Hello Everyonexx

[southerngirl]

Aww Charlie and Misty are adorable. Please post videos of Misty too if you can. Do you plan on teaching her tricks? Are you going to clicker train her clicker training is great and it helps develops a strong bond between you two. I also find that makes training a lot easier for you and the dog. If you have never clicker trained before here is a thread on how to get started. http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/getting-started-with-a-clicker-for-newbies.5023/#post-42983
Feel free to ask any questions everyone will be glad to help.

 

[jackienmutts]

I've had dogs with dewclaws, don't worry about them. I adopted my female (the lighter one) at 18 mos old, and she had dewclaws. About a year after I adopted her, she had to have some minor surgery done, and while she was under anyway, I had them removed. I had them removed on a puppy years ago also, mostly because if they play rough, they can catch them on stuff and they can tear. It can happen, but not saying it will. I had the puppy's removed at the same time he was neutered at about 8 mos old. I also had a dog for 15 years who had dewclaws and never had one problem. Don't let the vet scare you into quickly removing them, they're not a problem. If you're going to have Misty spayed, you may want to have them removed then. It's a quick thing that does require a couple stitches, and her foot will require a bandage for a few days. Makena didn't even seem to notice when I had hers removed - altho she did want that darn bandage off after a few days.

 

[jackienmutts]

And I forgot to mention, yes, you do have to keep the nails trimmed because of course, there's no way they'll ever get worn down and they can actually grow in a complete circle.

 

[juliexox]

Hey Southerngirl yea ill get some vids done along our travels about the clicker training once misty has her full injections shes going too start dog school i took my other dogs there and its really great they also use clicker training there so thats defos how shell be trained ive seen the benefits of clicker training in passed experinces and would recommend it too anyone.

Thanks Jackie ill just be sure too keep it trimmed or filed or ill let my partner do it as ive never came across it before and pretty worried i file too far down once i seen him do it a few times ill get the hang of it so itll be good Thank you for the advice i appricate it xxx

 

[tigerlily46514]

//"Tia was a loving dog very friendly but disliked people out with the family home as she had a rough time of it from her background"//

Yes, most people, upon meeting a shy dog will assume, when the dog ducks away if someone reaches for the dog, "OH NO! THIS DOG'S BEEN ABUSED!" even if worst thing the dog ever experienced, was having to wait two minutes to get his biscuit.
Not sure your Tia was a shy dog but, if Tia was a shy dog, that is a neurobiological disorder, not a result of abuse, neglect, etc.

//"had no "human aggressive" issues but wasnt very keen on other male dogs at all no matter how many time's we took him too Socialization classes."//
IF this dog was a dog-aggressive dog, (not sure, it could have been other issues)
bringing a da dog to classes is not usually the best approach, and helping such dogs seems to be a bit of specialty area, imo. Not a lot of trainers seem to know a whole lot about it, although these trainers might be awesome at teaching agility, tricks, etc, they might not know a lot about helping a dog with issues. Just throwing a dog with issues into a room full of other dogs, is not often helpful to dogs with issues.
and yeah, like i said,
the kind of dogs who target unknown humans
and the kind of dogs who target unknown dogs,
are two different types of disorders, with two different kind of abnormal brains,
{although, either type of dog CAN develop generalized aggression to include other targets than their inborn primary target.}

My point is, dogs with PERSISTENT, lifelong, ongoing issues are not necessarily abused dogs or being mishandled, at all,
although everyone thinks so. Think of all the abused dogs, dogs who were never socialized at all, ever, yet, stand there loving all humans and all dogs.


//"so yeah your totally right in what your saying but the abusers out there who mistreat animals personally i think need a right good slap as they cause alot of behavioural problems in a animals life."//
I agree entirely about slapping abusers! But again-------- abuse does NOT cause PERSISTENT lifelong behavioral problems in dogs, like 95% of Michael Vick's dogs proved. Dogs with "normal" brains who are abused---IF IF IF they ever develop ANY behavioral issues at all-------- are pretty readily rehabbed back to their default "normal" brained behavior.


Again, many abused dogs have NO behavioral problems, or IF IF IF the dog has developed any behavioral problems, those problems are fairly easily rehabbed back out, if it is a "normal" brained dog all along.

We humans can not 'create' a persistently aggressive dog, nor a persistently shy dog,
nor can we 100% "cure" one either.

 

[tigerlily46514]

my dog has dewclaws on his front legs only, which i clip about once a month, no problems.

 

[tigerlily46514]

Is good idea to handle your pup's toes and feet a lot, so he is much accustomed to that, too. so it will be easier for you to be able to cut his nails when he is older.