[Shasta220]

Glad that you were able to learn, Harpers Mom. 🙂 it’s so relieving when people finally get that “click”, learn something, and then actually do it.

Ive only recently started doing obedience classes, maybe a year ago? But before that, I didn’t realize how vital proper placing of the collar was, and I didn’t realize that a choke collar can be put on improperly, causing it to never loosen. I have ALWAYS hated pullers though, so as soon as I got my very first dog, “heel” was the very first thing he learned. He was never allowed to pull (except when I threw a harness on, and wanted some help up a hill LOL! Then I’d give him the command and he’d turbo-blast me up the hill)

[Shasta220]

It was starting to make me a bit upset at class. I’m the assistant at an obedience group class, maybe 15-25 dogs in it. Every single one had the collar way down low and was acting like a turbo-drive sled dog. There’s just NO control or meaning in the corrections if the collar is down there…the trainer and I try reminding people, but we don’t have time to go to every single person and fix the collar for them.

There was one lady w her dog, she was using a martingale….I don’t think she realized how to properly fit one lol. It was at it’s tightest (the rings were touching) and there was still a gap between the collar and the dog neck when the dog pulled…annnnnd yes, it was near the chest lol!

[Shasta220]

Couldn’t say it any better. If she’s maintaining weight, she’s doing fine. I still have mixed feelings about rotational diets. I’ve found them to make ultra picky cats, but so far it works well for my dogs (although they would probably eat a brick if given the chance…)

Try the above suggestions. It also could be that she’s just in a not-hungry mood. My Shasta did that when he was a pup – he would actually go 2-3 days without touching his food, but he still wanted treats or whatever was in Cassy’s dish (the exact same kibble). He finally gave in and ate his own, and hasn’t had the problem since.

[Shasta220]

Haha no problem, Alexsandra. As I’ve said in my earlier posts – any training tool, from a gentle-lead head collar to a harness to a pinch collar, even a plain ol buckle collar…if in the wrong hands, can harm a dog.

I’ve noticed this a lot with chokers/martingales/pinch – they get such a bad reputation. It took me a while to figure out, but we think of animals as wanting to move away from pressure (after all, horses obviously do!), but dogs often go against it. That’s why you see dogs choking themselves, or struggling even harder to pull out of the collar (or harness/halter) when they get scared. That force is a barrier that they need to break.

Now, all of this is just my own personal theory, I’ve not backed it up with science or research, only observation.

Also, almost evvvvery type of collar i see is on the dog wrong – down at the base of the neck. A dog’s strongest muscles are down there; just look at the sledding malamutes, the main harness part goes around the base of their neck. If the collar is in the right place, right below the ears, the dog physically can’t and won’t pull against it, especially if it’s a quick tug instead of gripping/pulling constantly.

[Shasta220]

Dori, I don’t know much, but I’ve heard tons of people use local raw honey for allergies. Have you ever tried that for your girl?

[Shasta220]

Patty, so awesome you’ve had so many! I’ve always wanted some sort of exotic pet. I used to own parakeets, but they’d all live about 6-12mo and die a weird unknown death. I think I know why, but I’m done with birds for now. Then I have some fish that I forgot to mention ;D
So how many acres are you on, then? Right now, we’re on 5 (although the area we live in, there’s a saying: “you walk uphill to school, and uphill home”. couldn’t be more true!) acres, but it’s all fairly rough terrain, so we only have about 3 usable acres.

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There are a few of those guys floating around here….like those two that always recommend Hills and RC food, regardless of what the topic was. :/

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dogspotindia, really? Hills is full of junk, by-product, and tons of stuff dogs are easily allergic to. If you want the condition to get /worse/, then yes, you DEFINITELY want Hills! 🙂

[Shasta220]

Sooooo awesome that you’re from Australia!!! I’ve always wanted to go there!!!!! 😀

I’m on the Oregon coast (west USA). I have 3 dogs:
Cassy, 1/2 Lab 1/2 GSD (since the mother’s GSD didn’t show up in appearance, we just call her a lab), she’s 12

Shasta (left) is a 6yr mutt. His dad was a lab/wolf, and his mom had some of everything. I know he has some hound and possibly border collie (he’s smart as a whip and has a great big sorrowful “bail”)
Loki (right) is a 3-4yr Kelpie/Aussie.

