Finally saying hello! - Pet forum for dogs cats and humans

bj601 · #1 May 4th, 2007, 01:43 AM

I apologize in advance for not saying hello sooner. I have been reading the posts here since the dog food recall first started (starting to feel like it is consuming my life. I have become the official food police in my family and everyone now comes to me to find out the latest recalls). It is thanks to you guys that I have learned so much about dog food/treats etc over the past month.

Now to introduce us...My name is Brenda, our zoo includes 4 dogs, 3 cats and 5 goldfish (who reside in their specially built pond in the summer...even the fish are spoiled

). I live with my elderly parents (it was easier to move in with them and help take care of them rather than visit way too much and hardly see my own house). Three of our dogs are all older, 2 were rescues and the 3rd one was abused as a puppy resulting in some aggression problems towards strangers. We have a 7 year old great dane (rescue #2, she was abandoned in a boarding kennel and after 4 months the owners of the kennel were on the verge of having her put down, they could not afford the upkeep for her and could not find her so called owner. My father some how found out and she came home with him to us.) She too was abused in the 2 years before we got her, but you would never know it by her temperment, with the exception of water. She is terrified of water (bath time is a HUGE challenge), hoses, rain (Won't go out to pee. We finally had to resort to taking her out with a golf umbrella just to get her to pee in the rain, otherwise she would literally hold it for hours). But she is the sweetest, gentlest dog you would ever meet. SHe adores my 2 year old neice and 4 year old nephew and is amazing with the kids. It is sooo funny to see my neice (who is tiny for her age) giviing dog treats to this giant great dane. The dane ever so gingerly takes the treat from my neice and patiently lies there waiting for the next treat from her.

We have an 11 year old terrier/snauzer mix. He came from a relative who should not own pets. I am almost embarassed to say I am related to them. They are the type who think pets are disposable, should figure out how to train themselves and if they become problems then get rid of them. This little guy developed seperation anxiety and would pee on the floor when left alone. Started get locked in the bathroom when they went to work and he would freak out and pee even more. Decided dog was untrainable, couldn't be house broken and was going to be shipped off to pound. Guess who came to live at our house?

My mom had just retired from health problems and it was a perfect match. 9 years later, I think he has peed in the house maybe half a dozen times and that is usually when someone left the bathroom door open, he got in there and then jumped at the door, trapping himself in.

Rounding out the old guys, is our 12 year old male border collie who has some aggression issues with strangers. He was abused as a puppy, was tormented by the neighbor's kids when they thought they could get away with it (if they thought we weren't looking) and no matter what training we did with him, some of them didn't get fixed. But we still love him problems and all and don't put him in a situation where it would be a problem for him. My niece and nephew know they are not allowed near him as he doesn't like kids (and they have been taught since birth to respect dogs). They know before they come into grandma's house, they need to wait at the front door until they know where he is.

Finally there is my own puppy. My soon to be 5 month old shih tzu who at her 4 month check up wieghed in at 9 pounds

Apparently, I got the freak of the litter

She really lives up to the nick name chunky monkey! But she's not fat, she is just a the bigger end of the shih tzu spectrum. Took a long time to decided on a breeder, then wait for her to come home at 12 weeks old. Now she goes everywhere with me. She even comes to work with me (I work in a group home with behavior challenged teenage males and the effect she has on the boys is amazing to watch). I get grief from them on the few nights she doesn't come in with me for whatever reason. Where is she, why isn't she here, when is she coming back, I bought her this with my allowance, how is her training going, what did she do this weekend and on and on and on. The boys don't want to see me, they just want my dog!

I also have 3 cats. 2 I had when I moved in with my parents. Maggie rules the roost. Even the border collie is afraid of her

she keeps everyone in line. The great dane and her love to torment each other. SHe will sneak up on the great dane or the great dane will somehow sneak up on her and bark thus scaring the cat causing cat to chase dog. Riley is my special cat. Okay, he is really, really, really REALLY stupid (for lack of a better term). He once fell out the front window, he was sitting in the window and pushed the screen out. He fell onto the porch (now bottom of window is only 2 feet from the porch) and couldn't figure out to get back in house ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS STAND UP AND WALK BACK IN. He then got off proch and couldn't figure out which house was his. He kept trying to get into neighbor's house, deciding it was his house. SHe knew him and brought him back next door. Screens have long since been cat proofed and he doesn't go anywhere near the outdoors even on a leash (whole other story involving tree and repeatedly wrapping himself around tree, again, not the smarted cat). The 3rd kitty in my house is a stray who never left. No one claimed him, no one posted a lost ad for him, he got quite comfortable at my house, gets along with everyone and what the heck....one more won't make much of a difference. Raydon had lived with us for about 5 years now.

Then there are the goldfish I inherited from a room mate who was moving several hours away and didn't want fish anymore, too much trouble to move them.. Sure I said, I will keep them (guess I follow in my dad's foot steps

). Then when I moved back home I had to figure out how to transport them 5 hours in car, but I did it. Jumbo was an awesome goldie who liked to be pet. Seriously, he liked to swim in between your fingers and would come right up to you if your hand was in the tank. Saddly, he passed away after 6 years. I even built a pond in the backyard, where they live for the summer months. I don't trust a pond de-icer, so they come in for a few months over the winter.

Wheeew, that was a lot longer than I intended. Can you guess I have a tendency to ramble on about my furbabies

Our house is kind of crazy, the pets tend to rule the roost so to speak. The great dane even has her own couch (too hard for her to get off the floor). We make sure their comfort, care and health is pretty much top priority. I even drive a mini van and don't have kids!!! In between my mom's arthritis and big dogs, needed something large. SO that is my crazy household but if I lived in the country, I would definately have ALOT more. I have attached pictures of Neesa (my shih tzu) and will post pictures of the other later.

Brenda

LynLyn · #2 May 4th, 2007, 03:22 AM

That's quite the zoo that you have there, sounds like we're gonna be getting alot of information from you and your well of experience! Welcome to the forum and please post more pics!

Hunter's_owner · #3 May 4th, 2007, 06:19 AM

Welcome to pets.ca. I will be waiting for more pics

Lukka'sma · #4 May 4th, 2007, 06:27 AM

Hi Brenda, so nice to read your story. Welcome and I look forward to seeing more of the zoo.

Frenchy · #5 May 4th, 2007, 11:46 AM

Wow, that's a lot of fuzzbutts ! I hope you will be able to post pics of them all. Welcome to pets.ca !

crazydays · #6 May 8th, 2007, 10:29 AM

Hi brenda!!!
I would love to see photos of your terrier/schnauzer mix!!!! Good for you to step up to the plate and show this little monkey some routine and consistency. Schnauzers are so wonderful and can be very sensitive (they do have a human brain)...but then again I am partial. I am glad he found his way to you!
Welcome and see you around!!!