THE Large Dog Thread.. (I hope)

[Megkel]

Congrats on your new puppy!

We have an American Stafordshire Terrier who is now 2 years old. She is a really strong dog and weighs about 50 lbs.

We feed her Beneful once a day. It's the only thing that agrees with her and so far she is a healthy girl. As a puppy she was on Purina puppy but our breeder said something about the food having too much protein for an adult dog.

As for chewing we have been fortunate that she's been really good about it. She loves tennis balls but they are quickly destroyed after playing with them once from her strong jaws. We give her rawhide sticks, not the one with knots (they can choke on them once they chew them down).

Make sure you take him around other dogs if you want him to be socialized. The Am Staff breed is generally dog aggressive however with the right socialization our dog is one of the best behaved ones at the dog park.

 

[fakereadhed]

What a cutie!!!!

 

[Bastiansmom]

No Costco, unfortunately, I live in Oklahoma!
I get so frustrated reading about all the bargains people get at Costco, knowing I can't go.

 

[SandrA9810]

1. He has a mild case of fleas. I would like any advise on what is the best course of action on preventing them from spreading and what I should do in regards to treating him/ my carpet. (He isn't allowed on the furniture)

I found advantage worked better than the others on my dog. If you don't have ticks, you only need to apply the stuff every three months. it works for a month for ticks, and 3 months for fleas. And it'll save you money as that stuff is 50$ for 3 packets.
Adams flea shampoo works real well for killing off current fleas, bit more expensive than the cheap hartz stuff, but still budget friendly and it works. You must wait 3 days or more after giving a bath to apply the advantage, or else it won't work.

2. A good budget-friendly dog food. I have seriously considered feeding him homemade food, but am afraid "people food" doesn't have all the nutrition a dog needs.
I signed up at Pet Supermarket for the store card, you get 1 free bag/case of food for every 10 purchased. I also signed up for the monthly newsletter that gives a 5$ off coupon of 25$ or more.
I fed my pup Merricks brand food for the last few years of her life. When we were dirt poor and cheap, she was fed purina one, which she enjoyed. But I dealt with so many UTIs, and a vet bill could easily be over 100$ each time. I also found that with cheaper food, you have to feed them more because so much of it is fillers that does them no good. Even on merricks, that's a premium brand, I spent about the same amount of money on her food, topped with the 5$ off coupon.

3. Dog toys your dog loves.. I know puppies love to (need to) chew, and I don't want him to chew on my furniture or shoes!

Kongs are great... but I could not get my dog to do anything with toys. And she was very picky about treats. That's how i ended up finding out about merricks... it was basically the only treats she enjoyed and eventually the stores started carrying the dry dog food. So I tried it out and she loved it.

Mine wasn't a chewer, a fetcher, or anything other normal dogs would do. Her favorite thing in the world was pulling me on the scooter. So I would put her leash on the handlebar and let her fly. I also adopted her at about 3yrs old, so I didn't have to go through any training and she never liked to be up on the furniture, she would only get up if she was called.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

soooo adorable!

as for the Borax - you work it in so that you aren't vacuuming it all up. Worked for us, but as others said, you may not even need to treat carpets! Some places say to leave it on top for a long time, but I didn't like the idea of that and wanted to work it down in.

our big guy is part German Shepard and greyhound, as far as we know. We weren't lucky enough to get him as a puppy. He was one when we adopted him, and we were his 3rd owners. He still acted like a big doofus puppy though!!!!

 

[donac]

Labs have very sharp teeth. Our yellow lab loves to rip apart stuffed animal and eat the stuffing and then get sick. They have a rating system for toys and we need to get the hardest toy possible for her or else she would tear it apart.

Have fun. My son's yellow lab came to live with us a year and a half ago as a puppy (his gf gave it to him as a graduation present. At dinner after graduation they turned to us and said "They had something they wanted to talk to us about" I thought engagement but is was a dog. He still has the gf but I am happier with a dog right now.)

 

[Order66]

I have 4 large dogs (92 to 125lbs) and they all live in the house. And besides being a big dog owner, I also work as a veterinary technician (so I can afford all my big dog costs LOL)

For the fleas, there are several products that work well. Advantage is great for fleas, but doesn't do ticks. Advantix is great for both fleas and all ticks, but don't use it if you also have cats....it can be toxic to them. These are both applied monthly. Revolution is another monthly product that does fleas, brown dog ticks and is a heartworm preventative. Frontline lasts longer for fleas, up to 12 weeks, but needs to be applied monthly for ticks. All of these products are safe for your dog and your family. As for your house, we just recommend lots of vaccuuming. NOTHING kills flea eggs....nothing. All you can do is wait for them to hatch and then your product on your dog will get them. It can take from 3-9 months to totally rid your home of fleas, but considering the pup has not been there very long, it should be more like 3 months. Just use one of the products...all available at your vet and all but Revolution available without a prescription and sometimes found at pet stores over the counter. Just stay away from the look alike products like Hartz, etc.... They don't work.

