Why is My Dog Embarrassing Me in Front of Company?

[turbo]

They are not house-pets, but I have a couple of chipmunks who will climb me hunting for sunflower seeds in my pockets. It's not embarrassing, but kinda funny when they try it with someone who's visiting. The chipmunk gets startled and jumps off when it realizes it's trying to climb a stranger, and the visitor often has some pretty funny reactions, too.

 

[SticksandStones]

I'd be scared of catching something from the chipmunk...even if it is cute.

 

[tribdog]

You'd use a condom?

 

[turbo]

Abstinence.

 

[tribdog]

Cats can't taste sweet.

Depends how you cook 'em.

 

[Moonbear]

When I started researching horse food I learned that comercial companies don't even have recipes. They just meet the %protein, %fiber etc with whatever is cheapest at the time. I only found one company that makes a horse food with no corn.. and yes I pay through the teeth for it.

If you need to supplement grain for your horses, get it from a feed mill properly blended for your horses.

Very little effort, care or research goes into pet food.

Actually, that's not true at all. Companies like Hill's (they make the Science Diet line of pet food) put a LOT of research into their products. That's why I use them. I've met some of the scientists who work there and they can tell you exactly what each and every ingredient in their product does. They test their foods the same way you'd test a new drug for people...they start out testing safety and efficacy in the lab under controlled conditions, basically making sure the diet isn't going to leave the animals with some nutrient deficiency or getting obese if they eat the correct amounts of the diet, and then they do what are basically clinical trials with volunteers who feed the diet to their own pets. This tests how well it works across various breeds and mutts, and what happens in real world settings (i.e., when the owner doesn't bother weighing out precise amounts of food and just puts out a "scoopful" or as much as the pet will eat, or feeds lots of extra treats).

For your horses, or any other livestock, if a feed manufacturer won't tell you their ingredients, don't use them, for the reasons you cited. Protein is the most important one. Not all protein is created equal, and not all is properly balanced for every species. Just giving percentage of protein isn't adequate to know it's from a source that species can use. If they don't know the difference between horse grain and cattle feed, they don't deserve any business. By the way, it's not actually corn, per se, that's a problem for horses. It's that corn is often infected with a mold that horses are sensitive to. Other grains can get moldy too, though. Always make sure your feed for horses is stored DRY (that goes for the hay too). Cattle don't have that sensitivity, so can often eat feeds that would be poisonous to horses.

 

[fileen]

By the way, it's not actually corn, per se, that's a problem for horses. It's that corn is often infected with a mold that horses are sensitive to. Other grains can get moldy too, though. Always make sure your feed for horses is stored DRY (that goes for the hay too). Cattle don't have that sensitivity, so can often eat feeds that would be poisonous to horses.

I was told by my vet that corn is a source of starch which is not easily digested, and ultimately ends up fermenting in the hind gut. I spent about 3 weeks with my vet this summer (I won't tell you how many dollars) as my horse needed blood transfusions and such. She very nearly died. I didnt sleep a wink the entire time. Kaopectate and probiotic yogurt every three hours for a week. I literally did not leave her side. I was told that starches in general are bad for horses. Feed companies put cheap starches like corn in their feeds for energy. I don't know where you live, but I am in Ontario Canada and feed companies are limited. I've never even heard of Hills. I feed Buckey as they make a lovely pellet that has no starch and no calories and is just a vitamin mineral and nutrient supplement. Its great for my haflinger and quarter horse who can get all their calories from hay. My TB mare has never been entirely healthy. When I bought her she had never been outside and was in a stall so small she couldn't lay down. Her feet had grown over her shoes. The first time I put her out she stood at the gate and shook with fear. She eats a product called safe n easy which also has no starch but has some added calories. She is just beginning to put the weight back on now. After the big scare in April she lost a tremendous amount of weight and no matter how much I fed her she didnt gain. She eats 2.5 square bales of hay a day at 50% alfalfa. Because of the colitis she does not absorb like a normal horse, although with care and patience I think she's coming around. All my horses eat pelleted feeds with no molasses. I don't think they are around long enough to become mouldy. I also feed beet pulp but I am careful with it. She also gets a fat supplement in a pellet form. When I went looking for feeds with no starch or low starch, only Buckey had an actually recipe and could guarantee no corn. I am sure there are other feeds out there, but I have yet to find anything in the area. I am however always on the look out as I would like to switch to something a little cheaper.

