Different treatment of pets

[VanessaTony 3,567]

There was an article I read recently where it was mentioned that "American's don't understand why Australian's keep dogs outside". That kinda confused me because most people I know in Aus have inside dogs unless they're big. And even big come in at night. In America however I've noticed lots of outside "cages" or enclosures. I was told about "crating" a dog as a method of training.. never heard of it before the US.

So, the questions. My in-laws cannot feed their dogs wet food because they never have. Apparently now when they try and feed their dogs wet food (to give tablets etc) they only give a tablespoon size because too much gives their dogs "the runs". I have never seen this. Ever.

They leave dry food out all the time but I've always been told it's bad and causes overweight dogs because they're able to graze all day. I've also never JUST given my dog dry food... seems kinda like bread and water for a human.

So I'm definitely a wet food AND dry food person. I leave the dry out all day (only because she doesn't eat much, if she ate it all the time I'd stop) and at dinner time I give her some wet food.

Anyone else? (please excuse me if there aren't enough options.)

Edited November 14, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[nab 74]

people are different just like "pets" are different. some people treat their animals as children, some as pets, some as security only, and some as a combo of one or more of those things. ours are security first and foremost, but of course pets as well... you cant live with an animal and not get attached to it. when i was growing up NO dogs were allowed inside the home... we usually had minimum of 4 german shepherds or wolves for security so there was no need for them inside as no one would make it thru the yard to the door.

since i prefer not to have a pack i have my one inside with us, and yes, it sleeps in a crate as have all my security dogs, but they arent "crated" per se unless someone is visiting that i do not want bitten. then the dog is crated, i.e. door is shut on crate and dog is penned in. otherwise the dog always has free reign to patrol unless there is reason to limit to one floor or even one room.

until this dog i had always fed dry food only, with the occasional "wet food" treat, plus they got "people food" scraps when we were finished with meals. i am strict about training so begging and that nonsense was never allowed. we have a routine and they know after we eat they will be getting something in their bowl so they didnt waste time begging, though a mad race to sit beside their bowl when they saw us rise from table was a guarantee.

regarding the food now, i make the food simply because the dog food now, like packaged/processed people food, has become overpriced unsafe garbage. i prefer to know the dog i rely on for security is well fed and healthy.

[nab 74]

just for the record...

i agree with you on the leaving dry food out for them becasue just like people some days they are more hungry than other days! i've never had a dog be obese BUT i do know it can be a problem for rescue dogs and such who have been in abuse situations where they come from homes with not enough food... so what works for one may not work for another but it is nice to be able to do this becasue it gives them comfort to know they have food and you have peace of mind they are getting enough to eat.

on the 'runs' thing it's the change of diet... if you were eating pot roast and carrots and mashed potatoes and meals like that all time then went to a country where all you ate was spicy beans and rice, wouldnt your tummy be affected? or how about a person who never eats pork, then they eat that? it would give them stomach cramps, diahrea, possible vomiting...

as far as "bread/water" really it's not because dog food is "supposed" to be a full rounded diet for dogs but i believe manufacturers are not doing this now. some still do but the cost of those are so high it's a shame but i can cook for my dog, give fresh foods and still be cheaper... how sad is that.

[Aussie MarineWife 0]

My dog is very very picky and wont eat wet dog food.. I usually have to microwave her chicken giblets to eat.. but she has no problem eating dry food.. Actually my vet recommended I feed her dry Cat food.. this was before I found out she liked giblets.. apparently if you keep the dog on an all round dry food diet dry cat food has more nutrients that look after the dogs teeth and other things!!

I've noticed the caged dog thing in the states too. My mate over there keeps her two boxers in a cage at night.. have never seen that here in OZ.

[nab 74]

just to clarfify... a crate (or as you refer - a 'cage') is not a place of punishment (or SHOULD NOT BE) nor a place to just lock an animal away for unattentive pet owners for hours on end. a well trained animal can be left alone in a home without fear of it tearing things up or eliminating. they should NEVER be scolded and put into a crate!!!!

a crate SHOULD BE a place of safety and relaxation for the pet, a place where it can go and KNOW that NO ONE (not children, not visitors, no one) is allowed to touch or bother them. that is THEIR SPOT. if you have an open wire one, it should be covered with a blanket/sheet with only the front open to provide them with a closed den-like feel.

the location of the crate... if the crate is kept in the bedroom, the dog is more likely to spend days beside, behind or under a piece of furniture closest to one of us... likewise if crate is kept in familyroom the dog would crawl under bed at night even though there is perfectly wonderful fluffy huge dog bed made up for them on other side of room. they want to be as close to their pack as possible, they want to be in a den-like environment with only one opening to guard as they rest/relax.

in my experience, but this may be different for others, my females seem to stick more closely to their crates whereas males seem to stick more closely to people themselves (i.e. the females will go to the crate if it's in same room while we go about our day whereas males will still choose to lay beside the people or stick to our heels). you almost forget they are there until something happens to make them come tearing out of the crate LOL like someone will get too near me or raise their arm a little too high near me and we realize oh! the dog thought you were going to strike me

love having security dogs... while they are not really 'protection' they are good alarms and their inbred instincts are just so very amazing.

