Pets are good therapy
Comments
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Here is big tough George, under the desk which is where he goes when there is a storm. I never knew cats were afraid of storms before, but this one is. Actually sometimes I think he is a dog in a cat's body. He actaully minds and I know most cats don't do that. He was in the way of the comptuer screen and I was yelling I want you to get out of the way, Go get in your box and don't ya know, that is just what he did.3jays....I went to bed at about 9 and was listening for the phone, but fell sound asleep. I will call you tomorrow as now it some ungodly hr and I am going to try to go back to sleep. George of course is up......the real dogs are all asleep.
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Marybe, what a handsome boy he is and he minds too. Sophie understands "Sophie, pet time" that means jump on the bed and lay down for a belly rub, and "Sophie, go out" which means run to the door and try the doornob. When it is time to come in I clap my hands and call her name and she comes to the backyard, then I tap the top of her treat can "Kitty Caviar" and she follows me inside. Of course there are times when she totally ignoresme on everything but tapping the can. I have a plaque in the kitchen that says "All things belong to the cat" Karen
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Harley is small and he can slip through a door the way a cat would. Sometimes at night I will decide to go to bed to read or maybe even to sleep if I am feeling tired enough and will be wondering where Harley is, and will note that the door is not closed all the way. More often than not he is already in the bed, sleeping on top of the duvet, dead to the world, and I just feel this swelling of my heart when I look at him because I have truly fallen for this little guy. I thought I would never again feel about a dog the way I felt about Sydney, but Harley has gotten there.
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Marybe, it is amazing how they fill our hearts with such love, isn't it. On a news channel here in Buffalo they open their broadcasts with "do you know where your children are ", and I know my DD and my Dgrandchildren and Sophie and Emma are in the house with me and that truly is the most important thing. Karen
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sure nice to find a topic where there isn't nastiness being thrown at other posters for their opinions or feelings.
i got a papillon puppy two months before i was dx. he was so cute & smart, and well on the way to normal socialization. then his world sort of stopped as all we did was go to dr appts & tx. i swear he got me through tx. part of the reason we got him was our 23 year old poodle passed, and the one left was soooo depressed. getting the puppy perked her right up. after chemo & rt as i was able to walk further, we noticed he was getting more agressive when we would see other dogs. the only ones around our place are a bit threatening & scared him (& me) when i tried to walk during tx. we spent the winter in an rv park & he was awful to the other dogs. not being able to have a safe place for him off leash may have contributed, as he is very protective of me. he even got to the point during tx he would growl at my dh when he came into the bedroom to check on me. we did break him of that, but the dog thing is a problem. he has his 3 friends & that seems to be his limit. i took him to a trainer, who was sure she had the perfect dog to introduce him to. this little bugger attacked her dog, followed by a few moments of peace before he attacked again. she informed me he has 'issues'. suggested i think about putting him on prozac. gave me the name of another trainer she knows who 'specializes' in these types of cases. we have an appt to begin his therapy on mon. i have never needed help training a dog in my life. he is a perfect dog in every way, but for this. if we didn't snowbird, don't think i would even care, but we have to be around other dogs, and i would like to be able to walk him in peace.
re: the puppy pooping in the crate--agree. probably too big of a crate. he should put a box or something in the crate to take up space until the puppy grows and/or gets potty trained. i taught the papillon to ring a bell to go out. little dogs can be hard to housebreak as they are so small it is sometimes difficult to tell when they try to indicate the need to go outside. the bell was a lifesaver. even though this is going to be a big dog, teaching him to ring a bell wouldn't hurt.
