# The official EN World puppy/doggo thread



## Morrus

Pics, vids, anecdotes of your dogs. Cat people stay out!

This is Hudson, our 12-week old puppy. Our golden retriever, and my best friend, Jango passed away from cancer earlier this year. This little boy has big shoes to fill!




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## Sacrosanct

Yay!  I approve of this thread 

This is Lucky.  Abandon in the jungles of Costa Rica at 2 months old.  Somehow managed to survive on his own for a month avoiding snakes, jaguars, and crocs before we rescued him and brought him home.









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## darjr




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## darjr

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## Len

Lor & Blaidd


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## BookBarbarian

My Freyja is big for a dog, but small for a Mastiff. As the runt of her litter she is pretty easily bullied by just about everyone. That helps make her the perfect dog for my 2 toddlers. They freely climb all over her and she doesn't bat an eye.

She's great as watchdog too as she feels the need to alert us whenever someone is approaching our door. As a side effect she also lets us know whenever the neighbors are doing any yard work, though that is a little less useful.


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## Mort

Pipi,  our 4 year old terrier-dachshund mix.

Before and after the groomer went a bit crazy (we said short, not THAT short!)


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## Dannyalcatraz

1 assorted Blue Merle border collie “hiding” (let’s call her “C. Merle”)





1 assorted red Merle border collie at the vet (let’s call her “J. Merle”)





This is J. Merle’s immediate predecessor, JBW, who was probably the smartest border collie we’ve ever had:





It took us a while to notice her “Punisher”/“Misfits” markings.


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## Ash Mantle

14/10 thread


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## Dannyalcatraz

Some of you may know I like to cook.  Here’s something simple I cook for my dogs:





That’s 6lbs of baked unseasoned 73/27 hamburger meat, sectioned into 1/2lb patties.  For dinner, each dog gets 1/16 to 1/8lb of beef mixed in with their dry kibble and veggies- peas, green beans, carrots or corn, occasionally a pea &amp; corn mix.  We bag up most of it for frozen storage.

Complicated?  Not really.  The beef and veggies are mixed together and microwaved before mixing with the kibble.  The smell attracts them like magic, then they make it all disappear.

Expensive? Also not so.  Even though the hamburger is usually more expensive than canned dog food, we’re giving them less of it.  We started doing this because they had gotten finicky about their wet food, often eating only a little bit of it.  So we were throwing a lot of it away.  Even when we gave them less, they still passed on most of it.  And even so, they were a little overweight.  (Not naming names, but someone else in the house* likes to give them people food snacks “by accident”.)

So between the smaller amount of meat they’re getting and the lower caloric intake, they’re looking pretty svelte.  Since they’re eating everything they get, there’s almost no wasted food unless a morsel makes a successful escape over the wall of their bowls.

And I don’t know if it’s related, but they haven’t needed a dental cleaning in years.  The vet says their teeth are cleaner than 99.9% of the dogs in the practice.


* Codename: “Mom”


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## Morrus

Dannyalcatraz said:


> 1 assorted Blue Merle border collie “hiding” (let’s call her “C. Merle”)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1 assorted red Merle border collie at the vet (let’s call her “J. Merle”)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is J. Merle’s immediate predecessor, JBW, who was probably the smartest border collie we’ve ever had:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It took us a while to notice her “Punisher”/“Misfits” markings.




We had a border collie before Jango. Adric was whip-smart. Hudson is half border collie, half retriever, but I’m seeing much more collie than retriever in him. Also super smart. Jango was the exact opposite of smart.


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## Zardnaar

Border Collies are known for being smart.
Not common as a pet here more farm dog.

  Not all make it as farm dogs though and they become pets.

They taught one to read in Hungary iirc. It knew and could spell around 300 words.


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## lowkey13

*Deleted by user*


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## Ralif Redhammer

Now this is a quality thread! 

Here's Eve, whom we rescued from a shelter 12 years ago. This photo was from a few years ago, so there's more grey on her snoot these days.





More recent couch-dogging:


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## Dannyalcatraz

We didn’t count, but we know JBW had a huge vocabulary of spoken and spelled words.  But what made her brains obvious was how she would figure things out for herself.

For instance, when we got J. Merle as a puppy, JBW stopped playing fetch.  Instead, she’d catch the toy, wait for J. Merle to come over and “take” it from her and bring it back to the thrower.  IOW, she delegated half of the game.

JBW was also the one who used to throw balls down stairs (pre-J. Merle). Dad decided she needed more exercise than she was getting, so while he was doing laundry, he’d throw a ball up the stairs.  JBW would run up and then bring it down, occasionally running back up in anticipation.  But on day, the ball came back solo.  Dad figured it had just gotten knocked down by accident, so threw it back.  JBW caught it, moved to the edge of the top of the stairs, and flipped it forward.  As it bounced down, she took up her position for th next throw.  

Dad, believing himself smarter than a border collie, subbed a rope bones for balls in stairplay.  Initially, JBW was frustrated that the ropes did not roll, so she had to keep following them down as they only went a few stairs when flipped.  But eventually, JBW figured out how to flip a rope down stairs, end-over-end, slinky style.

JBW showed J. Merle the basics, and she and C. Merle have both continued the tradition of throwing balls down the stairs, but neither has figured out the slinky rope toss.


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## darjr




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## Dannyalcatraz

Not that the others are stupid, of course.  J. Merle has notably figured out which shoes I wear for working in the yard and which shoes I wear while taking dogs on walks, and reacts accordingly.

Meanwhile, C. Merle has proven to be a music fan.  Not only does she like to watch _certain _music channels when we put them on, but certain songs when hummed or whistled get amazingly joyful responses.  Right now, the “magic” songs are “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “Mars, Bringer of War”, “Ride of the Valkyries”, and the themes to “The Pink Panther”, “James Bond” and “Gilligan’s Island”.

And we had another TV watching dog, JBW’s predecessor KBW.  At the scheduled time, she always got in the oversized recliner in the den and waited for someone to turn the TV to Oprah’s show.  If no Oprah were forthcoming, she’d either mope _at you_ or leave.


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## Morrus

Zardnaar said:


> Border Collies are known for being smart.




Yes. Us border collie owners are well aware of this.


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## Sacrosanct

In case you weren't aware, Lucky (the puppy) is a great wingman if you're single.  I mean, just look at him .  He's almost 2 now, but still around 25 lbs so he's still pretty much the same size.  DNA tests came back 99.9% central american village dog.  Makes sense.  But I didn't know that was an actual breed.  Though it was just a mutt.


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## BookBarbarian

Sacrosanct said:


> In case you weren't aware, Lucky (the puppy) is a great wingman if you're single.  I mean, just look at him .  He's almost 2 now, but still around 25 lbs so he's still pretty much the same size.  DNA tests came back 99.9% central american village dog.  Makes sense.  But I didn't know that was an actual breed.  Though it was just a mutt.




Sometimes mutts do get a designation title (not exactly breed) like the domestic short hair cat.

Handsome boy you got there.


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## Sacrosanct

BookBarbarian said:


> Sometimes mutts do get a designation title (not exactly breed) like the domestic short hair cat.
> 
> Handsome boy you got there.




In his case, apparently central american village dogs actually pre-date most dog breeds.  I.e., his breed was used with other breeds to from modern breeds.  Which is a very good thing, because he came back at risk for 0 of the 162 screen at risk health issues, and is not at risk at many things other dog breeds are (like hip problems, breathing problems, etc)


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## BookBarbarian

Sacrosanct said:


> In his case, apparently central american village dogs actually pre-date most dog breeds.  I.e., his breed was used with other breeds to from modern breeds.  Which is a very good thing, because he came back at risk for 0 of the 162 screen at risk health issues, and is not at risk at many things other dog breeds are (like hip problems, breathing problems, etc)




That's fantastic!

Selective breeding sure has a lot of drawbacks.


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## Umbran

Sacrosanct said:


> In his case, apparently central american village dogs actually pre-date most dog breeds.  I.e., his breed was used with other breeds to from modern breeds.




Not quite.

"Village dogs" exist in Asia and Africa as well.  These aren't just mixed-breeds from lost or escaped domestic dogs, but a sort of breed of their own, with some domestic admixture, but mostly a sort of half-step between the local canine (generally wolf) populations in their areas and modern domestic dogs.  The various village dog breeds are roughly as distinct as the various wolf populations are.

To say that the Central American variety of these village dogs was used with other breeds to form modern breeds is likely inaccurate.  Most of the modern domestic breeds we see today have origins in Europe and Asia, not interbred with Central or South American animals, whose breeds likely diverged from the Asian and African roots back around the time of human migration to the Americas, 10K+ years ago.


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## darjr

I thought my kids were leaving the fridge door open at night. Then one night I heard it and turned around to ask whoever to close it when they were done. The border collie stared back at me with food in his mouth.


And he didn’t close the dang door!


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## Zardnaar

We don't have the right yard for dig but want one. 

 The plan is to get a mutt from the SPCA.


