Has anyone's dog had kennel cough?

phoenixhea

I ask this because there was a question by Monica Rae and she described the symptoms exactly of kennel cough. We got our dog from the pound and he has all his shots but developed kennel cough. He would get stiff as a board, gasp for breath and that would last for about 20 seconds. It's nothing to worry about. The vet and articles online say to rub the throat and talk calmly to the dog while that's happening. Eventually, it stops but it took about 6 weeks. No vet visit is needed. A lot of dogs get it, even when they have not been in a kennel.
My dog was vaccinated against it but got it anyway.

Answer
Both my dogs have had kennel cough, at separate times. My older dog got it from a puppy that came from the Humane Society and then a year later my new Lab puppy got from the vet's office (of all places). I was told by the vet once they have it they build an immunity to it and I am assuming it is a correct statement because my older dog never got it when my Lab puppy had it. Kennel Cough is extremely contagious and as I was told you neighbors dog up the street could get it and if your dog is down wind he could also get it. Your heart breaks when you dog is going thru it and there is nothing you really can do, but let it run its course.

Kennel dog to house dog?

appequus

My friend was given a 5yr old male Chihuahua , he was completely house trained and did not mark any furniture of the previous owners. he has been living in a kennel and breeding / producing No puppies for a year . My question is if I take him as a house dog will he pee on everything i own? The kennel owner says you can never bring a male that has bred back into a house . I don't want him to be homeless or worse , but have new furniture and carpet in a new house and husband NOT an animal person Infomation of experienced owner please!
to Jen , no he has been outside with 40 other dogs , peeing and pooing on cement and marking every corner and post . I would rather say no than say yes and feel guilty for not wanting the dog . I know he needs a home , I don't need a problem .

Answer
First sadly the kennel owner is right. An intact or neutered male who has experienced coitious (as they say on Big Bang Theory *0) ) will mark its territory 99% of the time. I liken this to a guy with a vasectomy. The urge to mate does not leave & when a dog wishes to mate they mark. However; you do mention that he was housebroken before entering the life of a stud. Let me ask you this. Does your friend have him in the house? If so how is he doing? That may be your answer right there.
I had a dog that I had to give up due to the fact that he was cryptorchid (meaning he had one testicul that never descended) and the breeder told me he was fixed before I bought him. I had him properly neutered when I got him he was 6 months old then, and according to the said breeder who had lied to me before he was a virgin. He marked & marked for three years. I did everything I know. I have house trained dogs from the age of 11 and I could not get him to stop. Dogs mark with both urine and feces btw.
I am an animal LOVER but I needed to re-home this dog. He ended up having a terrific life with another animal lover who had allergies and lots of $$. She had had her two car garage set up with dog furniture and a tv so she could hang out with the dog, with heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. There was drainage He was a Schipperke so he was hypo allergenic as well. He needed to stay in the garage with visitation from mom but he has been doing great.

Bottom line though. You & your friend may not find an ideal situation such as the one I've described (I have this thing with luck) but if you are open and honest and look into Chihuahua rescues I am sure the little burrito will be fine. Don't ask something of your hubby like that hon. Marriage is hard enough without this kind of added pressure. As I said I am an animal LOVER and could not deal with it.

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What size crate should I use?

Ashley

I have two boxers that I will be crate training at once...
One is going to be around 55 pounds and one should be 45.

I wanted to keep them in the same crate, but don't know what size to get.
Maybe an XXL size for the both of them?

Answer
You can't keep them in the same crate. They both need their own. You buy a crate based on size, breed, and height of the dog.

You can find them here for almost 70% less than the store:
http://www.dogsupplies.com/products/Easy-Dog-Crate-With-Double-Latching-Door.html

Positive reinforcement as I start crate training an adult dog, training tips and ideas needed?

Peter Grif

Back story-
We rescued an Alaskan Malamute from an animal hoarder- she was in real bad shape when we got her.. Emaciated and easily 40lbs underweight, bacterial and fungal infection in both ears, Staph infection on her skin, etc. We fixed her up nicely! About 3 months ago we had our first "real issue" with her--- she ate a baseball hat, a tube sock and a cat toy. Tube sock and baseball hat came up, but cat toy got stuck in her stomach and we spent the $2,300 on life saving surgery..
We changed food, started free feeding and really cleaned up our home after this, determined that it wouldnt happen again.... . but last week she did it again! She's extremely tall and very large (39inches at the top of the head and 140lbs) and she can reach counters and tabletops with ease!
Went to the vet, did a barium X ray ($300) and found it was a "sock or some type of material in her instestines"..... We just can't afford a 2nd surgery for $2300! We've already spent over $4,000 on this dog in the last 8 months with all her medical problems! She seems to have passed this sock on her own after a touch and go few nights of lethargy, she seems to be back to her old self, eating and drinking (and not vomiting), thank God!
We just spent $200 on an XXL dog crate, since she's proven herself to us and the vet to have "canine pica"... a small price to pay to ensure this doesnt happen again while we are at work! We've never crate trained before and certainly havent with an adult dog--- so I implore you, Dog Section, please provide me with some tips and training ideas to make this new crate a positive experience and a safe, private place for our troublesome Mal!

Thanks a lot!
Added info- They both run 5-7 miles a day with me. They also have weight pullling harnesses and will haul logs and rocks around our acreage. They get more exercise than most dogs would need (cause they need more exercise than almost all breeds)

Answer
Sounds like she is quite the challenge!

The goal should be to make the crate the funnest place for her to be. Place random treats in the crate and walk away, leaving her time to find them. Do the same thing with toys. Put a nice Kong in there with something frozen in it, like yogurt or apple sauce. Reward her with something nice every time she goes in the crate without having to be coaxed. Do some crate training when you are home, so she doesn't get anxious.

Place the crate in an area where she can monitor your location, but not in a thoroughfare where she doesn't feel safe.

Play soft music when you are not home, or leave the TV on for her, so she can relax. I have also found it helpful to cover the crate with a blanket, so it resembles a den. I don't recommend a crate pad, though, if she is eating that much stuff.

Good luck!

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