Bubitty

oh gosh!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Labs!!!!!!!!!!! They are soooooooooo adorable!!!!!!!!! Keep us updated Tapua!!! I can't wait until they are 6 weeks old! That is my fav puppy age!

I am so glad you have kept the puppy Jumblyjunior. I think even if you will need to contend with any potential hip issues many years from now (and that is a big "if") at least you won't spend the rest if your days wondering what happened to that puppy you loved and what became of her. That is how I would feel! I would also advise against the pennhip surgery. Just raise puppy to the best of your ability and monitor her progress. Best not to subject her to invasive tests and surgery when there are no problems! Some pups are just tough little things and she could grow up to be a healthy, tough as nails beast! No need to subject her to such serious surgery now!

Corvus's thread made me think! Bitty is an extremely submissive little dog. She is the most agreeable and lovable little thing. Would not dare to challenge anyone or anything. What I have noticed is how Bitty manages to completely OWN Bubby! What Bitty wants, Bitty gets, albeit in the most friendly happy way. To the point where if Bitty has finished her dinner bone, she will walk past Bubby, roll on her back, wriggle and Bubby would give her his bone and wander off. Bitty gets to play whenever she wants and I think Bubby has told her "Enough" maybe three times in her entire life. What I have noticed is if Bubby is not doing what she wants, she will let out this wailing cry and pace around crying until he gives into whatever it is she wants (usually its a game). What would you classify as a submissive dog? Observing Bitty makes me think that she has it quite good, despite being the more lowly ranked pack member! Makes me wonder why a dog would want to compete for something in an assertive manner when it seems to be so easy to get what you want by being submissive.

Absolutely gorgeous!!!!! You've made Lola's year!!!!!

In all honesty my two dream dream dream other breeds are: Rotty, Lab. But I do moon over TSD's Emily!!! Shame on me!!!!!!!

I wouldn't ignore a puppy if he/she was upset. There's a bit of crying/whining and then there is distress! We found it better, when bedtime approaches to cuddle puppy and give them lots of strokes/massages. When puppy fell asleep we popped her into her crate. A tiny bit of protesting but ultimately she was sleepy and felt soothed enough so settled down pretty quickly. I would also recommend a crate in the bedroom and setting an alarm to get up every 3 hours or so. Its a pain but well worth the effort for toilet training IMO!

- does raising a baby puppy result in a stronger bond between dog and owner? For me the answer is no. I raised Bitty, did everything for her and adored her from day dot. But then she grew up and ran off with my OH. Bubby on the other hand is a Mamma's boy. He adores me and loves his Mamma best, despite coming to us at 11 months. I think I will always cherish the puppy memories I got to have with Bitty and there is always a part of me which will wonder a wee baby Bubby would have been like. I wish I had fluffball memories of him, toilet training memories etc. Bubby and I have a soul bond whereas Bitty and I only have a training bond. She works well and works hard for me and we play together like no one else can but there is no "soulmate" quality. Bubby is a terror to train but he understands me when it comes to everyday life. - are some breeds, less work/less intense as baby puppies or is it individual dogs? I honestly think golden puppies are very easy as puppies provided you keep up your end of the bargain. Bringing up Bitty took a lot of work and effort on my part but she never put a foot wrong because she just embraces everything good that you teach her and never developed bad habits.

Is toy drive the same as prey drive? Bitty adores toys and can play for hours but last time in the park, I called her back from an injured bird without any trouble at all. Bubby on the other hand doesn't play with toys but there is no way we can call him off a bird.

I would think it was a gorgeous gesture!!!! It is a lovely thing to do! I would be stoked! But then I am the kind of puppy buyer who would invite you to dinner soo..........

I love my breeders and although this may sound vain I am their "golden child" puppy buyer! They LOVES me even though I am a nutjob!!! I remember ringing them up and asking "ZZZ, Can Bubby eat cake?" Response "Only if it has icing on it dear." I think its a matter of trying to find a breeder that is suitable for you and its a process that can take a while. I went with my breeder (for both dogs now) because I loved their flexibility and open mind about things. We are like chalk and cheese but we get along incredibly well and they just laugh at my silliness rather than get annoyed! I also feel that they "get" my perspective on dog raising even if it may differ from theirs. My biggest compliment from them was "We sold a dog last year to someone just like you and now they want another one! We are so pleased! They are exactly like you but less crazy!" :D

