'm hoping that the Chicago shows are going to be a catharsis for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing pictures of your pooches. They look awesome.

HeavyHands

I'm very sorry, HH.

I've been there more than once and it never gets any easier.

I'm sure she had a great life with you and no one could have loved her more than you did. I will be thinking of you and look forward to seeing the pictures of her.

I hope the Chicago shows will help you feel surrounded by friendship!

ItsOK921

Over 100 pounds of pure love

norm

ItsOK921 wrote:

Over 100 pounds of pure love

great pup


sen is gonna flip when she sees him!!

Who Princess

TheBeach wrote:

My dog died today. Very sudden and unexpected. I can't believe she's gone. I keep trying to work it in my head to figure out what the fuck happened. What I should have done.............
I love you Pearl. I'm gonna miss you so much.

So much sadness today! I'm so sorry about Pearl.

I'm sure you gave her lots of love and always did the best you could for her. Sometimes things happen to/with our dogs and we don't have all the information, so we make the best decisions we can to take care of them. Pearl always knew you loved her, I'm sure, cuz that's the way dogs are.

I will be thinking about you. Take care.

PJ_ROCKS

TheBeach wrote:

My dog died today. Very sudden and unexpected. I can't believe she's gone. I keep trying to work it in my head to figure out what the fuck happened. What I should have done.............
I love you Pearl. I'm gonna miss you so much.

so sorry to hear about this,
im left speechless and :(

HeavyHands

TheBeach wrote:

My dog died today. Very sudden and unexpected. I can't believe she's gone. I keep trying to work it in my head to figure out what the fuck happened. What I should have done.............
I love you Pearl. I'm gonna miss you so much.

I'm really sorry to hear this. You're not alone. I'm in the same boat. Please don't beat yourself up. You were a good parent. I know this because if you hadn't been, Pearl's death wouldn't be impacting you so much. At least that's how I'm rationalizing it to myself.

You loved your buddy. That's the most important thing.

Wobbie

HeavyHands wrote:

My dog had to be put down on Sunday.

I'm completely devastated. I'm hoping that the Chicago shows are going to be a catharsis for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing pictures of your pooches. They look awesome.

HeavyHands

TheBeach wrote:

My dog died today. Very sudden and unexpected. I can't believe she's gone. I keep trying to work it in my head to figure out what the fuck happened. What I should have done.............
I love you Pearl. I'm gonna miss you so much.

Oh, man....big hugs to both you guys. It's the worst. I don't know if either of you has been thru this before but your hearts will heal. It just takes a long time. We got another dog shortly after Shelby died in May 2008. The new dog is a blast but hardly a day goes by that I don't think of Shelby.

Again, I gotta post this.... at least for me, it is so true:

If you ever love an animal, there are three days in your life you will always remember. The first is a day, blessed with happiness, when you bring home your new friend. You may have spent weeks deciding on a breed. You may have asked opinions of many friends or done research finding a breeder. Or, in a fleeting moment, you may have chosen that silly looking mutt at the shelter, simply because something in its eyes reached your heart. But when you bring that chosen pet home, and watch it explore…when you feel it brush against you for the first time, it instills a feeling of pure love you will carry with you through many years to come.

The second day will occur years later. It will be a day like any other. Routine and unexceptional. But, for a surprising instant, you will look at your longtime friend and see age where you once saw youth. You will see slow deliberate steps where you saw energy. You will see sleep where you once saw activity. You will begin to adjust your friend’s diet and you may add a pill to her food. And, you may feel a growing uneasy feeling until the third day arrives.

On this day, if your friend or your higher being has not decided for you, then you will be faced with making a decision of your own on behalf of your lifelong friend. Whichever way your friend leaves you, you will feel as alone as a single star in the dark night.

If you are wise, you will let the tears flow freely as they must. If you are typical, you will find that not many family and friends will be able to understand your grief. But, if you are true to the love of the pet you cherished through many joy-filled years, you may find that a soul, smaller in size than your own, seems to walk with you at times, during the lonely days to come. At those moments when you least expect anything out of the ordinary, you may feel something brush against your leg. And, looking down at the place where your dear friend used to lie… you will remember those three significant days. The memory will be painful. As time passes, the ache will come and go. You will reject it and embrace it and it may confuse you. If you reject it, it will depress you. If you embrace it, it will deepen you. Either way, it will still be an ache.

But, there will be a forth day when, along with the memory of your pet, and piercing through the heaviness in your heart, there will come a realization that belongs only to you. It will be as unique and strong as our relationship with the pet we have loved and lost. This realization takes the form of a Living Love, like the heavenly scent of a rose. This Love will remain and grow, and will be there for us to remember. It is a love we have earned. It’s the legacy our pets leave us when they go… and it’s a gift we keep with us as long as we live. And until we leave, perhaps to join our beloved pets, it is a Love we will always possess.

PJaddicted

TheBeach wrote:

My dog died today. Very sudden and unexpected. I can't believe she's gone. I keep trying to work it in my head to figure out what the fuck happened. What I should have done.............
I love you Pearl. I'm gonna miss you so much.

There are just no words for that kind of pain of loss. I'm truly sorry. I've been there...and it is not easy. Practice good self care. Lots of love and hugs going out to you.

supersonicyears

Thank you all for the kind thoughts