Then I have cats, chickens, ducks, a miniature pony, and my biggest puppy-dog, Inigo Montoya (he’s about 15mo), a Holstein steer. Nope! He is NOT beef! He’s my lawn-mower, companion, and future mount 🙂

[Shasta220]

Thanks for the help, guys! Ah, yes, Dori. Drives me nuts to see everyone say that kibble cleans teeth. I mean, yeah, it’s probably better than canned, but it still gives gross buildup – if it didn’t, then my dog wouldn’t have lost a tooth! I’d love to do raw, but resources and wallet just don’t allow it.

I’ll definitely check into those brands recommended. Good to know that I’m not the only one who thinks water additives do virtually nothing. The best breath-freshener for my super picky dog (he is DISGUSTED by ANY tooth products, he’s way too smart to fall for that “chicken” flavor, or “flavorless” stuff lol!), was to smash coconut oil into the edge of a bowl and let him lick it off. That way it’d eventually spread all through his mouth; if I’d just let him chew/gulp it down, it wouldn’t have time to get everywhere.

For sure, next time I get a puppy (not seeing that for another 5-10yrs at least), oral hygiene will start right away. My rescue guy has naaasty teeth with strange brown tartar/stains that won’t come off regardless of brushing/scraping. His personality/energy makes him seem about 3y.o., but those teeth look almost as bad as a 7-8y.o. dog…dang I wish I could know about his past LOL!

[Shasta220]

I would probably agree with Sue. Picky eaters are easy to form, hard to UNform! Skipping a meal or two will not hurt him (I know some dog owners who fast their dogs for a day once every week or two even.). Is he overweight or are you concerned about keeping weight on him?

I’ve not dealt with picky dogs before, since I try to keep my food fairly consistent with my dogs. Only one guy was picky, so I just offered him the same food. He ended up going hungry for about 2 days, then finally ate and hasn’t had a problem since.

I do have a picky cat, so I totally feel you – she refuses ANY cat food, so she has to be on a raw diet. Have you considered doing your own homemade diet for your guy, or are you going to give commercial foods one more shot?

[Shasta220]

Yes, I know how they’re made, but I’m just wondering if /any/ nutrients are left in refined, as my cat refuses to eat the unrefined…

[Shasta220]

I bought two big containers of organic extra virgin coconut oil when we finally went to Costco (my grandmother lives nearby, and I had to take her to a cataract surgery. Figured since were all the way out with her, better kill two birds with one stone and get to Costco!). They were (I think) 78oz, 23$ each. Huge win-win, since the organic coconut oil nearby is $18 for only 20oz!

Starting the dogs on it gradually. I’m also mixing some into my older cat’s canned food, since it obviously couldn’t do any harm, and I hope it helps some with her icky teeth.

I REALLY hoped Millie (my ultra picky cat who has some nutrient deficiency due to the pickiness…) would eat it and get some extra nutrition. She loves the refined stuff, but totally refused the organic, of course! -_-

So one more question on it: IS there any benefits in the refined coconut oil? (This is the kind w/o hydrogenated oils) If there’s at least a little nutrition left in there, then I’ll still give it to her. Possibly I can try to sneak the organic oil by adding about 5:1 refined to unrefined…

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Ah ha, I see. That’s prob a good thing though, there are some creepers on there!

[Shasta220]

Patty do you have a FB? If so, you should shoot me an email and we can get in contact! =D shasta111@charter.net

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Yesss I know I know! He has good intentions, and does put the ointment on until the spot goes away, but like I say – it’s like putting perfume on body odor. It masks it, but ain’t gonna take it away.

