Dogs and Puppies

John asked:


I want a dog that will be my good buddy. One that will follow me everywhere, wants to be with me always, and likes to be trained and exerised alot. The rest of my family likes dogs, but they really just want it to be my dog. So this is kinda gonna be a one person dog. So, in you opinion, which one is the most
what I want. Which one is smarter, wants to please the most and is easy to maintain.
Thanks!

Dogjudge asked:


There is a constant flood on this site from people who talk about hitting their dog as a training method. Alpha rolls, shaking the dog by the scruff, hanging a dog with a choke collar, etc.

You have to be leader of the pack! You have to let the dog know who’s boss. You’ve seen how other dogs discipline other dogs.

I want the people who train dogs to chime in and give people some of the consequences of that type of training!
As an aside, I’ve taught obedience for 30+ years and I’m judge for the AKC and ASCA.

I was given the opportunity to do graduate work with L. David Mech who wrote the original book about wolf behavior.

Dogs are domesticated animals. Wolves are not. Wolves live in packs. Our pets do not view our households as packs, there are TOTALLY different dynamics going on in households versus packs.

The ONLY time I’ve used physical means with a dog is to stop a dog fight situation, or in a situation where a dog went after a human.

Some breeds have extremely high pain tolerances. To use physical pain means to try to train these dogs is beyond crazy.

ArmyMpsWife asked:


I have a pit bull, and im not sure if its just the breed or my dog, he doesnt get fed people food. Ive tried a few dog food brands (pedigree dry and wet food and science diet) and he farts SO much. Hes an indoor dog so the farting is an issue when i have guests over for dinner. Anyone have any suggestions?
He and my husband are the loves of my life. Hes our baby and keeps me from feeling lonely while my husband is in Iraq. Money isnt an issue. I just dont want him not feeling well. Im sure hes not very comfortable feeling gassy all the time

destiny21 asked:


I am looking to buy a dog/puppy and I currently live in an apartment. The dog would be alone for maybe about 4-5 hours a day, so I want a breed that doesn’t bark that much and would annoy the neighbors while I’m gone. I also want a dog that isn’t too active but not too lazy (medium activity) and medium sized. Suggestions? Any stories from experience? What dogs would you NOT recommend for this situation?
Thanks!

JamieNova asked:


I am looking for a dog breed with these characteristics so i get the right one. Loyalty, Incredibly intelligent, Strong and athletic, A amazing guard dog one that could be taught to be a police dog like in the show Kats and Dog. I just want to be able to teach him to protect the family if he has to but be friendly.

Kermit asked:


I am hoping to train a dog over the course of the next few years to be a diabetic alert dog- sensing low and high blood sugars.

What breed of dog would work best for this? I am hoping to be able to rescue one, not buy.

Thanks!

K.F. asked:


I’m planning to get my first dog & don’t know alot about heartworms. I currently live in Florida & she will be a indoor/outdoor dog. Is it necessary to put the dog on heartworm prevention meds or should I just have her checked yearly? Most people I’ve known with dogs don’t have their dogs on the meds, so I’m wondering if its even worth it. Also, are Huskys anymore suseptible to heartworms than other type of dogs?

scott l asked:


I am going to get a a dog from the local animal shelter but do not want one that has ears which stand straight up. Id prefer the dog to have floppy ears. My last dog had floppy ears when i got her at 8 weeks but they eventually stood up. Do not be offended if your dog has standing ears–i just want to make sure my new dog looks different than my last (the greatest dog who ever lived). the problem is the pound doesnt know what type of mix the dogs are. Most of the time they guess as best they can. How can i tell if the ears are likely to stand when i dont know the breeds involved?

mistymountain_999 asked:


I petsitted my cousin’s dog, Sierra, for 6 months because they lived in an apartment and couldn’t keep the dog in the apartment. While I had the dog, the dog killed her. I am petsitting Sierra again, I now have a new kitten, we can’t keep them seperate, so is there any way that I can keep Sierra from “playing” with my kitten?

Please don’t tell me to have the dog put down or anything I just want to know how to get them to get along or something.

I am only petsitting Sierra for a couple days, but I don’t want to take the chance in her doing that to my kitten again.
Thank you!

J_Z2009 asked:


My dog walks fine on leash until he sees another dog, then he just wants to go over to them. He is not aggressive, he just wants to meet and play with the other dog. He’s getting to be really strong, and it’s getting harder and harder for me to control him. How do I stop him from pulling when he sees another dog?