Struggling With Play Time

calicosrspecial

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I think Stella is a perfect name for her!!!

So you are telling me you are a normal human???? ;) 99.99% of people are like that. :) I think you are right on the preferences. Interesting on SI's rescue. Maybe they just knew you were the ones? I agree, some are too picky but it is a trade off. I don't know where the right trade off is. :/

She is wonderful. Well, sometimes they/we can be brats. Being a brat isn't the worst thing?

Yes, the fosters would have. Yes, agreed on the high drive. I am amazed at how well Si has done. I thin you did more than you realize. I am amazed. He is impressive.

Yes, you may be able to do it better. Oh no, Ash. That isn't good. Is it next to the litter box? Do you think it is a confidence issue? Could it be pain? Ughhhhhh. I forgot what the vet was worried about with him.

Yes, that is common. But she is a sweet dog. :/ I know, sometimes they are like that.

Well, mine are self imposed as there can't be too many. I knew someone with 10 dogs and even though it worked I just think it is too much. :/ Stella will be fine. She will adjust, he is good with her and getting even better.

Awwwwwwwww. Don't tempt me. ;) Yep, they do go through that. :/ Sometimes when they get more confident they try things and see if they can get away with it. :/ You can get him out of it (in time). Puppies..........................................
 

Animal Freak

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I didn't care for it at first, but it's grown on me.

Yes, but there's always that nagging voice that says I need to do it perfectly, to fix it, etc. It's annoying. I know there are some people who pick a puppy entirely on looks. On the one hand, it seems terribly risky and not the greatest method, but on the other hand, getting a puppy is always a risk so why not pick based on looks? I doubt it with the shelter. They had planned on him going with us before ever meeting or speaking to us. I'm not sure if that's how they usually do it or if maybe they're feeling rushed/unorganized because of Covid. It is hard. Some people think the shelter I volunteer for is too picky, but honestly I've seen far too many animals be brought back.

No, not the worst. Especially when I created the brat.

He's definitely been a bit ridiculous lately. Not the easiest dog to manage. Fortunately still relatively easy to tire out though. He's definitely jumping up on me a lot more than he was though. He's nearly as tall as me on his hind legs and slams his paws into my chest/shoulders. I'm starting to get better at preempting him though.

No, it's been in the laundry basket and in an empty tissue box in my bedroom. I talked to the vet and he thinks it's likely behavioral which was my suspicion as well honestly. Probably doesn't help that there are cats outside. Our camera caught one on our porch the other night. And Ash has had a preference for towels over the litter boxes. So we got the laundry put up in an enclosed hamper. We're going to try some different litters. I think I have some cat attract stuff for the litter boxes somewhere too. I'm not sure if there's something other than actual litter that we could try. And I may or may not try Feliway again. We've tried it twice before.

She is, but gosh she's been whiny. They've both been very whiny lately.

I would have 10 dogs. I just saw a post on Facebook about someone trying to rehome a gorgeous sable German shepherd and I'd absolutely love to take him. I have a list of dogs breeds/types/mixes that I want going from the ones I plan on getting and the ones I'd get if I had the time/space/money. I hope she is fine. I don't want to decrease Stella's quality of life, but it was sort of depressing thinking I wouldn't be able to have my big dog while she was around. Didn't feel entirely fair.

He's obnoxious. :ohwell: I thought he was going to murder me last night though. I came home from work and my mom was in the kitchen. He was standing just outside the kitchen watching her. No one noticed me come in until I shut the door and he looked back. He flipped out barking and came charging straight at me. For a moment I wondered if I should make a run for it back outside. He got probably almost 2/3 of the way to me before I saw his behavior change as he recognized me.
 

calicosrspecial

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Really? Interesting. When I see her I think it really fits well.

That is understandable, I think we all have that from time to time. Oh yes, a lot of people chose on looks, or that feeling, etc. Well, it depends on how you define risk. I kinda think any dog will work for me. I just fall in love with them. But if someone is very focused on what they want then it is risky. But being flexible makes it easier. Do you think they really had you in mind so fast? You must have indicated some kind of interest? How would they know it is such a perfect fit? I know, it is hard for rescues. I know I can't do it. Because I don't know how to chose. I guess a person can kinda tell the flakes most of the time but............................. It is hard. :/ I just would never return an animal. I would fight through anything. Once I commit I am committed. But not everyone is like that. :/ I just don't know the answers.