What just irks me THE most is that danged Beneful!!! You can buy 4 star foods for the same price, if not less! I somewhat understand someone needing to feed a cheap food due to tight budget, but this guy does not have a tight budget… He thinks he spoils them by buying Puperoni, rawhide chews, and Beggin Strips *long depressed sigh*

I’m glad you guys totally understand me though. I’ll admit, there was a time when I thought that the fancier packaging, various colors/shapes, and “wholesome soy” in Beneful was healthy; but I was a seven year old girl. Ya can’t blame me. By the time I was 11-12 (when I got my first personal puppy), I was aware of the fact that dogs need quality of some sort. I’ll admit, I was content when my folks bought a bag of food with bone meal or by-product as the first ingredient, but hey! For being uneducated, at least I had enough common sense to know animal products are needed in a dog’s diet.

[Shasta220]

I’ve also read about people who use apple cider vinegar as an ear treatment. Mix some raw organic acv with an equal amount of water and wipe her ear out with the solution daily. I don’t know for sure if it’s safe for cats…it’s great for people and dogs, so I’d guess cats can handle it too.

[Shasta220]

It does sound like you need to take a slow approach to food, Patty and Sue gave good suggestions – starting with only a couple ingredients at a time, since he probably has many allergies.

There’s the slight possibility that he’s reacting to environment as well. Maybe try an anti fungal shampoo to see if it helps, and if it’s environmental allergies, possibly trying to give him coconut oil and raw LOCAL honey daily? That seems to have helped my sensitive lab a whole lot when diet alone wasn’t quite cutting it. Plus, the coconut oil helps oral health and makes super soft fur 🙂

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Yes, Patty, I have no doubt that his dogs have allergies….he just has that old-fashioned mentality that dogs naturally stink and get itchy, regardless of the food. I’m just so sad that he thinks all it takes is a little bit of anti-itch ointment. Sure, that’ll cover it up, but it doesn’t eliminate the problem. Like if you chew a piece of gum, sure, it’ll make your breath fresh; but as soon as you spit the gum out, the only way to eliminate bad breath will be to get them teeth scrubbed! (Sorry for the lame example, but I think y’all get my point.)

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Gosh I wish I had the guts and heart to raise/butcher my own meat….the dogs would have chicken and beef for dinner every night! But nope. I just haffa be a sensitive sissy, naming all the chickens, being attached to the rooster even though it attacks me, and treating my cow like an oversized dog… XD

Great your dogs liked it! 🙂

[Shasta220]

Love your new avatar! I’m guessing that’s Sir Bruno? 😀

[Shasta220]

Yeah, I was going to offer to help suggest various foods on a variety of budgets, but I was just waiting for his message reply.

Uggggh sounds like he’s not at all interested in switching. I guess he just has that “old fashioned” mindset that all dogs are gonna be stinky and dirty, and get occasional itching problems, regardless of the food. He replied, annnnnd didn’t mention anything about food -_- he just said “I’ll treat his spot, but they haven’t had any in 2yrs now. Thanks for vigilance.” So it sounds like his pooches are being stuck with that junk…

Btw, I saw your reply to my Hobby thread….do you have a FB? If so, you should email me! 😀

[Shasta220]

You can google various uses for tea tree oil. Personally, if I had a bottle of it, I’d be using it in my skin/hair care treatments. There are tons of uses for it outside of helping ear infections though 🙂

Definitely make sure her food is quality and consistent – my lab used to get awful ear infections when she was on cheaper food. Now we keep her on 4-5 star foods and she has never had an infection since!

[Shasta220]

Ohhhh Patty you’re making me hungry for scallops now. My dad used to scuba dive before his back surgery, and we are lucky enough to be next to an area rich in GIANT scallops. Those boogers were huuuuuge and delish!

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You guys are all hilarious!!!!!! Toooooo funny, Marie! Sounds like being interested in dog nutrition just happens to bring the other hobbies around, LOL! Seems like everyone here loves some sort of music or art as well!

