Dogs.

[farmerterryy]

all dogs are viable if trained right

 

[Jstpssng]

Long Read, but worth it...

We have two boys... both registered GSD's... Koda and Mako. They are both deep in their 8th year of life...and both FULL of life. They are SUPER well trained... and very socialized. We live on a nice 20 acres of natural hardwoods, and they love it.

Mako is the typical black/sable GSD marking, short(ish) hair, not the long hair breed. We got Mako when he was 8 weeks old. Koda is a Czech import, blonde fur, black facemask... he was brought in to be a Sheriff's Office K9, but lacked ball drive. He's very food driven, so he was not allowed to finish and become a working K9. The lead K9 trainer that was training Koda, is a Ranger Buddy of mine... he called me up and told me about Koda... he was doing the initial training for our boy Mako, and the two doggos got along like littermates. They are exactly 27 days apart, Koda being the older of the two. So, we got Koda at 6 months old.

We went through the floppy ear phase with Mako, but Koda was like full grown doggo when we got him. Both of our boys went on to have multiple intensive training sessions with my Ranger Buddy.

Koda imprinted on me... and adopted me as his HOOMAN. He is the COOLEST boy too.. amazing personality, not needy at all. He's very social, but not affectionate with anyone but me. He is my velcro doggo. Mako, has bonded with my wife... and is beta to Koda. Koda is ALL Alpha. Out of the two, I trust Koda with anything... he is so even tempered... but Mako is very strange with little kids, and little dogs.

About 9 months ago, we noticed Koda licking a spot on his tail... it was an open cyst, so we took him to our vet. The cyst was removed, and unfortunately, showed "malignant markers" and we were referred to a K9 Oncologist, since it was a super "rare" type of tumor.

They did x-rays and a full abdomen CT scan, and Koda showed no signs of the tumor spreading. The doc wanted to remove his tail, and start him on a new drug called "Palladia" (Toceranib).

Palladia® (toceranib) in Dogs & Cats - The Pet Oncologist

Your vet just recommended Palladia® to treat your pet’s cancer. What is Palladia®? What are the pros & cons? How frequent are the visits? What are the side effects? Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions about Palladia® in dogs & cats.

www.thepetoncologist.com

We of course, got several other opinions, and decided to start him on Palladia, but keep his tail. So far, he's in his third week of taking Palladia (Mon, Weds and Fri mornings) and has zero side effects. He still eats well, plays like he is still a puppy, and very alert. We will go back for a re-evaluation after he's completed a full 30 days on the medication.

I want to make sure we give him the best we can, and keep him active as long as his quality of life is good. Koda does not even know he's got some health issues... I know that I will have to face that day, one day... and it will GUT me to lose him. I've had dogs my whole life, but this boy... Koda... is my soul dog. I do my best to show him that he's my boy, every single day... and it tears me up knowing that one day, he will not be here for me to tell him he's a good boy...

Both boys are amazing, and I can't imagine having one without the other. Mako is so dependant on Koda... I know it will affect him as well, once that day comes.

We as humans do not deserve doggos... but, I am SO thankful that we have them.

The boys love Jeep rides... (Koda on left, Mako on right)

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Koda always keeps me in his sight...

View attachment 3348327

Nice! If God hadn't made Labs I would be getting a shepard.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Long Read, but worth it...

We have two boys... both registered GSD's... Koda and Mako. They are both deep in their 8th year of life...and both FULL of life. They are SUPER well trained... and very socialized. We live on a nice 20 acres of natural hardwoods, and they love it.

Mako is the typical black/sable GSD marking, short(ish) hair, not the long hair breed. We got Mako when he was 8 weeks old. Koda is a Czech import, blonde fur, black facemask... he was brought in to be a Sheriff's Office K9, but lacked ball drive. He's very food driven, so he was not allowed to finish and become a working K9. The lead K9 trainer that was training Koda, is a Ranger Buddy of mine... he called me up and told me about Koda... he was doing the initial training for our boy Mako, and the two doggos got along like littermates. They are exactly 27 days apart, Koda being the older of the two. So, we got Koda at 6 months old.

We went through the floppy ear phase with Mako, but Koda was like full grown doggo when we got him. Both of our boys went on to have multiple intensive training sessions with my Ranger Buddy.

Koda imprinted on me... and adopted me as his HOOMAN. He is the COOLEST boy too.. amazing personality, not needy at all. He's very social, but not affectionate with anyone but me. He is my velcro doggo. Mako, has bonded with my wife... and is beta to Koda. Koda is ALL Alpha. Out of the two, I trust Koda with anything... he is so even tempered... but Mako is very strange with little kids, and little dogs.

About 9 months ago, we noticed Koda licking a spot on his tail... it was an open cyst, so we took him to our vet. The cyst was removed, and unfortunately, showed "malignant markers" and we were referred to a K9 Oncologist, since it was a super "rare" type of tumor.

They did x-rays and a full abdomen CT scan, and Koda showed no signs of the tumor spreading. The doc wanted to remove his tail, and start him on a new drug called "Palladia" (Toceranib).