Hehehe, you are honest!!! I think she is wonderful!!! I have created a few brats as well.................. ;)

Oh yes, they will do that but good you are getting him to get better.

Oooooooo, cats outside. Yep, could be territorial. Is it by outside windows or doors? It probably isn;t a litter issue then He is trying to tell the outside cats " THIS IS MINE, STAY AWAY". Step up play with him in those areas, give him extra love there, treats. Reassure him. We'll figure it out.

Awwww, I know, they can be. But she is so cute!!!! And sweet. :)

Me too ideally. Or more. :) But it is hard, you have to give them a good life. Oh my, a GS. Wowwwwwwwwww. I WISH I COULD. Oh, I think she is fine. She would really be having issues. She is still adjusting I am sure but she sure seems happy. And I am sure you are taking great care of her. I think you did the right thing for everyone.

Awwwwww, he loves your mom too!!!! Total GS protector. Thank goodness he recognized you. Whew. I would not want him telling me to leave. ;) He is really amazing, he is such a protector but also so gentle. I LOVE dogs like him!!
 

Animal Freak

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Well, it wasn't so much a matter of it not fitting as much as I just didn't care for the name itself. I'm not sure why. I couldn't think of her as anything else now though.

Yes, if you aren't picky on temperament then there's less of a risk. I think most people want a certain kind of dog even if they don't realize it, but for those who truly are okay with any temperament then I don't think there's anything wrong with picking on looks. Either way the dog gets a good home. For me, it's a balance. I can handle any temperament, but I definitely have my preferences. I think as long as I have at least one biddable dog to work with then I'll be okay. I don't think there's any way the shelter knew we were the "perfect fit." Quite frankly, we're not. Doesn't mean we aren't a good fit or we won't provide a good home. The perfect fit can be hard to find, but Osiris is still with us because we aren't the kind of people to give up just because it's not perfect. I think the rescue just picked the first people that might've fit their basic requirements, which, for all they know, we might not have because they didn't talk to the vet or any references. It was definitely a rushed process. I know it's hard for shelters to make the right decision. I'd be too picky. If it were up to me, I probably wouldn't have even adopted Lamont out to his adopter, but that was because I had high hopes for him. I do actually really like his adopter since talking to him. I can't say I'd fight through anything. For a while I wasn't sure if I wanted to fight through Osiris's leash reactivity. Anything worse than that is out of league. One day I'd like to be able to fight through anything, but that's not now.

She is wonderful. She's just also quite demanding and pushes limits sometimes, but that's because she knows she can. Because even if I do get mad at her (which doesn't happen often), she looks at me with those big eyes and I feel bad for being mad at her...

It's funny how he's changed so suddenly. I can't say it's anything drastic, but if I wasn't prepared for the teenage phase then I'd probably be pulling my hair out. It's little things. Taking a little longer to sit. Whining while he does it. Breaking his sit before being told. Putting his front feet in the kitchen when he's not supposed to be in there. He's been bugging the cats quite a bit today and has started bugging Stella a little more again when he'd gone a while without paying her much attention at all. He also bit me today. Came up on the couch and snuggle all cutely. Then I felt his front teeth close on my thigh. It was a hard pinch right on my inner thigh. Bruised instantly. :argh:

It's not by windows or doors which is why I hadn't initially thought of it. I don't think there's just one cause though. He's made it clear he prefers towels over litter boxes, so I think there's something that just sort of pushed him over the edge. Or maybe a couple of things. We've had cats around before without issue, so I wonder if that made him feel a tad insecure but maybe wasn't the only reason.

She is cute. Good thing too. It just seems her whining has gotten even worse lately. Osiris's too honestly. I'm not sure what's going on with them.

Yes, definitely. I don't ever want to take my animal's quality of life. But it's hard to turn away too. I'd absolutely love to take that GSD. The dog is beautiful. Some minor health issue from the sounds of it, but nothing unmanageable. I think (I hope) Stella will be okay once Si is more mature and able to leave her alone.

No kidding! I thought I was going to have to run out of my own house. He sort of went at my mom today when she came out of the laundry room. It wasn't quite as bad and he recognized her a bit quicker, but he gave a couple of barks and ran at her. It sort of makes you wonder what exactly he'd do if a stranger did come in, but also makes you afraid to find out!
 

calicosrspecial

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Ahhhhh, makes sense. Yeah, I know how that goes.

