Can Allergies Coexist with a Rescue Dog Like Duke?

[physics girl phd]

I'm glad Duke's safe... and appearing to be very sorry.

I'm not sure what to do. The one outside cat we had as kids just trained herself to "look both ways before crossing the street"... presumably by watching us. We also fortunately lived on a side road, not the main route or an attractive cut-through.

 

[turbo]

I'm glad Duke's safe... and appearing to be very sorry.

I'm not sure what to do. The one outside cat we had as kids just trained herself to "look both ways before crossing the street"... presumably by watching us. We also fortunately lived on a side road, not the main route or an attractive cut-through.

Hard to tell what's the best way to go. I don't think that the Woodhouse method is that attractive - dogs don't have to be made submissive by firm treatment to make them behave. So far he has made tremendous strides with gentle, consistent treatment.

 

[dlgoff]

Anybody have any favorite training regimens for adult dogs?

My daughter and I were given an 7 year old dog that hadn't been trained too well but he did know the word "NO!" and was able to learn what we didn't want him to do. Just keep looking for the things he understands. And be patient.

 

[turbo]

My daughter and I were given an 7 year old dog that hadn't been trained too well but he did know the word "NO!" and was able to learn what we didn't want him to do. Just keep looking for the things he understands. And be patient.

Thanks. Duke understands what I want. He has issues when he is out of my firm control and wants to do something that conflicts with my commands.

He knows when I want him to sit or lie down, and compliance is pretty good. Today, we firmed up his performance on "stay" and he's got a good grasp of "roll over". I don't want him to do tricks for the sake of doing tricks, but I want to use the training to reinforce the idea that he should be paying attention to me.

When my wife is home and I am there, and she issues even the simplest command, like "sit", often Duke looks in my direction as if to ask for confirmation. I have to find a way to transfer his attention and respect to my wife, as well, so that he will be safe when he is with her but off-leash. On-leash is no problem. He's as good as gold. He has only been with us for 12 days or so, so more acclimation may be necessary before our training is "transferable".

 

[turbo]

I think that I may try using his name and a hand-gesture toward my face as a cue for him to focus on me so that I have his attention for the next command. Eventually, the cue could be entirely vocal, but he is a pretty dedicated eye-contact dog, so this may work. When I talk to him, he doesn't always turn his head to me, but he always looks at me.

 

[lisab]

I think that I may try using his name and a hand-gesture toward my face as a cue for him to focus on me so that I have his attention for the next command. Eventually, the cue could be entirely vocal, but he is a pretty dedicated eye-contact dog, so this may work. When I talk to him, he doesn't always turn his head to me, but he always looks at me.

Many years ago, I had a friend who competed her dogs (standard poodles) in obstacle courses. She swore by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clicker_training" .

I was having a hard time with my young dog at that time, a chocolate lab (she was all beauty, no brain ). I tried it (I used a Snapple drink cap as the clicker!) and had good result.

At first, I would give a treat after the click, rewarding good behavior. But soon just the click was all I needed to let her know she had done something good. This worked well for us because she was so, so active, I couldn't always "catch" her doing something good with praise or a head scratch, she was so fast. But I could click quickly, and she learned to associate that with reward.

 

[turbo]

I'll have to try that. Duke is REALLY attentive most of the time, and he really appreciates getting getting little morsels one-at-a-time that are even smaller than his Iams dog-food.

 

[turbo]

Duke is getting very good at visual commands, once I get his attention. Arm up with hand trending down is "sit". Hand pointing to ground is "lie down". Palm facing Duke is "stay", and he transitions from upright lying down to lying down with his hind quarters sideways. I walk away with my back to him, but in the house, I can hear the click of nails on the Pergo flooring if he is trying to cheat and I can get him back into the "stay" position quickly by showing him my palm. He needs to learn that "stay" might include my walking away from him, walking back toward him, walking away again again, etc. It's all good.

 

[turbo]

Here is Duke on our back deck after I wore him to a stub chasing tennis balls, and Ruffin-it frisbees yesterday. He's a bit lame today, but that is not surprising after he spent 4-5 months confined in a pound. Panasonic pocket camera shot - no processing at all.

 

[GeorginaS]

That pocket camera takes a very impressive photo, turbo.

