Dog Owner Chat v3 ~Open!~

[Haagen-Daagen]

Just got back from a really great walk with the pups! We walked nine miles this evening! Deebee is usually still a bit bouncy by the time we get back, but he was pooped when we got home tonight. Cx
I've been working hard for the last few months to get Eva into better shape, and tonight I decided to put Reno's old harness(I had to have it as loose as possible when I put it on her a few months back. Reno was pretty lean and she was chubby.) on her again and found that I had to tighten it several notches because it was loose. Cx She has lost a lot of weight and I am so proud of my goober's progress! I will post a few photos of her tomorrow because I forgot my camera on the walk. x)


fascai Opie is such a handsome boy! <3 I love seeing updates of your fella.(: How did you go about getting a partnership with that business, if I may ask?(:

[Fascai]

@haagen-daagen
I wish we could take regular walks like that! we live in an apartment complex in a pretty populated area so unfortunately there isn't much to walk here unless it's the highway. I take him around the complex about three times though and considering how lazy he is it does fine. I'll actually be taking ope on his very first trail soon, so we'll see how it goes!

& aw, thank you! as far as the partnership goes I just look around at small owned pet businesses and ask. we just so happened to stumble upon Bow Appetit when she was searching so it worked well. we don't get paid or anything, but we do get a discount and a promo code to offer when we advertise for her.

[Haagen-Daagen]

@haagen-daagen
I wish we could take regular walks like that! we live in an apartment complex in a pretty populated area so unfortunately there isn't much to walk here unless it's the highway. I take him around the complex about three times though and considering how lazy he is it does fine. I'll actually be taking ope on his very first trail soon, so we'll see how it goes!

& aw, thank you! as far as the partnership goes I just look around at small owned pet businesses and ask. we just so happened to stumble upon Bow Appetit when she was searching so it worked well. we don't get paid or anything, but we do get a discount and a promo code to offer when we advertise for her.

Eva is pretty lazy for the most part so shorter(2-4 mile) walks are usually fine for her, but she gained weight last year and I've been working on getting it back down. She's seven now and as she gets older it's getting more important for her to be at a healthy weight. Cx Our terrier mix has a lot more stamina but I can usually find ways to work him out at home to burn off his extra energy after walks.
We live in a pretty rural area, so as long as we don't go down into town we don't have much trouble. Cx Our shorter walks mostly include walking up and down our dirt roads, but every now and then we go up into the hills nearby. Good luck with that trail walk!(:


EDIT:
Found a couple Eva photos from about a week ago that I liked and forgot to post. Cx

Eva Smile.jpg (233.65 KiB) Viewed 68 times

Eva Smile 2.jpg (242.8 KiB) Viewed 68 times

[Starwalker123]

I love coming home to my dog he missed me so much

[renki]

Thinking of getting another dog, but not sure which breed to go for. I am looking for a working breed
I am looking into moving and getting a dog wont happen until I have settled into my new home. Which would be an apartment life, but the location I am looking at has a very close agility club.

Fields I am looking to get into is therapy work, agility, barn hunting, tracking, and maybe protection work. Protection work is up in the air, but I know I am looking into also doing tricks.
This means the dogs size would have to be around 40lbs

I am looking for a breed that will get along with other animals, because with being a therapy animal its going to be near other animals and people.

giving it a work out isnt much of a big deal. I am fairly active and good at training. One of the first things I will work on is being around a bike.
any suggestions?

[Blu Malinois]

A few weeks ago I signed up for a beginning agility class at our local dog obedience club. Ace and I have taken three classes from it already. We have done basic manners, beginning agility, and intermediate agility. I felt that intermediate was a bit too fast of a step for Ace, though, since I need to get him more used to following me off lead when 8 or more other dogs are around us. He's also terrified of the teeter totter and dog walk, so I want to change that before we go back to a higher level. Anyway, the class was yesterday! I took Ace an hour early and had him do his business at the dog park, run around to burn off some excess energy of his, and meet a few new doggies. Then when the instructor arrived, he let us practice jumps for a few minutes before class started, since we are the only ones in the class who have done agility before. Then the class started and, even though it was all easy, it was fun! Ace was very well behaved, I met new dogs and people, and I was able to have Ace walk along the teeter totter while it was collapsed, which is a perfect start! I can't wait until class next week!

[.kestral]

Hey guys, within the next few months I will probably be looking into getting a dog and was hoping you could help me narrow down what would be good for me.

I currently live with my mum, three bedroom house, two decent sized gardens. Both well fenced and secure. Within the next year I plan to be moving into my own place, likely a flat in this area. This area is full of public parks, dog parks, footpaths through fields, plenty of places to take a dog for them to enjoy.

I work 20 hours a week, usually on an evening when family are around, so the dog would be alone very little. The potential pet would live inside the house, having free roam of house and garden when people are home and regular walks.

I prefer big dogs, I dislike terriers and small dogs. I don't mind shedding, I don't mind brushing them regularly, I don't mind whether they are high or low maintenance. I earn a decent wage, enough for me and the dog to live on happily, comfortably and with reserves for vet bills and emergencies. I am already saving so purchase price isn't a problem. Would most likely feed raw.

Personality wise, I would prefer a dog that liked to be moving, one that's happy to go on long walks and to relax a bit after. One that's happy to play but can also be settled when needed. If I were to get a dog I would take a few weeks off work for its first few weeks with us to ensure its training was started well.

[the fragile]

I'm sorry but working breed + apartment life do not mix unless you would be willing to invest in a slatmill or the like and devote LOTS of time to exercising and mentally stimulating your dog. A little bit more than just agility work and being "fairly active".

I have a gamebred APBT and keeping her exercised is, no joke, a 24/7 job, and that is with a back yard to run in and another dog to play with.

Honest suggestion: go to a shelter and get a mix breed because they can do literally everything you just listed off. My other dog is a boxer/doberman mix whom I got from and highkill shelter, we have competed successfully in agility, bitework & schutzhund and he is a trained protection dog. Unless you plan on breeding or getting very serious with one given sport, there is literally no need for you to try to keep a working breed in an apt. I'm sorry. No offense. I've seen one too many people think they can handle a high-level dog in a situation like that and it turns into utter disaster.

[Jazi]

Eh well, it CAN work, it's just not the easiest thing to do. A lot of conditions have to be met for it to work and you have to be really devoted to it. I've done the working breed working dog + apartment life before and I can't say it was EASY, but it wasn't impossible. I moved into an apartment in IAmLink's house and again, it's not EASY, but we make it work and honestly I think Creed is happier here than he was when I was just living at home with my parents.

My dog is a working bred doberman, goes to his protection club regularly, we train every day for something, and he is on duty as my service dog whenever we are out or when I am having an episode. He's given plenty of things to entertain himself with and we are out and about with him whenever I'm not bedridden with my disability. He's not a pet dog and definitely not one that would be a good fit for a pet home (not that my breeder even sells dogs to people who aren't going to show this much dedication), but we make it work. It's a little less about having a backyard, and a little more about having a dog with a decent off switch or teaching your dog to settle as long as their needs are met.

[.kestral]

I don't know if that was aimed at me, but 90% of flats here have gardens, I would never consider one without one for the dogs sanity.