Makes sense. I agree. You really don't think you were a perfect fit for Si? Maybe I have hindsight but I can't think of a better fit. Do you think you don't give yourself enough credit? Si seems to be doing really well. I have had a lot tougher intros so maybe I have a broader spectrum of experiences. I know you wouldn't have let Lamont. It is hard. But it is good you like the parent. Yeah, someday I should tell you about some of the rescues I have had. Biters, aggressive dogs, health, etc. Dogs no one would take. It was either me or euthanasia. I guess I have learned to fight through anything. :/ I have learned a lot about behavior and about myself. It can be hard and stressful. :/

Hehehehe, yep. She is definitely special!! It is amazing what love can tolerate!!

Yep, that teenage/confident phase. :/ Yep, that is a handful. Ohhhhhhh, I hate that nip. :/ It is like "pay attention to me!". Sounds like he has a lot of energy and it trying to deal with it. :/

Cats don't like change and you have had some change. And I am guessing the ferals are more active. And he is probably not getting as much attention. And the humans might be feeling more stress because of Si's antics and Ash picks up on it and doesn't handle it as well as the others. All things like that. So what I do is really spend time with them, give love, play if he will, hand feed treats, etc.

She is REALLY cute!!! I was blown away by her honestly. Yeah, when one gets that way oftentimes others follow. :/ And that can cause the cats to get stressed. :/

Ohhhh, I know. Right now I am really frustrated The coyotes are really bad and I am fearing for my ferals. They are really bad and I had to chase them off last night. I can't take all the ferals in but I know if I don't some will not survive. And there is nothing I can do to deter them. But I can't add all those ferals and if I take in a few then the others are more at risk. I am sure the sable GS will find a great home. I know you would love the dog but it would be really hard. Stella will be just fine. I have done a lot of these and dogs are a lot easier. And Si is going to be a great dog. Even now what he is doing is minor. I have had dogs try to kill the other etc. Si is doing normal puppy stuff and Stella will be fine. Just keep working on it.

Yep, he is a protector. I know we never had issues with intruders. No one in their right mind would try!!!

You aren't seeing any other changes in his behavior?
 

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No, we're not. It has nothing to do with him being a bad dog or us a bad home. I just think "perfect" is hard to find in any situation and my expectations for Osiris are too high. I've had to adjust them quite a bit and they may still be too high. I wasn't (and am in some ways still am not) prepared for the issues we've had to deal with with him. It doesn't matter. He's here. At this point I'd only give him up if he proved himself to be a danger to people or the animals which I don't see happening. We may not be a perfect fit, but we can still make it work. If I was choosing homes for shelter animals, I'd want the "perfect fit" for every animal but that's not always possible. I think it's great that there are people who can and will take those difficult dogs. Unfortunately, I can't. Not right now. I'm struggling enough with the leash reactivity. But I would absolutely love to be able to help those kinds of dogs in the future. My goal to have a dog that I raised from a puppy. A confident, outgoing, well-mannered dog. Then foster shy, fearful dogs that would benefit from having a confident dog around. My boss (the vet's wife) takes in those sorts of dogs though. The ones that would probably be euthanized otherwise. I met one not long ago. He was in one of the runs and I didn't know he was hers. He sniffed me through the door and then started barking at me. Then I got a warning from three different people to leave him alone!

She is. Today she brought me her mouse and dropped it at my feet then looked up at me and meowed. So I petted her. Then she took the mouse and left with it.

He had my attention though! He was being so sweet and cuddly. Then chomp! I still have the bruise. He's sort of abusive sometimes.

Yeah, I think it's just several things combined. He somehow managed to pee between the litterbox and the puppy pad the other day. Then tried to cover it with the puppy pad. So there was pee on the bottom of the pad. :frustrated: Hasn't peed outside the box since that though (that we know of) and I saw him opt for the box over the pad today. I haven't had much luck getting either of the boys to play lately. Most of our toys at this point are broke (some multiple times) and they get bored with things so quickly.

It's weird. Stella was doing good about driving to the park. Osiris started getting worse (antsy on the way there, but usually okay on the way back) and now Stella has regressed quite a lot. And Si is just whiny in general now. If we're walking and we stop for more than a couple of seconds, he whines. Sometimes he just whines randomly throughout the day and I've no idea what his problem is.