[Fandango 1,439]

We don't have a dog ourselves, so I can't comment on what *we* do, however, I had a dog in the past at my childhood home, and my husband's family always had a dog too.

My dog was a Westie - his name was Prince...cute little furball. In the 50's my grandmother used to raise and train showdog poodles for a hobby. When I got my Westie, he was a pup....my grandma told us to feed him an egg every morning only while he was a puppy. My cousins, who got my Westie's brother, did not. Turns out, my dog's fur composition changed entirely...it was soft and fluffy like cotton...his bro's was different. Prince was also allergic to fleas, so he didn't go outside. He was white, and he loved to have baby powder put on him. He slept on the bed. When he got too old to jump on the bed, my dad built carpeted steps to the bed (I firmly believe someone who saw that stole the idea and mass produced it, lol). He didn't eat dog food unless he was being punished, hahaha. Every night, we made him stew beef, and because he was small and spoiled, we cut it for him too. If you didn't cut it small enough, he'd look at you like 'erm, what am I supposed to do with this??'

He was a member of the family, had bday parties, hehehe. He'd let me put stuff on him - sunglasses, wigs, etc. I'd hold him up on his hind legs and he'd do a dance while I sung 'my name is Prince! and I am funky! He even learned how to manipulate us. Since everyone who came to my house made such a fuss about him, when I started dating this boy who really pain him no attention, he started to limp, holding up one paw, whining on the floor. It was pathetic! We were scared, and took him for every test imaginable...even had a doggie MRI done. Then they referred us to a doggie psychiatrist....Caesar whats his name wasn't popular then...anyways, the doggie shrink told us to make a journal of when he did it, who was in the house, etc...so we quickly figured out it was cos my BF didn't give him attention. When the BF got dumped, the whining stopped.

He was an awesome dog and I miss him a lot!

________

My husband's family loves big dogs. I was able to meet their last dog, Ingo. He was a gentle giant, a big azzed German shep. He wasn't crated, but he had his 'spot' in the corner of the room. He was Schutzhund trained, and honestly, have never seen such a controlled dog. He had a beautiful temperment, and was loving and playful, but the second you told him what to do, it was all business. He also didn't eat dog food...my in laws actually had him on a natural raw food diet that they'd prepare themselves. Smelled like shiznit, lol...but he was very healthy and his coat was incredible.

He was just recently put down, and it's still very painful for everyone.

So, long winded post, but eh what can I say? hahahah

Edited November 16, 2010 by Lisa C

[nab 74]

{snipped}

So, long winded post, but eh what can I say? hahahah

i loved reading that! so sweet... dogs give us lots of joy

[Mithra 1,185]

Our dogs eat dry food only. They are indoor dogs but on nice days will spend several hours outside at a time. When they want in, they come in. We crate them at night and when we're not home. They're still young and can be destructive when bored or left alone too long. They are both housetrained so, like I said, the crating is mostly to prevent them from destroying the place when no one is home.

[nab 74]

Our dogs eat dry food only. They are indoor dogs but on nice days will spend several hours outside at a time. When they want in, they come in. We crate them at night and when we're not home. They're still young and can be destructive when bored or left alone too long. They are both housetrained so, like I said, the crating is mostly to prevent them from destroying the place when no one is home.

yes some dogs get more bored easily ... some breeds have high energy (i.e. terriers who like to dig, labs who like to chew, dalmations who like to destroy everything in sight, and so on), active attention span where lounging around relaxed for hours is NOT in their breeding! yes many people will say take them for run before leaving them alone but this will NOT alone do the trick... they need a puzzle to keep their attention. if they are crated they need busy work and in my most humble opinion the Kong is the greatest thing made! there are knock offs and while these are nice for an additional toy nothing beats the kong. you dont have to stuff them with expensive kong treats though (eeek! EXPENSIVE!) you can take a small handful of bite size dry dog food and stick it inside after spreading inside with peanut butter, smaash into the sides, take 1/2 or 1/3 one of those long beef treats and block the small hole ... they will spend day trying to chew that out of there with teeth and licking the peanut butter out of large side, occasionally getting a pice of food which they think is treat (or you can put treats in).

problem with having two small ones at same time is like having two small children at same time they feed off each other's bad behaviour! so much more easy to bring a pup into an older dog house (if there's no jealousy) becasue a well-behaved dog can actually make your life easier by partially training new puppy and snapping at them when they do bad!

