Everyone Says...crate... But...

[Pam]

Cataholic I knew you had adopted Binx but was unclear about his beginnings with you, so I just scanned through the 9 pages of 'Introducing Binx' but still couldn't find the post about how you came to find him. Keeping up to date at PT these days is harder and harder! I loved the pictures and reading all about him on that thread! Next I found 'Dog People I Need Your Help' and this, I think, is the beginning of his story. Did you find him through your dad? I still am not sure about how you came to find him but it sure was the best thing for this big boy!! It certainly seems like you two were meant to be together! I have to admit I did a lot of scanning of these threads (reading mostly your comments) but hope to read them all through later on. I am thrilled to have you as a doggie mom, posting on the doggie boards, because I have enjoyed your kitty posts, and am wondering how the kitties are taking to their new Big Brother!

Here's a large dog breed question - Has anyone ever told you to feed him raw meat? My daughter (Christiansmommy) will be adopting a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (she was just born on Thursday) and we went to a Swissie event last weekend. Some of the owners there either feed all raw meat or at least raw meat a couple of times a week. I do believe it is because of the fear of bloat in large dogs (Swissies grow to be about 100-130 lbs) so they are right up there in size with Bink! Any advice? Also, anyone else hear of this?

[ellensy]

WoW, Binx is such a good boy

i know this is out of topic... but can I ask for pix of Binx ? hehe i kinda miss seeing his cute puppy face already

[primabella]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
I often wondered why people had dogs if they were going to crate them for the majority of the time. I mean, the cats have free run of the house. It is their home and I could not imagine locking them up.

BUT

It is extremely important for a dog to know HOW to be in a crate without being "antsy". When they go to vet, groomer, kennel, they will be in a crate and if they do not know HOW to be in one, they will pace, bark and dig to the point of hurting themselves.

bottom line: Train them to accept the crate but don't lock them up unnecessarily.

JUST MY OPINION

We don't crate Mick unless we're out or going to bed Even at the going out, if my mom goes to work for longer than usual, we'll close him in in the kitchen. She laid down a newspaper and he did his business on it. Nowhere else--which is weird because he was never trained to go on the paper. Anyways, I agree with you--don't crate the dog unecessarily. Mick used to make noise in his but he got used to it and my mom added this comfy pillow for him and now he likes to go in on his own. lol

[KYS]

oodlesofpoodles,

That is so sad,
I am so sorry to hear about your Caleb.
Bloat is one of the diseases that has always scared me.

Pam, the last issue of the AKC Gazzet has an article on
bloat. I had copied the article to send to my freinds a couple
of weeks ago.
IF I still have it, I will try to send it to you.

[Karen]

I have NEVER heard of feeding raw meat to big dogs to prevent bloat. I don't think it would have anything to do with it! Having been a part of raising two Saint Bernards and one Great Dane, no one ever said anything about feeding raw meat. I wouldn't worry about it with Binx, either.

What you DO have to do is avoid strenuous exercise right after eating. Never do that with any large-breed dog. A woman I know lost her Mastiff to bloat, and it's so quick and heartbreaking. Her new dog is an Italian Greyhound, opposite on the size scale.

[Christiansmommy]

I dont think that the total reason for eating raw meat is for the bloat issue...just one of the breeders we did talk to, prefers it to kibble/dry food. I think that they also say that it helps the dog to not gobble down the food quite so fast as they would kibble...b/c they have to chew more and therefore, they digest it a little slower, if you know what i mean. Anyway, thats my 2 cents worth Some believe that eating raw meat also improves the the look of their coat and overall health of the dog. But 2 each his own...i am not for, or against it...havent ever tried it...this is just what i have heard...


Binx, you sould like a great puppy....good for you for being housetrained already!! Hope my soon-to-be big puppy learns that fast! And i agree, if he is already housetrained and doesnt chew on things while you are away...then the crate doesnt seem neccessary.

Robyn

[Pam]

Originally posted by Karen
I have NEVER heard of feeding raw meat to big dogs to prevent bloat. I don't think it would have anything to do with it!

Karen years ago (about 30! ) when we started out with our first poodles, who were incidentally toys, the vet told us to stay away from Purina Dog Chow. He said that it puffs up in a dog's tummy and suggested we wet some in a bowl and see what happened. (We had been feeding it dry). It more than doubled its size. Purina may have changed their formula since then, but we switched food because of this. I was just assuming that if a not-so-good dry kibble was fed it could cause bloat. It was just my assumption. I have read about the precautions that you mention. I am glad to hear that dry food shouldn't be a problem.
PS - my apologies to anyone who feeds Purina. I am sure it is not the same formula as they were using 30 years ago.

[Cincy'sMom]

we started all of ours in crates while they were housebreaking and getting over the chewing stage. We had got away from it and Sadie had notbeen in a crate for quite some time. Even ciny was crate free for about 4 months. Then they started tearing stuff up in the house again. So far it has been a book or two here and there. I know this is partially our fault, as we have been gone a lot the last 2 or 3 weeks, but we still can't have them tearing apart the house. So until we get some issues worke out, all three are being crated when we are gone.

Right now I don't see why Binx has to be crated. What I might watch though, as more teeth start to come in, what kind of chewing he may do. You may need to crate, or at least limit is freedom....but if he never chews, has accident, etc, etc, etc...no need to crate him just beause.

[marysmerrycats]

it is hard to convince people what a laid back puppy a ST. actually is.

you don't need to convince anyone, if you are happy with the way things are, that's all that's important!

pics?

Karen, I didn't know you had dogs!

[marysmerrycats]

Purina Dog Chow. He said that it puffs up in a dog's tummy and suggested we wet some in a bowl and see what happened. (We had been feeding it dry). It more than doubled its size.

well I know you are talking about DOG food, but wouldn't cat food do the same? I am not feeding them purina anymore either, and whenever a piece of the new food gets in the water bowl, it puffs up, wouldn't all dog/cat food do the same?

[Pam]

Actually no. I feed the dogs Eukanuba and it doesn't puff. Once in a while the cats drop some of their IAMS into their water bowl (messy little eaters! ) and it gets only slightly larger than when it is dry. My cats just pick at their dry food anyway and I think most cats do that as a rule so they are not eating large amounts at any one time.

[marysmerrycats]

My cats just pick at their dry food anyway and I think most cats do that as a rule so they are not eating large amounts at any one time.

Patches... the exception to the rule!
anyway thanks for the info. actually I think I do remember, purina DID puff more!

[Cataholic]

I haven't heard of raw meat as a bloat reducer. As a large non meat eater myself, I don't think I would give Binx raw meat, anyhow. The bloat comes with large breeds. I don't do the exercise after eating...just a walk is sufficient.

As to Binx, teeth, and crating, we will just have to see how "saintly" he remains!!!

[Cataholic]

Oh, pictures will be taken shortly!!

[Karen]

Originally posted by marysmerrycats

Karen, I didn't know you had dogs!

Paul and I don't have any dogs right now. I grew up with large dogs - my first best-smartest-dog-in-the-whole-wide-world was a rescue Shepherd/Rottie or Dobe mix. She was followed by Freckles, a lovely Saint Bernard, then by Gracie, a 3/4 Great Dane 1/4 lab, who was also a rescue of sorts. My Dad still has Bruni, another St. Bernard, whom my mom bought before she got ALS. Bruni was Ma's baby, went everywhere with her. Since my mom died, she is now Dad's girl, but we all claim her as our own!

Paul grew up with dogs, too, Collies.