:( That's scary. It sucks to be stuck and unable to do anything. I would definitely like to help more animals than I can. It's hard to turn away from some of them. Well, all of them, but some in particular. Especially a breed that the GSD that has specific needs that not everyone can meet. I'd feel better seeing them go through a rescue than posting on Facebook. I always worry where those animals will end up. I sure hope he turns out great! It feels like a lot of effort that does absolutely nothing, but I just keep reminding myself that I'll see all the hard work pay off eventually.

Honestly, I suspect Si is all bark and no bite. He put on a pretty convincing act with the cats in the beginning. But I'm fine with that. I don't really want the responsibility of a dog that might actually bite. And I'd rather not be bitten myself coming into my own home. Hopefully no one else wants to find out if he'll bite or not though.
 

calicosrspecial

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Yes, I guess it is the definition of perfect. A lot of people have high or unrealistic expectations. Very normal. Yes, "perfect fit" again depends on the definition. It might be a pretty full rescue. It is very hard. I actually think probably half of animal owners are unfit. :/ Maybe even more. But the other option is not good either. So who knows. :/ Yes, the animals that have issues are not for everyone and it is good people know they are not suited. Sadly, too many people think they are capable and it causes issues. :/ It is hard. I surely don't have the answers. All I can do is what I think is best.

Awwwww, I LOVE when they are so cute!! My ferals bring me "presents" sometimes but I don't like that!!! :(

I am guessing he was just too rough wanting to play? How is he abusive? I have had some rough dogs over the years.

Yes. Oh, it must have been a miss not trying to go outside of the box. Interesting he tried to cover which tells me he doesn't want his scent out. Yes, play it tough with them. :/ But confidence can be built with love and food and reassurance and positive associations and positive encounters and height.

Hmmmmm, he is probably excited, bored, etc. He may have learned it from Stella.:/ It is amazing how they learn. :/

:( Yep. Well, all you can do is the best. It is very hard to "turn away". :/ Yeah, facebook is probably not the best. :(

Hmmmmm, well, I hope so but if he had to defend you I think he would. It is in his genes. BUT he will know where the line is I am guessing. I would not want to be someone that looks like he is going to threaten you or your mom. His instinct seems strong.
 

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I think perfect is a very specific thing and is difficult to kind. Osiris has a home with us for the rest of his life, not because we're a perfect fit, but because we're willing to adapt to him. I think that makes us a "good enough" home. If we weren't willing to adapt then we'd have issues. I'd be surprised if the rescue wasn't full. Yes, I don't want to be someone who takes on a dog they can't handle because they took it too lightly or took pity on the animal. I would certainly like to gain the skills and knowledge to be able to handle such animals, but I don't see that happening for a while yet. I need to work on my own anxiety and issues too, so I don't pass those problems on to the animal.

It was a little mean of her to take the gift back. Lol. But yes, she was very sweet. I had a cat as a kid that would catch moles. She'd leave the babies by our stairs. I think Ember is losing more fur though. :( It's hard to tell. Her fur on her belly and legs is definitely quite thin, but when she lays in the sunlight I see patches of fur on her sides that's paler/duller and sort of wavy looking. That's what her undercoat looks like and I can't usually see that so easily. I've had two vets (and my mom's convinced of it too) say it's stress and she's overgrooming, but I don't see it.

It was just so sudden though. Usually you can tell when he's being antsy and mouthy. His biting normally starts gentler and gets rougher. He's abusive because he hurts me all the time! I have a bruise on my leg from him jumping on me and wanting to wrestle at the park the other day. I allowed it, but I'm still not sure how he got me good enough to leave a bruise. He's really not even that rough, but he's so big it doesn't take much.

Well, I think he missed the pad rather than the litterbox. It's a hooded litterbox, so shouldn't be too easy to miss. He spends most of his time on a cat stand or sometimes in my bed. He's been getting snugglier as it gets colder too. I'm not sure how he could be cold with all that fluff, but he's definitely wanting to be with me more lately.

I was worried about him picking up Stella's bad habits, but that's why we haven't really let them be in those situations together. Stella doesn't really go anywhere other than the park anymore because of her anxiety in the car. She was doing much better for the drive to the park and we've only taken them anywhere else together a couple of times. Osiris actually started getting whinier before Stella did, but now she's progressively getting worse on the drive to the park.

Indeed. I never liked seeing people post on Facebook to find homes for animals.