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## Dannyalcatraz

War Pugs gathered in their masses!
Just like witches at Black Masses
Furry minds that plot distraction,
Sorcerer of “awwww” construction
In the fields the bodies burning,
As the pug machine keeps turning
Memes and cuteness to mankind,
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh Lord yeah


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## Dannyalcatraz

Kratu!  Barada!  Nikto!


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## Dannyalcatraz

Here’s a young C. Merle needing her paws cleaned of mud...but having a different plan in mind:




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## Dannyalcatraz

J. Merle, our older dog, has been doing what we call “The Sofa Dance” almost nightly on one or both of our sofas (and occasionally, the futon) for almost her whole life.  She’s a tad camera shy, but I have managed to catch it on occasion.

Here’s one instance (I wish to point out that there are no goodies hidden in the cushions.):




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And another:




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## Morrus

For people not familiar with puppy zoomies... imagine this for an hour every evening, no pause. They grow out of it eventually. Eventually.




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## BookBarbarian

Morrus said:


> For people not familiar with puppy zoomies... imagine this for an hour every evening, no pause. They grow out of it eventually. Eventually.




3 years on an my Mastiff will still do this from time to time. Its fun to watch in the yard while sitting and having a drink. Less so in the crowded house.


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## Dannyalcatraz

C. Merle does that in our yard, running from the alley on the north side to the one on the south, with occasional stops at the western gate.  It usually happens because kids are coming home from school or people are walking _their_ dogs, but sometimes, we can find no obvious evidence of a reason.

Usually, J. Merle just watches the show.

Dog gotta run when a dog gotta run.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Here’s a young C. Merle needing her paws cleaned of mud...but having a different plan in mind:
> View attachment 113758



A note on this: she hasn’t changed this behavior in 6 years.

In fact, when she gets muddy- occasionally deliberately, I think- instead of going to the door, she goes PAST the door to sit in front of the hose, _waiting_.


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## Dannyalcatraz

A friend of ours gave us a Holee Roller dog toy when we brought C. Merle home as a puppy.  While we have some small ones for indoor play, the soccer ball sized ones have gone on to become our grrrrrrls’ favorite outdoor toy.

Wooves and their natural prey...









We have since gone on to pay it forward by giving a different friend a Holee Roller for his standard poodle pup. Here’s a vid he took after Steve had been playing with it for 20 minutes already:




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## doctorbadwolf

Frederick “Fred” Reginald Perceval Charles [redacted][redacted] III, is our very excellent boy. 
He joined our house after our friend found him hiding from the sun in his side yard, as a 4 month old puppy. As clean and healthy as he was, it was a bit of a surprise when we could not find any owner after a month of trying, so he became our doggo. 
I wasn’t a dog person before, but now I am. 
Fred is a great car ride dog, a “heckin zoomer” (seriously he is fast as hell for a short legged dog), and a smart little bugger. 

Other than part corgis, we’ve no idea what he is, though.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Part corgi, all cute!

He could be part beagle.  Our former neighbor used to have a blonde beagle who was a real “poochdini”.  He’d run all over the neighborhood...in the opposite direction of his owners’ calls.

Not out of fear- he wanted to be chased,


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## Dannyalcatraz

Somebody _LOVES_ her ring toys...


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## Morrus

Hudson is trying to supervise digging operations.





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## Dannyalcatraz

“Hole”-arious!


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## Dannyalcatraz

My personal favorite picture of C. Merle, with “snowman”, a toy she treated like a woobie.  She’s @1y.o. there, and that squeaky snowman has long since been destroyed.p in a tug-o-war with J. Merle.

But there has been a steady stream of replacements of similar style, all of which she treats like the first.


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## Dannyalcatraz

And this is a nice picture of JBW & J. Merle (as a young’un) stalking a soccer ball, soon to be kicked.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Did groomies tonight.  I currently have as much fur on me as they do.

J. Merle _lurves_ being brushed.  By the end of the process, there’s this melted canine draped over my legs, and at least one of my knees will be drool-covered.

C. Merle is more ambivalent.  She has to take periodic breaks for short games of catch.  But at job’s end, she is often sitting up & leaning on my leg, usually waving a paw in search of a shake.  Tonight, she added a nibble & lick to my left ear.


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## Ralif Redhammer

Baked a salmon yesterday and the gate had to go up. We did share a little with her when we were done eating. We're not cruel; I mean, look at that face!


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## Dannyalcatraz

So cute!  What is she?


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## Ralif Redhammer

Eve is a 14-year old Akita/Shepherd mix we got from the shelter 12 years ago. She's in pretty good shape for her age - just a little arthritis, and we suspect deafness (it's honestly hard to tell what with the stubbornness).



Dannyalcatraz said:


> So cute!  What is she?


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## Retreater

Here is Murphy. He's a 3 year-old boxer. He enjoys going to hockey games, squeaky toys, and yard zoomies.


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## Retreater

This sweet, old gal is Kay-Kay. Last November, we adopted this senior from a shelter, where she was in danger of being euthanized. She wants to get as close to you as she can (even if it means crawling behind you). She snores loudly and never stops licking your face.


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## Dannyalcatraz

In our house, C. Merle would be sitting on you instead.  

I don’t mean lying across you like normal dogs.  I mean, trying to plant her butt on your lap or shoulder.

Yes, like a 45lb furry parrot.


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## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Yes, like a 45lb furry parrot.




Now, imagine it is a mastiff that weighs more than the veterinarian trying to treat it.


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## Dannyalcatraz

I don’ wanna!


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## drl2

Sadie is our Border Collie / Blue Heeler mix, seen here amidst a pile of things that go squeak.


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## Zardnaar

Need an awwwww emoticon.


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## Dannyalcatraz

A few years ago, I was helping Mom with some accounting issues with Dad’s business in our home office.  I was lying in the floor, using a laptop because there was paperwork all over the desk.

We finally resolved the issues @1:30AM, and were in the process of tidying up.  I had just handed Mom the laptop, and rolled over on my back when C. Merle, a.k.a. “Helper”, a.k.a. the “Junior Junior accounting assistant”* came through and took a seat.  Mom thought it photo worthy.























* J. Merle is the “Senior Junior Accounting Assistant”.


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## Morrus

Nothing like having a dog on your head.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Does keep you warm, no question.


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## Dannyalcatraz

My favorite picture of J. Merle.  She’s a bit camera shy, so getting a good picture of her can be a challenge.  In fact, in this picture, she saw me raise my iPhone and started trotting towards the door to the house to hide inside.


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## Dannyalcatraz

My dogs reminded me of an important hobby: entertaining _them_.






(Actually, that’s the night I was cleaning out their plunder bucket, but they insisted on helping...)


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## the Jester

This is our pack, cat included.  

The pug is Foo, who I delivered almost 17 years ago. The pug in my profile pic isn't him; that's Maggie, who is long gone, but who was the dog who made me fall in love with pugs. They're amazing dogs, despite the many, many issues they have. Foo's dad, Buddha, lived to the unbelievable age of *26!!* When I took in Buddha and Ruby (Foo's momma), it was from a friend who couldn't keep them anymore, and Ruby was pregnant. The previous owner found new homes for the other pups, but I kept Foo. 

The white dog in the middle is Rocky, also known as Rockstar. He is a rat terrier and is a silly grumpstar. He loves to grr at people, but it's his game. He's not actually aggressive at all, and he loves both dogs and humans.

The other dog is our newest, Angel. She's a pug/terrier/chihuahua mix. She's super sweet, but loves to bark more than we love to hear her bark. She's our only female at the moment. She's a rescue taken from a puppy mill. 

The cat is Spock. He was a feral kitten rescued from the park by a friend, who asked if we would take him in. We did, and he's grown into a fine ratter. The other day I really made him upset by stealing a woodpecker he'd caught (!) from him and releasing it. Since Angel raised him, he kind of thinks he's a dog. He is Foo's best friend and loves to mess with him when we're all in bed.


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## Zardnaar

Wrong yard for dogs we signed up for $250 yearly donations for the SPCA where we got our moggies from.

 Also rescued stray dog and donated to Dog Rescue another local charity. Dog was so friendly dog control took her without a leash. 

American but extra awww.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Judging from the bandages, cough drop wrappers and the top seal from my newly opened deodorant found on the floor the past 2 days, it seems as if C. Merle has figured out how to open the step-lid trash can in my bathroom.

So far, she’s not sick, but we’re keeping an eye on her.  I may have to get a taller can, too.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Baghdadi: Trump tweet inspires 'declassified' dog pictures
					

The tweet of a dog that helped "capture and kill" the Islamic State group's leader is inspiring dog owners to share pictures.



					www.bbc.com


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## Dannyalcatraz

‘Tis the season!


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## Dannyalcatraz

A few weeks ago, I bought a taller step-lid trashcan for my bathroom because C. Merle had been browsing in the little one that had been in there.  Up until yesterday, I thought I had won the war, because she hadn’t gotten anything out of there since.

Seems it was only a lull...

I found she had retrieved the packaging from a toothbrush, the last thing placed in the can.  I’m thinking that it was the only thing she grabbed because it was the only thing she could reach.  Still, +1pt, Border Collie, for those keeping score.