 

[~christina~]

I just bought a $1500 puppy (dumb) and he will be eating home made all organic dog food. My dalmation is completely intollerant to all comercial dog foods. I have been making home made dog food for a couple years now. My horse has colitis from the corn put in horse food. Go figure that horses should NEVER have corn, its not even remotely good for them. When I started researching horse food I learned that comercial companies don't even have recipes. They just meet the %protein, %fiber etc with whatever is cheapest at the time. I only found one company that makes a horse food with no corn.. and yes I pay through the teeth for it. Very little effort, care or research goes into pet food.

I can't believe you payed..1500 for a dalamation. Is it made of gold?
I could get a albino doberman for cheaper than that..(faints)

 

[Danger]

I can't believe you payed..1500 for a dalamation.

I wouldn't pay that much for a car...

 

[fileen]

I can't believe you payed..1500 for a dalamation. Is it made of gold?
I could get a albino doberman for cheaper than that..(faints)

HAHA No! I did not pay that much for my Dalmation. She was super cheap, $100 or something. I bought a pure bred Newfoundland. I have always wanted one, and so researched breeders, and they all run for around that price. One lady wanted $2000. His hips, ears, eyes etc are all guaranteed. We have him signed up for his water training already, if they complete and pass they are official life guards and can be on any beach (even those that say no dogs allowed) It sounds like a lot of money, but I know the breed and they are really great. When you love your animals like I do, I guess the money doesn't matter. This is a dog I can leave with the kids, he'll be friendly with my cats, easy to train... The breeder had over 20 dogs at her home all in breeding pairs, and I met every single one. Not one of them has a mean bone in their bodies. This is a breed that tends to live only a short while (6 to 8 years) And most of her dogs live to be 10 - 16 so I think I made the right decision. Animals are my whole life, I wouldn't spend my money anywhere else.

 

[~christina~]

HAHA No! I did not pay that much for my Dalmation. She was super cheap, $100 or something. I bought a pure bred Newfoundland. I have always wanted one, and so researched breeders, and they all run for around that price. One lady wanted $2000. His hips, ears, eyes etc are all guaranteed. We have him signed up for his water training already, if they complete and pass they are official life guards and can be on any beach (even those that say no dogs allowed) It sounds like a lot of money, but I know the breed and they are really great. When you love your animals like I do, I guess the money doesn't matter. This is a dog I can leave with the kids, he'll be friendly with my cats, easy to train... The breeder had over 20 dogs at her home all in breeding pairs, and I met every single one. Not one of them has a mean bone in their bodies. This is a breed that tends to live only a short while (6 to 8 years) And most of her dogs live to be 10 - 16 so I think I made the right decision. Animals are my whole life, I wouldn't spend my money anywhere else.

Oh..that sounds more like the price for a dalmation.
Ah, Newfoundland's shed a lot though.

I want to buy an Akita. There are problems with security around where I live, so I wouldn't buy a golden retriever or a Newfoundland, or any small dog for that matter. (I personally find little dogs to be useless) Previous, doberman passed away last year. Seems like yesterday.
As long as you raise your dog from a puppy, with cats, it should be okay. They say that cats are not trainable but I have trained mine.

 

[lisab]

They say that cats are not trainable but I have trained mine.

You're right, ~christina~, cats are trainable. But they're excellent trainers, as well.

I once had a kitten with an especially strong affinity for scratching the couch. I thought, I have to stop this in the bud - every time he does that, I'm putting him outside.

He figured it out before I did. Every time he wanted to go out, he would...you guessed it...go scratch the couch.

 

[fileen]

Oh..that sounds more like the price for a dalmation.
Ah, Newfoundland's shed a lot though.

I want to buy an Akita. There are problems with security around where I live, so I wouldn't buy a golden retriever or a Newfoundland, or any small dog for that matter. (I personally find little dogs to be useless) Previous, doberman passed away last year. Seems like yesterday.
As long as you raise your dog from a puppy, with cats, it should be okay. They say that cats are not trainable but I have trained mine.

I have always wanted a Newf. I have owned a lot of dogs. I had to euthanize one for being "overprotective" and Ill never forget it. Since it was my dog I had to make the decision, take him it and hold him throughout. I swore Id never get a dog on a whim again. I broke my promise with my dalmation, she loves me very much but she's a one person dog. Shes never bit or lunged at anyone but she has been known to growl at people if they approach her. As a result I have to be soooo careful with her. Its such I pain. When I had to euthanize my labradog I told myself no more dogs. He was only 8 with hip dysplasia. Then my 19 year old mutt passed away and I changed my mind. I started looking for breeders a year ago, and my pup comes this weekend. I am soooo excited. I have a friend with an Akita and she has similar problems to that of my dalmation. Reseach your breeders. I found the vet to be a good person to ask about breeders. I hand spin all sorts of fiber. We raise angora rabbits and such, so the plan is to spin the dog hair.

