Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[W0LF]

@everyone

im not the one who wants the collar, our breeder is just recommending we have one. i wasn't planning on getting one because ive never had to use it with any of my pets in the past. it just seemed strange to me because ive never heard of it before. also yes, we bought her a puppy blanket that im going to bring with me when i pick her up so i can get the moms scent on it.

...What type of "collar" ?

& why do they recommend ?

ive gotten all the info i need, to be honest. thanks though

Hope there aren't any prongs involved.
That seems unnessesary.

Than again, a cloth like material may save their life.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[nervousdog]

I was casually scrolling a dog group on Facebook and recognized one of the dogs, Wendy, from here !
I did a total double take 🤣

You'll have to worry about me forgetting who you are but never about me forgetting who your dog is ! Lol

[flipturn]

little bit of background before i really ask a question:
so we (my family) got a rescue dog in 2009(?). he's a lovely border collie/english setter mix, although we've never done a DNA test, but he very much looks and behaves like a border collie/english setter mix. he's (we think) about 13. as he's been aging he's started slowing down, which is to be expected. there are also several sets of stairs in our home that cannot be avoided and he's started having some trouble with those. we've done a little research into supplements we should be giving him, but we haven't had the chance to speak with our vet about it.

does anyone have a joint supplement or senior food mix that they recommend? or any advice in general about caring for a senior dog?

[Taiger Lilly]

@pheromone collar discussion
I'm seeing a lot of confusion and misinformation on what pheromone collars are and how they work.
Here is a wikipedia's page on the pheromone they use, it also has a list of studies showing which situations DAP helps the most with. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_appeasing_pheromone
And here's an article with a certified behaviorist talking about them. https://pets.webmd.com/features/pet-phe ... r-problems

Since they have no side effects (other than complications from wearing a collar), aren't that expensive, and your breeder recommends them (they probably have found the effective for their dogs) I would probably listen. Worst case scenario is it doesn't work. Best case it can reduce fear behaviours and help them settle in faster. You can still use a blanket with mom's scent as well.

You can also use the same product in the form of a diffuser if you wish to kennel train, or just not have a collar on all the time.

[ᴍᴀᴏᴄɪғᴇʀ]

Wondering if anyone has any tips for caring for a more senior dog:

Ruby is 10 now and age seems to be creeping up on her. She's currently on vet-prescribed anti-inflammatory for her joints as well as some fish oil supplements, but nothing really seems to be helping. We don't do walks when it's cold out anymore (which is real hard considering it's winter, so she's been a bit depressed), since she gets a really heavy limp, and she's on a no-tidbits diet to reduce some of her fat in the hope that'll lessen the burden on her joints.
So aside from that, any advice on keeping an older dog fit and healthy? Especially if there's any gentler exercises anyone knows that will help her build more muscle.

I do "walkies" indoors with Chloe by taking some treats (you can take a portion of food from her daily ration) and walking up and down the hallway for awhile before ending in a training session. Feeding through training, brain games, and puzzle toys; rather than just plopping food in a bowl can help. Some gentle massage, maybe a heated blanket/bed (they make ones that warm up with body heat as well as ones you plug in or things you microwave and stick in) might help. Are their places (like petstores) you could take her to to walk her indoors? If you can afford it you could look into acupuncture which might help. Swimming is a great activity for a senior dog. If Ruby is small you could likely do it in a bathtub, or look for dog businesses around you that have indoor pools.

Thank you for replying ^^
Unfortunately, we live in a flat so there's not much hallway space to walk in, so generally when it's too cold out, I roll a ball from the hallway to the living room so she can have some exercise, and we play a few "hide and seek" games with her biscuits. The only dog friendly establishment we have is the pet shop, which is just about large enough to breathe in.
She's got quite thick wiry hair, so I wasn't sure if a coat that covered her shoulders/hips would help either but I've been looking into that as well.
I've looked at a few senior dog massaging videos but all seem to have mixed opinions in their comments and I never know if I'm doing it right, but if you recommend any in particular, I'll take a look. And I'll check out heated beds! I bought her a bed not long ago tailored for dogs with arthirits and she preceded to turn it over and tear out all the stuffing, so that she could dig herself a little stuffing ditch to curl up in. Lol, what a nightmare.
She's a little too big to swim in a bathtub (I think of her as near to the size of a staffie, if I need a reference) and gets quite frantic in swimming pools, though I'll look around for some doggy ones anyway. I think she'd relax more if she did it more often and knew she wasn't going to sink.
Thank you for all the tips <3

[Imzadi83]

Wondering if anyone has any tips for caring for a more senior dog:

Ruby is 10 now and age seems to be creeping up on her. She's currently on vet-prescribed anti-inflammatory for her joints as well as some fish oil supplements, but nothing really seems to be helping. We don't do walks when it's cold out anymore (which is real hard considering it's winter, so she's been a bit depressed), since she gets a really heavy limp, and she's on a no-tidbits diet to reduce some of her fat in the hope that'll lessen the burden on her joints.
So aside from that, any advice on keeping an older dog fit and healthy? Especially if there's any gentler exercises anyone knows that will help her build more muscle.