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## Morrus

When Hudson met Santa.


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## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Still, +1pt, Border Collie, for those keeping score.




You _will not_ out-think a border collie.  You may find a way to beat them by using your thumbs, but that's about the best you can do.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Umbran said:


> You _will not_ out-think a border collie.  You may find a way to beat them by using your thumbs, but that's about the best you can do.



Like any inmate, they have nothing but *all the time in the world* to contemplate their problems to come up with solutions,


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## Morrus

Hudson was supposed to be a collie/retriever. He’s not. He’s a border collie. And a genius.

He has figured out how door handles work. At first he could only push them open, but now he’s figured out how to pull doors open. We literally have to lock doors around the house now. I expect to see him with a lockpick and time now.


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## Dannyalcatraz

One of our previous BCs figured out doors...but because we had knobs not levers, she never got enough of a grip on one to open it.

She had even figured out that you needed to turn the key in the front door, but again, couldn’t quite get the necessary grip to turn it.

The rest?  All figured out pushing and pulling doors that weren’t fully closed.  Handy when they’re chasing an errant toy or ice cube.  Not so good if someone runs in the bathroom and merely pulls the door _mostly _closed.  (Mom is the most commonly caught...)


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## Dannyalcatraz

J. Merle got out of the yard tonight. We hadn’t realized when we let her into the yard that we had left the car gate wide open.  

Fortunately, she’s been on enough walks that she knows her neighborhood, so when Dad & I went out into the winter night with flashlights, we found her quickly enough. Wherever she had roamed, she was standing on our front porch.


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## Beleriphon

Morrus said:


> Hudson was supposed to be a collie/retriever. He’s not. He’s a border collie. And a genius.
> 
> He has figured out how door handles work. At first he could only push them open, but now he’s figured out how to pull doors open. We literally have to lock doors around the house now. I expect to see him with a lockpick and time now.




That's your problem. Handles.

Need to use knobs, but I know they aren't in fashion and anybody with limited motor control or grip can't use them.

Next solution: no more doors. Problem solved, the dog can't open door if they don't exist.


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## Dannyalcatraz




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## Morrus




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## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Spoiler




Overall, an agility show is cool.  Not so hot on the attack aspect there.


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## Beleriphon

Umbran said:


> Overall, an agility show is cool.  Not so hot on the attack aspect there.




If its actual police/K9 units it make sense. That is part of what they are trained to do.


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## Umbran

Beleriphon said:


> If its actual police/K9 units it make sense. That is part of what they are trained to do.




A couple of the dogs in that trailer did not look large enough to be police dogs.

And, if it is all police dogs, well, I am not as enthusiastic.


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## Dannyalcatraz

I think it’s a mix of police dogs and “civilian” canines.  Not sure if the attack bits are exhibitions or if it’s a split competition or what,


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## Beleriphon

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I think it’s a mix of police dogs and “civilian” canines.  Not sure if the attack bits are exhibitions or if it’s a split competition or what,




I'm guessing a split competition. One of the segments in the preview looks like a search and rescue and another look like searching a warehouse by scent. Dogs that aren't trained as trackers can do it, but not anywhere near as well as a trained tracker.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Looking more like it’s all law enforcement dogs of some kind.  Just saw a promo in which they discussed a 14” tall shorty bulldog who was competing after being paralyzed by a tick bite.

And I have seen any in the promos, but I know they use some smaller dogs- like beagles- for contraband detection and search & rescue.  And those fellas DO get agility training.


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## Beleriphon

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Looking more like it’s all law enforcement dogs of some kind.  Just saw a promo in which they discussed a 14” tall shorty bulldog who was competing after being paralyzed by a tick bite.
> 
> And I have seen any in the promos, but I know they use some smaller dogs- like beagles- for contraband detection and search & rescue.  And those fellas DO get agility training.




I was thinking as well it could be something akin to schutzhund.


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## Dannyalcatraz

LIVE NUDE DOGS!!!

(Today was the first showers of 2020.  Pix taken after partial blow dry- courtesy of Dyson Hot + Cool- but before they got their collars back on.)


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## Dannyalcatraz

Many years ago, we had a border collie so smart, she figured out how to throw things down stairs so she could play catch/fetch without moving too far.  She could even do that with rope bones, sending them down end over end like a slinky.

Tonight, C. Merle came up with her own version of throwing things down for entertainment purposes.

I was sitting on the floor in the master suite, back against the bed, folding the family laundry, when Dad brought the dogs in from a romp in the yard,  C. Merle, squeaky snowman toy in jaws, jumped on the bed to chill.  She settled in right behind me.  Then she bopped me on the head with a paw, following that with dropping the snowman over my shoulder into my lap.  I flipped it back over my head, and I could tell she caught it.

She then smacked me in the cheek with the wet end and again, released it over my shoulder into my lap.  I threw it again.  She plopped it back on me from above and behind, sometimes with a paw whack to my head or shoulders, sometimes without.  Once with an ear slurp.

In fact, this game entertained her for a good ten minutes or so, significantly slowing my towel folding, only ending the game when Dad called the dogs to dinner.

Not to be out-cuted, later tonight, J. Merle decided to rear up for some serious hugging after I had MY dinner.  She hasn’t done that in months,


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## Morrus

Cone and protective vest, waiting for the vet (again!) The vest is to stop him scratching where he had the snip; the cone is to stop him chewing it...


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## Dannyalcatraz

Morrus said:


> Cone and protective vest, waiting for the vet (again!) The vest is to stop him scratching where he had the snip; the cone is to stop him chewing it...
> 
> View attachment 117770



I always think of Elizabethan collars when I see those cones...


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## Beleriphon

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I always think of Elizabethan collars when I see those cones...




You can get ones that basically look like them. Oddly, the actually name of them is Elizabethan collar.


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## Morrus

Thanks, Hudson.


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## Len

His way of saying "Stop watching TV and play more D&D!"


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## Maggan

My faithful friend Tintin on the train to the north of Sweden. A fifteen hour trip, no accidents. Got off the train for a while halfway, only thing she wanted to do was play with her ball.


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## Dannyalcatraz

Morrus said:


> Thanks, Hudson.
> 
> View attachment 118081



Our younger dog has done likewise at least once, though she vastly prefers cardboard & paper products.

Contrast with our older dog, who in her puppy days chewed up one corner of my parents’ bedroom tv stand.


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## Henry

This is one of my dogs, Ginger. If the dress didn’t give it away, she’s spoiled AF.


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## Henry

Morrus said:


> Thanks, Hudson.




_Hey, Dad left these neat black plastic chew toys for me! He’s so thoughtful..._


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## Dannyalcatraz

My Barber was telling me the other day that his bulldog destroyed all the plastic parts of his handgun.

(Thankfully, the Gun wasn’t loaded at the time...)


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## Morrus

Hudson on his throne!


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## Morrus

Is it love?


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## Umbran

Morrus said:


> Is it love?




Either that, or someone is about to get smacked on the snoot!


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## RangerWickett

I have no dogs, but an artist friend of mine has apparently had some great success lately because of her 'Puppettes,' which I think are supposed to be sort of like the Rockettes but with anthropomorphic dogs.


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## Dannyalcatraz

The old dog invented a new game tonight; don’t know what to call it.

She started by standing on or near one toy about 7’ from me, and when I told her to bring it, she’d just start barking and wagging until she’d swat it or pick it up.  But she wouldn’t bring it more than a couple inches in my direction.  Then she’d bark some more.

Inevitably, as the barking continued, I’d call ger over to calm her.  She would come when called, quietly smiling & wagging...sans toy.  As soon as she’d get to me, I’d give her a quick ear scratch and send her after another (identical) toy on the other side of the room.

She’d gleefully trot over, stand on or near the toy, and begin barking at me again.

This pattern continued for @15 minutes, with the dog tracking a V back and forth between the toys and my position, always smiling & wagging...never bringing me a toy.

Eventually, she picked up the first one and laid down about 3’ from me, facing the other way, to nibble upon & cuddle with her toy.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Just found this hilarious gallery:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

In a way, I exist because of a dog.  My Mom’s very Lassie-like collie, Darren, to be precise.

In their teens, my parents lived 1 house and 1 street apart, so they knew each other _tangentially _from around the neighborhood.  Dad’s little sister went to check my Mom out to see if she and Dad should actually meet.  They did, and the rest is history.

Darren’s part?  He LOVED Dad.  Every time Dad walked by or my folks’ paths crossed in the streets, Darren raised a joyous ruckus, a unique vocalization.  He was part matchmaker, part proximity alert, part chaperone.  No other guy my Mom dated got Darren’s seal of approval.

Smart dog, _excellent_ taste.

FWIW, Dad’s _still_ got that “animal magnetism”.  Mom has had 1-3 border collies as pets since she became aware of them in 1986, and Dad’s been the #1 family member for all of them.  Yeah, he feeds them most often, but I get that duty as well.  And I’m the primary dog walker and fun time person.

But Dad remains first in their hearts.


----------



## Maggan

Dannyalcatraz said:


> In a way, I exist because of a dog.




Such a sweet story!