Thanks for the compliments. I’ve thought about trying a business out of it, but really it’s nothing more than a hobby. I’ve sold custom portraits to a few people, but I can never just find inspiration with someone saying “here’s a pic of my dog. Draw it and I’ll pay you.” Last one I did, I waited about a month before starting on it (if I’m not “inspired,” my drawings are lousy LOL!)… Then almost every drawing I do, it starts out looking /this/ way in my mind, and ends up WAY different when I’m finished. I’ve never had any lessons/classes, and I like it that way. I’m not really looking into doing anything more than draw on a rainy night or something.

I’m glad y’all like my steer! 😀 his name is Inigo Montoya (or Iggy), he just turned 1y.o. in January. He is a clever little claud he is! I’m actually not in the country – well, sort of yes, but not really. We’re on a 5acre plot. It’s 1.5mi to the nearest town (a very small one), and then the beach is only 7-8mi away. Ironically, we go there maybe twice in a year LOL!

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Thanks XD Ms Maddy is keeping me from going to sleep right now… I’m on my tablet, all the lights are off, and she is taking up my pillow. Only because the countless pillows, blankets, and furniture is just not good enough for her royal highness *rolls eyes*

[Shasta220]

I still agree with Dori, I’m just not seeing him as this incredible trainer. Granted, it’s 80% up to the person at the end of the leash. Even the nicest walkers could very easily turn into turbo-blasters if the person at the other end of the leash isn’t giving a proper assertion. Like I say – my boys, especially Shasta, know that if there is ANY tension on the leash (Shasta even knows if his ear goes past my waist.), then I’m gonna get on em with a correction. When my parents walk them though, the dogs know they can get away with a whole lot more b/c they aren’t get any initial assertive energy/tone, or even a “heel” command. Plus they don’t get corrected when they’re out of proper alignment.

To me, the most beautiful thing is to see a dog who is willingly at the walker’s side/slightly behind, loose leash, relaxed, and happy. That is, to me, far greater of an accomplishment than almost anything. The dog is in perfect sync with the owner. That leash is there solely to protect the dog if an emergency situation happened (which might include something that’s not the dog’s fault, like another dog coming up and attacking, etc.). The leash is always loose, except for a split-second correction the INSTANT needed (most people deliver the correction a moment too late, and occasionally a little too soon, which confuses the dog)

I used to walk Shasta without a leash when we were in town, and occasionally I’d walk my now-passed 90lb guy without a leash. I wasn’t worried they would do anything, but I realized it’s flat-out stupid to walk with no leash. I’ve had dogs come up to pick on them sooooo many times, and Shasta isn’t too fond of dogs trying to shove him around, so that leash will let me keep him back if the other dog won’t scram.

Sorry for getting so descriptive about everything, LOL! Can you tell that I love the art of obedience? XD I’ve heard of how stubborn your roommate can be, so I’m not trying to persuade anyone for anything; I’m just giving my two bits about what I know of true dog whispering…

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Bobby, that’s great! We are honestly the opposite, LOL! All three of my dogs (even my super slow picky eater) didn’t mind it at all when I added it. I, on the other hand, can’t stand it. I added about a tablespoon into some water, as well as a tablespoon of raw sugar water. Ahhhhh I couldn’t even finish it! I suppose it’ll be an acquired taste for me.

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Ah I guess I haven’t thought of that, Bobby. I’d imagine an easy way to do that is to just take an empty bottle and fill it 3/4 w water, 1/4 w ACV – then use about 2-4 times as much.

[Shasta220]

I’d assume they’re high quality. Compare the ingredients to other 5 star foods on here, that might help.

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That’s good when the vet doesn’t get too picky about the topic of food. My vet said the only food he recommends is Hills and one other (maybe RC? I don’t remember). At that time, our dogs were on Dog Lover’s Gold (4 stars) and Nutra Nuggets (3 stars), he said he didn’t recommend anything that didn’t have an AAFCO statement, including those foods. I went home and looked at the bag….pretty sure I saw a statement on there lol! But the vet doesn’t scold you or anything, he sees how healthy the dogs are and can’t complain.