I do "walkies" indoors with Chloe by taking some treats (you can take a portion of food from her daily ration) and walking up and down the hallway for awhile before ending in a training session. Feeding through training, brain games, and puzzle toys; rather than just plopping food in a bowl can help. Some gentle massage, maybe a heated blanket/bed (they make ones that warm up with body heat as well as ones you plug in or things you microwave and stick in) might help. Are their places (like petstores) you could take her to to walk her indoors? If you can afford it you could look into acupuncture which might help. Swimming is a great activity for a senior dog. If Ruby is small you could likely do it in a bathtub, or look for dog businesses around you that have indoor pools.

Thank you for replying ^^
Unfortunately, we live in a flat so there's not much hallway space to walk in, so generally when it's too cold out, I roll a ball from the hallway to the living room so she can have some exercise, and we play a few "hide and seek" games with her biscuits. The only dog friendly establishment we have is the pet shop, which is just about large enough to breathe in.
She's got quite thick wiry hair, so I wasn't sure if a coat that covered her shoulders/hips would help either but I've been looking into that as well.
I've looked at a few senior dog massaging videos but all seem to have mixed opinions in their comments and I never know if I'm doing it right, but if you recommend any in particular, I'll take a look. And I'll check out heated beds! I bought her a bed not long ago tailored for dogs with arthirits and she preceded to turn it over and tear out all the stuffing, so that she could dig herself a little stuffing ditch to curl up in. Lol, what a nightmare.
She's a little too big to swim in a bathtub (I think of her as near to the size of a staffie, if I need a reference) and gets quite frantic in swimming pools, though I'll look around for some doggy ones anyway. I think she'd relax more if she did it more often and knew she wasn't going to sink.
Thank you for all the tips <3

I don't know any specific massage videos to recommend, but if you're gentle your dog will usually let you know what feels good and what doesn't. There are people who are trained in canine massage, if you have someone in your area and can afford it they might be able to show you what to do specific for Ruby. A dog physical therapist should be able to instruct/do massage as well. Your vet might be able to give you a recommendation of somewhere local.

Swimming wise have you tried a life vest? That might make her feel more secure. Some places that have dog pools will have them to lend but you could always buy/bring your own if they don't.

If she likes to nest maybe one of those cuddle type beds might be a good choice for her?

[Kenjaku]

I'm so stupidly late here but I wanted to chime in on experiences with phero collars:
We have a family of 4 weimaraners that come into work, high anxiety and minorly kennel aggressive. The female wears a phero collar and it really does mellow her out for some reason or another. I think it's definitely a case by case basis. I know you're already decided and whatnot, but I did wanna share that I've seen real results from it! (: If you end up having trouble with the adjusting period, it wouldn't hurt to pick one up.

[Imzadi83]

little bit of background before i really ask a question:
so we (my family) got a rescue dog in 2009(?). he's a lovely border collie/english setter mix, although we've never done a DNA test, but he very much looks and behaves like a border collie/english setter mix. he's (we think) about 13. as he's been aging he's started slowing down, which is to be expected. there are also several sets of stairs in our home that cannot be avoided and he's started having some trouble with those. we've done a little research into supplements we should be giving him, but we haven't had the chance to speak with our vet about it.

does anyone have a joint supplement or senior food mix that they recommend? or any advice in general about caring for a senior dog?

I'm an advocate of raw diets so that's what I would recommend food wise. Chloe (who's 12) eats Vital Essentials raw, but I've also fed Stella & Chewy's and Primal Raw.

Supplement wise, if we're talking joint support I'd personally want something that contained glucosamine, chondroitin, & MSM. Adding omega-3s can also help, such as fish oil, although I prefer krill oil myself. I use the pump bottle from Mercola. I definitely recommend talking to your vet before starting supplements and make sure your giving the correct amount which can very if you're giving supplements in addition to buying supplemented foods.

In addition to supplements there are also treats and chewies that are formulated to help joints. Chloe luckily doesn't have a joint problem (knock on wood), but I still give her things like dried duck feet, green lipped muscles, etc. because their beneficial to joint health as well as delicious (according to her).

^All that being said are you sure it's a joint problem? "Slowing down" could have other causes, and so can trouble with stairs. As my Chloe's vision has gotten worse she's more hesitant with stairs. Your vet can better help you figure out what is going on so you know better how to deal with it.

And orthopedic bed might be in order for an older dog regardless. And there are mobility devices to help older dogs with stairs...

https://www.handicappedpets.com/walkin-support-sling-for-dog/
https://topdogtips.com/best-dog-sling-harness/

You can also use a towel to do this. Smaller sets of stairs you might be able to use a ramp on.

Generally with senior dogs make sure your doing exercise that is appropriate for them and any conditions they might have. Not just specific activities but consider duration as well. Stimulate their brain as well as their body i.e. teach your old dog a new trick.

[.Middy.]

What breed of puppy? Generally I expect puppies to come home confident enough in themselves that they don’t need something like that.

For instance I just brought home Sushi, and his first night home he immediately was trying to wrestle Zona the Dane and just being a all over crazy terrier. He was tossed out into a pack of 9 and held his own even though the smallest still outweighed him by 3x and the biggest by like 12x lol

[Kenjaku]

Ohh, she's such a little doll! Congratulations, I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures in puppyhood with Poppy! (: