Our Pets...

So cute! Deserves a cute name but I'm pretty much out of ideas for the moment

She's adorable. Very playful and energetic already.... like many Jack Russels.

Awww she's lovely Johan.  How about just calling her Mona.

Ohhhhh I will squeeze the stuffing outta her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strange I saw this thread right away.

My son (12) woke up to his guinea pig that had died during the night.    We had a little funeral in the backyard.  Ed's ( a female)  is now lonely and sad. 

Awwww sorry to hear that Gabby. 

very sad gabby 

So sad.  Get him another?

my little niece who just recently turned 3 and my german boxer



and

Very cute pic and very cute niece. 

Simply adorable, aren't they?

Two exceptional cuties! What can be more adorable then wee children and boxers!

Awe how cute, boxers are so good around lil ones!

They seem to get along perfectly. 

Awww how sweet. Hey Z, was your boxer a terror when he was a puppy? Mine is 10 months old and I want to strangle him. Well, no not really but he's a beast! He shreds paper, barks incessantly at me and bites my hands, digs holes outside, jumps on people and....um....I know there's more but that's all I got at the moment. 

hahah well Rex was handful till he turned 7-8 months, mostly when i would leave him home alone when he would make a mess.

But now hes fine. He still tends to jump on ppl but he is getting better and better. They are hyperactive by nature so no cure there lol .

I guess you should get a trainer as this is the critical age and best to train him before he gets older.

I'm working on finding a trainer. He runs out the door with my shoes and clothes too. I found two bras outside in the yard and it's a good thing I did because the landscapers would have thought I was crazy.

Would you think this little sweetheart is such a brat?

99% of the time when dogs are destructive is just plain boredom - under-stimulated
Both of ours were absolutely rotten chewers - drywall, shoes, anything.  We're both smokers and give them the empty packs (minus plastic and tinfoil) because it has 'parts' they can open and can chew and when the TP is done, we give them rolls. Now both at 2 and 4, past the destroying things stage, when theyre bored, we still give it to them and theyre just as happy to recieve these 'free' things from daddy as rawhides or cookies, because theyre used to them.

He looks adoreable Froggy.  Hard to believe he has a bra fetish

I just love all these boxers! Froggy looks like you need the dog whisperer. 

hi all ,our pets are some of very favorite subjects to photograph

You got a beautiful dog froggy! Im suprised you dont have a chewing problem with your shepherd though, instead of boxer.

My shepherd loved to chew me and my girlfriend, rather than shoes and house stuff. We did have quite a problem with that, our hands were covered with wounds and scratches for more than year. I used to give him raw bones but they rarely lasted for more than 10 minutes, on top of it he would made a house look like a slaughterhouse after those bones. But after puberty ended he just stopped to chew, on its own.

Btw, would really love to see the some photo of you shepherd as well

Looks hopefully there is an end to all the madness with your boxer Froggy!

I have been looking for months at local shelters, trying to find a German Shepherd that needs a new home but haven't had any success in finding one that would fit in with ranch/farm life and all the critters we have.  My current GSD is getting on in years, moving slower, having issues with his hips so we are taking extra care with him to make sure his remaining time with us will be comfortable and happy.  With that....I decided I wanted to get a GSD pup...and have him grow up, at least for the 1st year, with our older male.  I adopted a 12 week old male 2 weeks ago (he's 14 weeks now) and am having such fun raising a puppy!  Its been about 20 years since I've had a large breed pup so I'm being re-educated on what that experience is like.  My little guy's name is Boone (as in Daniel Boone) and he is definitely "my dog" as far as who he'd rather be with between myself and my husband.  He is eventually going to be my buddy...go with me in our jaunts to town and be my protector.  He is incredibly smart for a young pup...I had him sitting, laying down, shaking & heeling within the first two days!  He most definitely wants to please.  He is crate trained already, had that down within the first few days/nights.  My vet is very impressed with him as far as his overall build & disposition, doesn't have those sloping hips which cause them problems later in life...he also thought he was a very well behaved pup on our two visits to the clinic which I appreciated hearing!

Anyway....here is Boone 

How adorable!!  Puppies (and kittens, too) are such fun, but so much work. - I have to remember that every time I fall in love with a wee one!

He looks very nice!  Solid, with a great face!!  My brother & SIL bought a registered female GSD a couple of years ago to "backyard" breed (which I'm totally against), and she is so small I can't believe it.  I think it's because they underfed her when she was growing - but then, I'm one of those that grows giant critters, and I truly believe it's because I give them all they can eat when they're growing.  (even tho that's probably not true!  )

My 65 lb female Black Lab mix accidentally (long story) had puppies almost 4 yrs ago.  Helping to deliver & raise 8 (nearly identical) puppies was a ball!  But sooooooooooooo much work!  And I gave them all away with a "take back" guarantee, so of course I ended up with one of them back (from my cousin, no less).  He's my cuddlebug baby at 105 lbs. and he's very good at scaring away people, although he's never bitten anyone or shown any aggression.  He's just tall,  and barks like a champ.  He stands at the 4' fence with his paws on the top, jumping up & down, barking horribly.  He could go over the fence if he wanted to, but he's extremely respectful of barriers, even little ones.  Delivery men drop stuff on the car (outside the fence) and RUN back to their trucks!!  OMG, I laugh so hard when that happens.