/M


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Tonight, C. Merle walked past my open bedroom door into the bathroom, said entry soon followed by clanging noises.

She came out soon after, sitting by my door and staring at me as she worked her jaw and tongue for a few moments before wandering off.  I checked- yes, she had been in the trash can again. 

Skilled AND brazen!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

A rarity: Border Collies at rest


----------



## Mercurius

https://media3.giphy.com/media/xBAreNGk5DapO/200.gif
		


/thread


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

You bring strife, I bring OCD _lurve_,


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Many can relate:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Kratu‘s farewell perfomance as good as his first!


----------



## Maggan

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Kratu‘s farewell perfomance as good as his first!




I really love those Cruft's videos. The commentators are hilarious!

Also, this was amazing:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Beleriphon

That reminds me of my great aunt's chihuahua. He would bounce up over the fields to see where he was. He'd also bark at a neighbour's German shepherd... until he got too close and got chomped. After he got better the chihuahua still barked at the shepherd, but from much farther away.


----------



## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Many can relate:




You can see the moment when the dog steps forward, and the woman's hand move _just a bit_ to the Furminator, and the dog is like... "I saw that."

The furminator is one of _the best_ de-shedding tools out there.  But it may not be the most comfortable for the animal.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Our border collies actually love their showers and brushing/combing...with reservations.

Our younger one gets nippy sometimes when too much time is spent near the tail & nether regions.  This is because Mom had a very bad habit of trying to comb her knots & mats out instead of clipping them off, and those in THAT region were both more plentiful and problematic.  That meant more painful.

(Their vet was appalled.)

I’ve largely taken over the grooming duties because of that, but every once in a while, C. Merle flashes back on Mom’s practices and I have to pin her head down.  Usually, she calms down pretty quickly and I can do a quick snip as needed.  

Other days?  Well...sometimes, I only get a couple of knots off of her before it’s just time to quit,


----------



## Umbran

Maggan said:


> I really love those Cruft's videos. The commentators are hilarious!
> 
> Also, this was amazing:




And here we have a dog you'd not expect...


----------



## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Usually, she calms down pretty quickly and I can do a quick snip as needed.




Snip?  

You're not using scissors to clear tangles or mats from fur, are you?  Please... don't?  

Everyone thinks they're awesome at it, and they are... until they aren't that one time and then the animal _will_ need stitches, because their skin is really pretty fragile.

Get yourself some pet clippers.  They're like a beard trimmer, and much, much less likely to cut skin.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

I don’t trim down to the skin.  Ever.


----------



## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I don’t trim down to the skin.  Ever.




In the end, it is your pet, and you may deal with it as you wish.

But, do you think that the owners of every pet who comes in needing stitches don't say that same thing?


----------



## Sacrosanct

Your browser is not able to display this video.



Much like my own children, I sure do miss them when they were little lol.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Umbran said:


> In the end, it is your pet, and you may deal with it as you wish.
> 
> But, do you think that the owners of every pet who comes in needing stitches don't say that same thing?



I’m sure it’s a common statement.


----------



## Maggan

Umbran said:


> And here we have a dog you'd not expect...




Wow! Dem' teeth! And a superb performance.

We're thinking of having our Tintin try agility this summer. She needs to find outlets for her energy, and this seems like a fun way of doing thing.

/M


----------



## Maggan

Umbran said:


> But, do you think that the owners of every pet who comes in needing stitches don't say that same thing?




Urgh, first time I trimmed Tintin's fur I cut her with scissors. Blood ran and I called the vet, crying on the phone, feeling like the worst person in the world. 

It was a clean cut, so I washed it properly until it just healed, which was surprisingly quick. Still feel the fear when I need to trim her fur.

/M


----------



## drl2

We tried trimming my dog with a set of those electric clippers, but the sound freaked her out and had her lunging at the clippers trying to run off with them.  So... careful scissors-trimming it is.  She's pretty calm about it and we haven't had any problems.  Usually we can cut the outer edge of a clump far from her skin and tease it loose from there.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

The historical problem I personally have with grooming is the nails.  Between the abundance of fur & the opacity of (some of) their nails obscuring what I can see plus some dogs’ tendencies to squirm or yank while getting their paws done, I’m almost to the point of having it done by pros 100% of the time.  I cut too closely on our younger one last December.  Blood everywhere for a bit befoe I could get it stopped.

We have a grinder, and one dog who loved it so much, she’d close her eyes, roll belly up and hold her paws in the air.  Just as you’d finish up the task, she‘d present a paw for you to start over.  The others since then?  They‘re not fans at all.  Like Maggan’s dog, that buzz gets them nervous.


----------



## Beleriphon

I envy you nice dog people that have critters that let them get close with scissors or clippers. I have cats, the hum sounds like an angry cat and my beasts lash out something viscous.

That said, my wife and I have been considering getting a poodle (or two....). So clippers, well larger ones, will likely be needed. My wife wants to have a poodle with a show cut at least once. I think what cemented it was our vet has a client with two poodles that adore people, and they decided my wife and I, along with one of our cats, would be their new best friends and promptly abandoned their owners once they spotted us. They immediately came over and plopped their heads in our laps. This is the first time we'd ever met the dogs.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

My Maine Coons were amazingly knot free.  Regular brushing and combing sufficed for most of their grooming needs.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

I can barely see as I post this.

We are currently facing the real possibility that we may lose our younger dog to an as-yet undiagnosed ailment.  We should know in the next 24hrs.  She’s at the pet hospital our regular vet uses for his dogs, so I know she's in good hands.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Update: she’s better, but not out of the woods.  They STILL don’t know what’s attacking her, but they knocked a couple more of the worst off the list.  We’re cautiously optimistic.


----------



## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Update: she’s better, but not out of the woods.  They STILL don’t know what’s attacking her, but they knocked a couple more of the worst off the list.  We’re cautiously optimistic.




Oh, geeze.  Fingers crossed. 

My one piece of advice - in the midst of the emotional turmoil of your pet being in danger, it can be easy to walk out of the doctor's office not really understanding what is going on, and that can make it hard to make decisions.  So, make the vet explain until you understand.  Any one worth their salt will not mind.

And, if you need someone who understands vet care to talk to, you know where to reach me.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Unfortunately/fortunately, because I grew up/live in a medical household, a lot of the lingo is familiar.  Almost anything I don’t get, Dad (MD) can explain.

I understand why the vets- much like their MD counterparts- try to soft-pedal bad news.  But because I know just enough, I do tend to jump ahead to the more common demons when they mention certain symptoms.

But like I said, C. Merle is being quite the mystery, because they’ve all but eliminated the worst of the worst.  So all my jumps to conclusions have been wasted worrying so far.  The last update, the possibility was floated that she’s going to be on immunosuppressive meds the rest of her life if she pulls through.

Thanks for the offer of your wife’s services, though.  I might still ask for insight if I have questions about her long term quality of life.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Update: she’s probably coming home tonight!  Her temp is normal, and she’s been eating again.  She removed her own pain drip, so clearly Herself is pretty much feeling Herself again.

Diagnosis: she has an autoimmune disease




__





						ITP in Dogs
					

Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia (ITP) in DogsBy Professor Michael Herrtage, James Warland, Andrew Kent & Julien BazelleThe Queen's Veterinary School Hospital, University of CambridgeThrombocytes, or platelets, are the body's first defence against bleeding. They are tiny fragments of cells in...




					www.itpsupport.org.uk
				




They‘re giving her an injection of a particular chemotherapy drug to kickstart her platelet factory back into gear, and it looks like she’s going to be on oral steroids, as I understood, for life.  Vet said of all the autoimmune diseases a dog could get, this is the one to get.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Not all the tests are back...BUT MY DOG IS!!!

She seems to be _almost _back to normal.  Still a little weak.  Still a little tentative.

Even though she’s been on anti-tick meds, a tick bite remains one of the main suspects as what could have triggered her immune system going haywire.  If that’s what the tests indicate, we’ll have to get an exterminator out to treat the yard...AND advise our neighbors- most of whom have dogs, kids or both- to do likewise.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

My tough little sweetie:


----------



## FitzTheRuke

This is Sophie. She's 8. Sweetest girl I've ever known.


----------



## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Not all the tests are back...BUT MY DOG IS!!!




That is excellent.  

And ticks suck.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

By definition.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

The prednisone seems to have caused a little incontinence.  She’s peeing almost as fast as she’s drinking.  Hope she won’t be on this high a dose for too long.


----------



## Umbran

Dannyalcatraz said:


> The prednisone seems to have caused a little incontinence.  She’s peeing almost as fast as she’s drinking.  Hope she won’t be on this high a dose for too long.




My understanding is that for ITP they start with a high dose to get the immune system under control, and can usually use a lower dose for maintenance.  Hopefully, that'll work for your pooch.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Yeah.  We had a previous dog who needed a high dose of prednisone for a while, and went through the same thing.  

She’s soooo embarrassed.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

A little levity:





						Homepage
					






					trendingvideoss.com


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Update: had a followup with her regular vet today.  Her platelet count is still low, but trending in the right direction.  She’s going to be on prednisone for at least one more week.