And your love for your new companion is one of the sweetest events I've witnessed in a long time. Plus, Duke's very cool.

 

[Borek]

New dog & new camera - you don't need more

 

[qspeechc]

I can't believe no-one else wanted to adopt such a handsome dog!
His brown nose, is that unique or what?

 

[turbo]

Thanks, all. Duke is a sweet dog. My wife stopped in at the neighbor's last night to drop off prints of the grand-daughters, and his first words were "Is Duke with you?" He loves visiting with Duke.

aspeehc, Duke is 1/2 chocolate lab and 1/2 boxer, though the chocolate lab comes out more strongly, thus the brown nose (and the big webbed feet).

 

[dlgoff]

Have you had him swimming yet. Would love to see a picture of him in the water.

 

[turbo]

Have you had him swimming yet. Would love to see a picture of him in the water.

Not yet, and our daytime temps are currently high 30's, low 40's. He's pretty happy about going for rides, now. If we get some warmer daytime temps, I might load him into the Forester and hit the lake. He loves getting toweled off, so getting him dry shouldn't be too much of a problem. Maybe I could take him over there in the Nissan pickup (vinyl seats)... we'll see. My mother-in-law's camp has a fairly sudden drop-off, so I might take him to the boat ramp or to the (now empty) public beach on the lake so he can progress at his own rate. I'll have to take a toy that floats, like a tennis ball, so that he can have an objective and some training/play time.

 

[dlgoff]

I bet he will jump in right away. But be warned; you might not be able to get him out once he's in. I remember going fishing (from the shore) with my Duke as we both had a few beers. He kept wanting to get in but I would say "Duuuke" and he would sit back down. Well by the time we drank all the beer and it was nearing dusk, I toasted in a 2 liter pop bottle and said "okay Duke; go on"... splash. Every time he tried to pick up the bottle, it would slip out of his mouth. I thought he was going to drown; feeling good from the beer and being all excited about going in. After a half hour or so (well after dark), he managed to grab it from the cap end and made it back on dry land.

 

[turbo]

Hmm... I can't let Duke drink beer on such outings. One of us has to drive!

BTW, my wife was walking Duke out on the road tonight, and our neighbor was headed into work on his shift on the paper machine. He saw them out there, pulled over, and got out to visit/play with Duke by the side of the road. His whole family (wife, daughter, 2 grand-daughters, and their own German shepherd/pit bull mix) loves this mutt, and they come piling out of the house whenever we show up. When they went to the Fryeburg agricultural fair recently, they went to lots of displays and competitions, listened to bands, etc, and they brought back presents: gourmet dog-treats and hand painted signs (Lawn Protected by Max/Duke) for each of the dogs.

 

[Equate]

Here is Duke on our back deck after I wore him to a stub chasing tennis balls, and Ruffin-it frisbees yesterday. He's a bit lame today, but that is not surprising after he spent 4-5 months confined in a pound. Panasonic pocket camera shot - no processing at all.

Adorable!

Now, something completely unrelated: I have built quite a few decks in my days but I have always left a 1/4 inch gap between the planks to allow for expansion. How come you didn't do that? Ever had any problems with this setup?

 

[turbo]

Adorable!

Now, something completely unrelated: I have built quite a few decks in my days but I have always left a 1/4 inch gap between the planks to allow for expansion. How come you didn't do that? Ever had any problems with this setup?

We have had lots of rain since we re-decked with no problems. We used northern white cedar, and it's pretty stable.

 

[turbo]

Here's a Duke update, about 3 months after rescue. My wife took him to the vet on Wednesday, and she said that Duke is underweight. Huh? He's 52 pounds, and he gets 3 cups of Iams dry food/day along with dog-biscuit treats, etc. 3 cups is Iam's recommendation for 70-80# dogs. Duke gets at least 4-5 walks a day, some of them 1/2 hour or so, and he pulls on the lead like a sled-dog, so he's been "working out" and packing on the muscle. He's shaped like a wedge, with the "jaws of death" (that black rubber bone is the only toy he hasn't destroyed), muscular neck, massive shoulders tapering to a slim butt. I hesitate to increase his food intake just because a vet thinks he's under-weight. He has probably put on at least 5# of muscle since we brought him home - maybe more.

