The Pet Thread

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  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,697

    So, how many people have put in orders for dog nappies yet?

    Just look where you are putting your feet. The last thing we need is more landfill
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,625
    It's a bit like other people's snot noses. They're everywhere and I don't like stepping on them by accident.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087

    So, how many people have put in orders for dog nappies yet?

    What are your thoughts and feelings on lady litter.
  • Quite frankly I'm astounded by all your disregard for the state of my shoes after what "should be" a pleasant walk.

    Dog nappies is the obvious solution, it's as simple as that.

    You can buy washable dog nappies by the way, so environmental waste isn't a concern.

    Dog Nappies, buy them, put them on, walk the dog, clean them, repeat!

    !! DO THE RIGHT THING !!
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,625
    edited December 2022

    Quite frankly I'm astounded by all your disregard for the state of my shoes after what "should be" a pleasant walk.

    Dog nappies is the obvious solution, it's as simple as that.

    You can buy washable dog nappies by the way, so environmental waste isn't a concern.

    Dog Nappies, buy them, put them on, walk the dog, clean them, repeat!

    !! DO THE RIGHT THING !!

    Since nobody will do what you want, suggest you buy some shoe nappies instead.

    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,487


    2 years old today. He’s hard work at times but wouldn’t be without him and there a slight signs of his reactivity improving.
  • masjer
    masjer Posts: 2,677
    I'd almost forgotten about The Pet Thread. Anyway, Pickle doing a spot of guard duty as there’s been some feral farm cats lurking around the garden lately. At 16, her fighting days are behind her now, but it doesn’t hurt to be vigilant.
    Pickle
  • masjer
    masjer Posts: 2,677
    Muffin looking her best in the garden.
    Muffin
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,270

    17 1/2. The 1/2 matters once you are her age.
  • masjer
    masjer Posts: 2,677
    edited June 2023


    17 1/2. The 1/2 matters once you are her age.

    Muffin's 16, so a spring chicken. Her mum has just been put down, though.


  • Do not touch the black paw for it shall bring thee certain death 😁
  • masjer
    masjer Posts: 2,677



    Do not touch the black paw for it shall bring thee certain death 😁

    It looks like he's ready to strike. :D
  • It looks like he's ready to strike. :D


    George is always primed and ready to rumble 😄

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,533

    Seeing @Pross's pooch on the photography thread reminded me of my best dog... lawdy, I loved him. How could I not, when he looked deep into my soul with those melting brown eyes? Been gone 20 years now.


  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 2,128

    Also @Pross

    You’ve mentioned running events, have you tried canicross with your gsd? I bet he would be up for it.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,487

    It was one of the reasons I originally wanted a larger dog. Unfortunately he is too reactive around other dogs to do the races but I have tried running with him a few times. Once he's had 20 minutes of stopping to sniff and pee on everything he's pretty good but he likes to pull hard on technical downhills or really muddy, slippery sections then trot along at perfect heel when the course goes uphill. I then get home knackered and the first thing he does is get his toys out for me to play fetch. I've never managed to get him tired.

  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 2,128

    I did a couple of events a few years ago with my old GSD who was very reactive, he was ok when running with other dogs. I think he sussed that he couldn’t bully them all so tried to keep a low profile to hid the fact that he was not really as confident as he tried to make out.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,487

    Yeah, I think he might be OK once we got going. He tends to be more subdued when he is in a position of going into other dogs 'territory' I'm just wary of what would happen in overtaking situations. I've considered running with him muzzled but thought he might then see it as a punishment. There's also the issue that he hates anything being in front of him and I'm not sure I could keep up with him if he really goes for it. I've also thought of trying to do man-trailing with him as it would hopefully work him mentally as well as physically.

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,533


    Yeah, GSDs could probably be trained if you were so minded, but I suspect that it's just not in their genes.

    My collie x GSD was a bit of a bruiser if he felt like it and wouldn't take hostages if another dog tried it on. That said (at the risk of repeating the anecdote), if a little yappy dog came charging at him, he would give it such a look of disdain ("Huh, call yourself a dog?!") that his nonchalance alone could send the pretender away with his tail between his legs. The same nonchalance was what made him a great cow dog, as he'd just lollop around somewhere behind the cows, gently keeping them moving towards me, without harassing them.

  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 2,128

    Ah yes sounds like he is very competitive if he wants to be in front all the time which is great so long as you are not on challenging territory. I found myself being dragged off course on occasion, luckily it was normally just a squirrel distraction 😆

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,487

    I met a guy completely by chance while walking Wolfie in the lane last weekend. He'd pulled his car into a passing place and I assumed he was letting me pass but he got out for a chat. It turned out he owns a security firm and does all the dog training for them along with the police and also some military dogs. He said he can never resist stopping to see a GSD. I mentioned the reactivity issue and he's said he'll do some training with him for free as he enjoys it so much. I just have to wait a few weeks until he is a bit quiter with work. I've previously had him on a 3 week 'behaviour modification' course that cost me £1200 and have forked out for a few private sessions with an ex-police dog handler - very different methods, the one uses all the positive reinforcement techniques that I could have just used from YouTube videos and saved a fortune whilst the other is a bit more old school which actually seems more effective. The positive reinforcement stuff works OK when you are in a large open space and you can let him see other animals, turn him away before he reacts and reward but is much harder when you are just out on a walk and encounter other dogs that you have to pass (even more so near the house as he seems to think of it as his domain and particularly hates all the other dogs in the area, especially the males). It's hard work at times and does unfortunately mean he goes to fewer nice places.

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,533


    Yeah, I was lucky in that I lived on a farm when I first got mine, and could train him to sit, stay, and come without any distractions, and he was very good at that, and learnt to walk on a lead without ever tugging... I could hook it over my little finger. The only times I totally lost control was if he went after a hare... then he was gone!

    But I'd always have him on a lead if I was anywhere near people and other dogs, just in case, as he did have a fearsome set of gnashers which he knew how to use, and was very fast and nimble, trained not least in trying to catch rabbits to eat, head, fur, bones and all.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,487

    A rare moment of peace!