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I had a chocolate lab who was 5 when I got him, belonged to an older couple who apparently 1 or the other was always home with him. The first time he was home alone he took curtains down, tipped over a dining room chair. and tore a sofa cushion. When I was home he was perfect and such a happy boy, Sawyer was his name. I tried just leaving for 5 min., same thing. He would absolutely panic to the point that you could see the whites of his eyes and massive droooling. Took him to the vet, he was diagnosed with separation anxiety, presribed Klonicom, which was supposed to alm him down and I would try the leaving for the short period of time and praise him lavishly when I got back. Apparently the pill made him really thirsty and he started wetting in the house which he had never done before and he was also really dopey. So... since I couldn't modify the dog, I modified his environment. We had a substantial yard which we had fenced in, he couldn't run free but he could run and when he wanted in, especially in the cold (Va. cold), I made a nest of blankets in the corner of the garage, which was out of the wind, for him to lay on. It wasn't the solution I wanted but it worked for him and for me. He was phobic for the rest of his life but like I said , he was a happy. happy boy. Glad you could join us, keep us posted on your baby's progress. Karen
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Again, welcome grdnsive, we never get political on this thread, it's just a place where people can brag on their pets, what is your baby's name. I hope the new trainer can figure out how to break him of being overly protective, although my friend has a Yorkie who is quite similar, you cannot hug Cheryl when Max is around, has no dog friends, including one that he sees quite often. When Lucy is over one goes out on the line out the back door and the other the front door or Max will go after Lucy. We just kind of aaccept that Max is the way he is and work around it. Otherwise he is a sweet heart who likes his tummy rubbed.
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thanks karen- the buckmeister is not quite two, so that gives me hope we can turn things around. the new trainer told me she uses a three pronged approach. some sort of touch healing to help with his emotional issues, clicker training to redirect his attention, and treating to make him think being around other dogs will bring good things to those who behave. one nice thing about both of these trainers is they assured me i am not a bad dog mom & his behavior isn't necessarily my fault. they said he is a reactive dog & sometimes this behavior shows up with age anyway.
someone mentioned a maine coon earlier. we had one years ago--he was a pervert, according to my then little girl. he use to sneek into her toybox and steal her barbies bra, haul it downstairs and lick the thing until it was soppy, then rub it all over his face. cracked me up. she would start hollering, grab the thing & hide it. he always managed to find it & there we go again. loved that cat.
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My godmother, who just passed away, has a maine coon cat who weighs a respectable 22 lbs. Someone recently said that should qualify him, Bubbies, as an hononary dog. He is a beautiful cat who loves to sprawl across your lap and be combed, he will lay there until you stop combing. Her son now cares for her in the same house, Bubbies had a difficult time the first month but has adjusted to her absence. Your had some strange behaviors, don't you wonder what they are thinking? The buckmeister's new trainer seems to have a good plan, you are definitely not a bad dog mom, he just thinks you are his and he is going to protect you from whomever.
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its interesting, ya know? we're just getting my "little man" a 5lb chiuahua, calmded down from me being in tx.. he was such a joy outside, but i've spent FAR too much time in bed, for like 2 years now.. and he's gotten uberprotective. to the point that he charges, MUR , my DH in the morning. doesn't want me touched by anyone BUT him. triner says its natural, i now am HIS exclusively, in his mind. so, we're beg to re socialize him again... out whenever we can, in his carrier.. he's always been afraid of men, was abused when we got him, so, we know to be careful around men. he;ll act "normal" when they come in, but bite their feet when they're near me, or leaving.
it'll be worth the trouble to get him friendlier again.
he's such a comfort to me.. i have 2 same size. the old lady has gone blind, as the result of being a puppy mill dog. her retinas' dried up from malnutrion when she was little, and does just fine... she takes the lower part of the bed, he takes the top, nearest me.
i seriously think that keeps Mur and i together, when we fight... cause who would get the dogs....lol....3jays
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here they are in their christmas finery.. i seriously need to get new pictures.. lol -
Hi I thought I would jump in. We recently got a mini dachshund, she is black & tan dappled her name is: Bella.
When we first got her all she did was sleep, she was about 6 months old . It took her about 2 weeks to settle in. She didn't know how to play. I had bought her several toys to play with: tennis balls, tug of war rope, chew ioys, mini wienie dog, & mallard duck. At first she didn't play with any of them.
The first one she start to play with is the duck. It squaks when she bite it, she looooooooooooves that duck! She drags it every where. Next she started playing with her mini wienie dog. I knew it squeeked on it's nose but with her playing with it, I or rather of she found it sqeeks in its butt too! We went to the pet store & got a lamby. She took one sniff & off she went with it dragging it everywhere!!!