There are a lot of good foods out there and you don't have to take out a second mortgage to feed your dog. Look for something with quality ingredients, with a protein source (such as chicken, lamb or beef) as the first ingredient and has fillers such as grains (rice, wheat or soy) lower down the list. Pick something that fits your budget and stick with it at least 3 months. If you don't think your dog's coat and skin look healthy, try something else. I personally feed my dogs Canidae and 4 very big dogs only eat 30lbs a week. Better food= smaller portions. Kirkland is produced for Costco by Diamond Pet Foods. Their brands are usually easy to find at pet stores. Chicken Soup is highly rated. No personal experience, but folks I know that use it like it. If you want do it yourself diets, there are a lot of good books and websites that will help you prepare a balanced diet. I have lots of friends that feed RAW....and their dogs do amazing. But it's hard enough for me to offer my kids balanced diets, let alone my dogs.

Don't over stimulate your pup with lots of toys or they learn that anything can be a chew toy. Pick a couple good sturdy toys and leave a few at a time out. Rotate them to keep him interested. You'll eventually learn what he likes to play with, what he doesn't. Avoid toys that are easily chewed up and swallowed. Mine can only have nyabones or real raw beef bones. Anything else they can crush in minutes. Everyone in the family will need to learn to keep things away from puppy, lest is be destroyed or worse...cause an emergency surgery. We've removed lots of strange objects from dogs (and cats!)

Training classes are great as is getting him out there to socialize. Just be cautious until he's had all his vaccines that he is not exposed to dogs you don't know and know are healthy. Their immune systems aren't mature until 12-16 weeks.

Have fun.

regards

 

[Tink9295]

Congrats on the new addition. Puppies are the most wonderful addition to a family. We have a black lab. Can't believe she's 5 already. She only eats Nature's Recipe for large dogs. Vet recommended. Bailey does not have any flakes and this food reduces shedding. We get many comments about how shiny she is. We also use the gentle leader when we walk her. She definitely dragged us until we got that. We can walk her now just holding the leash with a pinkie finger. We also use frontline for fleas and ticks. We have lots of ticks in eastern CT and have to use something to protect her.

Good luck and enjoy puppyhood. It's gone before you know it!

 

[ginnymack]

I have a 10 month old golden, so I know you have your hands full!

Fleas - we have never had a flea in our house in 12 years of dog ownership. Frontline ROCKS! Just a squeeze of a little package once a month and you will never see a flea or tick. We only use in the warmer months to save a little $

Food - Purina One is a good value food. A really good quality food that is a step up is Nurto. I love it because none of it come from China!

Toys - Toys are good. "Chewies" are better. My pups have always been fond of cow hoofs. They are cheap, (apparently) tasty, and durable. ALso, they do not stain carpet like some basted treats do. There was a recall last month, so stores are slowly starting to get them back in stock.

Other advice - make sure you are the boss - don't be mean, just don't be a push over! A tired dog has a happy owner! Try to find him a puppy playmate if you can. We have puppy playdates with a neighbor - I drop her off in the morning in their back yard and pick her up after lunch happy, dirty and exhausted.

Pre-emptively spray shoes, corners of rugs, and furniture corners, baskets on the floor (or anything else that may catch your dogs eye) with bitter apple spray. It tastes nasty and will save you a fortune in chewed treasures!

Good luck!

 

[RachaelA]

dogfoodanalysis.com rates dog foods.

Kirkland at Costco is probably the higher quality low budget food.

We (and my parents who have 2 100+ lb. dogs) feed Wellness (sold at Petco, Pet Supermarket, Pet Supplies Plus along with other smaller stores).

 

[Kate and Pete]

What do you stuff in your Kong?
I think the stuff they sell is gross and overpriced.... someone here called it $10 liver-flavored easy cheese

We put peanut butter in ours' kongs. We agree that the stuff they sell is gross - just look at the ingredients! They also love baby food (just make sure it doesn't have any onion powder in it - not good for dogs!!) in their kongs and then frozen in the freezer!

 

[lucigo]

I have a training tip for you. Hang bells from the door, we use sleigh bells from Christmas-time. When our dog wants to go out, instead of whining or scratching at the door she will ring the bells and out she goes. When she was a puppy we would open the door any time she rang the bells, even if it was an accident, and it didn't take long at all for her to realize that if she needed to go out that was all she had to do.

All dogs have their favorite types of toys, it won't take you too long to figure out if she is a raw-hide dog, a kong dog, etc. Unfortunately ours is a stuffed animal destroyer LOL WHat a mess she can make!

 

[SandrA9810]

Make sure your yard is safe too...

there's a ton of common household plants that aren't good for dogs. And several foods that aren't good either.