He might. But even most GSDs need training to be willing to bite. He could surprise me, but honestly I'd almost rather he didn't. It is interesting to see his reactions compared to Stella's. Stella still sometimes reacts to the mailman, but Si barely looks up. But he also barks in situations that Stella doesn't. And he barked when my mom used a pizza cutter today.

Also, a heads up, I'm not sure how much ordering you do on Chewy, but my delivery has been delayed. I ordered it Nov. 28th and just got an email saying my order shipped today.
 
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calicosrspecial

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Yes, agreed.

I am sorry, I am having a really bad day and am having a pretty bad breakdown right now. I just can't respond right now. I am really sorry but it is really tough.

I will try to regroup and deal with what I am dealing with and then try to respond. I am so sorry. It is just a really bad day.
 

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That's fine. You don't have to apologize for having a bad day. Just respond when you feel like it. I have school stuff anyway (finals), so I'll keep busy. Take your time. I hope you get to feeling better soon.
 

calicosrspecial

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OH MY GOODNESS!!! How ADORABLE is Ember?!?!?!?!?!?!

I really needed that!!! You have no idea.

Good luck on your finals!! I am sure you will do great.

I agree, perfect is hard. I think it is all about definition. I think mine are perfect BUT I am not sure everyone would think it (and even I wonder sometimes). Oh, I think you sell yourself short. I think your home is perfect. I think it is good you know who you are and the limits etc. I think that is the key. Yes, it is good to work on our issues. I think right now with all going on our anxiety is even more elevated. I know mine and stress is off the charts. I tend to be pretty good and everything is getting me now. But having support really helps.

Hahaha, yep, maybe? Nawwwwwwww. Oh, cats love to bring presents. Sometimes I get upset seeing something killed for no reason or tormented. :/ Poor Ember. I can't see anything in the pictures. It could be stress but I would think you would see her overgrooming. She seems happy and normal.

Ahhhh, yes. He is a puppy and like you said, being so big he can cause bruises etc. I have had pitties that loved that love bite thing. :/

Ahhhh. Is it possible he doesn't like the covered litter box? Some don't. But he is acting normal? Not avoiding certain areas? Cats are always cold for the most part. I have a cat on me pretty much all day. :/ And it isn't cold. :/

Yes. They do pick up. Good that you tried to mitigate it. He might just get too anxious, excited. Yes, I am not surprised she is picking up his whining.

:( No.

Do they really? I didn't know that. From my experiences GSs know what is a threat better than other dogs. And I think they just know intent better. We don't run into shady people here but I know they react to certain people in different ways, like they know when something is different and therefore maybe a threat. Did the pizza cutter make noise?

Yes, I do. That is good to know. I know my last order took real long but thought that was just something odd. Seems like more going on. Maybe people are stocking up again because of the Covid. We are under stay at home again. Few ICU beds left. :( Not good. I am so sad about seeing the death and suffering. :( Heartbreaking. :( Stay safe.
 

Animal Freak

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OH MY GOODNESS!!! How ADORABLE is Ember?!?!?!?!?!?!

I really needed that!!! You have no idea.

Good luck on your finals!! I am sure you will do great.

I agree, perfect is hard. I think it is all about definition. I think mine are perfect BUT I am not sure everyone would think it (and even I wonder sometimes). Oh, I think you sell yourself short. I think your home is perfect. I think it is good you know who you are and the limits etc. I think that is the key. Yes, it is good to work on our issues. I think right now with all going on our anxiety is even more elevated. I know mine and stress is off the charts. I tend to be pretty good and everything is getting me now. But having support really helps.

Hahaha, yep, maybe? Nawwwwwwww. Oh, cats love to bring presents. Sometimes I get upset seeing something killed for no reason or tormented. :/ Poor Ember. I can't see anything in the pictures. It could be stress but I would think you would see her overgrooming. She seems happy and normal.

Ahhhh, yes. He is a puppy and like you said, being so big he can cause bruises etc. I have had pitties that loved that love bite thing. :/

Ahhhh. Is it possible he doesn't like the covered litter box? Some don't. But he is acting normal? Not avoiding certain areas? Cats are always cold for the most part. I have a cat on me pretty much all day. :/ And it isn't cold. :/

Yes. They do pick up. Good that you tried to mitigate it. He might just get too anxious, excited. Yes, I am not surprised she is picking up his whining.

:( No.

