Dog Owner Chat v4

[Naeco]

Any tips on weaning a dog to be outdoor?

Ellsa is currently indoor but we are moving and she will have to be an outdoor dog. She's not a tiny chihuahua or anything, she's a Rottie X Dutch Shepherd.

I would suggest letting her outside maybe an hour a day at first, and then slowly adding more and more time. If it is winter or middle of summer, it would be a bad idea. Ideally, it is best to do this during spring or fall.

[Marley.&.Me]

the chihuahua of chihuahuas.

[Jewel Melody]

Any tips on weaning a dog to be outdoor?

Ellsa is currently indoor but we are moving and she will have to be an outdoor dog. She's not a tiny chihuahua or anything, she's a Rottie X Dutch Shepherd.

-snip-

I am aware of all of this, Ellsa will NOT be tethered, will have heating and cooling, 3 acres to run, play, etc., have company of another dog and very often visits from me and other family members. Water will constantly be clean and I'm not sure what food they have up there, but she will be on the best diet we can get, (we can order online if needed). She is going to have a very well made dog house that protects her from wind and she will have a comfortable bed. No trailing cables and safety precautions will be taken to ensure nothing harms her.

Any tips on weaning a dog to be outdoor?

Ellsa is currently indoor but we are moving and she will have to be an outdoor dog. She's not a tiny chihuahua or anything, she's a Rottie X Dutch Shepherd.

I would suggest letting her outside maybe an hour a day at first, and then slowly adding more and more time. If it is winter or middle of summer, it would be a bad idea. Ideally, it is best to do this during spring or fall.

She stays outside for all day sometimes, but if we even try to leave her out at night she barks because she thinks we won't forget her.

[BlingBling]

How often do you see a split-nosed dog at your local no-kill? Not even a Catalburun from the looks of it so he just happened to have gotten that interesting feature!

[Naeco]

@Storming Skies

Honestly, I have no clue. I guess it would be the same as crate training a puppy. You could get up earlier than normal but still night time and let her out and go back to bed til morning. I would say, only an hour or two at the most. And when you get up, go see her right away. This is the only thing I can think of.

[Sixx O'Clock]

Before I ask, let me preface this by saying:
I'm poor, I hardly make any money, and all the money I do make goes entirely into caring for animals. Now, my animals are all happy and healthy, not an illness in sight, but there are some things I cannot afford to do right away.

So my dog has been displaying signs that she may be pregnant. She's been less peppy than she normally is, and I noticed that the set of nipples closest to her rear are swollen. The others are fairly normal, albeit a bit red because she's been licking them. The problem is, she's not in heat. Her last heat cycle was in October, so she shouldn't be due to have another heat cycle for a couple months.
I noticed all of this yesterday, and since then she seems like she's brightening up a bit, and the swelling seems like it's gone down. I did tons and tons of research wondering if she could actually get pregnant, and the majority of sources I looked at said that she can't get pregnant if she's not in heat. But I just need some peace of mind, can she actually be pregnant or is this a false pregnancy or something? I really don't want her to have puppies, I don't have the space or time for them. I'm trying my hardest to come up with the funds to get her spayed within the next week, but it's hard.

[Claw.]

Before I ask, let me preface this by saying:
I'm poor, I hardly make any money, and all the money I do make goes entirely into caring for animals. Now, my animals are all happy and healthy, not an illness in sight, but there are some things I cannot afford to do right away.

So my dog has been displaying signs that she may be pregnant. She's been less peppy than she normally is, and I noticed that the set of nipples closest to her rear are swollen. The others are fairly normal, albeit a bit red because she's been licking them. The problem is, she's not in heat. Her last heat cycle was in October, so she shouldn't be due to have another heat cycle for a couple months.
I noticed all of this yesterday, and since then she seems like she's brightening up a bit, and the swelling seems like it's gone down. I did tons and tons of research wondering if she could actually get pregnant, and the majority of sources I looked at said that she can't get pregnant if she's not in heat. But I just need some peace of mind, can she actually be pregnant or is this a false pregnancy or something? I really don't want her to have puppies, I don't have the space or time for them. I'm trying my hardest to come up with the funds to get her spayed within the next week, but it's hard.