In an early post, I said how Duke stopped pulling on the leash when I started using a chain slip-collar. That didn't last. As he beefed up, he became less and less bothered by that collar and resumed pulling. Then I got him a pronged pinch-collar and that slowed him down a bit until he beefed up even more, and now he pulls while wearing that, too.

 

[dlgoff]

Maybe you should feed him less. Before long a log chain might not hold him.

Seriously, you know your dog the best. From the picture I see a very healthy, loved and contented sweetie.

 

[turbo]

Maybe you should feed him less. Before long a log chain might not hold him.

Seriously, you know your dog the best. From the picture I see a very healthy, loved and contented sweetie.

When I was a kid, we had a dog that topped out at about 40#, and she was constantly breaking chains and running off to play with her friends. Eventually, I solved that when I found a 2-3' piece of train rail, and hooked her chain to that with a clevis through a hole in the web of the rail. She couldn't get enough instantaneous force to snap a chain, and the flanges of the rail would dig into the ground, so she really couldn't drag it around too far. Maybe I need to "handicap" Duke somehow, but it would look awfully odd to see someone walking a dog that is dragging 75# of steel down the road.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Hey Turbo, I was following this but don't think I ever chimed in. He is a great-looking and very lucky boy. Congrats on your new buddy.

 

[turbo]

Hey Turbo, I was following this but don't think I ever chimed in. He is a great-looking and very lucky boy. Congrats on your new buddy.

Thank you very much. He is a great addition to our little household.

 

[turbo]

Duke has found new ways to work out now that there is a lot of snow on the ground. While we are taking a walk along the snowmobile trail, he will jump off the trail into the deep snow, and run and jump around in that before bounding back onto the trail. His shoulders are bulking up as you can see, here.

BTW, I use bath-towels as "bedspreads"' for his bed so I don't have to wash his bed-cover as often. He likes lying on his bed to eat some treats, and tends to drool while he's eating. As you can see, the last treat was a dark orange-brown color.

 

[physics girl phd]

I always like to judge heath in part by fur condition... and via this photo, Duke's fur is looking fabulous, with good sheen.

Our adopted one, Big Man Mr. Steve, is also getting healthy. He's over his "kitty kennel cough" and putting on weight too (now at about 3 lbs.). His fur is softer... and like Duke he's getting more rambunctious (with health... or with familiarity?). For "Mr. Big," this means climbing up to sit on our heads, climbing up to the counters, or ambushing Cha-Cha (who has grown to just ignore him). He is really good with baby E. Although all their interactions are highly supervised (for his safety as well as hers), she loves him.

 

[turbo]

I always like to judge heath in part by fur condition... and via this photo, Duke's fur is looking fabulous, with good sheen.

Our adopted one, Big Man Mr. Steve, is also getting healthy. He's over his "kitty kennel cough" and putting on weight too (now at about 3 lbs.). His fur is softer... and like Duke he's getting more rambunctious (with health... or with familiarity?). For "Mr. Big," this means climbing up to sit on our heads, climbing up to the counters, or ambushing Cha-Cha (who has grown to just ignore him). He is really good with baby E. Although all their interactions are highly supervised (for his safety as well as hers), she loves him.

Duke's fur is much more attractive and shiny than when we brought him home, and I brush him at least a little every day. He really leans into it.

So glad to hear Big Man is getting along well with others and is feeling better. Long stays in kennels can be draining on any animals. When they are stressed and/or frustrated, that impacts on their digestive health, sleep, and lots of other stuff, not to mention the diseases and conditions that can arise from being in the company of a lot of other animals, not all of whose health issues have been properly resolved. The people operating the Humane Society shelter here are swamped. In these really poor economic times, people are being forced to give up their pets, and it's hard to operate a long-term no-kill shelter under such conditions. My wife and I found an adoptive home for a miniature dachshund not long ago. The people lost their jobs, and had to move to find work, and couldn't get an apartment that allowed pets. Sad, but the new "parents" are thrilled with him.

 

[turbo]

Sometimes I tell Duke I'm going to wok the dog. It's a bad joke, but this afternoon, he looked like he was giving himself a taste-test.

 

[dlgoff]

I don't think I've ever see a dog do this. Looks like he maybe had too much to drink and is trying to upchuck. Or maybe he stepped in something while on the wok.