Do they really? I didn't know that. From my experiences GSs know what is a threat better than other dogs. And I think they just know intent better. We don't run into shady people here but I know they react to certain people in different ways, like they know when something is different and therefore maybe a threat. Did the pizza cutter make noise?

Yes, I do. That is good to know. I know my last order took real long but thought that was just something odd. Seems like more going on. Maybe people are stocking up again because of the Covid. We are under stay at home again. Few ICU beds left. :( Not good. I am so sad about seeing the death and suffering. :( Heartbreaking. :( Stay safe.
She's so cute and she did pretty well with the pajamas, but unfortunately they're just too big.

I mean, who can not be happy looking at a cute cat in cute pajamas?

Thanks! Technically already done with one since my English essay was the final and I turned that in yesterday, so just one more to go!

I was certainly not prepared for Osiris. Mostly I just need to slow down and take a step back. I have to accept things for what they are and go from there. It's still a bit disappointing that I can't just take him places with me, but it is what it is. I think I have a better chance of working through his issues than working through Stella's anyway. I wouldn't call our home perfect by any means, but maybe one day! I'd definitely like to have a big yard and not have to worry about loose dogs in the town. I'm honestly scared to take Si anywhere in town other than the park (and sometimes I worry about that too) because there are so many loose dogs and I'm afraid if we ran into one it would make his reactivity even worse. Yes, the stress is bad right now. I think the animals help me quite a lot. The dogs make me get up and go outside. I've been running more with Si too. It makes things easier, but I know a lot of people are struggling.

It is always sad to see an animal die for nothing. We had mice all the time in the trailer. The cats would just play with them until they died, but never hurt them. It was depressing. It's hard to see the fur loss most of the time. Usually I see it when she's curled up in the sun on my bed. I think being curled up parts her fur just right and then the sun lights up the rest of her fur.

Si got playful the other day at the park and wanted to wrestle. I don't mind wrestling sometimes, but I think he got too excited and forgot my arm was in my jacket sleeve. Now I have, like, 8 bruises on my arms. Also a bad one on my leg from a few days ago.

We have three uncovered boxes and two covered ones. He doesn't use one of the covered ones, but does use the one he peed next to. He acts fine other than snuggling more which seems to be the normal winter routine. The only room he sometimes avoids is my bedroom, but he's been spending quite a bit of time in there. He isn't in the storage room as much because it cold out there, so I guess he could not be wanting to use the litterboxes on there. That's where the three uncovered ones are. It was never a problem before though.

He's definitely excited, but it's something that needs to be fixed. He's supposed to be the dog I can take places. Stella is getting ridiculous. Doesn't matter if Si is in the car or not. She just whines and shakes like crazy.

GSDs are definitely suspicious, alert dogs. However, most aggression stems from fear, so when dogs put on that show of barking, growling, baring teeth, etc. that's normally a fear response. Some dogs may be able to work through that fear on their own, but most can't. Protection dogs are trained to. I watched a video by a guy who trains protection dogs. He went onto the property of GSDs who had the training and GSDs who didn't. All of the dogs had the breeding to be protection dogs, so the difference was the training. The ones without the training sure barked and put on a show, but when he pushed closer to them they ran for the door! They did better together too. There were two of them. Let out together, they put on more of a show though still didn't attack. When it was only one of them, they just wanted to be let back into the house. Basically, the barking and growling is usually a bluff to keep a threat back. You just don't know what a dog will do until someone calls the bluff. The pizza cutter sort of scraped on the plate, but it wasn't a particularly loud noise.

I think that confirms it then. I ordered quite a lot, so wasn't sure if it was just the large order. I still haven't gotten everything. I have to place another order too because I need the cats' wet food, but I think I might switch food for Ember to see if she has a sensitivity causing the fur loss. Yes, it's definitely said. I don't think we're under a strict stay at home order yet. Recommended to stay home if possible, only one person to the store at a time, etc. My work is closed for now because of an employee testing positive. We will. You stay safe as well.
 

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It can be hard to tell if you don't know what you're looking for, but you can see there's some paler fur in this picture. That's her undercoat. I can't usually see that. Her coat on top is very dark and sleek, not pale and dull like that.
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calicosrspecial

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It can be hard to tell if you don't know what you're looking for, but you can see there's some paler fur in this picture. That's her undercoat. I can't usually see that. Her coat on top is very dark and sleek, not pale and dull like that.
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I see. That doesn't look bad at all. Did the vets seem worried?