 

[tribdog]

you had to euthanize a Labrador? those are one of the gentlest and easiest breeds to train. and I don't think euthanize is the correct word. Doesn't it mean putting it out of its misery? I don't know what its called when you are putting it out of your misery.

 

[fileen]

you had to euthanize a Labrador? those are one of the gentlest and easiest breeds to train.

He was in a lot of pain. He couldn't get up on his own. He never complained. Your making me cry just thinking about him. He slept with me every night, he never so much as curled a lip...

The dog I had to euthanize for being over protective was a mutt. He was great with our family but was very aggressive around strangers. He tried to attack a small child who wandered on our property. If my dad hadnt been there to pull him away she would have been injured. He was just too dangerous to keep around. The only reason we keep the Dal is because she never approaches people, she is outside for minimal amounts of time, and doesn't mind being kenneled when we have guests

 

[tribdog]

it's a sore spot for me. some of the people here keep trying to euthanize me.

 

[fileen]

it's a sore spot for me. some of the people here keep trying to euthanize me.

haha well as long as you can get up to pee on your own I suppose there's no reason to consider it

 

[hypatia]

Not to worry Tribdog, I have some piddle pads left over from bathroom training my pooch. I'd mail them to you before anyone could "put you down".

 

[Moonbear]

I was told by my vet that corn is a source of starch which is not easily digested, and ultimately ends up fermenting in the hind gut. I spent about 3 weeks with my vet this summer (I won't tell you how many dollars) as my horse needed blood transfusions and such. She very nearly died. I didnt sleep a wink the entire time. Kaopectate and probiotic yogurt every three hours for a week. I literally did not leave her side. I was told that starches in general are bad for horses. Feed companies put cheap starches like corn in their feeds for energy. I don't know where you live, but I am in Ontario Canada and feed companies are limited. I've never even heard of Hills. I feed Buckey as they make a lovely pellet that has no starch and no calories and is just a vitamin mineral and nutrient supplement. Its great for my haflinger and quarter horse who can get all their calories from hay. My TB mare has never been entirely healthy. When I bought her she had never been outside and was in a stall so small she couldn't lay down. Her feet had grown over her shoes. The first time I put her out she stood at the gate and shook with fear. She eats a product called safe n easy which also has no starch but has some added calories. She is just beginning to put the weight back on now. After the big scare in April she lost a tremendous amount of weight and no matter how much I fed her she didnt gain. She eats 2.5 square bales of hay a day at 50% alfalfa. Because of the colitis she does not absorb like a normal horse, although with care and patience I think she's coming around. All my horses eat pelleted feeds with no molasses. I don't think they are around long enough to become mouldy. I also feed beet pulp but I am careful with it. She also gets a fat supplement in a pellet form. When I went looking for feeds with no starch or low starch, only Buckey had an actually recipe and could guarantee no corn. I am sure there are other feeds out there, but I have yet to find anything in the area. I am however always on the look out as I would like to switch to something a little cheaper.

The only thing you need to watch out for with corn, aside from the mold (look for ones that are certified tested for mycotoxins), is that it is actually very dense in energy. Horses can eat too much too fast, and that's when they develop colic. You can't just switch suddenly to corn, but only gradually adjust. Of course, the one with colitis is going to be a special case, so none of my advice would apply there. Can you give her injectable vitamin supplements to make up for what she can't absorb?

Sounds like the rest are easy keepers...put on and keep on weight with really minimal feeds.

This site might be helpful:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/b762/

 

[fileen]

The only thing you need to watch out for with corn, aside from the mold (look for ones that are certified tested for mycotoxins), is that it is actually very dense in proteins. Horses can eat too much too fast, and that's when they develop colic. You can't just switch suddenly to corn, but only gradually adjust. Of course, the one with colitis is going to be a special case, so none of my advice would apply there. Can you give her injectable vitamin supplements to make up for what she can't absorb?

Sounds like the rest are easy keepers...put on and keep on weight with really minimal feeds.