 

[turbo]

I don't think I've ever see a dog do this. Looks like he maybe had too much to drink and is trying to upchuck. Or maybe he stepped in something while on the wok.

He does some odd stuff. Sometimes, he'll roll onto his back and put one of his rear "ankles" in his mouth and start chewing on it a bit while growling. He's a hoot! If I mention going for a "wok", he'll start pogo-ing and vocalizing, with his tail whirling. As you know, Lab-tails are deadly weapons, kind of like nunchucks.

 

[dlgoff]

nunchucks lol. Yes I understand. They can take your feet right out from under you.

My lab could understand hundreds of words it seemed. I talked to him like he was a person starting at 5 weeks. I could ask him "Is there someone coming?", and he would go to the window and part the curtains to take a look. And he loved to hunt. Just tell him what you were after and he'd find the trail.

 

[DanP]

Congratulations for the dog man. It;s beautiful. I hope you it brings you a lot of joy, and you'll make the dog happy as well.

 

[turbo]

Congratulations for the dog man. It;s beautiful. I hope you it brings you a lot of joy, and you'll make the dog happy as well.

Thanks, Dan. All the neighbors stop and visit when they see us walking. He loves to visit with them, and who can resist a dog who is wagging and wiggling in joy? Maine winters are long, and can be depressing. Duke has brightened this little log-house.

 

[JaWiB]

I don't think I've ever see a dog do this. Looks like he maybe had too much to drink and is trying to upchuck. Or maybe he stepped in something while on the wok.

My Beagle (or my parents' dog now that I'm at school) does this from time to time. She was also really bad at pulling when walking, but my mom somehow managed to train that out of her for the most part (except around other dogs...)

I'm not a huge fan of boxers, but the boxer/chocolate lab combination seems like a great one :)

 

[turbo]

My Beagle (or my parents' dog now that I'm at school) does this from time to time. She was also really bad at pulling when walking, but my mom somehow managed to train that out of her for the most part (except around other dogs...)

I'm not a huge fan of boxers, but the boxer/chocolate lab combination seems like a great one :)

I'm not all that confident about the evaluations of the rescue folks. He could be part pit bull or part Rhodesian ridge-back, for example, but the chocolate Lab side of him is very evident. I have found a harness with a D-ring in the low-center of his chest and another D-ring at the top back. I've been walking him using the front D-ring for a week or so, and he's a lot better about walking next to me instead of rushing ahead of me. If he pulls on the leash, it automatically places pressure on him to turn toward me, so I can interact with him. He's a rambunctious dog, but he's getting much calmer in exciting situations.

 

[GeorginaS]

I'm a huge fan of harnesses for helping teach excitable dogs how to walk along with you rather than pulling to go see everything, everywhere, everyone, now! A harness seems much more humane to me, and I think it gives some dogs a sensation of being "held" as in someone's arms, being held.

And I'll bet Duke's just a great companion, especially during winter. He looks like a such a great guy.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm not all that confident about the evaluations of the rescue folks. He could be part pit bull or part Rhodesian ridge-back, for example, but the chocolate Lab side of him is very evident.

The folks at the rescue are usually just guessing. They also tend to hype whatever traits they see of a type of dog that's popular (like the lab) to improve adoption. I definitely can see lab traits in Duke, but nothing about his appearance makes me think boxer. That darker saddle on his back makes me think there's some German shepherd mixed in. The jaw line looks a bit wide for either of those breeds, so you might be right that there's some pit bull in him, but I'd guess more likely bulldog. That would fit with his overall physique of having those really muscular shoulders tapering down to a more slender hips.

 

[Borek]

Duke is Duke, doesn't matter what his parents were.

I am suriprised seeing Americans trying to dissect his ancestry, after all, US is built on the idea that all dogs are created equal.

 

[turbo]

Duke has more surprises built in. He is thriving on his diet (including home-made treats), but my wife has bought supplements for him. Every morning he gets a capsule of fish oil, a capsule of garlic extract, and a tablet of brewers yeast. The garlic and yeast is for flea-repulsion, and the fish oil is to supply Omega 3 fatty acids.