If it's been more than 65 days since her last heat then I doubt that she's pregnant. The most likely thing is she's having a phantom pregnancy, in which you should comfort her and possibly give her some teddies as a litter. Her nipples could be infected or something else but we can't really give medical advice sorry. If you do find out she is actualy pregnant, which I doubt, see if you can find medical care from the RSPCA or ASPCA as they sometimes help good owners who can't afford vet fees.

[Sixx O'Clock]

Before I ask, let me preface this by saying:
I'm poor, I hardly make any money, and all the money I do make goes entirely into caring for animals. Now, my animals are all happy and healthy, not an illness in sight, but there are some things I cannot afford to do right away.

So my dog has been displaying signs that she may be pregnant. She's been less peppy than she normally is, and I noticed that the set of nipples closest to her rear are swollen. The others are fairly normal, albeit a bit red because she's been licking them. The problem is, she's not in heat. Her last heat cycle was in October, so she shouldn't be due to have another heat cycle for a couple months.
I noticed all of this yesterday, and since then she seems like she's brightening up a bit, and the swelling seems like it's gone down. I did tons and tons of research wondering if she could actually get pregnant, and the majority of sources I looked at said that she can't get pregnant if she's not in heat. But I just need some peace of mind, can she actually be pregnant or is this a false pregnancy or something? I really don't want her to have puppies, I don't have the space or time for them. I'm trying my hardest to come up with the funds to get her spayed within the next week, but it's hard.

If it's been more than 65 days since her last heat then I doubt that she's pregnant. The most likely thing is she's having a phantom pregnancy, in which you should comfort her and possibly give her some teddies as a litter. Her nipples could be infected or something else but we can't really give medical advice sorry. If you do find out she is actualy pregnant, which I doubt, see if you can find medical care from the RSPCA or ASPCA as they sometimes help good owners who can't afford vet fees.

Thank you for that, it helps put my mind at ease. I'll keep an eye on her over the coming week or so, but if all of these articles and such are to be believed, I shouldn't have to worry about a pregnancy.

[Imzadi83]

Before I ask, let me preface this by saying:
I'm poor, I hardly make any money, and all the money I do make goes entirely into caring for animals. Now, my animals are all happy and healthy, not an illness in sight, but there are some things I cannot afford to do right away.

So my dog has been displaying signs that she may be pregnant. She's been less peppy than she normally is, and I noticed that the set of nipples closest to her rear are swollen. The others are fairly normal, albeit a bit red because she's been licking them. The problem is, she's not in heat. Her last heat cycle was in October, so she shouldn't be due to have another heat cycle for a couple months.
I noticed all of this yesterday, and since then she seems like she's brightening up a bit, and the swelling seems like it's gone down. I did tons and tons of research wondering if she could actually get pregnant, and the majority of sources I looked at said that she can't get pregnant if she's not in heat. But I just need some peace of mind, can she actually be pregnant or is this a false pregnancy or something? I really don't want her to have puppies, I don't have the space or time for them. I'm trying my hardest to come up with the funds to get her spayed within the next week, but it's hard.

If it's been more than 65 days since her last heat then I doubt that she's pregnant. The most likely thing is she's having a phantom pregnancy, in which you should comfort her and possibly give her some teddies as a litter. Her nipples could be infected or something else but we can't really give medical advice sorry. If you do find out she is actualy pregnant, which I doubt, see if you can find medical care from the RSPCA or ASPCA as they sometimes help good owners who can't afford vet fees.

Also many shelters/rescues have low or no-cost spay/neuter programs. It's worth asking about. If your in the US/Canada check out www.Petfinder.com to find shelters/rescues near you. Even if they don't have information about such listed on their website it's still worth contacting them, as individuals who work there may have heard of a program that may help you.

[løwkey lawnmøwer.]

some pictures of my chihuahua, Zorro. He is almost a year old (on the 21st he becomes 1)