Goodbye dear friend

Millet · Sep 18, 2016

pargyle said:
We trained our Lab from a puppy to go in a cage ... he's 11 and still is happy to go in there if we need to confine him for any reason.

When he had a recent Operation he really hated the plastic lampshade 'collar of shame' but I got him one of these and he was very happy (or more resigned !) to wear it ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Buster-In...hash=item1c655766ef:m:mHO4VLPgSDDmwg4lz4TP0Yw

I got one of those collars for my little old man several years ago, he was over 15yrs old and frail, he had a cancerous lump removed and i did not want too put a lamp shade around his neck at that age, the little buster collar worked a treat and i got another year out of him before he could fight no more.

Erichalfbee · Sep 18, 2016

pargyle said:
Not fat ... he's just a big boy !! We keep our Labs very trim ... back problems are very common in Labs and they beat hell out of leg joints so extra weight is not good for them. Should be able to see a waist line and feel a hint of ribs if they are in good shape. He's 11 going on 12 and getting a bit stiff at times now ... walks are a bit shorter, stairs and steps with care, jumping and ball fetching now banned and plenty of fish oil for his joints. As our past labs go he's on borrowed time but looks like there might be a few years in him yet.

Mind you, lifting him into the back of the car will probably kill me before that !

Oops sorry. I should have known better.
Yes lots of joint protection is good. Fish oil and glucosamine.
Lots of running and pelting down stairs in puppy hood knackered a lot of dogs.

Swarm · Sep 18, 2016

We never used cages but we had very sensible dogs. Compared to the terriers I had as a boy, the Staffies really were incredible. I'm doing Milo a bit of a disservice because he is well behaved to be fair and Jesse too, no damage inside or in the garden but she totally over reacts to sounds or strangers. Unless she was in a cage she would be bounding on and off the furniture. It's just a case of catering for both and while their needs are so very different at the moment, that is quite difficult on top of the stress of it all.
This weekend was also harvest weekend so humping and lumping supers just to add to the fun. Currently sat here begging for a drink, which has just been passed to me ...
Thanks, sigh.

Swarm · Sep 18, 2016

I love to hear someone with a sensible view of condition, Phil. The dog's waist should match his head in circumference, unless it's a large headed breed, where it should be smaller. Staffies and Labs (especially males) fall into this category and you should be able to run a hand down his side and feel every rib as well. Peppers dad, Otis was around 18 to 19 inches and 41lbs, when I spanned his waist I could overlap my thumbs. He was like rock.

jenkinsbrynmair · Sep 18, 2016

Swarm said:
you should be able to run a hand down his side and feel every rib as well.

SWMBO used to be mortified at me for using this yardstick - she soon learnt and uses the same method herself on dogs now (although it's pretty hard to get a sausage dog down to this standard!!)