And be careful of frogs. I was surprised when Kiani went after one and I don't think she swallowed it, but enough frog juice stuff got in her mouth that she started foaming. It was very very scary. We kept hosing her mouth out, which she hated. And called an emergency vet that said to give her milk (which is pretty much a vomit inducer for dogs), but she never puked and eventually the foaming stopped.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

What a cute puppy!

 

[garnet1240]

There are a lot of good foods out there and you don't have to take out a second mortgage to feed your dog. Look for something with quality ingredients, with a protein source (such as chicken, lamb or beef) as the first ingredient and has fillers such as grains (rice, wheat or soy) lower down the list. Pick something that fits your budget and stick with it at least 3 months. If you don't think your dog's coat and skin look healthy, try something else. I personally feed my dogs Canidae and 4 very big dogs only eat 30lbs a week. Better food= smaller portions.

There are some great foods out there priced pretty close to the big name brands, and so much better. As the previous poster said, you will find you feed less of a better quality food, a side benefit, less "presents" to be picking up in the yard.

I found this web site had alot of good information:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Congrats on your new baby, what a little cutie!!

Gail

 

[Heidijs]

I use frontline on my 110 lb golden retriever...he loves food, why today he manage to steal a container of butter off the counter and eat it all...yesterday he stole an entire bag of cookies off the counter...now I hide everything in the stove...but then he went in my office and found a printer cartridge and chewed the wrapper up...he likes the bathroom garbage too, if I shut all the doors, he finds my DD4's barbies and chews the hands off them...large dog ownership is SUCH fun! and no, he NEVER gets sick from what he eats...iron gut I guess...

Congrats on your new puppy! If he likes his crate, keep using it, it's a godsend when you need to get him in it for something or traveling...my last golden hated them but this one I adopted and he was crate trained, talk about a godsend...

Cesar Milan rocks...rent his videos for sure...you'll learn how to be head of the pack with your new pup...and put food in the oven when not in use!

 

[fatuhiva]

A tired puppy is a well behaved puppy!!!!

Walk it, walk it, walk it!

I agree 1001% They need to get their energy out, plus most every dog loves a good walk - all those different smells!

I'd reccomend getting a nyla-bone - they're great for chewers and Goldens are definately chewers - very oral dogs. All my dogs have loved them. A stuffed, frozen kong can also be great mental stimulation for them and keep them occupied for a while. I mix unsweetened applesauce & peanut butter, stuff the kong & freeze it. Don't bother with the kong stuffing they sell - it's crap really.

We have a 1 1/2 year old Golden and we buy the Kirkland brand of dog food at Costco - chicken and vegetable formula. We used to use their puppy formula. I've read that price wise, it's a decent quality food for a decent price. Avoid any of the really cheap dog foods.

 

[Kate and Pete]

I have a training tip for you. Hang bells from the door, we use sleigh bells from Christmas-time. When our dog wants to go out, instead of whining or scratching at the door she will ring the bells and out she goes. When she was a puppy we would open the door any time she rang the bells, even if it was an accident, and it didn't take long at all for her to realize that if she needed to go out that was all she had to do.

All dogs have their favorite types of toys, it won't take you too long to figure out if she is a raw-hide dog, a kong dog, etc. Unfortunately ours is a stuffed animal destroyer LOL WHat a mess she can make!

This is a great tip! Both our boxers are bell trained - except Mack now rings the bell anytime he wants ANYTHING (right around 5pm every single night he rings the bell - ready for dinner!)....once we figured out he didn't really want to go outside every single time, we found it pretty funny (he'll ring the bell and run to where we keep the "cookies" )

 

[erin.w]

There are some great foods out there priced pretty close to the big name brands, and so much better. As the previous poster said, you will find you feed less of a better quality food, a side benefit, less "presents" to be picking up in the yard.

I found this web site had alot of good information:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Congrats on your new baby, what a little cutie!!

Gail

Yay thank you, I was going to post this! As for what I feed my two weimaraners, we feed only Bravo raw food. Supplemented with fresh fruits and veggies (once they start to turn and I won't eat them), some yogurt, eggs, whatever else is edible that would normally go in the trash. They couldn't be any healthier!

 

[goldwest]

A note about tennis balls. I teach obedience classes (volunteer not pro) and have been a golden owner/breeder for about 20 years. The surface of tennis balls is actually quite abrasive and can damage your dogs teeth. Furthermore, many retriever breeds will "pop" the ball, chunk it and swallow the pieces. I know at least 2 people who have had thousands of dollars worth of vet bills as a result of tennis ball pieces stuck in their dogs digestive system. I strongly urge you to avaoid tennis balls.

Best chew choce in my opinion is the wolf size nylabone - original. Not all dogs are interested in it.

If your pup is like most sporting breeds, he will eat almost anything left arpund if board so be arful about socks etc. Mine are crazy for money and will even steal it off of counters.

Anyway best of luck with your new family member!