Have I finally found my friends? (Palmer has crossed over the Bridge)

Susan...

do not use the drop-one-arm-technique on your husband and tell him it was my idea! :eek: :eek: :eek: :D

Sas and Yunah ;)

Okay-I just emailed them and have asked if they would send a picture. Normally no pictures go out before two weeks. We'll see.

We always felt that Peaches and Palmer got house broken because we took them out every hour.

This is going to be one interesting ride home! I'll be taking plastic for my lap - we will start out in the cage....and do that as long as is possible. The trip back will be a two day thing. Hey-I think it's now 7 weeks from today. Yahooooooooooo!!!!:D:D:D:D:D:):):):):):eek::eek::e ek::eek::eek::eek:
-Susan

I too would give the prep school a miss. It sounds like they focus on crate training and I believe that crate training is something that needs to be done right - and the best way to do it right is to do it yourself at home! At least then if any mistakes are made you know what happened, when etc which makes undoing them a lot easier. (It isn't hard though if you go slow!:) Going slow and not asking too much at first is the key.)

I've crate trained our two dogs. (Neither from early puppyhood though). The first, Zac, was totally "crate naive" and was a breeze to train. He loves his crate and always has done - it is his happy place and where he wants to be if he is frightened (as by fireworks etc).

My other dog was supposedly "crate trained" when she came to us. But her relationship with the crate was far from ideal. I'm pretty sure her "crate training" had simply been spending a lot of time in a crate and so being used to it. This is not the same thing as true crate training, IMO. She rarely if ever went willingly (let alone enthusiastically) into a crate and tended to whine quite a bit too at times.

She's been with us for three months now and things are very different these days. Now she bounds into her crate with enthusiasm and I don't think we have long to go before she loves it as much as does Zac. But it has taken a while and a lot more effort and thought and problem solving than it did to do it right the first time with Zac - who is a much, much more innately challenging dog as well!

I would be a little concerned that the "crate training" they may do at the prep school is more like just getting them used to being crated rather than teaching them to love their crate. This would be especially likely if they are trying to do it within a set time period and with several puppies at a time. To get off on the right foot with crate training the initial training has to be done carefully with sensitivity to the needs of the individual and how much he or she can accept (and enjoy) at any particular time.

The benefits of a dog that loves its crate just can't be underestimated IMO. We recently went through the Brisbane floods (with a 5 - 6 day power blackout and needing to leave our home temporarily and all those fun things) and I'd would say that crate training was just about a life saver (certainly a sanity saver) for both the humans and the dogs. The dogs were completely happy to be crated more or less full time in return for frequent attention, occasional treats and 3X day walks about the neighborhood.

I presume the prep school will cost you extra - maybe using this money to enlist the help of a professional trainer is a possibility if you feel you will need some help in the early days.

Here's a link you might find useful: http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

Looking at this (and from distant memory) taking them outside every hour when they are really little is par for the course and has to do with a young pup's physiological immaturity.

Alison

I added a picture. Something happened in the transfer process. This is just something like Little Miss will look like. If you imagine the white parts as rust color, I think it'll be close.
susan

Susan I am so happy for you and your new arrival - can't wait!! By the way I have always used the crate in my room and then when once trained they graduate to a bed in my room. I like Saskia's idea of putting it near your bed - I am pretty sure that's what I did with Casey, although it is hard now to remember her as a puppy. They are so much fun though!!

Hi Ellen. That's what I plan on doing. Start out with the crate then later have a bed right by my side in front of my nightstand. I can't wait, either!!
Okay-tomorrow @10:40 or thereabouts, I will be in the docs office. Would everyone please take a moment and send up wishes that he'll removed this stupid rod? I'll let you know. I also hope to get a snapshot tomorrow. -Susan

Quote:

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Would everyone please take a moment and send up wishes that he'll removed this stupid rod?

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Consider it done:)

I love all the puppy talk, can't wait to hear of your adventures. Between your post and Deb's it is going to be a happy time:D

Best of luck, Susan. Your new puppy will be just fine.

Hugs,
Addy

Hi-
The work day has ended down south and I did not receive a picture of Little Miss.:(:(
The doc told me I had to keep the rod in for 3 more weeks.:(:(:(
-Susan

Well, you know what they say "Bad rehearsal, great show". Tomorrow is another day and in the big picture.....well, you know. Keep your chin up and concentrate on that wonderful, furry ball of love that will fill your life with magic.
Hugs,
Carrol

Hi- I have a question. I've got puppy books and have been reading online as well. They often refer to giving kibble as a treat for a task mastered. What really is Kibble? What size pieces do you give? We've never had a dog that would eat the dry food. I am hoping to make a large effort so that dry food is the food of choice. Palmer ate wet food and we gave him treats like Pupperoni, Jerky Treats, etc. I don't think that's real great so far as nutrition and they tend to be high in calories, I am told. We gave him pigs ears, dental bones and rawhide bones as well. I can tell you, if no one has tried them.....those Greenies do a great job keeping teeth clean.

