Protectiveness

Talus reminds me of Kay Ann's Simba sort of! :cool:

Dixie and Dusty,

Where is a picture of Kay Ann's Simba? I would be curious to see a pooch that resembles mine. I don't see too many that do!

I totally agree with your quote!

Cheers, Lisa :)

You can find pictures of Simba all over Pet Talk. Kay Ann blesses us with his wonderful picture quite often and she takes excellent photos. I always enjoy the pictures of her handsome boy!

Here is one link. Simba pictures

ENJOY !!! :D :D :D

I haven't updated on Duncan's progress in quite some time but I do have some exciting news....

A few weeks ago, I took Duncan to this event called the "Blessing of the Bikes" Basically, all these people with their Harley Davidsons meet at one location and drive to a church to have their bikes "blessed" for the season. Well I am a huge fan of Harley Davidsons so I wanted to go down and see them. I took Duncan with me so that he could get out of the house on a beautiful day and we could spend some time together.

We went down to the street and there were about 1000 bikes there and twice the amount of people. I had his Gentle Leader on him. We walked down the street looking at the bikes and talking to people. It was crowded at some points and people of course, wanted to pet him. He did so fantastic!!!!!!!!!! :D :D
He let people pet him and he stayed right next to me the whole time. He was calm and friendly and really seemed to enjoy himself!! The only time he became aggressive at all was when he saw a cat in a storefront window!

Next to the street is a big park and Duncan and I went up on the hill to watch all the bikes leave. Now there are 2000 bikes starting their engines! It was so loud. Guess what Duncan did...nothing! He just lay down next to me and watched!! Even when a lady came over with a small dog, he just watched it....Kids came over to play with him and he loved it, even rolling on his back for a belly rub while 3 children pet him!!!

I am so proud of him I could scream!!! He has improved 2000% in the last few weeks. Of course, I'm always cautious with him and there are certain people I will just never let him around off leash. My sister's boyfriend being one of them. I "dislike him immensely" and I think Duncan does too!!!

Anyway, I hope I didn't jump the gun here but he seems to be doing really well and becoming more confident in himself and me everyday!

Maybe we can close this thread.....I better not say that yet huh....
Thanks to everyone for all your support!!!

Great news! :) You and Duncan worked hard and it all paid off. It's not easy to do, so you should feel proud!

Such great news Jenni! I knew you guys could do it!

One another note, I too love Harleys! In fact, Andrew and I are looking at purchasing one. Mom laughs at us and says we do not look like bikers.

Oh, that's so wonderful to hear he did so great! I have to add I've always loved Harleys, and the sound of all them starting up at the same time, just gives me chills!

GREAT NEWS!

You deserve a round of applause ! Duncan deserves a special treat. Maybe a FROSTY PAW!!!

What marvelous news, Jennifer!!!! :D :D :D I'm going to have to go back a re-read this whole post soon, and see if I can get any tips on helping Honey to be more comfortable around crowds of people and children. :( I dare not take her into large group settings because she has been known to growl and is visibily uncomfortable. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to include her on our trips to Petsmart, the park, etc. You have given me some new hope that we may overcome some of this too!!

Hugs to Duncan, that handsome boy!! :D

Jennifer and Duncan, that is a wonderful victory! I applaud both of you because I know how very difficult it is. Way to go. Keep up the great work!

My pooch - Talus has had one dose of a homeopathic treatment (2 weeks ago) I can't remember what it is called?! I have her with me at work and I think I have been seeing some progress. She is more relaxed and less likely to react right away to different stimuli. In fact, situations that used to make her bark and get all edgy are now mere things to observe for her. Of course this makes it all easier. We are all much more relaxed and less tense. We will see her vet in another 3 weeks and see if in fact it has helped.

Thanks for sharing your story with us.

Cheers,
Lisa & Talus:D

Dog Days,
I would be interested in what it is that you are giving your dog, and where you can get it :)

Yorkster,

Well, I can't remember what it's called but the best route, if you are thinking of using something like that is to start taking your pooch to a Homeopathic Vet. Due to the homeopathic principle of 'like treats like', you can actually cause symptoms if you give the wrong remedy or conversely, you can overdose and cause more severe symptoms. I would also suggest picking up a small book called 'Beyond Flat Earth Medicine', which is a basic look at Homeopathy (generic - human and animal) It gives a good overview of homeopathy, it's principles, some case studies and is quite enlightening without being too medical or too expensive (about $15 Canadian)

I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help - I could look up in my files or (ask the vet) what he gave her and get back to you.

I'm not sure if I mentioned the process we went through with the vet to determine what remedy to try Talus on first? We compiled a case history of Talus' life from as early as we knew until now. We told our vet how she reacts to different situations, how she reacts differently in the same situation without the same factors involved (ie: when we are with her or not) He inquired about her diet (he treats animals on raw food diets), past traumatic experiences, etc. This took about 45 minutes. Our vet analyzed her information and then gave us the remedy about a week later. It is quite an involved process to determine what remedy to start with. Often the first remedy might not be the one that works and you may have to try a couple of others. This can take time (over a few months.) It is so worth it in the end (if it works) because all of a sudden your pooch becomes more managable and less likely to react at the first sign of a stressful situation. When the people in your life, anyone who knows your dog and has seen the past behaviour, tells you that your dog is much calmer and seems happier - WOW, it makes all the difference. You and your dog start having a better relationship also!

Thanks for asking and if I can help anymore, let me know.

Cheers,
Lisa & Talus:D :D

Thank you Dog Days for the info- it all sounds very interesting :)

My dog is quite well behaved, EXCEPT for one thing that is very annoying: she absolutely goes nuts in the car :eek: Always, she does this, whether we are going 3 miles away or 500!
About a month ago we went down to the Oregon coast, which is about a 8-10 hour trip, and she (Scout) drove us crazy!!! Once we were there she was the good girl that she usually is, but getting there was...................ACK!!!
I've tried it all, and nothing seems to make much difference. The water-spray bottle helps a bit, and she has learned to not bark, however she has figured out how to make alot of noise without opening her mouth- it's unbelievable the noise that comes out of her still :eek:
Do you think some natural type meds would help with this?

Again, thanks for the reply & info. :)

Yorkster,
I think it is definitely worth a try! I am totally sold on the Homeopathic treatments, so much so that my husband and I are going to start going to a Homeopathic Practitioner ourselves! Why put man-made chemical substances into your (or your pooches) body if you don't have to?! Not sure if it will work for Scout's issue but it can't hurt to look into it and if it works, it's money well spent and peace of mind knowing that you did the best thing for your dog.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Cheers,
Lisa & Talus

P.S.: The remedies don't cost that much (about $10 a vile- which can last up to about 1 or 2 weeks worth of doses) The initial consultation and the remedy consultation are a bit pricey ($90/each) but Talus only needed one dose of the remedy, once ($9) She may need more in the future but it is still relatively cost effective in my opinion.:)