Thankfully, they’re giving here a little spa day to clean her up a bit.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Tonight, she beat her older compadre to the bottom of her dinner bowl.  Considering that she only nibbled on last night’s dinner, I’m truly encouraged.

In addition, I went shopping for food for her special diet tonight.  Until she’s cleared by the vet, she can only have low fat meats with plain white rice.  They had been feeding her boiled chicken breas at the pet hospital, but we didn’t have chicken.  And the low fat canned dog food the gave us asa stopgap was- until tonight- being greeted with great disinterest.

Despite the meat department being pretty well stocked, there were NO unseasoned chicken breasts to be had, just thighs and wings.

But 30’ away from the chicken was a freaking *pyramid* of turkeys. For 65¢/lb.  it’s not chicken, but  it’s close enough, right?  Bought one and steamed it with my usual technique, but unseasoned.  Tonight, I’ll take all the meat off the bone and make my grrrls tails wag for the forseeable future.

Here’s what it looked like, hot from the oven.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Somewhere, 250k sheep are wandering aimlessly...


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Probably the last health update on C. Merle: the last tests came back.  The good news is that it ISN’T a tick bite causing her problems.  The bad news is they still don’t know exactly what happened to her.  That all said, she’s mostly back to normal.


----------



## Olgar Shiverstone

I miss my puppies.


----------



## Sacrosanct

Lucky helping till the garden.  With all of the restrictions due to the pandemic, having a good garden this year will be more important than ever.  Don’t underestimate how fast he can dig a hole


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

More levity:


----------



## Maggan

Tintin got her fur trimmed. Turns out she's got eyes!

Before:




After:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Yesterday, I did a little dog brushing, with the occasional snip of matted fur.  Both grrrls were trying to do their best impressions of the clock in Salvador Dali’s “Persistence of Memory”.

While a blissfully relaxed dog is a good thing, in grooming (these two, at least), it’s a mixed blessing.  It’s all well and good the dog is lying across your leg going _snork snork snork_, but when you need to change positions, they get fussy.  Sometimes nippy.

“No Hooman!  Not stop!  I bite!  I...Ohhhhh..._other side!_


----------



## Morrus

Mini agility course in the kitchen to help pass time with the pandemic!





Your browser is not able to display this video.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## megamania

Chrissy as a puppy and all grown-up


----------



## megamania

and Larry- my daughter's dog and Chrissy's besttie


----------



## Morrus

Hudson says Happy Easter!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Our grrrls had a good one, an hope y’all fur families did as well!


----------



## Maggan

Lots of outdoor activities and napping.


----------



## megamania

All dogs think they are people.  Must use pillows.    Some like their blankets.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

megamania said:


> All dogs think they are people.  Must use pillows.    Some like their blankets.



One of ours thinks people are chairs.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

...and our younger dog who had been deathly ill but almost completely recovered went into our guest’s room and found her stash of Dove dark chocolate covered almonds.  Ate most of the bag, wrappers and all.

We’re watching her, but so far, all she is is utterly unrepentant.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

My grrrrls defending the yard against evil bicycle riders:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Because the younger one is still on a restricted diet, I did another unseasoned turkey for the grrrls tonight.  Since it hadn’t QUITE thawed this afternoon, it wasn’t cooked until well after they had din-din.

They were mostly pretty good about it, though, and didn’t start circling like sharks until I had almost completely deboned the bird.

So, rewarding their patience and civility before I put the meat in the fridge, I gave each one a nice bite-sized chunk of white meat...plus a bit of my fingertips, 

ility before I put the meat in the fridge, I gave each one a nice bite-sized chunk of white meat...plus a bit of my fingertips, 

Expressions afterwards were sorta like:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

* THAT DAMN DOG!*

The younger one went scavenging again.  Yesterday, she chewed up Mom’s check register- the second one this year.  Today, she shredded a paper towel out of my folks’ bedroom trash can.

And in the past 45min, she did likewise out of my (lidded) bathroom trash can...and then went into my room and destroyed a hidden box of chocolate truffles I bought back in February and had _no_ intention of sharing.*  I hadn’t even broken the seal on them.

I_ hope_ she’s fine...so I can kill her later.




* my favorite flavors, from a chocolatier in a different county


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

I mentioned my Mom’s dog Darren, helped her meet Dad.  He was a very smart, well-trained standard collie. (Still looking for pix.)

This is _MY_ first doggie, Ming. A sweetie, but he never really learned his name, and didn’t understand the difference between air and glass.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Mom & Darren, shortly after his plan to help her snag Dad was a success.


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Mom & Darren, shortly after his plan to help her snag Dad was a success.




Cunning. Don't trust anything with fur and a tail that goes woof or meow.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

I only knew him for a few years, but he definitely lived up to the whole “Lassie“ benchmarks.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

On the way home from the vet, SOMEONE decided to call shotgun for the first time ever.


...leaving someone else to hog the entire back seat.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

So Mom bought the grrrrls some gingerbread-man shaped squeaky toys made with a wool-like exterior. I gave them to the dogs during the first part of Jeopardy.

15 minutes later, both had been torn open, and the older one was tearing the stuffing out of hers like a kid ravaging a present on Christmas morning.  Stuffing was being tossed left and right.  I got on the floor when she was about halfway through, and showed her the squeaky she’d already removed.

_squeak squeak_

She looked at it, then looked at me as if to say, “Do I tell YOU how to have fun?” and resumed eviscerating the toy.

Her furry housemate gave me a similar look, then resumed to demurely dismantling hers like a guest at high tea who suspects something is amiss with her cucumber sandwiches.

They clearly had a blast, but we’re not buying THOSE toys again.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Also...


----------



## Zio_the_dark

I know cat must stay out but this one refused to leave! Janis and her "friend" Cerise


----------



## Jester David

Desdemona. The one on the right. (Obviously.)





My first "puppy".
I'd puppy-sat one before for a month by Dessie was my first real dog, that I had from puppy to old lady. (And only. Not likely to ever have another.)

Taken a year ago. I haven't seen her in four months, but I'm assuming little had changed.
She's been blind since early May 2019, after glaucoma claimed her other eye. We were worried she would adapt and would be sad and lost in the dark, but she adapted well enough and has been a relatively happy doggo since. Lots of love and always happy to lick her people.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

My folks just got a Mazda CX-9, and it’s simply too tall for our grrrrls to jump in and out of.  So we bought a ramp.  Last night, I started the process of ramp training our Border Collies.  We’re starting off with the ramp fully extended, but lying flat on the den carpet.

It’s going to take some time, especially since the older one wanted pretty much none of it and quickly wandered off.  But after a half hour or so, the younger one was chasing her wiggle giggle ball on it...and bringing the toy to me.

We did night #2 of ramp training.  Little dog is getting it- we took her from level ground to using it to get on and off the den sofa.

Big dog...is progressing slowly.  We got her to go 4-5 times down the length of the ramp, but only one way.  And after the last trip, she snuck off to hang out with Dad, never to return.

Perhaps seeing her younger compadre conquering the ramp will prompt her to ”dog up” and work with the ramp a bit more.  That is, after all, how we got our second Border Collie to take the lead over our third on bath night.


----------



## Zardnaar

This is Luna showing off her new swandri



 She works with my wife. Hasn't thawed out in the shade for 2 days.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Ramp training day #3:

Little dog is having fun going up and down the ramp after one of her stuffed squeakies, but she’s clearly not quite ready.  She jumped off the other end of the couch a couple times- working smarter, not harder, from her perspective- and did crowd the big dog off the ramp once in her enthusiasm.

To her credit, big dog did stick around for a while.  After some initial reluctance, we did get her to go up and down the ramp on a level surface several times.  But she balked at it when I elevated it to the sofa.  She’d only put 1-2 paws on it while reaching for her toy.  Then Dad left the room and she gave us the big adios.

Thankfully, we’re not in any real hurry. I haven’t gotten the weather tech liners for the Mazda yet, and we still have a small sedan we can use if we need to get either of them to the vet in the near future.


----------



## darjr




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Cooking for dogs night!  2 large edged baking sheets, 5lbs thinly sliced, unseasoned chicken breast each.


----------



## Zardnaar

NZ Police don't not carry guns. Photographic proof.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Still quite disarming, though!


----------



## wingsandsword

This is Vayda, she's a Morkie (half Maltese/half Yorkie).  She's an awesome little girl who is full of love and cuddles. She just turned 3 last month, but she's still a pup at heart.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Ramp training not going so well.

Our younger dog mostly gets it, but has also adopted a “work smarter“ type attitude, so often tries to figure out shortcuts and workarounds for using the ramp.

The older dog can be convinced to walk on the ramp when it’s on level ground, but seems to be simply terrified of it once I elevate it any. I’ve managed to force/assist her up once and down once, but that’s it.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

...and currently, both have left and are ignoring me (younger) or hiding (older).


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> ...and currently, both have left and are ignoring me (younger) or hiding (older).




 Might be part cat.


----------



## Zardnaar

Luna doing her thing in the office at my wife's work. 