Now she rips & runs through the house playing with her toys & us. She is now getting into everything. Trash, my mail, cough drops, my dolls, anything else she can find to get into.... She definitely has her own personality. I'll try to post of pic of her. NJ
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the dachshunds & the mixes i've been around are the cutest personalities. never had one myself. our son has a chiwienie that he got about the time we got the buckmeister. mia is not only her name, but about as big as she was. but for all her small size, she beat the crap out of himself & they are the best of friends. we buy all sorts of squeeky toys too, and the only ones that haven't been mutilated are the skunk for his birthday and a roadkill fox for christmas. loves them both..even knows the name. 'go get skunky' & thats the one he brings back. he plays with all of his toys, but for some reason, some get excessive chewing. bought a rope toy the other day with head & tail, one he had before & loved. this one he 'loved' to pieces within 15 min.
what is it about petting that little silky cue-ball head that melts my heart? sort of reminds me of how i felt sniffing my babies heads. or the way dry ground smells when it begins to rain on a hot day...makes me misty.
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mrsnjband, wecome to the people are nice thread. There must be a lot of squababling on the other threads. Bella sounds like a love, though when you send the picture it would probably be an action shot. Bella is definitely a busy puppy, but just think, years from now you will have ample opportunity to recall the rip, roaring lady with a million puppy tales, as she dozes on your lap. I have 2 cats, lost my Chocolate Lab a few years ago, and there are some fur-babies you cannot replace. Emma, an overweight "when do we eat" Seal point Siamese, and Sophie, a Seal point Snowshoe, who just jumped onto the computer desk, she is like the child who realizes mom is busy and it would be a fine time to place yourself between her and the keyboard, so petting may ensue. Emma is 4, Sophie is 2, Emma is afraid to go outdoors, may raise the metabolic rate like exercise, and Sophie who is afraid of absolutely nothing. Again, welcome to the thread where we all know pets are a key player in getting well.
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mrsnjband, wecome to the people are nice thread. There must be a lot of squababling on the other threads. Bella sounds like a love, though when you send the picture it would probably be an action shot. Bella is definitely a busy puppy, but just think, years from now you will have ample opportunity to recall the rip, roaring lady with a million puppy tales, as she dozes on your lap. I have 2 cats, lost my Chocolate Lab a few years ago, and there are some fur-babies you cannot replace. Emma, an overweight "when do we eat" Seal point Siamese, and Sophie, a Seal point Snowshoe, who just jumped onto the computer desk, she is like the child who realizes mom is busy and it would be a fine time to place yourself between her and the keyboard, so petting may ensue. Emma is 4, Sophie is 2, Emma is afraid to go outdoors, may raise the metabolic rate like exercise, and Sophie who is afraid of absolutely nothing. Again, welcome to the thread where we all know pets are a key player in getting well. You get misty because you are a true pet lover, and when they get sweet and loveing it truly does melt your heart. My lab-Sawyer-was afraid of the Shnauser (sp?) we had at the time, he overweighed him by about 70 lbs.
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I am enjoying reading about all of your pets. I have been toying with the idea of getting a kitten. It has been years since I have had an inside cat but am thinking one now would be nice and comforting on the days I feel bad.
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I love all your pet stories. My last dog, Sydney, who lived to be 17 1/2 just loved destroying stuffed animals....he didn't have a single one with eyes or a nose and I was constantly sewing on appendages....he'd actually bring me the torn up toy and wait for me to repair it. Oh, and he loved balloons also....would very gently bat them around and we would play fetch with them and he would carry it around by the little knot....then BAM, the balloon would break and he would bring me the busted balloon and it always broke my heart that I could not fix it for him because he would look at me so expectantly. After I saw part of a balloon in his poop one day when I was picking up on our walk, I decided no more balloons for him. Papillons....I really like them...didn't one win the dog show a few years back? And did someone mention a 23 year old poodle on here?...wow. Mimi, get a kitten....I was never a cat person , but sure do love mine and he is loving in return.
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marybe--your're right. a papillon did win the westminster a few years ago. think it was the first time i had ever seen one. and yes, our poodle was 23. the vet doublechecked the records-said he was his oldest patient ever.
mimi--check out the local shelter & see if a cat/kitten picks you out of the line-up. do your heart good. i love our dogs, but must say, cats are easier if you are busy.