It’s annoying how much they ask about eeeevery food though. They ask how many treats, what type, any people food, cooked or raw, etc etc. Then I said that Loki gets a few raw scraps occasionally, and he just said “scraps lead to an overweight dog…” (He probably noticed that Loki went from 41lb at the shelter to a whopping 43lb after we had him. He still has a thin waste line and could gain 2-5 more lb without a problem…) yeeeeah, I’m reeeeally worried now that giving Loki a chicken leg once a week will make him fat! LOL!

[Shasta220]

About 1tsp (or even 1/2tsp) daily should be plenty for a 13lb doggie. The best way to hide it would probably be thoroughly mixing it into the food, yes. Definitely start with a tiny bit (like 1/4tsp), and if he doesn’t notice it, then you can slowly increase it.

[Shasta220]

Wow…. Choke collars are WAY worse than pinch collars in my opinion. I used to walk a neighbor’s dog (maybe 20-30lbs), and she had a choker. She pulled HARD! I doubt she could have pulled harder even if she had a sledding harness on! Chokers can be a great tool if properly executed (I prefer nylon slip collars/leads though), but they are NOT meant for constant pressure. The general training rule for a big-time puller is that the INSTANT there’s tension on the leash, turn and walk in the opposite direction. When the dog turns around, runs ahead, and there’s tension, turn back, and so on. When I started my rescue dog on that method, I literally took one step, turned around, took a step, turned around. That went on for about 5-10min, in several sessions throughout the week. Now he is very decent on the leash, and when I give him “free time” he seldom pulls. If he does, I give a quick tug and “easy” and he relaxes…

I am perplexed that he trains her so well off leash, and yet ignores on-leash work. I always always ALWAYS do leash work first, since my dogs will be in unrestrained areas mostly, and even with my best-trained guy, I’d never let him off leash by a highway or otherwise dangerous area. Too many risks, and I’ve lost my favorite dog from that mistake.

If she walks nicely with him and not with you, then it’s probably just a dominance/”pack leader” issue. My boys are virtually flawless with me, but as soon as I give the leash to someone else, they go into super-crazy-woohoo-PullLikeHeck mode. The reason why is because they know that person won’t correct them. I’m sure if I got lazy and lost the assertion, they’d get jerky with me too.

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I’m not sure how big your water bowl is, Aleksandra, to know how much ACV should go in there. I love using it as a supplement for it’s anti fungal/bacterial properties, but I’ve never tried to put it in water. I honestly wouldn’t blame him for not wanting to drink much, that stuff stinks lol! I’m lucky my dogs don’t care… I accidentally poured about 2tbsp instead of just 1 over my lab’s food, and she didn’t care at all! She gobbled all of it up just the same. I could probably put a handful of dirt over her food and she’d still eat it, though.
(Sorry if it’s a dumb question: what does RMB stand for?) Edit: never mind…. Figured it out, LOL! Raw meaty bone. *does a face-desk*

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Shasta220.

[Shasta220]

Errrrr….. Was that supposed to be a joke, samaroberoi, or are you seriously that uneducated? Or possibly do you work for one of those companies?… o__o

I will agree – you don’t /need/ a food that says “puppy” on it. If it’s a balanced all life-stage formula, your guy should do fine. I trust most of the 4-5 star foods on here. I personally love NutriSource GF. I know two seniors who are on it right now, and they are FANTASTIC. The 13y.o. deaf girl acts not a day older than about 7!

Going grain free can be tough sometimes. All GF foods will seem quite tempting, but in reality, there are a lot of brands just trying to get on the GF bandwagon, so be sure to thoroughly inspect the ingredient list.

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Catherine, Earthborne is a good brand. RC and Hills really are very very low in quality, so I’d just stay where you are with food.