Palladia® (toceranib) in Dogs & Cats - The Pet Oncologist

Your vet just recommended Palladia® to treat your pet’s cancer. What is Palladia®? What are the pros & cons? How frequent are the visits? What are the side effects? Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions about Palladia® in dogs & cats.

www.thepetoncologist.com

We of course, got several other opinions, and decided to start him on Palladia, but keep his tail. So far, he's in his third week of taking Palladia (Mon, Weds and Fri mornings) and has zero side effects. He still eats well, plays like he is still a puppy, and very alert. We will go back for a re-evaluation after he's completed a full 30 days on the medication.

I want to make sure we give him the best we can, and keep him active as long as his quality of life is good. Koda does not even know he's got some health issues... I know that I will have to face that day, one day... and it will GUT me to lose him. I've had dogs my whole life, but this boy... Koda... is my soul dog. I do my best to show him that he's my boy, every single day... and it tears me up knowing that one day, he will not be here for me to tell him he's a good boy...

Both boys are amazing, and I can't imagine having one without the other. Mako is so dependant on Koda... I know it will affect him as well, once that day comes.

We as humans do not deserve doggos... but, I am SO thankful that we have them.

The boys love Jeep rides... (Koda on left, Mako on right)

View attachment 3348262

View attachment 3348326

Koda always keeps me in his sight...

View attachment 3348327

The working line GSD are a lot of dog, too much for most people (in my opinion) you are lucky to have two of them.

 

[ponytug]

The cat raised the dog……


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Those are wonderful photos to go with the story! We used to have a cat and dog like that. The dog would lie down somewhere to watch one of us, and the cat would come by and knead the dog's belly and then curl up to snooze.

The cat was pretty much fearless. She loved to hunt, and then play with, rattlesnakes. AFAIK, she was only bit once, and only had a limp for a year or so afterwards.

The dog was pretty much fearless as well. She would hunt down and run off pigs. She loathed pigs for some reason, anything else was just water flowing by. She was great at finding lost calves. She found one calf under our low floor horse trailer (6" floor to ground clearance?). It had never crossed my mind that a calf could be under there. Yes, our GSDs are all working dogs, mostly dogs that didn't quite make the breeder's standard for continuing into K-9 work, usually because they were late bloomers or needed extra work.

Animals are such a treat.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Jstpssng]

I don't know how anyone can NOT have a dog.I understand some circumstances it isn't possible.
I have owned dogs or the family has owned dogs all my life.From German Shepards when younger to Labs,English Pointers and currently German Short-hairs.
Later in life my parents had Poodles and Bichons.
Yes you have to take care of them and feed them but the rewards are unmeasurable.

I understand what you are saying but not everybody's lifestyle is conducive to having pets. I went 18 years before my first because I was travelling a lot, working with other people and it would have been complicated. When I finally got my first dog I often had to kennel her, and she did not like being confined.

I've been without for a year and a half because for a while it was nice to not think about a dog; especially last fall, when I was helping take care of my aging mother.
I'm starting to feel like Mr Bo Jangles though.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Seeing some people taking ''care'' of their dog one would actually wish less people had some... I told off my brother a while back, I was like for F sake stop getting dogs when you have to keep giving them away ... He had 4 dogs within a few years, the fist one (a Weimaraner) keep running away and fight other dogs and he also had major separation anxiety, he gave it to a old man (which is fine, good on him to find him a good home), but then he got a other dog right away.... so he got he got a crooker spaniel for his kids (which was too young to take care of one) but the dog hated kids so he sold/gave away (not too sure of the detail of this one). After he got a Catahoula (yeah just like this is going to be better) and that one was biting his kids and people in general (mostly playfully) so he paid the pound to take it... Then he got a lab but so far everything is good with this one. All that was back to back to back.

 

[MossRoad]

The only reason we don't have a dog currently is that we are not home often enough to take care of it properly. Once I retire, I'll be getting another dog.

As for dogs and cats, we found a kitten and raised it with our Cairn. It thought it was a dog. Walked on a leash, did tricks, etc... fun to watch them play tag in the house.

 

[scootr]

 

[5030]

Loos like something our Aussie would do, great find... All the delivery drivers are trained to give Tully a biscuit when he barks at them. All he wants is a buscuit and a scratch and they become fast friends. I have to keep him in the fenced front yard (which is huge anyway 1/2 acre) or he'd get in the delivery truck with them. We have one outside cat that would also do that. He loves people and gettig scratched is high on his to do list. Very trusting and loves to be picked up and carted around. Been here for 10 years now, showed up one night and never left. He has his own 'house' on the back deck and while he wanders a bit, he's in his house every night after feeding time. House is a repurposed Omaha Steak styrofoam box with a 'cushy' inside for him to sleep on and if any other cat gets near his house, trouble insues. He's got a wicked right hook and uses it on the other cats, but never on people. Howie is the exception to outside cats. Never been inside and don't want to come in either. He will look in the open slider and turn away.

 

[SARG]

Here's a reason to have small mutts .... mine are both over 100 pounds. On Juy 5th I was walking to the lower barns and the heathens ran behind me coming to look for a rabbit to chase for giggles. The female ( on the left ) does not look were she runs and hit me square in the back of the legs.
I went up and landed on the back of my head and back. Now I have to cope with a broken rib just under my left shoulder blade. Truly screws up the summer for this year and yes .... still hurts like hell.