in your case you have two, one going "oh that looks like so much fun when you shake that couch pillow and those fluffy pieces come out, let ME try that!" they have no problem entertaining themselves... problem is the entertainment needs to be acceptable to YOU so just like with children have to guide them to what is acceptable and praise them like crazy when they do good things. again, just like chiildren they really dont care what kind attention they're getting as long as it's attention so set them up to do good... leave them loose in house when you walk down driveway to get mail (or if you get mail on front of home any little chore outside). give them kong and tell them same thing as you leave, whether it's "be right back" or "be back before you know it" or whatever but after awhile they will recognize that phrase then when you get back and they've bene good tell they oh what good boys/girls they've been. start with just couple minutes and work up to 30min. after that try an hour.... after that a few hours... they really want that praise, so if something happens that they do bad just dont give attention (shunning) and drop back to previous time frame for more days.

eventually you will be able to allow them freedom while you are gone for the day at work. i wouldnt give them free reign of entire home, shut upstairs/downstairs and all rooms that have a door. if you have a baby gate you could even pen into one room though if they are accustomed to the rooms they can see over the gate they may chew at gate, jump or climb under so i really wouldnt recommend that unless they behave very nicely with it in place. with cams and such you could even watch them from another room if you have access to home from another entrance if youre worried about them or you could turn speakers on and screw with them telling them "NO" when they do bad things ok no teasing the dogs LOL!

i hope this helps... a well trained happily entertained pet can be such a wonderful thing to have! i always hate to see small dogs who are out of control because many people feel that only big dogs need training but small dogs need training just as much... does it have teeth? it can bite. small dogs can jump into laps and bite faces more easily and children do not fear small dogs as much so will pick them up etc. (children should also be trained but thats another thread )

Edited November 17, 2010 by nab

[Mithra 1,185]

We have two medium/large dogs (both are about 50lbs) so they are even more destructive than little ones! They can destroy a new chew toy in minutes. We have extra large crates for each of them so there is room for them to stand and move around a bit. We do keep the crates side by side so they keep each other company. They each have a big Kong that I usually put peanut butter in. That is their reward for going in the crate. They get super excited for it, lol. We do have parts of the house blocked off with baby gates just to train them to stay in certain areas of the house. They're not allowed in the front room or bedrooms. Now, even when the gates are removed, they pretty much stay where they're supposed to be except when the cat is running around. We keep the gates up so the cat has an escape, lol. They want to play a little too rough with him. I'm hoping that by the time they're two years old and fully adult that we'll be able to trust them alone more often and they won't have to be crated as much.

[nab 74]

We have two medium/large dogs (both are about 50lbs) so they are even more destructive than little ones! They can destroy a new chew toy in minutes. We have extra large crates for each of them so there is room for them to stand and move around a bit. We do keep the crates side by side so they keep each other company. They each have a big Kong that I usually put peanut butter in. That is their reward for going in the crate. They get super excited for it, lol. We do have parts of the house blocked off with baby gates just to train them to stay in certain areas of the house. They're not allowed in the front room or bedrooms. Now, even when the gates are removed, they pretty much stay where they're supposed to be except when the cat is running around. We keep the gates up so the cat has an escape, lol. They want to play a little too rough with him. I'm hoping that by the time they're two years old and fully adult that we'll be able to trust them alone more often and they won't have to be crated as much.

lol so you already know the value of the kong try mixing small bite dog food into the peanut butter, they treat it like treats (and it's cheaper than treats!)

i've always had chows or shepherds (and some labs ) since leaving home but have always wanted to get a tiny dog... maybe someday. in my experience seems like the girls "grow up" more quickly than males... 6-9 months the girls seem to be more calm and by 1-1.5yo are adult but boys are 1.5yo before they even begin to chill out and between 2-4yo before they're "adults". mostly labs were the 4yo. since they are also the chewers too i avoid them now becasue i have them mainly as security, not as pets, but for a family pet for kids labs really are great because they are so playful for chldren.

as far as 'chew toys' for large dogs, i wouldnt buy. we get creative here... when you do laundry pull out holey socks and set aside. knot these up with a couple knots and give ... they love to chew if they are teething and if you tie a couple together so they can give if a good shake and sling it around they love that.

take polyfill or old pillows and remake into pillows for them... use tough material like old jeans and double stitch the seams cause they like to chew at seams. dont make too large pillows because they like to sling them around and can break things (yes i learned hard way).

look at doggie stuffed animal toys in store to get ideas and just make your own at home... also, you can get a few well made ones that you only let them play with under supervision and then put away in a basket in a cabinet (that they do not see or they will scratch at!) so you can keep a variety for them.

ask anyone you know who plays tennis to give you all their dead balls... racket balls... (you can revive bounce in dead balls by putting in dryer but it's a pretty wicked sounding experience!)

another option is to check out baby toys in goodwill... baby toys would be baby safe so if they are sturdy should be doggie safe too. one of my son's stuffed animals has a rattle/bell inside... my dog still treats it like a baby even though all other stuffed animals get ripped to shreds... IDK if it is because it smells like my son or because it makes a noise or why but it's kinda cool it's still intact.

they really dont need a lot of toys, just rotate a few they have so they only have afew out at a time.