Oh geez, that’s horrible about the ticks! I’m so fortunate to be in an area where parasites are minimal. When I first got Shasta as a pup (he was a giveaway – like those puppies you see for free by the corner of Walmart.), he had horrible worms (he had horrible living conditions…his mom actually died of the simple roundworm), so we gave him some wormer. He has had 4 ticks in his life so far. None of our other animals have ever had a tick. The dogs rarely suffer from fleas anymore since I sprinkle a little Borax underneath their kennel bedding, vacuum regularly, and give them regular baths. The vet tries to make me feel so guilty for not giving them preventatives, but I’ve heard all those nasty stories about reactions to those chemicals. I’d rather stick with my routine since it doesn’t seem to /not/ work.

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Honestly I’m not opposed to pinch collars. They must be used properly though, as 80% of people I see are DEAD wrong in how they use them. I’ve put one around my bare leg/arm and yanked hard. Honestly, it didn’t hurt, it was just uncomfortable… They are not for a hard puller though, as dogs eventually can learn to completely ignore corrections.

I use them on a dog that already walks nicely (relatively) but might need a firmer backup. And correction is ALWAYS nothing more than a quick tug and “no.” If the dog keeps fighting it and ignores it, then it’s become “sour” to the pinch collar and needs something else. Keeping the collar high up (like right below the ears) is how I have it. I barely need to twitch my hand and my dogs know it was a correction.

I do believe that they /can/ inflict harm on dogs and /can/ be a cruel way to train a dog, but then again, it’s possible for an uneducated owner to hurt a dog with virtually anything, including a plain ol’ buckle collar.

Like I say, I’m no professional, but I do work with a professional trainer of 40 years, and she isn’t opposed at all to pinch collars – it’s the chokers that do real damage…

[Shasta220]

Aleksandra…I honestly wouldn’t ever call your roommate a dog whisperer if his dog doesn’t even know leash manners. I’m not at all saying I’m a great trainer or anything (aspiring to be one though…), but any /true/ trainer would know this: the leash is not to restrain your dog, it’s to be a backup to your body language, energy, and voice. The very very first thing I work on when I get a new dog is a balanced walk. When the dog is in front (even when the leash is somewhat relaxed), you’re telling him that he’s the leader and you’re following. When he is at your side or slightly behind, you’re saying “I’m boss. You’re my follower, I’m guiding you.”

Sorry, that had nothing to do with this whole collar vs harness debate, LOL! But since I teach my dogs to never pull, if I ever owned a small dog, then I’d probably just use a collar on walks (probably a harness for initial training of course). But certainly, if anybody has a small dog and worries about lunging or pulling, a harness would probably be best.

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I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s coming up to a year since my 2yr mix passed… I know it’s hard to pick favorites, but there was something in him that’s never been in any of my other dogs… Sending prayers and warm thoughts <3

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I’ll have to admit – my dogs are almost all dry, with occasional additions (apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, eggs, fish oils, other supplements). When I move out though, I will probably get into about 75% raw with them, because I love love LOVE the results I’ve seen. But for now, I don’t have the money, resources, or space to start three med-big dogs on raw.

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Greenies around here aren’t liked too much, I’ll admit. And I will agree with everyone else – they stink, have gross ingredients, and really don’t clean as well as they say.

Try getting on a routine of brushing daily (or at least weekly if you have a difficult pooch), and you can use raw bones as well as other natural chews. I also went to the extremes of a water additive for my oldest girl, but I don’t think that’s nessicary.

I do, however, love Zuke’s Z-ridge bones. The textur is similar to greenies, but they are made of better ingredients like potatoes, fruits, and natural breath help from plants. Plus they seemed to actually work. I broke a big one in half and gave a piece to two of my dogs – by the time they were done, they have /really/ good breath. Greenies? Not so much. I’m not sure how good they are ever since Purina bought them though :/ all I know is the packaging has already changed (I miss the old packages) and prices have skyrocketed… Ugh!

[Shasta220]

I love apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, raw eggs, and I always keep a good joint supplement around for my old girl.