I also believe it's a good idea to raise him with an older dog.  There was a HUGE difference in the energy/destructive level between Mom & baby with me, 'cus the baby had someone to keep him occupied and someone to learn from.  Good luck with him!!

Boone is a really handsome guy hymacaw, and from what I can see from pictures he has a very good ears (standing straight firmly with just 14 weeks)

Regarding german shepherd and backyard breeding, while Im extremely against it, I understand why some people are forced to do it (I underline the word "some"). To get a breeding licence for one shepherd here in Serbia it will cost you more than 1000 euros (plus the cost of breeding with a good male if you have a femele, plus extreme amount of money, time and effort spent in training for IPO exam). Since its so hard to sell a puppy for more than 200 euros in Serbia, we would likely be out of breeders if there wasnt some backyard breeding as well. Its quite sad but its a fact.

Also regarding behavior, I think german shepherd requires minimum effort to train, the only important thing is to start obedience training as soon as possible, which you already did

Wow, I wish they licensed for breeding here in the US!!  Backyard breeders & puppy mills are in such abundance, it's disgusting.  Here in upstate South Carolina, they just broke up 2 or 3 puppy mills in a matter of, like, 3 months.  Hundreds of mistreated, diseased, and injured dogs.  Truly sad & pathetic.  They've tried to re-home as many as they can.

I have a purebred, registered, Lhasa Apso (my icon) that I'm sure came from a backyard breeder, tho, and she is wonderful. I didn't mean to, but I HAD to buy her after my sister dragged me into a pet store & I fell in love with her spunky little attitude, and her smell.  I left her there the first day, but that night her smell just kept washing over me & I knew I had to go get her.  She was well handled & paper trained, so I know she came from a loving backyard breeder, but that's really hit or miss here in the US.

I also have a Shih Tzu mix that I took in as a foster dog, then ended up adopting him.  He was picked up on the streets of Virginia, marked as a "biter", and actually on the euthanasia table getting ready to be injected when he kissed the tech's hand; she wouldn't do it after that.  He went thru 3 or 4 foster homes in a month after that, until I got him.  We all believed he came from a puppy mill because at nearly a year old, he knew NOTHING about how to behave around people, other dogs, or anything.  He didn't know how to climb stairs, or ride in a car, or jump on furniture; wasn't house trained - the "rawest" dog I've ever seen.  After 7 yrs of having him, he still bites me occasionally, has bitten almost everyone in my family, and no one is allowed to touch him - I can't even hug him, although I can pet him some.  He's absolutely phobic about hands coming at him, but he's also the funniest, most comical little guy ever, and very emotionally attached to me.  I feel so badly that he was that mistreated before I got him, but I've even had a professional trainer work with him, and there's just no changing some things with him.  He is "managed" vs. trained.    If I die before him, he's going with me, 'cus no one else in my family will take him.

Yes, I have 4 dogs & NO husband - and LOVE it!!  Enough about my critters today.

Here's Pinkie (Lhasa) when she was a puppy.....

Is YOUR dog Sex-AY!



http://www.wimp.com/dogsshake/

Great stories and pics. I have two weaknesses - Boxers and Shepherds and i guess every dog in between! I was very lucky with my Boxer Hazel. She didn't go through the terrible puppy phase. I can leave food out on the coffee table, walk out of the room for an hour, come back and she hasn't so much as looked at it.

She does tend to get overly excited when someone comes over though and can jump and lick them to death. I think that a lot of over breeding of dogs can make them more hyped and harder to train.

Froggy i highly recommend to get your boxer a trainer while he is still young enough. That will really help. I wish i knew the secrets to the Dog Whisperer, its amazing how he trains these dogs in no time flat.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories!

Lips

Yeah I know lips. My dog is a BEAST! He tears up everything. He has to go into his "house" when I leave. He gets into everything. How do you stop a dog from being destructive?

dogs need to be stimulated - when theyre bored is when they become destructive
a couple solutions - run them ragged before going out (yard, park etc), hide cookies and treats in accessible yet moderately tricky areas, buy stimulating toys with squeakers, rattles and rawhides, get indestructible toys like Kongs, that you can fill with peanut butter or chewy sticks they have to work out

another option, is a second dog as a playmate.

Yup, run that lil puppy out. There is nothing better than at about m and they passed out in floor!

That other option can be quite tricky Dionysus, as the "playmate" you get is usually younger dog that will most likely bond with your older dog and copy his behavior most of the time (which pretty much means 2 problems instead of one).