She really is beyond cute!! I mean serious, GORGEOUS!! They didn't look too big. They sure are adorable on her!!!

Hahahaha, EXACTLY!!!!

Oh great. One more.............. I am sure you will do great.

You may have not been prepared but you have handled it well. I think we all need to slow down, take a step back, look objectively, accept, etc. Very normal. You will be able to take him places though and it might be a fun challenge for you to get there. He is too smart and you are too capable to not get there. If your home is not perfect then mine and 99.9999% of others aren't either. :/ We will agree to disagree. ;) Some day a big yard (with no predators!!!) :( Yes, the stress is of the charts for pretty much everyone now. So many people are struggling so badly, too many are paying the ultimate price, it is so heartbreaking. It is horrible but I have hope at least some of it will get better and hopefully soon. That is really good, exercise etc is good for the mind.

Yes. It is a cat's instinct and giving gifts is their instinct. I guess we all were just vegetarians including all the predators. I know the world works this way but I don't like it. Yes, it seems like it isn't too bad and it sounds like it by how you mention it. Hopefully, it will end and there will not be any more hair loss.

Yep, they are so big and can be wild. I have been all bruised and beat up at times over the years. It kinda can be embarrassing at times. :/

Ok, that doesn't sound too bad. Nothing obvious. Good that he does use a covered box.

Yes. Well, age will help as will training. I think he will be in time.

Interesting. Very interesting. I know someone that was being abused by their husband and the dog attacked him to stop the abuse. Not trained for protection. He was protecting her. Maybe different though. Ahhhh, the pizza cutter made that noise. Yep, something different and a potential threat.

:( Yep. Yeah, even if they don't have everything they tend to ship some. If they don't have it they are out. I hope the plants are not going to have issues :/ I have more cans of wet nowadays because of the spring when things were tougher to get at times. Yeah, it could be a protein or ingredient issue. A lot can be trial and error. Some thing just are not good for some individual animals. I hope your area can mask up and stay safe. It is not good. :( Ughhhhh, yep. It is so contagious, I hope no one else got it. :( Thank you you and your mom stay safe and good luck on your final final!!!
 

Animal Freak

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That's just the new fur loss. Her stomach and the inside of her back legs are almost bald, but I've never seen her lose fur on her sides before. She hasn't been to the vet recently since it stresses her out so terribly and she hasn't had any new symptoms. This loss on her sides is new too and my vet has been closed due to the coworker testing positive. I think I'm going to get her a onesie and change her food. See if that helps. If not she may need to go back to the vet.

She's so precious. Lol. Those pajamas fall down past her shoulders. She ate dinner in them and I close her in my room so she can't eat Ash's food. When I went to let her out, she was on the cat stand with the pajamas on a lower level.

I hope so!

We have made some progress. It gets frustrating dealing with pretty much all the issues I've dealt with with Stella, but I will certainly learn a lot from the situation. I do feel better knowing that apparently a lot of young GSDs have reactivity issues, so no concern that he's broken or I'm broken. Lol. I look forward to the day that all my hard work comes together and he ends up being a fantastic dog because he definitely has the potential. I do think continuing to get out of the house has really helped. Plus not much really changed for me since I was still doing school and work. I've had things to focus on. I know the UK has had some rules saying they can't even walk their dogs more than once a day and only in their local area. I think that would be hard. I spend a couple of hours at the park every day. I do look forward to things going back to normal though.

Indeed. It's sad, but nothing we can do about it. Fortunately none of my cats are leaving mouse-y gifts for me other than the fake one.

If it was summer and I was going around in short sleeve shirts people would probably I'm actually being abused. Fortunately I usually have sleeves on.

And some dogs will. I'd say that lady was lucky her dog was one of them. I'm no expert, but it may have helped that the dog wasn't being directly confronted. In that situation, the lady was afraid, but the dog probably wasn't since he wasn't actually being threatened. That would be my guess anyway.

I really need the food I ordered though. :ohwell: It's so weird for it to take so long. I hope the cat's food doesn't take this long or I may actually run out. And I'm thinking of changing foods, but not sure how I'm going to work that out. We don't get out too much. Work is about it for me other than the park, but we all wear masks and there's only a few of us there. My mom goes to the store every now and then. Other than that it's just outdoor parks and hiking trails.
 
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