We thought that he would have to be given treats or some other sleight-of-hand to get him to accept these pills. Wrong. In the morning, either my wife or I dish out 3 cups of dry Lamb and Rice dry food, and Duke watches as the two capsules and the tablet are added. He charges in and eats those first, and then cleans up all the rest of his food in minutes. Before this, sometimes he would not finish his daily allotment of food food until much later in the day, or even early in the next day.

 

[Borek]

Every morning he gets a capsule of fish oil, a capsule of garlic extract, and a tablet of brewers yeast.

Any changes to his air pollution trick?

 

[turbo]

Any changes to his air pollution trick?

No. That's a major talent of his, and I doubt he'll give up performing anytime soon.

 

[Borek]

I just wondered if - after being feed such a mixture - he is not even better.

 

[turbo]

I just wondered if - after being feed such a mixture - he is not even better.

I don't think that it's a matter of imbalance in his system or some disorder. He is as healthy as can be. As dlgoff mentioned a while back, it may be a built-in function of the Lab bloodline. Duke's stools, urination habits, etc all seem just as normal as can be, and he is happy and alert. When he farts and let's a really potent one go, I say "Duke!", and he rolls his eyes to look at me, as if wondering what the fuss is about.

 

[turbo]

BTW, the fathers of my best buddy in HS and my (for a while) steady GF had black labs out of the same litter (they were both inveterate duck-hunters) and both of those dogs could come up with some impressively powerful flatulence, so dlgoff may have a point re: the breed.

 

[dlgoff]

Although gas production is a natural part of the digestive process, some pets produce more than others and are not always fun to be around. Here are a few ways to reduce flatulence in dogs:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1571&aid=253"
I don't believe any of their solutions will work with Duke. Labs are labs.

 

[turbo]

My wife took Duke to the vet for his rabies/parvo/etc updates recently. The vets (both female) exclaimed how beautiful his coat was, and my wife explained that I comb him a bit every night with a de-shedder. Then they weighed him and though he has lost a pound since his last checkup, the head vet had to wonder why she had called him "underweight" last time because he looks so sleek, and her understudy said "Look at that butt" when preparing and administering his shots. They commented on his beautiful teeth and gums, and my wife told them that she bakes all his treats using whole grains - nothing commercial. The head vet then said that his nails were so perfectly trimmed and asked "Where do you take him?" and my wife said "I take him to my husband." They told her that Duke had the perfect home and wondered why he was not adopted from the shelter sooner.

It's supposed to be hot this weekend, so we're going to take him to the lake and (hopefully) teach him how to swim. He loves the water, and will wade as deep as he can without floating, but no swimming yet. With those big webbed feet and powerful shoulders, he'll be a natural.

 

[turbo]

Swimming update! We went for a "4th" cookout at the camp of some very dear friends. My wife got into the lake along with our lady friend and I threw balls into the water from the dock. Duke charged in after them, and since he had friends in deeper water cheering him on, he swam out to get them and bring them back to me. It was a hoot! He still hasn't gotten the hang of keeping his big webbed paws in the water for maximum efficiency, and picks his front paws out of the water and slams them down, churning up the lake. Still, he motors along pretty good, for all the inefficiency. I think we might have to put his "outward hound" life-jacket on him and let him swim in that a bit until he figures out how to make the dog-paddle work out for him without all the splashing. A big chocolate Lab from the next camp over showed up wanting to chase the balls, too, and that spurred Duke into greater efforts. He is crashed out on his bed next to my computer, not snoring, not making dreaming vocalizations, not twitching his feet. He is in a coma. Hitting the lake is good exercise for this boy.

 

[dlgoff]

With the hot weather there, take advantage and take him swimming often. By the end of summer you won't be able to out swim him.

 

[turbo]

With the hot weather there, take advantage and take him swimming often. By the end of summer you won't be able to out swim him.

I should have filmed him with my Panasonic pocket camera. It was a hoot watching him try to swim. He acted like he could keep himself afloat by pawing at the surface of the water.

 

[turbo]

Here is an mpeg of Duke at his favorite game. He comes to me with his favorite (only, actually) ball, and if I try to take it from him, he growls and wrinkles up his lips menacingly - tail wagging all the while. It's a big file, so if you want to take a look, dial-up is out of the question, apart from an all-night download.

http://s183.photobucket.com/albums/x318/turbo-1/?action=view&current=20100713_105903.mp4