And while I'm at it, what words of wisdom are floating out there about good dog food?
Is there something specific to look for in the labeling?

The rod news means I will only be hardware free for 3 weeks prior to our adventure to Alabama. I think the doc is also going to want me to go down to a more normal black surgical shoe, although he did say a few times back that once the pins/rod were out we'd start out slow with something like a sneaker. Again, he wants me off my feet with them up in the air. I have done almost nothing, but I'm going to further curtail what getting about I do.

When we left the docs office I said to Bob....."Just shoot me now." For some reason this is less tolerable to me than the knee replacement surgeries I had. I guess that's because with the knee surgery, they want you walking on day #2. This thing wants you not walking as much as is possible.

To top it all off, I'm having trouble sleeping. :mad:

Plan to ask for a picture again today.

I'll go give sleeping another try. -susan :(

ps-thanks for the encouragement and the hugs!

Hi Susan,

"Kibble" simply means dry feed - regardless of the actual size of the nuggets. I used to think kibble was a particular type of feed or just the small bite feeds, but it refers to all dry feeds.

As treats, using kibble is much more nutritious than treats like Pupperoni, Beggin' Strips, etc. Those things are full of fats. You can use fresh veggies and fruits that she likes as treats instead.

For feeding a puppy, you want to stay with a high quality puppy food for at least 6 months, preferably one year - canned or kibble, either one, or a combination. Controlled feeding VS free feeding is best for most dogs regardless of their age. Free feeding can lead to obesity and problems with systems like skeletal. In my studies, I have read that free feeding puppies can also lead to hormonal imbalances. This is something I haven't had time to delve into deeply, but I have seen the references enough to know it is something to consider. As a cush parent, that really stuck! LOL

In choosing a feed, read the labels and not the packaging - the hype on the actual bag that catches your eye. The package may say chicken and rice but when you read the label, chicken is the 8th ingredient listed which means there is very little chicken in the feed. If the feed is supposed to be chicken and rice, those ingredients should be listed in the first 4 ingredients. BTW, chicken by-products, or ANY by-product, is not what you want. By-products are things like feathers, feet, beaks, etc. - things from the human grade product that are not edible. You want to see meat and meat meals in those first few ingredients.

Hope this helps!
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Leslie has already given you some great info. Here's a couple thoughts to add. First, here's a link to an independent website that gives reviews and ratings to different dogfoods:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

In the past, I have not always agreed 100% with the reviews, but there is still a lot of good information available for you to consider. You will find puppy foods interspered throughout the ratings categories. Do pay attention to the dates of the reviews, too, because companies seem to change formulas with a fair degree of regularity now. And an older review may not correspond with the current ingredients for any given product once you actually look at the current label. So if you find a food you're happy with, you can always visit the website for the actual manufacturer and compare their current ingredient list just to double-check.

My Labs have always been chow-hounds, and so they are always happy to get a piece of kibble as a reward for good behavior. But not all dogs are that keen on dry food, and in the early training stages when you are seriously working on initially shaping behavior, you may want to have something REALLY enticing to throw into the mix. Trainers who I've worked with have recommended soft things like low-fat turkey hot dogs or string cheese or a slice of lean deli meat. With all these things, you can nip off tiny pieces with your fingers to give as a reward. That way, the cumulative food total isn't that big, but the dogs are really excited over the treat. You may want to reserve those treats to be used only for training, so they remain a special enticement. I'll bet Saskia will have some suggestions, too.

I'm so sorry to hear about the rods! But I guess this way you'll really be forced to rest up in advance of your big trip...:o

Marianne

Aha....I do have some thoughts on the matter :D I personally would not use the high reward special treats for all the "normal" training like sit, down etc. I reserve those for training that prooves to be especially difficult for the pup (could be something else for each pup) I prefer to use kibble and what I will do is I will measure the amount of food that the dog should be eating during a day and then take some of that to use for training and rewards. For example, your dog should eat 80 grams of kibble each day. You feed it twice a day (in case of an adult dog) so that would make for two meals of 40 grams each. Now, grab a handful of kibbles and set them apart for training and rewarding. Let's say you took 10 grams of kibble to use for training. That will leave two meals of 35 grams each (80 grams - 10 grams = 70 grams : 2 = 35 grams) :) This way the dog will not get more food then it should. Each treat or reward is extra food...if you feed the 80 grams needed and hand out treats on top of that amount. It's very important for any dog to be in good shape and have a healthy weight but for puppies especially. So I would start training and rewarding with kibble (taken from the daily amount) and see how that goes. If she doesn't respond wel to the kibble you could always try to use a toy or cuddles as a reward, not all dogs are food motivated allthough most are :D And when the training hits a really tough to learn excercise, then use some really enticing reward :) At least, that's how I would do it ;)

Saskia and Yunah :)

Hi Leslie-thanks for all the useful information. That is very helpful. Any recommendations as to brand for the dry?
-Susan

Well now, see,Marianne.....if I had kept reading and not been so quick to jump the gun..... :rolleyes:

That's a great link to have and I thank you.