Also, I believe that dog will always rather chew a nice raw bone rather than anything else (at least my dog would always choose the bone). You just need the one large enough so it can last a bit. Ofc, as a last resort there is a punishment, naturally not in form of beating, more like sending him to "his place" (if he has that, which is among the first things I would tech a dog) or yelling etc.

Oh, and when you leave the house, kennel is your friend, its really not a bad thing.

we opted out of kennels and restrict the rooms they can use, but they both have their 'go to you bed' spots - places theyre sent, but not punished in - their safe zone
for him he has a dog bed, and she's always preferred the closet

neither of us being meat-eaters theres never really bones around, but they get 25 cent toys from the thrift shop or dollar store stuffies, and they have an expensive 'indestructible' toy each that squeaks

by the way - newest family member as of last night
i was playing slots, and heard this loud crying outside

this poor little guy was out alone in the freezing cold - appears to be around 2-3 weeks, either abandened or tossed out - but either way, i dont have the heart to leave him out in this weather (he had frost on his fur)
he's still at the 'rub the nether regions' stage to pee and on baby bottles

still nameless

OMG that kitten is soooo cute. How sweet. Poor little frosty paws.

OMG, he's so cute!  I would be toast, counting another cat among my critters.

As it is, I've seen 2 new kittens in my backyard (I back to ds), about 6 months old, and the yellow one came running to me the other night (talking and chirping) when I went out to feed my outside cat.  He's NOT wild, dammit, which means someone probably dropped them off.  I've tripled the food I'm putting out, and it's gone every day, so they're eating it.  Now I have to figure out if they're female/male, so I don't end up with more kittens. 

Several years ago a female drop off started living here, and had 3 batches of kittens in one year, before I could get her fixed.  Her 2nd batch was 7(!) kittens (under my house), and I couldn't feed her enough.  She was losing weight, her hair, and horribly ragged.

At 4 weeks on the nose, she brought them all up on my deck, 2 at a time, and would wait until I saw them and got them, then she'd go get another pair.  After that, she would have nothing more to do with them, even tho I got a large crate & tried to get her to nurse them.  I had to feed them with bottles, wean them, teach them to use the littler box, the whole kit & kaboodle.  It was a kick, but a LOT of work.

Cute kitten Dionysus and sweet story Lhasalover.  Kudos to both of you.

Here' s couple of pics of the babies.  I also had an 8 wk old Lab puppy and houseguests, all at the same time.  It was quite a zoo here for a few weeks!

Well, looks like we settled on calling him Lou - short for Lutin, which is basically a French imp

Love the name for your kitten!

And Lhasa OMG those babies are cute. You sure did put your heart and soul into taking care of them. So sweet.

this is my boxer playing with neighbour's dog . Pic is bit blurry..

Awww so cute. They are just playing to frantically to catch a good pic. I know that all too well with my little beast.

Zuga, that's your dog on the right, correct?  Boxers have a TON of energy, don't they?  I never really paid attention to them, but they have good personalities, don't they?

There's a really pretty boxer that lives on the other side of the ds behind my house and he slips his collar frequently, then comes running through the ds to play with my dogs, and my neighbor's dog.   He seems like a sweetie, but very skittish and won't let anyone near him.

That dog on the left is wayyyyy too skinny for my tastes!   

yup the one on the right's mine. And yes all boxers are hyper , but mine is super-hyperactive.

they do have a great personality and would play all day long. They love ppl, especially the kids, and can play with any other dog breed .

They are not aggressive at all, but stand their ground if attacked.

If I remember well the classification of breeds, boxers belong to Molossers group which means they are excellent guard dogs. Not agressive or vicious but as Zuga said they stand ground when attacked which is the most important characteristic for a guard dog.

My opinion is that among breeds suitable for use as guard dogs, boxers are most intelligent. Maybe headstrong some times but its nothing a good obedience training cant solve

ah, well, I spoke to soon - the bf chose the name - and it's Shango. Pretty cool. Anyway, looks like we might have over-estimated his age, being only between 9 - 14 days, just a baby - eats like a little piggy and sleeps, but no poops yet (sigh - one more day to try, then off to the vet)

Ut oh on the poops.      Hope he does it on his own, for your sake.

Shango *is* a cool name!!

Awe poor lil pumpkin, hopefully it final makes a poot!

well, at that age, they cant poop on their own
you have to rub the bum and massage it, like a mom to stimulate it to go.....he might be just too young to go still and only does number ones, but if he's 2 weeks, he'd due (they do it once about every 36 hours)

Yeah, I had to do it on the 7 I took in for the first few days, until I taught them to use the litter box.

I read that using a washcloth (which I switched to) stimulates them more because it's more similar to the mother's sandpapery tongue.  If you haven't tried that yet, maybe that might help?  I wish you lots of luck with him - he's very, very young for all this.