I agree with you there GR! Honey's recall is a constant work in progress, presumably because she was never taught it as a pup. We have made progress, I work hard at it but it's still not as good as I'd like and I doubt it ever will be. I too dream of having a pup to teach it from day one. But then there's other puppy "stuff" to contend with!!! Dee, just make sure you get a Goldie pup and there won't be much other 'puppy stuff' to worry about! My 6 month old boy has had free reign of the house with my other dog for the last 4 weeks while I am at work and I come home daily to a house that is still in one piece. Bub will tell you the same, they are just not destructive when exercised well! Yup!!!! I have to agree with GR!!! I had the easiest time with my pup. Sure there was a TONNE of effort involved in entertaining and training her but she has NEVER set a foot wrong! She has never dug, chewed, barked etc. And she is one of those madcap bouncy dogs as well, not a mellow wallflower. She had free reign of the house at 6 months and I have all my stuff strewn everywhere! Bubby was 11 months when I got him and I think it was great for me as he was my first dog. He was toilet trained and just so well behaved I didnt have to do much with him besides walk him, feed him and pat him. He gave me confidence and prepared me for Bitty I think. I would not have been so organised with Bitty if she was my first dog. I did a lot of things wrong with Bubby and a lot of experiments whereas Bitty has a textbook, calm upbringing.

So you would say she is a resource guarder even if she has never barked or growled at anyone regarding a bone/food? I am curious as to at what level would someone deem a dog to be a resource guarder. Getting growled at is pretty obvious. Can one tag resource guarding if all you are ascertaining is "concern" on the dog's part.

Just wanting to start a discussion on food aggression. I have noticed a few things about my dogs which make me think. Now both dogs have been taught to “give” and will give up bones or food if asked directly but............... Bubby is very relaxed with food and resources in general. He just doesn’t really care. If he is eating and I potter around him, he doesn’t bat an eyelid and has no reaction. Sometimes he will try to encourage me to hold a bone for him to chew on so he doesn’t have to use his paws. I would say his preferred way of eating a bone is if I am on the other end holding it for him (something I did when he was younger but have put an end to it once I realised it was sheer mollycoddling!). I would say there was practically zero chance of him getting antsy about food. Bitty on the other hand, is a very very very hungry little monster. In the past (about a yr ago) if she has a big juicy bone and I happen to approach her she will stop eating and drop next to the bone with what I would interpret to be a “worried” look on her face. She seemed to only relax when I told her to “eat” and showed that I had no intention of taking the bone away from her or wanting to interfere with it. I have tried to ease this concern by giving her VERY high value treats if I ever pass her while she is eating and now she will ignore me. Not with the blatant disregard of Bubby but I sense the concern has decreased. Ok, after that long ramble, I guess my question is if one were to judge the behaviour of both my dogs, would you conclude that Bitty has a greater propensity for food aggression? Or would you only conclude this if she DID do something aggressive?

Silly Bitty tries to do this! I let her lay for about 5 min and then call her back in! Bubby is a clever one though! Been inside all his life! Would NEVER set foot outside voluntarily, let alone sun himself!!!!

Oh my!!! Thats just gorgeous on him!!! And he doesn't look girly either!!!!

Thanks for that link Ness! They look fantastic!!!

Would you think the person was mean for calling Bitty a boy, though? What about if someone said Bitty was stupid - would that upset you? I went to a family lunch recently and my uncle said Pancake is really ugly. I responded with, she's even dumber than she is ugly He's a dog owner and couldnt believe I wasnt upset by the comment. Why would I be - Pancake doesnt know how dumb or ugly she is so the comment wont upset her. No, if they think she’s a boy, they think she’s a boy! It’s not their fault if she happens to look like a boy to them! If they said she was ugly or stupid, I would be more annoyed that they are a rude git for daring to say such a thing in front of ME. Regardless of whether she is stupid or ugly it’s just rude to say so in front of a doting owner!

oh how gorgeous! I am a bit dissappointed when people think my dogs are the wrong gender. Simply because it has been drilled into me by my breeder that the boys should have certain features and the girls should look a certain way. So when someone thinks Bitty is a boy I think "Oh nooooo!!! I wonder if its cuz her muzzle looks manly!"

I humanise. Often! And it does them absolutely no harm. They are my kids, my babies. I often refer to Bubby as my first born. I pay attention to their likes, dislikes, fears, delight. I pay attention when they ask me for something or indicate a preference. I oblige them and give into certain requests which I deem are reasonable. I have a wonderful relationship with my dogs and would say that my humanising has created a better bond between us.

ohhh that is a VERY VERY handsome looking collar!!! I like! :p

I think a pretty collar can enhance a dog's look. For instance Bitty looks lovely in various shades of pink. It just goes very well with her fur. Mine don't wear collars at home either but I think its nice to go for a walk in different collars cuz it gets dull seeing them in the same one all the time. Plus some people just like pretty trinkets! Collars give me another thing to shop for. Its harmless and fun!

I am going to pose the kids in their collars and take pics tomorrow! I took the Bitty for a third walk today because the collar and leads came in and I had to go for a spin and make a public debut!!!

Is this the right site C? Sells lots of meds! No collars I can find!

ohh thats really handsome looking!!!!!

+1 Sorry for asking a dumb question! I can't help it if I'm a happy dog owner who likes to buy her dogs nice new collars