She gets a stupidly expensive probiotic that has helped her with absorption. I went home for thanksgiving (Canadian) and actually cried when I saw her. She gets a pelleted feed that is just vitamins minerals and nutrients and she seems really healthy at the moment. She has the odd day that the gentleman who runs the farm calls me to tell me she's a little irritated, but she hasnt had the runs or been in a tremendous amount of pain since the last big illness. I had to take her off her fat supplement because I was worried she was gaining too fast.
She had a rough go. When I bought her she was in so small a stall that she couldn't even lay down. She was never an easy keeper and had seemingly random bouts of colic all the time. I assumed it was ulcers and decided to try to maintain her since ulcer meds are out of my financial means. I had her at a farm where I did all the work, and he offered to do it for me while I was in school for a certain fee. That a** h*** starved her and stopped turning her out to pasture. I got a tip off from a friend that she had lost some weight and wasnt going out. Since I was paying for food I was curious how she could be losing weight. He was feeding it to his own horses. I could have killed him when I saw her, she was skin and bones, covered in manure and so hyper from being kept in she was jumping up and down on the spot. Luckily for him he was on vacation. He left a 14 yr old girl looking after the farm of over 40 horses for two weeks. A friend came and got her right away and she didnt really recover. She stayed at my friends for 6 weeks and then I moved her to her present home. She was happy enough but not gaining weight and irritated off and on. Then I showed up and saw the obvious signs of colic and called the vet. It all went to H*** after that.
She has recently just been packing it on though, I would say she is no longer under weight, although Id like to add a couple more pounds in case she has an episode so were not back at square one. My big concern now is the insane price of horse food. I am glad the rest of my horses are easy keepers, they just get hay and vitamins.

 

[Moonbear]

Drat, you quoted me before I got my edits in. Just in case you didn't notice it, I wrote incorrectly that corn is high in protein. It's not. It's high in energy.

Did you press charges against the person who starved your horse? I would have (if I didn't just tear him limb from limb on the spot!). Maybe the courts could order his penalty be to pay for all the added cost of upkeep due to the damage his neglect caused.

 

[fileen]

Drat, you quoted me before I got my edits in. Just in case you didn't notice it, I wrote incorrectly that corn is high in protein. It's not. It's high in energy.

Did you press charges against the person who starved your horse? I would have (if I didn't just tear him limb from limb on the spot!). Maybe the courts could order his penalty be to pay for all the added cost of upkeep due to the damage his neglect caused.

I thought about it, but that's a lot of effort and a lot of drama and a lot of negative energy. I knew this guy for so long I am honestly still shocked that he did it. I don't know what happened but the whole farm just went down hill. The problem is, I buy and sell and breed horses, and in the horse business... if you do something like that.. it gets around. Hes well known for what he's done, but people would not buy horses off of me, or board my horses or sell them to me if I tried to get legally involved with him. Its complicated but its not worth the work involved. I haven't spoken with him since and I have made it clear to everyone what has happened. I work for an equine vet and she has refused to visit his farm, people have quit selling him hay, and I know he'll have a hard time selling horses from now on. I believe in karma, and I know its not worth the pain or hassle. My horse is alive and were out of there and I don't ever have to see or speak with him again. He lost a valuable client as a number of my friends left shortly after myself, and I did most of the work around the stable through the summer. I looked after everything for free while he was on vacation, I spent nights with over due mares when he just needed a good night sleep. He will regret what he's done I am sure.

 

[turbo]

Darn! I hate to read these posts! My father lives across the road from a fellow that until recently raised and trained horses for horse-pulling. Those animals were family, and the owners were heartbroken for weeks when the last one had to be put down. Their days of competition were over, but they were family. Whenever the neighbors had to be out of town, my father would go over and tend the horses, and those big guys were like puppies.

Anyway, Dad is 82, and the neighbor (who was a professional cook) always seems to cook "too much" and brings him chowders, casseroles, biscuits, etc. He always checks in on my father, too, and that's a comfort. Horse-lovers form bonds that stick, and I'm so happy about that.

 

[fileen]

Darn! I hate to read these posts! My father lives across the road from a fellow that until recently raised and trained horses for horse-pulling. Those animals were family, and the owners were heartbroken for weeks when the last one had to be put down. Their days of competition were over, but they were family. Whenever the neighbors had to be out of town, my father would go over and tend the horses, and those big guys were like puppies.

Anyway, Dad is 82, and the neighbor (who was a professional cook) always seems to cook "too much" and brings him chowders, casseroles, biscuits, etc. He always checks in on my father, too, and that's a comfort. Horse-lovers form bonds that stick, and I'm so happy about that.