 She "works" with one of the truck drivers. The office girls have their own thoughts.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Looks like a gender reveal stunt gone to the dogs!


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Looks like a gender reveal stunt gone to the dogs!




 One of the ladies 20th anniversary on Friday so they set up balloons. 

Luna has figured out she can pop the balloons. Luna enjoys popping balloons and got 3 of them.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Well, ramp training is still not going so well.  Big Dog probably won’t be coaxed up the ramp until Little Dog goes up it into the SUV.

However, in a surprise development, tonight was grooming night, and Big Dog was completely OK with me using a nail grinder on her.  Belly up, paws in the air, going _snork, snork, snork_, just like her predecessor.  Little Dog, OTOH, was having none of that, and never got within 7’of me while it was in operation.  Perhaps a few more grooming sessions like tonight, and SHE will follow Big Dog’s lead and let me use the grinder on _her_ nails.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

My grrrrls enjoying the coolest spot in the house.  They’re not dumb!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Not my dog:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

C. Merle had a busy day of barking at people & bunnies.  She enjoyed every minute of it.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Sometimes, things do not go according to plan.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Just saw this:


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Don’t take my picture!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Some playtime Pix with my Border Grrrls!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Also, someone doesn’t want to give the toy back...


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

The grrrls snoozing in the door of our home office.  NONE SHALL PASS...without paying the toll of many scritches...


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

...and so, while I’m giving the grrrls a shower tonight, the shower head holster in my folk’s shower chair just died.  That left the head to fall and pretend it was an uncontrolled fire hose... 

Fortunately, our older dog has seen a few things and didn’t freak out.

And when I had JUST started rinsing off the second dog, the hose connector broke halfway off at the join, transforming the shower into a water fountain.  And of course, this meant I could no longer apply water directly to soapy areas under her belly and chin.  Dad had to get me a Tupperware container to catch water so I could sluice it to the soapy parts.

And again, our younger dog stayed MOSTLY calm & collected through the unavoidable process.

They each got a rubdown and some solo time in front of the Dyson heater, so they’re looking pretty good.

I, OTOH, resemble a cruise partier who went overboard after 3 too many Mai Thais.


----------



## Zardnaar

They're adorable Danny. We had to make do with adopted kittehs. Don't really have a dog friendly property.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

It’s all good.  Pets are a beautiful thing.  I’ve had cats, gerbils and maintained a few freshwater tropical aquariums in my day.


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> It’s all good.  Pets are a beautiful thing.  I’ve had cats, gerbils and maintained a few freshwater tropical aquariums in my day.




 I suspect if we had the right property we would have a dog or to. 

 Probably just a mutt adopted from the animal shelter. 

 One followed wife home she had been wandering so we got dog control to to take her to a no kill shelter.

 Hopefully she found her humans again or a new home.


----------



## doctorbadwolf

My sleepy boy Fred loves a car ride. He is most calm when in the car.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Looks like puppers are returning to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Looks like puppers are returning to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!




 Lol just read that before with wife. Retrospective on presidential pets. I recognized Socks and I like B/W Cats.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

On a certain level, pets of some kind are almost a necessary accessory in Western political leadership.  Leaders who can’t interact with animals in some “wholesome“ way will often come across as less empathetic.  Less relatable.


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> On a certain level, pets of some kind are almost a necessary accessory in Western political leadership.  Leaders who can’t interact with animals in some “wholesome“ way will often come across as less empathetic.  Less relatable.




 Yep. Worked in a warehouse once. The pet food aisle was a lot bigger than the baby food section. Baby food was just a section, pet food whole aisle. 

 Found article. 








						Champ, Major and other White House pets
					

President Joe Biden's dogs have arrived at the White House, restarting the tradition of pets there.



					www.bbc.com


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

This is what our willful older BC looks like, chillin’ in the cannas at 3AM.  I had to go in after her...


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> This is what our willful older BC looks like, chillin’ in the cannas at 3AM.  I had to go in after her...




 Roleplaying Cat d20 the RPG?


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Zardnaar said:


> Roleplaying Cat d20 the RPG?



Could be- she was a climber in her younger days.  Really liked standing and lounging on the backs of our sofas.


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Could be- she was a climber in her younger days.  Really liked standing and lounging on the backs of our sofas.




 Crossbreed BC? Working farm dogs here tend to look a bit different.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Nope, purebred from one of the more reputable breeders here.  Got her younger buddy from them as well.  (Alas, no longer operating.)

She divided her puppies into 3 classes: working dogs, show dogs, and pets.  Ours were “pets” and they’ve lived up to that label every day of their lives. 

One of the puppies we almost got the second time is working cattle in Wisconsin.


----------



## Zardnaar

Office politics. Toxic workplace bullying.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Not mine:


----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Not mine:




Video bombing?


----------



## Sacrosanct

First visit to the beach in 3 years since he was a tiny puppy abandoned on a Costa Rican beach.  I wonder if he remembers.  Either way,  he loves it.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Not my dog...or duck:


----------



## doctorbadwolf

Fred wore himself out in a fit of pure joy when he got his new rope toy. 

Another day, he watched The Witcher with quiet intensity, and then very loud intensity when he decided that the horses needed to be borked at.

He also barks at Grogu, and the pets in The Sims, much to my wife’s dismay.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Somewhere, under a rainbow...


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


>




 My phone got passed around showing that video. Many awwww's were had.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

I sent that clip to my Mom because of the Border Collie and the Aussie, but that Duck definitely hammed it up at the end with that wiggle!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Nap time for “Big dog”


----------



## Zardnaar

New species of shark spotted in Lake Wanaka NZ.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Our border collies just turned 14 and 9 this past week.  The younger one seems to be calming down a bit (for a BC), but the older one has started trying out new vocalizations.  I’m not sure, but she may be watching husky videos like this one on the sly.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Zardnaar

Warm summer night went for walk. Grabbed dinner and ice cream in the park. 

 Every dog seemed to be there balmy night before it rained. 





   Met a random pup. This is Millie. She's 12 weeks old. Apparently due to Covid people been spending money on pets and they were lucky to get here as the dog shelters are empty/low.

 Chocolate lab cross. She was not cheap.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Late one evening last week, Mom wanted to talk to me.  So I came to her room and knelt by her bedside.  A couple minutes in, our 14yo Border Collie decided to participate in the discussion.  

Mom took some pix.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Our red merle just turned 14.
(She’s camera shy, so this was a lucky shot.)

Our blue merle just turned 9.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Morrus




----------



## darjr




----------



## wingsandsword

This is Vayda, she's a little Morkie (Half Maltese/Half Yorkshire Terrier).  She's a happy, friendly, loving cuddly little doggo.


----------



## Zardnaar

wingsandsword said:


> This is Vayda, she's a little Morkie (Half Maltese/Half Yorkshire Terrier).  She's a happy, friendly, loving cuddly little doggo.
> View attachment 132938




 Part cat?


----------



## wingsandsword

Zardnaar said:


> Part cat?



No.  

Half Maltese Dog, half Yorkshire Terrier


----------



## Zardnaar

wingsandsword said:


> No.
> 
> Half Maltese Dog, half Yorkshire Terrier




 Heh very cute. Still not convinced


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Zardnaar

Dannyalcatraz said:


>




 To cute should be illegal.


----------



## Sacrosanct

Someone likes reading time


----------



## Morrus




----------



## Dannyalcatraz

After much work and frustration training them in the house, we’ve officially gotten the grrrls into the CX-9 2 days in a row, using the pet ramp.  The younger dog grasped the task immediately.  The older dog was still not happy with the process, trying to go off the side, etc.  But with guidance and a firm grip on her harness, we got her in.

Getting them OUT was a bit more challenging.  The older dog was trying to squeeze out the gap in the door before I even had the ramp back in place.  And the younger one was practically stampeding over her housemate once the ramp was properly deployed.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

How our 9yo Border Collie plays come & get it/keep away.  At no point was any toy brought within 10ft of me.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Border Collies in Bluebonnets






























Today, we took our 14yo red merle and our 9yo blue merle for a little photo session amongst the state’s official flower.  I was the dog wrangler, Mom took most of the photos.

Also noteworthy: we’ve gotten to the point where both dogs are fairly comfortable using the ramp to get in & out of the SUV.  The 9yo goes without prompting, but the 14yo still needs a close escort so she doesn’t misstep and fall.  But even she clearly understands ramp = ride!


----------



## Sacrosanct

My son took the dog to the beach for the week.  As soon as he got home, he was super excited and the neighbor's dog (his best friend) came running over and Lucky immediately mounted.   It's obvious why he was so excited to come home, and it wasn't because he missed me...

(they are both fixed)


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




----------



## Levistus's_Leviathan

This is my family's dog: Annie. She's just over 5 years old, and is a Bichon-Frise, Shih-Tzu mix. 




She's a really sweet dog, but we think the breeder we got her from mistreated her. She has extreme anxiety and freaks out at beeping noises, us setting down plates or picking up sticks, and doesn't play any games or know any tricks. We're working with the vet to treat this, but there hasn't been any progress so far.