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mimi, do go to the local shelter, no doubt one will speak to your heart, I am now typing around my cat Sophie, she is laying between me and the keyboard so this will be a short post. Sophie craves attention when I've been gone and return home. Karen
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we're all in agreement here, welcome Norma June, and yes, get a kitten,mimi> they help when no others will.. 3jays
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We live in the country and have what I call "throw away pets" every few months. People drive down our road and throw out the pets they have decided they don't want any longer especially females. DH told me that he was surprised someone hasn't already brought me a cat.
I hope everyone is enjoying the day with their favorite pets. My grandchildren are coming later this afternoon I will just pet them today.
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YouTube - Ultimate Dog Tease This is great! -
I have a 6 and a half y.o. 25 lb Bichon, Buddy. He is very attached to the entire family, but he just has really been by my side since I started chemo and have been spending a lot of time in bed. He just snuggles right up next to me and keeps me company. I just love him. He sits on the top of the sofa all day while the kids are at school and hubby and I are at work and the sofa is torn all over the top of it where he sits, but I don't mind at all. We put a blanket on top of it, and I'm not getting a new sofa unless I figure out what to do to stop him from sitting up there, but I can't really deny him his pleasure of looking out the window all day. Don't know what I'd do without him. I just love him so much.
Great thread.
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Dear Kay from philly, Buddy knows who needs him the most, how do pets know that, they position themselves gently around us to ease our pain or anxiety and rest quietly while we half doze. I have two cats Emma and Sophie who don't like to rest, sit or sleep together. During my last weeks of radiation when I would need to nap, I would lay on my side on the couch. Emma would lay on the pillow with her head touching my head and Sophie would settle herself in the crook of my knees and we would all take a "nippy nap", Sophie still recognizes that phrase. Mind you she is a rambunctious 2 yr. old and not big on resting quietly. What would we do without our fur-babies.
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This is a lovely thread :-)
I have 2 rough collies (lassie dogs) and while they've always been very close to me and DH, they went overboard while I was doing chemo.
It didn't matter where I was in the house - there would always be one either at my feet, or snuggled next to me if I was lying down, and the other one would lie across the doorway of the room - like he was on guard. They would frequently swap places too.
Who says that dogs aren't smart? I too, couldn't have gotten through chemo without the love of my 2 boys. Mind you DH was pretty good too :-)
Trish
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Even when my husband didn't understand what I was going through, our orange tabby did. Couldn't have gotten through BC treatment without him. Animals connect with us on a soul level and all the misunderstandings and semantics that we humans have problems with never come to play in communicating with a beloved pet. Mimidi, get that kitten or grown cat, especially one who really needs a home. Both of you will be all the richer.
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Marybe that was a great video...thank you for sharing! I LOVE dogs! We have a yorkie named Shelby and a schnoodle (poodle/schnauzer mix) named Tucker. They follow me everywhere!
Cathy
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Kathy, Wasn't it just the funniest ever? I can't figure out how they did such a good job of lipsincing when often they can't do that well with foreign movies. I am sitting here trying to eat a chicken pot pie while typing and keeping the cat from getting into the sauce.....the computer desk is his hangout so any food is fair game for him. I know this would make a lot of people gag, but I am used to sharing my meals with the pets.
I am sure pets can tell when we aren't feeling up to snuff. My previous silky Sydney was with me through it all.....I got him after I completed reconstruction thinking then I would have time to devote to training a dog.....never did a very good job of training him, but he was right by my side through thick and thin. The dogs I have now are the same way....if I am having a bad day and just feel like spending it in bed, reading or watching tv, they are right there with me. And the cat, well, he would be there next to me also, but the one dog, Harley would never allow that. I think because he and the cat are about the same size it the reason they don't get along. Mimi, maybe a throw away dog will even show up....that is how we got this last dog, Hope.....someone dumped her by the cemetery. I found her in Oct. so her name is Hope.
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we went to our dd today, and her 3 dogs were just all over us, friendly, cuddly, etc. her spouse left her recently so that is the only real change in her household. these dogs were always neurotic, bity, suspicious, wouldn't come near anyone, barked constantly & had to be put out when any company came, including us. even she commented on how different they are recently. oh, and spouse's girlfriend just dumped him, so he is begging to come back. we are hoping NO!!! still shaking our heads at the change in them & pondering the meaning. comments anyone????
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Obviously the dogs were that way because of him. Now they are enjoying their lives without him....hopefully she will catch on also.
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