Dog Weirds Me Out

[The Goodbye Bird]

I've had cats all my life and even worked with exotic cats and other exotics, but this is the first dog I've owned (a juvenile labrador).

It wiggles when approached and appears that it cannot control the motion of its body. When approached it also makes grunting or even squealing, almost piggish noises.

Most of the times it listens to commands. Other times it just wiggles its body rather violently. It's not just the tail that wags; it's as if the whole body is trying to wag.

Anything it can get in its mouth will be eaten. I don't mean just eaten, I mean it just sort of disappears down the throat as if it had passed the event horizon of a black hole. And I mean anything. I like sharing food with animals and I give healthy human food such as a boiled egg. The egg will be eaten, but so will a pine cone it randomly found.

 

[neely]

It wiggles when approached and appears that it cannot control the motion of its body.
Anything it can get in its mouth will be eaten.

By juvenile labrador I'm assuming you mean a puppy. Labs are wonderful, fun loving dogs with a lot of energy and exuberance.
Regarding eating anything it can get in it's mouth, that's what labs do. Since they are retrievers they have an oral fixation. They are often bred for hunting so this behavior is inherent.

Watch out, they have really strong tails too and can clear a coffee table in one fell swoop. Male or female? Black, chocolate or yellow lab? What's his or her name? We'd love to see a pic of your new dog.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

Male or female? Black, chocolate or yellow lab? What's his or her name?

Dilute chocolate. Named her Silva.

 

[Willowy]

Lol. My family's first dog was a Lab, and, yup, that's a Lab! I will say that Labs are extremely annoying puppies but improve greatly with maturity, and after age 2 or so she should be a really great dog.

Also, silvers are known to be a bit wackier. Some claim they have Weimaraner heritage (as the first breeder to "spontaneously" produce silvers also bred Weims), and some say it's a result of breeding for color rather than retrieving ability, who knows.

She's gorgeous!

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

Also, silvers are known to be a bit wackier. Some claim they have Weimaraner heritage (as the first breeder to "spontaneously" produce silvers also bred Weims), and some say it's a result of breeding for color rather than retrieving ability, who knows.

I believe in the Weimaraner theory due to the fact that she points. It worries me a little because even 2% hound may still be a hound, and hounds have a kill reflex on other animals. She's very good with cats now, but I admit I have this sort of daymare in my head about her having gotten into a room with a queen and kittens and having killed the lot.

My brother-in-law's Sharpei once grabbed my grandmother-in-law's cat and shook it, as if to kill. Cats have always been my thing so I lost it a bit and grabbed up the 100+-lb dog as fast as I could. It yelped but at least it dropped the cat.

 

[Willowy]

Weims aren't hounds. . .but they are a bit more intense than Labs.

I believe it too, because silvers usually have a different ear set that looks more Weim than Lab.

My Lab was yellow and she pointed. . .some people breed Labs specifically for pointing.

My dogs have always been good with cats inside, but outside they consider them fair game. The Lab was the gentlest but even she would play too rough with kittens. I don't really ever fully trust a dog with cats, although, yes, the cats do have free rein of the house when I'm not home, but I have baby gates up and cat trees so they can get away if the dogs get rowdy.

 

[Furballsmom]

It's not just the tail that wags; it's as if the whole body is trying to wag.

Yep

What a darling baby!!

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I'm quite familiar with raising puppies and all I can say is you're likely to hate them when they are little but you'll love them to death when they're older and more mentally mature. It's a bit of a wait but once you get past the puppy stage entirely, boy is it like sailing out onto clear water after what seemed like endless storm.

 

[Kflowers]

Lot your cleaning supplies in a cabinet -- all of them. he will eat them and they are bad for him. Same for soap, shampoo, all food, especially cat food cans -- he will be able to open these but will cut his mouth on the sharp edges. rope toys, pens, pencils, glasses and plastic toys are dangerous - surgery is expensive. Cat toys will be eaten, most will go straight through. This is why dog people seem obsessed with their dog's poop, just checking to see what got through and what didn't.

Tape all wires to the floor and walls. Put all small electronics out of his reach, also all jewelry, mirrors etc. Puppies learn the world by putting it in their mouths and unfortunately by swallowing.

Did I mention your glasses or anyone else's? They are a $500 snack and he won't understand what he did wrong. When our puppy was just starting - 5 months old - I got an ammunition box to keep my glasses in regular, reading and sun glasses - while I wasn't wearing them. This includes when sleeping. In the shower, put them where he can't reach them. Seriously.

Our puppy at 6/7 months picked up a full litter box - 19 pounds of litter - by one side and ran through the house with it. No harm, no cat was using it at the time. Litter vacuums up nicely.

Puppers are fun, and they just get better as they get older.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

I'm quite familiar with raising puppies and all I can say is you're likely to hate them when they are little but you'll love them to death when they're older and more mentally mature. It's a bit of a wait but once you get past the puppy stage entirely, boy is it like sailing out onto clear water after what seemed like endless storm.

I have seen this. Training is going well and I see a lot of progress, but I feel like I'm pushing a boulder uphill.

I'm amazing with animals and I assumed I could do it, and it seems I can as there's been major progress, but frankly it's harder than I thought. I've worked with legitimately wild animals that have fewer destructive instincts than this thing, and I'm including raccoon and beaver.

Also idk if this is appropriate to say but its privates are odd. There's a lump, not a slit. On the belly, near the back, there's a bald patch almost like the brood patch a chicken has.