----------



## MGibster

This is Buddy.  He's 15 years old and I think he's a mix of Terrier and Schnauzer.  It's tough to be sure because I came home nearly 15 years ago and found him under the house barking.  My wife swore we'd never have a dog in the house but we couldn't bear the thought of taking him to a shelter and we couldn't find anyone else to take him in.  He's the best dog I've ever had and my wife spoils the hell out of him.  

While I've been working home since 2020, Buddy has really stepped up as my administrative assistant.  Picture above is Buddy enjoying the company perk of sunning himself during lunch.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz




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## Dannyalcatraz

A gentle soul: 1/12/07 - 5/12/21


Spoiler




































I had to euthanize our older grrrl this morning.  She couldn’t walk on her own until she’d been at the vet for a while.  She had been struggling with arthritis for years, and the vet thought she might have had a stroke last night.

She was one of the sweetest dogs we’ve ever had.


----------



## darjr

Nap time.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Just over a month after euthanizing our older dog because of her stroke, we almost lost our second dog.  Our most accomplished thief, she opened Mom’s purse to steal an unopened box of dark chocolate raisinets, and ate them box and all.  She had stolen and eaten a box of dark chocolate before with no ill effects, and she didn’t seem to be having any problems with her most recent theft.  But then we realized how much worse raisins were after I called the ASPCA Pet Poisoning hotline ($75).  Potential blockages from the packaging aside, that box was probably within the lethal dose range for a dog her size.  As they told us, don’t wait for the onset of symptoms with grapes & raisins- it could be too late if you do.

Fortunately, we got her to the 24 hour vet relatively quickly.  We don’t know exactly when she got the candy, but because we had been in and out of the room near the purse, we were relatively sure that she was being seen less than 2 hours after ingestion.  So she’s getting a $2100, 48 hour stay at the vet as they give her meds via IV.  The updates have all been positive and they expect to send her home mid-day Monday.


----------



## darjr




----------



## Sacrosanct

Lucky the day after he walked out of the jungle in Costa Rica and found us.  then one of my favorite pics of him of all time, and then him now.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Our grrrl, back from the vet!


----------



## Zardnaar

Due to labour shortages they've lowered the standards for the new health and safety representative. 

 Still Luna gonna be better than some muppets I've worked with.



 Showing off her new safety glasses.


----------



## Levistus's_Leviathan

My family got a puppy just over 2 weeks ago. He's a Double Doodle (Labradoodle-Retriever mix), and his name is Freddy. He's just over 10 weeks old now, and he's sweet, but exhausting.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Doggie health update:

Our border collie has been on a health roller coaster ride the past 2 years.  She had a bad bout of pancreatitis in 2020, and in 2021, she ingested a potentially lethal dose of dark chocolate Raisinettes, box and all.  In that time, her weight has fluctuated from lows near 30lbs to highs near 60 lbs.  She was always one of the stockier border collies we’ve ever owned, but she was definitely a paunchy pooch at that weight…especially now that she’s on the cusp of her 10th birthday.

So we put her on a tightly controlled diet.  Not so much the content- though that was involved- but on the portion control.  Everything gets measured.

After a couple months of this, she just weighed in at a nice 42.2lbs!  Probably her best weight ever as a healthy adult.  Not only that, she surprised me by making a jump into the SUV she couldn’t manage earlier this year.  I think the vet is going to be happy.


----------



## doctorbadwolf

This is my mom’s dog, Dozer. He is very sweet, but sadly has been sick lately.  

I made a gofundme for him if anyone can a few spare bucks or is willing to share it on social media or otherwise show people.
Help A Good Boy


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## darjr




----------



## Dannyalcatraz




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## Dannyalcatraz

Our blue merle BC grrrrrl had a good Christmas:


----------



## Zardnaar

Finished dinner the other night beautiful summer evening. 

 And ran into this aged 16 weeks. Golden retriever.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

and yesterday, she got to go to the doggie spa!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Well, our grrrrl had a vet visit today.  She’s generally in good health, but she’s 11lbs heavier than the last time she was there.

The good news is that she hasn’t been a bad dog and we haven’t been over feeding her- the scale was malfunctioning the last time she was weighed.  But she still lost weight like the vet wanted, and her current weight is actually pretty good given her age and stockier than average build for her breed.  Vet said she could lose another couple of pounds, but if she doesn’t,  it’s no big concern.


----------



## Mort

Pippi is the nicest, sweetest dog you will ever meet:





But don't you dare withhold a treat after promising it!


----------



## darjr

Loving dangerously.



at the wheels of my office chair. Sleeping.


----------



## darjr

The old man napping.


----------



## darjr

Met Willow today! Good Doggo!


----------



## Sacrosanct

Nice beautiful soft grass in the yard, and where does my dog decide to relax?


----------



## darjr

Old lady resting her bones. Rest well sweet Dolly, rough times ahead.


----------



## ko6ux

My Boston Terrier, Archer:




And his 5-week old brother, Seamus, who comes home at the end of May.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Here's our boy Max and his relatively-new buddy Tamara (Max is the tan one):

And them being, well, them:


----------



## Thomas Shey

By the way, Danny, I know it can be hard to tell but according to DNA testing Tamara is two-thirds blue heeler (aka Austalian Cattle Dog).


----------



## Mezuka

Sano entered our lives two days ago. A very affectionate and gentle mini teckl. 8 weeks, 4 pounds.


----------



## Thomas Shey

And today I learned another name for a dachshund.


----------



## Morrus

It’s me and my dawg! This is the brief moment of calm just after he whacked me in the shins with that big stick.


----------



## MoonSong

Here's the most recent addition to the family




We want to raise him as a fully indoors dog. Though I have no experience doing so. The first dog was fully outdoors and the other was partially outdoors and later in life taught itself to be an indoors dog. Any tips on doing so?


----------



## Thomas Shey

Afraid I'm no help; mine have all been in-and-outdoor dogs.


----------



## MoonSong

Thomas Shey said:


> Afraid I'm no help; mine have all been in-and-outdoor dogs.



In the end it didn't matter. I had to let the pup go to a better family which could give him a better life. He couldn't adapt to my lifestyle (which involves a lot of traveling) and deserved better. I'm sad, but happy for him...

At least I know he will be in a better place than where I found him. Some people are just too cruel to animals.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Our grrrl was diagnosed with a sarcoma early last week, and had surgery a few days later.  Her lab work came back about as good as possible, and as of her followup in Friday, her recovery is proceeding well.  She’s due to have her stitches removed this coming Tuesday.

Instead of a Cone of Shame, they sent her home in a white toddler t-shirt to keep her from scratching the surgical site.  Mom thought she looked cute, but not girly enough, so we’ve made TWO trips to the store to get her something cuter.  Pix in the gallery below:


----------



## Thomas Shey

I'm glad that seems to be working out, Danny.  We lost our old boy Eric to cancer, as it can sometimes move really fast in dogs, especially bigger dogs.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Thomas Shey said:


> I'm glad that seems to be working out, Danny.  We lost our old boy Eric to cancer, as it can sometimes move really fast in dogs, especially bigger dogs.



She’s had several health scares in her decade, MOSTLY due to her own actions.  She‘s really bad about rules like “Don’t eat cardboard boxes.” Etc.  It’s surprising that the vet clinic doesn’t have a suite named after her with a brass nameplate.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Dannyalcatraz said:


> She’s had several health scares in her decade, MOSTLY due to her own actions.  She‘s really bad about rules like “Don’t eat cardboard boxes.” Etc.  It’s surprising that the vet clinic doesn’t have a suite named after her with a brass nameplate.




I know the feeling.  Back when she had Belle, she had a talent for doing things that weren't exactly in her best interest.  I mean, dogs in general aren't good about that, but she seemed to have a particular talent.


----------



## Warpiglet-7

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Our grrrl was diagnosed with a sarcoma early last week, and had surgery a few days later.  Her lab work came back about as good as possible, and as of her followup in Friday, her recovery is proceeding well.  She’s due to have her stitches removed this coming Tuesday.
> 
> Instead of a Cone of Shame, they sent her home in a white toddler t-shirt to keep her from scratching the surgical site.  Mom thought she looked cute, but not girly enough, so we’ve made TWO trips to the store to get her something cuter.  Pix in the gallery below:



Best wishes for you and your pup!

I know how much I love my dogs and it’s difficult when our pets are sick.

Best of luck!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Our Grrrl is not the smartest border collie we’ve ever had, but that doesn’t make her stupid.  She still figures out things we don’t want her to, like when she taught herself how to open step trash cans.  We had to buy taller ones so she couldn’t actually get to the stuff she was searching for.

Well, she has a new trick.

Mom had $100 in 20s in a purse that has magnetic snaps and a zippered compartment.  Well, “Miss Nibbles” opened the compartment where the money was and trimmed the bills a bit- I had to get them replaced at the bank.

Mom can’t remember where she was keeping the money, but is sure the purse was completely closed.  I’m not surprised she could lever open a magnetic closure with some determined effort, but I’ve never seen a dog manipulate a zipper.