-Susan

Saskia-thank you for your thoughts as well....but they bring up another question I've always had......what IS the recommended amount for total food for one day? Any time I read a packages instructions it is very obvious they are out to sell more food. I've never given as much as those products recommend. I am sure there must be some generally accepted calorie or gram total.

Thanks-:)
Susan

NEWSFLASH........NEWSFLASH........NEWSFLASH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am just about to add three pictures to the album......maybe I should start a second album? Hot off the presses, just taken a few hours ago.

That's my girl.....tail and all!!!!

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

(I figured this out. ) I'll try to get this in there, right side up.............I guess they have to come in that way. I am unable to edit the pictures, even though there is an "edit picture" selection. :(:(
-s

OMG, that has to be the cutest baby ever. And what a lucky baby to have you as a mom. Palmer would be proud that his mom has love to share with another precious soul. What a tribute. Congratulations!!!
Love,
Carrol & Chloe

Oh Susan, I love her already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't she just melt your heart??????????????????? :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

What a total cutie-pie!!!!!!!! :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p

Marianne

Oh, how cute she is! I know you are so excited for sure now! Get that rest so you can be ready for the trip to pick her up. LOL That will be a fun trip, I bet.

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bichonluver3

Palmer would be proud that his mom has love to share with another precious soul. What a tribute. Congratulations!!!
Love,
Carrol & Chloe

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You made me teary! What a nice thing to say. Thank you. (warm heart icon goes here)

What a cutie! I think if you want to get the photos up the right way you will have to delete them from your album, flip them around and repost them. But it doesn't really matter, we can still see the cuteness shining through!

Re the father being an odd color for a poodle - what it might be is that with some of these designer X-breds sometimes they breed from two cross-bred (in this case Schnoodle) parents rather than just crossing a Poodle and a Schnauzer every time. I think they call this multi-generational hybridization or something. So it is possible that both parents are actually Schnoodles themselves rather than one of each of the foundation breeds.

Lately I've been using Evo Small Bites (made by Innova) as training treats. They probably aren't high value enough for really intensive, difficult training but for everyday use they are working out fine. I use tiny, teeny little bits of cheese as high value treats and I also make my own chicken jerky too. I've used small bits of dried cat food in the past but I think the Evo is probably going down better, actually.

With regards the correct amount to feed - that is sort of like how long is a piece of string. It is whatever amount neither causes weight loss or weight gain (in an adult dog of ideal weight). How much that may be is an individual thing and it also varies with exercise and (I've found most of all) with the weather. I do think the recommended amounts on the packets are almost always way too generous and that probably accounts for quite a few of the overweight and obese dogs you see around. I've never, ever fed anything like the recommended quantity to a pet dog. A working dog or a dog feeding pups can be another matter but most pet dogs don't seem to need anything like what the manufacturers would have us believe.

I'm constantly fiddling the amount my dogs get and do it by eyeballing the dog, eyeballing the food, and taking into account how much they have had as treats etc. If one of them gains a little undesired weight I'll feed slightly less for a couple of days and if it looks like they may be losing weight I'll increase their ration for a couple of days. Sometimes I knowingly overfeed on one day because I need to use up some food so on the next day I'll feed a bit less. It all works out over time and I don't stress about it at all.

Alison

You are welcome. I truly meant it. And thanks back at ya for all the help you give to all of us here. I hope you plan to have a lawn full of pink flamingos when that gorgeous baby comes home!
Love,
Carrol

Alison-I have asked and am told Mom is pure bred Schnauzer and Dad is "full poodle breed." It doesn't really matter to me....it just seems so unusual. If you look in the album-you'll see a picture of Mom and one of Dad.

Carrol-LOL!!! :D I'm not sure what that means........I am guessing it's like for a female and it correlates to a stork. Funny thing is I DO have at least one of those stored away. My husband (who does not have my silly bone) :rolleyes: really hates them. I have a neighbor friend and if she will be around that weekend that we return, maybe I"ll ask her to put it out. What a hoot!:):)

I've been cropping and printing out the pictures and she is soooooo cute. I am anxious to see her eyes. (See her little tongue sticking out in that first picture?)

-Susan

I was curious so I just did some "research" and found out about what are called "phantom poodles" (same as regular poodles - just different markings). Looks like this is what dad is: http://www.homesteadpoodles.com/phantom_poodles.html

You can find more if you Google the words "phantom poodle".