Draft horses are wonderful. One of my dearest memories is a big old clydesdale named Tom. I rode him, drove him, fed him, kissed him, there's a picture somewhere of me on him and I looked like a pee on a pumpkin. We didnt even have a saddle big enough to fit him so I went around on him bareback. He took good care of me. My horses are my whole life, they are definitely part of the family.

 

[turbo]

Draft horses are wonderful. One of my dearest memories is a big old clydesdale named Tom. I rode him, drove him, fed him, kissed him, there's a picture somewhere of me on him and I looked like a pee on a pumpkin. We didnt even have a saddle big enough to fit him so I went around on him bareback. He took good care of me. My horses are my whole life, they are definitely part of the family.

My great-uncle Romeo had a pair of Belgians that were so wide across the back that it was hard for me to stay on them, though they tolerated me and sucked up for treats. When I was a kid, it was more fun to ride the cows, and the more tolerant of the larger pigs. Those giant horses were a hoot, though! They would nuzzle up to my face, and then one big exhale would make me feel like I was in a greenhouse! Sweeties! They loved fall, with their share of apple "drops".

Edit: the only way I could get up on either of these horses was to lure them in with a treat while I was clinging to high boards on the hay-mow. I could gently pull on their manes and get them to do stuff, but it's pretty hard to get monsters like that used to responding to knees, toes, and heels, when your knees were straight and your feet were hanging out in the air, or just tucked back. Those big guys were gentle and attentive, as long as you could hug them up, talk to them, and give them a treat as small as a kid's handful of grain, a carrot, or an apple.

 

[fileen]

My great-uncle Romeo had a pair of Belgians that were so wide across the back that it was hard for me to stay on them, though they tolerated me and sucked up for treats. When I was a kid, it was more fun to ride the cows, and the more tolerant of the larger pigs. Those giant horses were a hoot, though! They would nuzzle up to my face, and then one big exhale would make me feel like I was in a greenhouse! Sweeties! They loved fall, with their share of apple "drops".

Edit: the only way I could get up on either of these horses was to lure them in with a treat while I was clinging to high boards on the hay-mow. I could gently pull on their manes and get them to do stuff, but it's pretty hard to get monsters like that used to responding to knees, toes, and heels, when your knees were straight and your feet were hanging out in the air, or just tucked back. Those big guys were gentle and attentive, as long as you could hug them up, talk to them, and give them a treat as small as a kid's handful of grain, a carrot, or an apple.

Its taken me two years by my haflinger and my thoroughbred both go entirely by voice command. My Haflinger is better about it though, he's a draft breed and doesn't seem to know that its optional to listen like my thoroughbred does. I bought him for my mom when she finally decided to learn to ride. She needed something push button go and although he wasnt when we bought him, he's so smart he's improved above and beyond my mare with much less work. Haflingers are real characters, they are a short breed but drafty enough that they feel larger than they are. He is wonderful, he steals hats and will undo zippers. He will bow for a treat but only if he feels like it. When he sees my mom or myself coming up to the gate of his field he whinnies like a little filly and runs up all hair pomp and bounce. Id post a link for a picture but I am not sure how, but they all look identical so google haflinger and you'll see what I mean when I say he's a rock star.

 

[fileen]

ok, well none of my haflinger pictures worked but I managed to get one of my Tb

 

[rootX]

Old dog is 14 now and showing some age. Blanca is her name and she was a service dog for my father -in -law for 4 years. When he passed away I decided to let her enjoy being a dog.

http://www.crunchyroll.com/media-217354/Quill-Movie-Part-1.html

I just finished watching a Japanese movie about a guidance dog - nothing special, just an ordinary guidance dog (They didn't free him up when his owner died but he neither served anyone else). It was very heartwarming!

 

[turbo]

ok, well none of my haflinger pictures worked but I managed to get one of my Tb

I love your "family photo", fileen.

 

[edward]

http://www.crunchyroll.com/media-217354/Quill-Movie-Part-1.html

I just finished watching a Japanese movie about a guidance dog - nothing special, just an ordinary guidance dog (They didn't free him up when his owner died but he neither served anyone else). It was very heartwarming!

There was a two part series on PBS titled "Dogs That Changed the World" Wolves went from being wild predators to being mans companions in just a short two hundred year period.

Here is part of the series:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/dogs-that-changed-the-world/introduction/1273/