Oddly, she also removed but did not nosh upon any of the smaller dollar bill denominations.


----------



## Zardnaar

Luna the "working dog". By working I mean getting spoilt by the office staff. 




 Gotta wear hi vis by law so the dog got some.


----------



## jdrakeh




----------



## Thomas Shey

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Our Grrrl is not the smartest border collie we’ve ever had, but that doesn’t make her stupid.




A dumb border collie is probably smarter than 90% of the dogs you'll ever see.  You probably need to fish in the pond of other herders and maybe a few guard breeds to even overlap meaningfully.



Dannyalcatraz said:


> She still figures out things we don’t want her to, like when she taught herself how to open step trash cans.  We had to buy taller ones so she couldn’t actually get to the stuff she was searching for.
> 
> Well, she has a new trick.
> 
> Mom had $100 in 20s in a purse that has magnetic snaps and a zippered compartment.  Well, “Miss Nibbles” opened the compartment where the money was and trimmed the bills a bit- I had to get them replaced at the bank.
> 
> Mom can’t remember where she was keeping the money, but is sure the purse was completely closed.  I’m not surprised she could lever open a magnetic closure with some determined effort, but I’ve never seen a dog manipulate a zipper.
> 
> Oddly, she also removed but did not nosh upon any of the smaller dollar bill denominations.




There's a video of a Belgian Malinois in  a dog enclosure who climbs up the wire fence around it (and keep in mind we're talking a ten foot high enclosure, slips through the fairly tight open space at the top (requiring some contortions), drops down and then _goes over and works the latch from the outside to let his buddy out_.

The problem solving abilities of some dogs is, honestly, kind of appalling.


----------



## Thomas Shey

jdrakeh said:


> View attachment 254336




Doberman mix of some kind?


----------



## jdrakeh

Thomas Shey said:


> Doberman mix of some kind?




Min Pin!


----------



## Thomas Shey

jdrakeh said:


> Min Pin!




Ah, close enough.  The color pattern pointed in that direction (of course our newer dog was thought to be a Doberman/GSD mix when we got her (and it seemed entirely credible) but turned out to not have a drop of Doberman.


----------



## darjr

I’m just resting my eyes.


----------



## darjr

Our healer border was lightly snoring.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Looks like a definitely traumatized dog.  Much like this beast (who's also mostly blue heeler/Australian Cattle Dog with the rest being GSD).


----------



## payn

The "Rufferee" on Sundays.


----------



## MGibster

Bad news, today was the last day for my mother’s dog Anjya.  She was a 140 pound Leonberger who was diagnosed with cancer this past June.  This is a photo of little Anjya from way back in 2013 where we stopped for lunch and played in a field.


----------



## Thomas Shey

MGibster said:


> Bad news, today was the last day for my mother’s dog Anjya.  She was a 140 pound Leonberger who was diagnosed with cancer this past June.  This is a photo of little Anjya from way back in 2013 where we stopped for lunch and played in a field.
> 
> 
> View attachment 262097




My sympathies to your mother.  Our old boy Eric (who was mostly a mix of GSD and bull mastiff and weighed in at 90 lbs.) ended his life with a spinal tumor about four years ago.  

In honor of Anyja, a picture of him at what I'd guess was about the same age:


----------



## darjr

Cat toy…





Your browser is not able to display this video.


----------



## payn

darjr said:


> Cat toy…
> 
> View attachment 262617



Oh the floppy fish? My guy would likely destroy it beyond function. Probably too costly for the amount of time he'd have fun with it.


----------



## darjr

payn said:


> Oh the floppy fish? My guy would likely destroy it beyond function. Probably too costly for the amount of time he'd have fun with it.



it may well be destroyed before the day is out. The border/healer is eyeing it intently.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Yeah, Eric (the bull mastiff/GSD I've mentioned before in memorium) used to go through most toys astoundingly fast.  Once we got him a chew toy "for heavy chewers" made out of tire rubber and fire hose material.
It lasted a half hour.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

I got one for our dog that was “Tiger Tested”. It lasted a few days.

She calmed down on that front once she got past her 9th birthday.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Eric might have been better in the last part of his life, but we'd given up on toys and him by that point (other than occasionally throwing a ball).


----------



## darjr

She was so excited to watch TV….


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

This is our good grrrl lounging in the light of the closet off the master bathroom.  I thought the picture was interesting because it looks a lot like a painting.


----------



## Arilyn

This is our old gal, Bridget. She's enjoying my in-laws garden.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

(Not my goodboi.)

I met this fine furry fellow at my local Farmers’ Market.  According to the owner, he’s almost 70lbs- just a little smaller than a German Shepard.

Border Collies usually average 40-45lbs, but we’ve had three who were stockier than average, hitting 50lbs before their first birthdays, topping out just under 60lbs.  But this guy was TALL, and CLEARLY off the charts.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Dannyalcatraz said:


> (Not my goodboi.)
> 
> I met this fine furry fellow at my local Farmers’ Market.  According to the owner, he’s almost 70lbs- just a little smaller than a German Shepard.
> 
> Border Collies usually average 40-45lbs, but we’ve had three who were stockier than average, hitting 50lbs before their first birthdays, topping out just under 60lbs.  But this guy was TALL, and CLEARLY off the charts.




Tamara is two-thirds Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler, and one third German Shepard.  A female Blue Heeler normally runs from 30-35 lbs; female GSDs normally run from 50-70 lbs.  She's 70 pounds.  We have to conclude one of her ancestors was just huge for their breed.


----------



## Arilyn

My daughter and son in law just adopted this pup. He's part mastiff!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Two of the three legitimately oversized (not fat) border collies we’ve had were both curly furred and stocky.  Their muzzles were also more squared & boxy than is typical.  

Both were purebreds with siblings who were more breed typical, so I can only assume it was some recessive genes expressing themselves.

The third one was actually our first border collie ever, and was more like that one pictured above- almost like a funny looking German Shepard.  

Alas, SHE was a nutcase.  She thought she was the last line of defense between our family and the universe..and she wasn’t too sure of us 100% of the time.  Didn’t like human women except my Mom and her younger sister.  Her aggression got her killed when she bolted out of the house past my Mom and attacked a passing car.  At that point, she was only 6 months old and over 55lbs.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Arilyn said:


> My daughter and son in law just adopted this pup. He's part mastiff! View attachment 263651




Yup.  Our old boy Eric was a bull mastiff/GSD (and some other things) mix, and while the rest of him wasn't very mastiff-like (too many other more lean critters in his ancestry) his head was very characteristic.


----------



## Thomas Shey

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Two of the three legitimately oversized (not fat) border collies we’ve had were both curly furred and stocky.  Their muzzles were also more squared & boxy than is typical.
> 
> Both were purebreds with siblings who were more breed typical, so I can only assume it was some recessive genes expressing themselves.




From what I inderstand, border collies were cross-bred with other related breeds until relatively late, because the people breeding them cared much more a damn about their functionality than their specifics, so crossbreeding them with other herding breeds was often considered just sensible.




Dannyalcatraz said:


> The third one was actually our first border collie ever, and was more like that one pictured above- almost like a funny looking German Shepard.
> 
> Alas, SHE was a nutcase.  She thought she was the last line of defense between our family and the universe..and she wasn’t too sure of us 100% of the time.  Didn’t like human women except my Mom and her younger sister.  Her aggression got her killed when she bolted out of the house past my Mom and attacked a passing car.  At that point, she was only 6 months old and over 55lbs.




Tamara isn't quite that bad, but she's certain stray dogs or even dogs on leads are ready to kill Max (and us, but she seems too worry more about him than us in that situation) until she gets to know them.  This can make encounters unnecessarily exciting.  But then, my first dog as an adult was a Belgian Malinois who'd been a stray for a time, and she's positively sane compared to how Lupe could be, so...


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Thomas Shey said:


> From what I inderstand, border collies were cross-bred with other related breeds until relatively late, because the people breeding them cared much more a damn about their functionality than their specifics, so crossbreeding them with other herding breeds was often considered just sensible.



Could be, could be.

But a lot of the sheep herding breeds aren’t all that big.  I mean, yeah, there’s the aforementioned German Shepards and others, but I bet most if the breeds are under 50lbs on average.

Of course, those percentages don’t much matter when the rare genes actually fire up!


----------



## Thomas Shey

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Could be, could be.
> 
> But a lot of the sheep herding breeds aren’t all that big.  I mean, yeah, there’s the aforementioned German Shepards and others, but I bet most if the breeds are under 50lbs on average.
> 
> Of course, those percentages don’t much matter when the rare genes actually fire up!




It actually rolls both ways; you have the ones in the weight class of the border collie, which includes the English Shepard, the Australian Shepard, and some others.  On the other hand, besides the GSD and their kin like the various Belgian herding breeds, you've got the Old English Sheepdogs, which are pretty huge.

My guess would be that as the job of herding breeds has less and less involved protecting flocks against wildlife, the move has shifted more toward the smaller and more agile herding breeds and away from the bigger ones (though some of the latter like GSDs and the Belgian Malinois have been transferred over to herding, well, humans in a way).


----------