I’m curious – most glucosamine/chondroitin is sourced from shellfish, correct? Would crayfish count as well? Whenever we go camping, we catch loads of the lil buggers. Would it be safe to give the cooked shells to a dog (consistency is a lot like an eggshell), or would they need to be ground…or should they just be avoided altogether?

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Oops, just now saw your reply to me that was written in January.

Spices are quite controversial, I’d have to say. Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much about adding them. They don’t add any more/less flavor for the dog, and it’s probably such a tiny amount that it wouldn’t really benefit the dog much.

I do like adding cinnamon though….mainly cuz a sprinkle on top looks so darn nice, LOL! I’m having a hard time with replacing wheat flour myself. So far I’ve only tried oat and rice – it makes super crumbly treats in my opinion… If you ever find a flour combo that “binds” as well as the wheat, be sure to let me know! 😀

[Shasta220]

Also, about the ID tags – I’d recommend getting your pooch microchipped, and you could probably just keep tags on his harness (you can buy little removable keychain-things so that you can switch the tags to a new harness as he grows, because those tags can be a hassle to get on/off of things!). If you live in an area where escaping the yard is a huge possibility, then you could probably keep a collar w ID tags on him. Possibly get a breakaway collar even? (I’m not sure if they make them for dogs…but a cat collar would prob fit a Pom puppy)

[Shasta220]

I’d definitely do a harness for such a tiny fella… Possibly if you do good leash-training (teaching a proper heel, or at least teach him to ALWAYS keep a loose leash), then you could go over to a collar. My guy is microchipped, and only wears a collar when he’s in public. He lives in an outdoor kennel run, and there are certain spots in the fencing where he has snagged and pulled out of his collar (I was lucky it was loose enough he could pull out of there…). That was the very last time I let him (and my other dog, who’s worn a collar 24-7 his whole life) wear a collar while unsupervised.

Since my dogs are thoroughly trained on the leash (okay, Loki is in the /process/ of it), I honestly don’t think too much about what to have them wear. Sometimes I pop on a harness just because it looks cute, other times I get the pinch collar out if they’re being obnoxious. But then again, they’re 40-70lb dogs. I’d probably never use /any/ collar when initially training a tiny dog.

[Shasta220]

I don’t know much about the vast amounts of joint supplements out there, but I enjoy Actiflex 4000 (meant for horses, but can easily be used for dogs). It’s probably not the best out there, but it’s super affordable. My 70lb senior lab gets about a tsp daily, which we figured that to be around 5$/month (compared to 30$/month of her other stuff.)

I’d definitely go with dchassett’s suggestions though sounds like she’s been around the block a few times when it comes to joint care.

Best wishes!

[Shasta220]

I’m not sure if our dogs would have patience to mess with a coconut. They are 40-70lb, but only the smallest guy would have any possible desire for it. My 50lb boy, Shasta….seriously that dog is a crack up! I bought them a brain teaser toy (they have to pull the blocks off to find the food), and Loki figured it out instantly. Shasta just sniffed it and didn’t even try-“nope! I am much too lazy to work for my food. I’ll happily do tricks, but actually get the food myself? No thanks!”

I might get brave one day though and roll a coconut out to them to see what happens.

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crazy4cats: no no, that’s totally fine. I’m in a bad place LOL! We have a couple little pet/feed-type stores (the Mini Pet Mart has a whole wall of tobacco as well…because everyone goes to a pet store to buy their cigs, right?…), then we have Walmart and Fred Meyer, and you have to drive an hour or two for pet co/smart, Costco, etc.
But maaan that Costco coconut oil is a good deal compared to 10-20$ for a tiny jar at Walmart…

[Shasta220]

Ah yes, I just found that brand. Win win for sure! Ah I wish Costco was closer than 2hrs. Now I’ve got to stock up on their dry food, canned food, AND coconut oil next time I go (better start saving!).

[Shasta220]

The cats pretty much own the house, LOL! Which is yet another reason I’m not really a cat person. If I tell Millie “No, off” she looks at me like “whatcha gonna do about it?”

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