Loving my Oldies

And people here are very good at offering support and encouragement, because no matter what the dog, no matter what the person, we care about the happiness and wellbeing of everyone. Please let us know how you and your puppy progress.

Yes, this is just absolutely crucial for all new puppy owners to understand.

Your puppy is just a baby. I wonder how long you have had him in that perhaps he was taken from his mum and litter mates too young? Maybe when he first came to live with you, your family (in all kindness and love) just gave him too much attention and loving and then thought he’d had enough and would be happy on his own. A puppy of his age can find it hard to adapt to a COMPLETELY and very strange new life; all puppies are different, though, same as you can have two children who could have come from different parents . A crate is a good idea, but it has to be made into a place of safety, security, interest and somewhere he can go to to curl up and go to sleep knowing that he is in his little place of safety. Remember, a puppy of his age has bouts of energy followed by longer bouts of sleeping - just like a human baby. And if he did come from a pet shop or a puppy mill, he has not been socialised properly or introduced slowly to all the different things he is going to experience in every day life. People can forget that a puppy doesn’t pop out of its mum knowing everything that people expect of a dog. A dog needs to be shown these things with kindness and patience. Good luck with a trainer and hopefully you will have a happy well adjusted puppy with the trainer’s and your input.

First weigh in today two weeks after being told Mezza had to lose weight. I was thrilled because he’s lost 200 grams having gone from 5.95 to 5.75. It is good to know we are on the right track. I am feeding him crushed RC Satiety mixed with mushy carrots (no teeth) or a bit of bone broth to moisten it. He is not bothering me for food between meals and yesterday, I fell asleep on the couch and woke just before 7pm. He would have normally started barking more than an hour before that. for continued success.

You’ll get this sort of attitude in all walks of life, as Diva says. I’ve seen it many times over the years with trainers: there is one way and one way only .... their way. Doesn’t matter if the dog is a Great Dane or a Chihuahua, there is only one training way. Dangerous and stupid. Lots of examples in just a few posts of dogs killing each other. How many examples of dogs living together happily all their lives? It seems to me that your dogs have wonderful lives with you and with each other. The only thing that worries me here is that that very silly and potentially dangerous woman has planted a seed of doubt in your mind which will be very hard to eradicate and your uncertainty and worry might be projected onto your dogs. I’d like to bob her over the head frankly and tell her to stick to her breed.

She’s adorable. Love Bullies. I am sure it be long before little grieving hearts are mended.

Dear me, @grizabella, your post had me sniffling badly: the tragedy of losing Soona and Baby Boon and then feeling the caring and love staff and volunteers have for the chimps.

How old is Hannah? It must be terrible to lose one of the family in childbirth. It isn’t as though you can run in and stretcher her out to the maternity ward I love the way the staff went all out with the birthday celebrations

What? Your computer or my dogs?

I tried my stick blender today and it worked beautifully. I thought the kibble might have been too hard. They don’t seem to like rehydrated kibble. Fussy . . . . .

@PossumCorner, I am nothing else or no one else to blame except myself. My dogs don’t have access to any food other than that which I give them. I don’t have food lying around and I don’t buy snacks, but I have been guilty of giving them bits of pizza crust, little bits of biscuit and the like. That has now stopped partly because of the weight issue and partly because it was teaching them to hang around when I’m eating. They have access to the outside at all times, but as there isn’t anything for them to get into (although Bunter has become coprophagic only with his own). I nearly died the first time I saw him wolfing down before I had time to collect it. Quite turned the old tum tum.

WOW!! Thanks PK. That’s brilliant. On the RC Satiety packet it says he should be getting 74g for the first four weeks then drop down to 64g. Going back to the days (decades ago) when I obsessively counted calories, 164 would be the equivalent of two small apples . Because he doesn’t have any teeth, I have to smash up the kibble. I put it in a plastic bag and bang at it with a hammer. Very boring LOL. He also gets tablets three times a day which I have to hide in meat or roast chicken skin, so that has to be taken into consideration as well. I bulk it up with mashed carrots (I am dropping the rice and VAN) because they all seem to like carrots. I’m going to buy some chicken breast meat to see if that works with the tablets as both he and Bunter can manoeuvre the tablets out of pieces of meat , so if that worked, a few calories would be saved there. Regarding being desexed. I recall posting when I first brought him home and I was washing him, that I had an awful fright to find lumps underneath; naturally I thought the worst and then remembered Such a long time since I had an undesexed dog. Of course, he didn’t have those little lumps for long.

Thanks persephone. Very interesting site.

Thanks for letting me know RC Satiety has positive reviews PK. Mezza doesn’t harass me about food, but Bunter does so he is on it too. I’ve managed to get his weight down so with him it will be maintenance and comfort as he is on Pred. i would have thought 200/week sounds an awful lot. I was thinking maybe 50.

My elderly male Pomeranian, Mezza, adopted in January this year has been raiding the biscuit barrel and now has to lose at least 1.75kg. I joke about the biscuit barrel, of course, knowing that it is all my fault. He was 4.20kg in January and is now 5.95kg and at last visit to the vets she said he must lose weight. He has a few medical issues: heavy panting, crackly lungs, hernias and soreness in his legs. We have been doing tests for Cushings and depending on how he goes over the next couple of weeks, that has not been definitively ruled out, but is unlikely and he is on a veritable cocktail of meds. I have been mixing rice, carrots, Vets All Natural in with mince as his usual food ( he lost all his teeth at his first dental ), and I do use slow feeder bowls, but still the weight goes on. I am now trying Royal Canin Satiety and wondering if any one has had experience with that. I measured out the daily requirement for a dog of Mezza’s weight and it does seem an awful lot, but I've read here on DOL many times over the years that the suggested daily amounts on packets is too much. Anyway, what would a safe and healthy weight loss per week look like for a little dog like Mezza? Something I should have asked the vet, of course, but I was a bit harried at the time with all the things that are going on with him.

@pomguy I can’t help you with the costs, just wanted to send sympathies to you and your little fellow and I hope you have a knowledgeable and helpful vet. My little Pomeranian and I are about to embark on the “is it Cushings” journey . My little Mezza is also elderly and adopted in January from a pound. I can also understand the worries about the finances as I am an OAP . Wishing you and yours the best and hopefully medications will be affordable and easy to manage.

Too many tears today to find words.

OMG!! That video was horrifying. Such a relief to know that Chipper is home safely. Were the people recognised?

Galatea These are some of the best yet, I think. The one of Enzi on the ladder with Lani just crouched beside it is just fabulous.

How lovely to have such a beautiful update, @dididog. Thank you so much. And George Your “top of a valley” sounds perfect for you and the dogs: gorgeous views and great places for walking. Well done.

B.A.R.F.

Beautiful

I think that is the best idea. Even the best trained and happiest of dogs can get over excited and go off cliffs, balconies and the like.

Beautiful. She is turning Zeph into a puppy.