[Welshcookie 17]

Having used both dry and wet feeds on various dogs over the years, I have come to prefer dry food, breath and poop is less stinky and teeth seems healthier, given the recommended amount of dry food for the size of dog there is no reason for your dog to be overweight. It is important to make sure there is plenty of water available though.

I have never used crates, but can see how they can be useful...I usually get rescue dogs so they are mostly house trained, then they get trained to my house rules

My dog spends some hours outside during the day and is always in at night.

Edited November 18, 2010 by Welshcookie

[Mithra 1,185]

Thank you for the awesome advice, nab! I didn't think of old, holey socks for the dogs. I just throw those away, lol. I'll be keeping them from now on. About pillows, I never thought about encasing them in sturdier fabric. We put older pillows in the crates under their blankets but when they're having a particularly boring day they completely destroy the pillows and there's stuffing everywhere! I will definitely take your advice and find some old jeans or other heavy fabric for their pillows. It makes sense since their doggie pillows in the family room are made from heavy canvasy fabric and although they try to destroy those, they can't. The only "toys" that manage to stay in decent condition are their rope toys. They play tug of war and chew the heck out of those but they stay intact.

Both of our dogs are spayed females. The shepherd/mastiff mix is nearly 9 months old and the husky is 1.5 yrs old. The husky is hyper (yet submissive) by nature because of the breed so although she's not quite as destructive and naughty, she's awfully hyper, lol. The shepherd mix is still a little mouthy (biting hands but not hard) but I think she's getting her back teeth in. She's also quite dominate but I think that's typical of her breeds. She's lazier than the husky but boy is she naughty!

[TracyTN 237]

I have never had a dog before the one we have now; hubby always had dogs in the UK. He has observed many times how differently people are about dogs here. Sometimes (at least maybe in the south), they seem way less like pets (family members) than just something to have chained in the front yard or kept out in the back in a fence. He just doesn't understand the mentality of letting them run loose or having them outside 24/7. Its as if people don't want them to be a part of the family. Or they get them as puppies and find them cute, then get over it once they're dogs. Dogs are social animals and I hate seeing one left outside all the time to its own devices. REALLY bothers me. The only time I'm ok with it is on farms if they are 100% working dogs.

As an aside, our dog only goes outside to do her business. I couldn't sleep at night if I didn't know where she was at all times (normally in the bedroom with me We feed her wet and dry food.

ETA we never understood crate training, either, tho it seems VERY common and have heard it has been a lifesaver to many. I can't really judge so long as the dog is loved and healthy - but it does seem odd to me. I'd rather train it not to destroy things or only pee/poop outside. But sometimes that is not a perfect science.

Edited November 22, 2010 by TracyTN

[nab 74]

I have never had a dog before the one we have now; hubby always had dogs in the UK. He has observed many times how differently people are about dogs here. Sometimes (at least maybe in the south), they seem way less like pets (family members) than just something to have chained in the front yard or kept out in the back in a fence. He just doesn't understand the mentality of letting them run loose or having them outside 24/7. Its as if people don't want them to be a part of the family. Or they get them as puppies and find them cute, then get over it once they're dogs. 1 Dogs are social animals and I hate seeing one left outside all the time to its own devices. REALLY bothers me. 2 The only time I'm ok with it is on farms if they are 100% working dogs.

As an aside, our dog only goes outside to do her business. I couldn't sleep at night if I didn't know where she was at all times (normally in the bedroom with me We feed her wet and dry food.

ETA 3 we never understood crate training, either, tho it seems VERY common and have heard it has been a lifesaver to many. I can't really judge so long as the dog is loved and healthy - but it does seem odd to me. I'd rather train it not to destroy things or only pee/poop outside. But sometimes that is not a perfect science.

1. i totally get you on this if they are alone

2. i'm not even ok with it if working dog unless there are other working dogs... i know many farm folks who have only one and bring it in at night. dogs are pack animals and need to be with their pack, whether that is animal or human, whomever they identify with as theirs... soemtimes it's a mixture if theirs a couple dogs and kids in family LOL

3. think of a crate as just a bed that has sides, top and bottom. that's basically all it is, but has a door so when people come over the door can be shut so they can be restricted. the dog cannot be touhced or approached at all and visitors are not at risk of being bitten (i WANT my dog to be mean with ALL strangers... it is only socialized with those people i want in my home).