cannibalgoldfish

Not helpful but now I have that song sung by the Norwich terrier owners in the movie Best in show stuck in my head... "Goooooood loves a terrieeeeeeeeeer" Thanks for that...

This is timely, I was tossing up starting a thread asking why all the golden retrievers I see are very pale, almost cream. I was wondering of the truely golden ones are rare or is it just where I live? If you dont want me asking in here Fiasco, I can start my own thread. It has been bugging me...

I was wondering about something that happened the other day between my two dogs. I know there are some people on Dol who are very knowledgeable about dog behaviour. The few of you that read my posts in general know the basics but I will summarize parts of it. I have two male Shiba inu. Loki is a submissive little mummies boy who is my "sensitive" child. He is 9 years old, desexed as a puppy and in the last couple of years started to give me major grey hairs when he started to escape the inescapable yard...He was getting upset about loud noises, fireworks, storms ect. After a lot of angst, tears and fence building we finally found out the major part of his problem was he is developing cataracts. So we are managing his issues, which have spread to food. He resource guards his food now and gets upset if the other dog is near at dinner time, if dinner time is in the evening. We found out feeding him during the day was fine but if it was getting dark he would freak out due to the light levels. moving on.... Now we have a happy place, and a routine for Loki so he doesn't get too stressed. Basically I work on supervised or separate feedings during the day or feeding him in the kitchen at night which is well lit. We are managing his other issues about thunder and fireworks.. ect. Dog two is Wylie. He is another male shiba, 7 years old and entire. Part of the problem with feeding them was Wylie scoffs his food down in seconds and hangs around for Loki to leave his. Since Loki got tetchy about his food we feed them separately. Wylie didn't drive Loki off his food or growl or bark, he just "hovers" in his face until he moved on or got growled at. Recently I posted a thread about boarding my two and how Loki the "everything that can go wrong will" dog was fine and Wylie was upset and licked his paws raw in stress while we were gone. I dont know if the following issue is related to that but I'll mention it anyway. The other day I gave them a bone each. It was during the day and I was outside to supervise in case Loki got defensive over his bone. Wylie took his bone and went off to his bed, dropped his bone and came back as I was giving Loki his bone. Wylie actually charged Loki, barking and dived for Loki's bone. It was a totally new behaviour from him. Normally he hovers, not making eye contact with Loki and Loki growls and snarls (which is why I feed them apart) This was different! After Wylie took away his own bone he fixed his eyes on Loki and charged him. He eyeballed him and charged up barking and snarling, dived in low towards the bone and growling. Thats the only way to describe it! Loki didn't bark or growl which is odd for him. At this point they got taken into different parts of the house and left to eat their bone. So what happened? It was very out of character for Wylie. He hovers and hangs around and makes Loki upset but this was the first time he actively tried to chase him away from his food. I was wondering if it related to how stressed Wylie got when I boarded him? I'm not looking for what to do, I am aware of Loki's problems and I'm working around them. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me why this situation happened? Wylie is 7 now and this is the first actual sign of aggression towards Loki. (Not that I would count it as aggresion?) Has he finally got sick of being put in his place? Or is it a result of Wylie being a bit stressed from the boarding situation? I wont feed them together for now, even under supervisation just in case. So any ideas? I am really curious about canine behaviour, I learn things every day

It has to be a shiba cross (long haired shibas look the same as him actually) So does that mean I'm stuck with my boys for another 10, 15 years? :D ok, if it's bigger make that Akita cross

dont you mean "fleaing" the scene of the crime?

A shiba inu? Being a spitz you will have to work on the recall off lead but low barking (just yodeling screaming hellos when you get home) and smart if you can outthink them. Plus they can be very bold confident little guys.

I thought venting was the main reason for a forum?

http://www.examiner.com/american-pit-bull-in-national/north-carolina-ban-to-kill-numerous-breeds I know it's overseas but...?

Mine sleep all day mostly, but maybe thats because there are two of them. I still sometimes come home to find they have disemboweled their bed.

Will look into a pet sitter next time. Boarding them was a last minute thing as the friend looking after them hurt her shoulder the day before we left.

He was a little thinner too come to think of it. Picked at his dinner tonight

I just got back from a 2 week holiday and picked up the boys from the boarding kennel. This is the second time I have ever boarded them and I used a different place this time. My sensitive old boy Loki who stresses about everything was fine both times. In fact, he was happy and bouncy, when I expect him to fall apart. However Wylie, my silly happy go lucky nut who takes everything in his stride has fallen to pieces. The first time I boarded him earlier in the year he was very quiet and snuggly for a couple of days afterwards. This time... He is really quiet, and has licked all the hair off between his toes on his back feet and under his front legs He only started a few days ago and the lady at the kennels did contact my vet who told her it was probably stress and keep an eye on it. The kennel lady had been putting something on it but I forgot It isn't a contact allergy from anything there, he just licked himself raw. He hasn't been licking himself since I brought him home so I'm guessing it will clear up soon (vet visit just in case) however he is licking at nothing/air a bit I originally had planned to have someone come round and look after them but decided Loki was too much a risk and thought a boarding kennel would be safer if he got too stressed, which naturally he didn't. (He attempts to escape when he stresses and will hurt himself in the process) The question is, what do I do next time? Any ideas what I can do for Wylie if I have to board him again? Kinda makes me not want to go away again....

Could be a cuscus? .

They have the energy for kids but shed fluff several times of year. It gets everywhere..... Not a good dog to let off leash at a dog park either.... (little buggers may not come back....) but if they are ok with that, and dog proofing a yard (which they would anyway I hope)then maybe?

Apparently it was getting dark and they couldn't have them still running loose so they shot them rather than darted them. They say there are far more tigers in captivity with private owners in America than there are left in the wild... However there is a great amount of inbreeding between the species and they were probably not pure bengal anyway.

Tell that to the lil scruffers that launch themselves at anything larger than themselves (or my idiot dog who thinks he is 6 foot tall as well )

They didn't stay on for very long.... :D

Two Shiba inu and enough shed Winter coat to make a third....

Loki cocks his hind leg to do number twos as well as number ones....

The cat food :D

Not wary as a breed but wary when I'm walking the dogs and see other dogs off lead. The ones I am most wary of off lead are the labs. For some reason around here owners think its fine to let their lab come bounding up and loom over my dogs "he only wants to play" is the usual thing I get. Guess what, mine doesn't.

This is why one of mine has started getting narky with the other dog. Turns out he is getting cataracts and it's making him feel a bit insecure.

Ah, thanks. I wasn't sure if they were like cats, you know, give them a quiet space to feel settled in first.

Just curious and totally off topic, but why wouldn't you let your dog settle in for a few more days before taking her out and about?

There was even a small mention in a newspaper down here in Tasmania!