I don't think I've never seen one - or if I have I'd probably have assumed it was a "multi-generation" schnoodle or some other sort of poodle mix.

Alison

Hi Susan!
Yup, that's what it means! Oh and, of course, you have to have that whole "Welcome home..." banner thing going on:D. Let us know date and time and we will celebrate here. Any excuse for a party..!!;)
Love,
Carrol

Alison-thank you so much for doing the research. It is very interesting. I forwarded the link to hubby. He always likes having more information. Almost just 6 WEEKS NOW.....not that I'm counting. ;);)

-Susan

Susan,

This is getting really exciting. Counting down the weeks with you.

Jenny

We are all waiting on the edge of our seats to welcome this princess home!!
Love,
Carrol & Chloe

This is almost like being pregnant.....except without all the bother! ;) We now have a final list for names. I hope to be able to tell you what we're really going to call her before the weekend's over.

Is it me or are these days sooooooooooo long??!! :)

We have our trip down south all mapped out now. 4 nights on the way down, 2 nights on the way back.....possibly one, but I don't think so! Bob has a short memory. When we got Palmer we were at the beach for the weekend. We had taken our son's Wrangler for the weekend......we both like stick and the Wrangler in general. Well, when we started out to head home, it was with the top down and I was driving. Bob was holding Palmer because Palmer wouldn't stay in the cage without yapping. We got about 45 minutes away and Bob had me pull over. After that, he drove and I held Palmer......plus the top was up!:D:D

Oh Susan, I am so happy you are so excited. It is just wonderful to read your posts. I can't wait to hear the possible names:)

Oh, I better go check your album to look for any new pictures of Little Miss.

Hugs,
Addy

Hi Susan!
We can FEEL your excitement in your posts and are just as excited. I am sitting on the edge of my seat. Ooooooo..can't wait. You know you have to take a ton of pictures on your trip and post them ALL!!
Love,
Carrol

Okay-I didn't think anyone would be interested in possible names....here's the list (in no specific order);
Bailey, Ellie, Roxy, Ember, Chloe, Brinkley, Mattie
"Ember" is because she's black and her paws and on up her legs is brown/rust. Then-there's the possibility as she matures that her color could change. Peaches went from black to silver with the first cut, and Palmer started out a really neat brindle but changed over early on to black.

I like Brinkley. Bailey would not be bad, but it may be a boy's name. Ember, Brinkley and Bailey are the three I like from that list. I don't much care for the others in this instance.
There should be new pictures Monday. Maybe I'll wait until I see those and then decide. I'm hoping her eyes will be open.
-Susan

Well Susan,

I could go with the Mattie--haha--wonder why!!! I like Ellie--Little Miss Ellie...:) We have already thought of Ella for ours when and if...

At nine days old she is a cutie. Who couldn't love a puppy...

I have been checking all the aussie websites here in California, most of them would take a day to get to if I plan one one up north. I think I found one litter that will be coming in April---soooo long to wait, but we seem to like the size of the parents so hopefully their little ones will be on the bigger size.

I am so excited for you, but I know I am having a hard time to want to wait, but you have one all picked out waiting for you!!!!!!:D

I like them ALLL:D:D:D:D

Once you see more pictures of Little Miss one of the names will most likely stick.

And it is better than being pregnant though you should still be able to eat pickles and ice cream regardless;):D

Have a wonderful weekend

Addy

Hi Susan!
Well, I think Chloe might be good......I wonder why:rolleyes:
I am so excited (and she's not even my pup!) that I think I would just say "To heck with it" and move in with her until she would be able to move in with me!
Seriously, though, have you painted her room pink, yet?:D
Lots of love & hugs,
Carrol & Chloe

You guys are nuts!!
No, no pink room yet. I'm working on getting the filing that's on the floor picked up and put away. Palmer had learned, mostly, to leave it alone. A little puppy would have a field day!:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Six weeks from today, at this time, we should know something about how the car ride is going to go.:eek::eek:

Medical report: now everyone knock on wood........ratatattat..........since I slowed down on moving around even more, the foot is not talking to me. It's the first time I've not had pain in it in over one year.:D:D

Yaaaay - no pain. Good news! Looks as if 2011 will be your year. You deserve it. If you need help with the papers, I have a 3 yr old maltipoo that will gobble them up. Filing problem solved:D
Have a great day!
Love,
Carrol

Carrol-
I was thinking of getting that goat from the AFLAC commercials.....and the duck to hurry the goat along! :D

Okay-I am pleased to report we have narrowed it down to a list of two names: Bailey or Katie I like them both. My husband is maintaining his Swedish peaceful territory. I had originally liked Brinkley but Ryan does not like it, so it went off the list.

Having no luck with sleeping. :(:( Makes catching up with the filing and organizing go quicker.

Enjoy the weekend everybody! :)
susan