Once I caught the dog eating its own shit. I admit I freaked out. I didn't hit her but I yelled at her and she was very frightened. Now I bag it every time she goes, instantly.

 

[neely]

Once I caught the dog eating its own shit. I admit I freaked out. I didn't hit her but I yelled at her and she was very frightened. Now I bag it every time she goes, instantly.

Fortunately our dog(s) never had this habit but it's not uncommon. It's called Coprophagia and there can be several reasons for it but there are methods to discourage it including stool eating deterrent chews or tablets. However, bagging it every time after Silva goes is probably the easiest and wisest. Just keep an eye on her because sometimes dogs will eat poop as a sign of parasites, vitamin deficiency or other health related problems. How does she get along with your cats and visa versa?

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

How does she get along with your cats and visa versa?

She doesn't go after the big ones but I'm taming two feral kittens for a friend of mine and I really can't tell if it was just an enthusiastic approach of if "Ooo, bite size!" was going through her head, but I held her back just in case.

They're actually almost completely tame after only 5 days. They already approach for rubs and purr and raise their backs. They were feral balls of hisses and swipes. I'm that good. They still start and bolt at any sudden movement so I am taming them for a little longer.

Now my cats with her... One of the little ones was interested in what the dog was, and the dog was crated, so I was like, okay fine, and the kitten jumped out of my arms and approached the dog. The dog is just being a dog and sniffs enthusiastically. At that point the kitten's tail fattened and he cried out for me to come save him, so I did.

The cats I actually own are okay around the dog but they run away when the dog gets too much in their faces. I wish they would snuggle but it doesn't look like that's meant to be.

 

[Willowy]

Dogs eat poo, that's just sort of a thing. So, yeah, bagging it immediately is the best "remedy". Kitty poo is the best delicacy, apparently.

Female dogs have a "lump", yes (the slit is on the lump, it will be extremely obvious if you let her go into heat before spaying), and puppies usually have mostly bare tummies. She may get a slightly furrier tummy as she grows but most dogs have no/sparse fur on their bellies forever.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

Female dogs have a "lump"

I am probably going to look up a video of a dog giving birth to see how babies come out of what looks in the name of all reason to be an onion.

She actually did come to me with hookworms. And the vet told me something really disturbing: Even though she's cured now, the hookworms can lie dormant inside a dog and be passed to her puppies through the milk.

 

[Willowy]

The opening is towards the back. Like I said, it will be extremely obvious if you let her go into heat!

Here's a pic of before and during heat:

Are you planning on having puppies? You're braver than I am!

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

Oooooookay. That's definitely weird, but at least when it... everts... it makes sense.

Mine actually has that heart-shaped part somewhat visible, even though she's just a puppy.

 

[Willowy]

Yeah, that one on the left has very small lady parts. I think most have larger.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

Are you planning on having puppies? You're braver than I am!

I did pay extra for the AKC with breeding rights, and I've walked into cages with tigers, so meh.

The tigers are easier, actually. I've never gotten a serious gash off any cat where I wasn't like, "Shit, I know exactly what I did wrong." Maybe I'm using the wrong word when I say easy. It's just that cats are very deliberate creatures. It's complicated and risky, but I know the dance.

But I'm confident I *can* raise the puppies. It'll just be a lot of very hard work. And I want to keep one or two because I think my dog is lonely. I've already had at least four people approach me, smitten by the dilute chocolate on a Lab. It won't be any great effort finding homes for the pups.

With dogs perhaps there is also a dance, I'm just expected to lead.

With cats, if you lead, you do so by not leading.

 

[Norachan]

But I'm confident I *can* raise the puppies. It'll just be a lot of very hard work. And I want to keep one or two because I think my dog is lonely. I've already had at least four people approach me, smitten by the dilute chocolate on a Lab. It won't be any great effort finding homes for the pups.

Not a dog person myself, but my sister has worked as a dog sitter/walker, trainer for "problem dogs" and now works at a shelter that pulls dogs from High Kill shelters and fosters or re-homes them.

A few things she's told me:

It is almost impossible to train two litter mates if you keep them together. The bond between them is too strong and they aren't interested in pleasing you by following any of your commands. What you need to do is have one older, well trained dog to mentor a younger dog. Wait until the younger dog is mature enough to respond to commands before you introduce another puppy.

Sisters and mother/daughter pairs often have the worst power struggles as they work out who is top bitch.

If you have a "black hole" dog make sure she/he doesn't eat chewing gum. Xylitol is toxic to dogs. It causes drops in blood sugar that can send a dog into diabetic shock. Just one stick of gum can kill.

Puppies are That's her professional opinion.

Good luck with your pup!

 

[Willowy]

Well, you won't be able to certify her hips until she's 24 months so you can't know if she's breeding quality for sure, but cool. Keep in mind that Labs have very large litters, so if you think 1 pup is crazy, try raising 15!


It's true that there's no largescale overpopulation of dogs, but black Labs are pretty close to overpopulated (and much harder to find homes for), so try to breed to a male that won't result in a lot of black pups. I'm not entirely sure how the silver gene works, I don't think it's a straightforward dilute though.

I've always said I'd like to raise a litter of pups, but just the thought of it right now makes me want to go to bed! Maybe when I'm retired, lol.

And yeah, look up "littermate syndrome" and the troubles inherent in keeping 2 intact females (or sometimes, even 2 spayed females. . .sigh). Dogs have a weird social system and you can't just keep a whole litter like you can with cats. Or, well, you can, if you want them to be basically feral (like farmdogs), or if you strictly kennel them when not being worked, but not under normal pet circumstances.