[ninjatalli]

Hello Bhpians,
My 12+ old dog, Spookie, died two days back at my hometown (Chennai). The poor fellow was a dear to one and all; moody as any human can be, yet as friendly as a dog can get. He was utterly useless as a security option , warming up to everybody who turned up at our place, from friends to beggars and peddlars; the only ones he would be barking at would be the cows and buffaloes on the road. That too only behind a closed gate; he was the epitome of the saying "Barking dogs don't bite"!

Although my parents and grandparents have taken it well with the loss, but I can clearly understand it is going to take some time to be at peace. But IMO what would help is another dog, but as of now my mother prefers a street dog (or a cross if available) and I wouldn't disagree on that. She is open to breeds too, but would prefer a stray for now.

Are there any NGOs/organizations that help in adoption of a puppy in Chennai? Or if someone has any info about any abandoned pet (like @hooloovoo below) in Chennai, please PM me or reply to my post.

[hooloovoo]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Hello Bhpians,
My 12+ old dog, Spookie, died two days back at my hometown ..

I'm very sorry for your loss. Kudos to your mom for wanting to adopt a stray pup. There are many good NGOs in Chennai, including the SPCA and PeTA. There is also an adoption drive happening at the end of this month, you can see the details here - https://www.facebook.com/ChennaiAdoptionDrive.
There are also hundreds of little puppies living on the street, your mom could pick any one of them.
Good luck finding the right pup for your family, do post pics once you do!

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by hooloovoo

I'm very sorry for your loss. Kudos to your mom for wanting to adopt a stray pup. There are many good NGOs in Chennai, including the SPCA and PeTA. There is also an adoption drive happening at the end of this month, you can see the details here - https://www.facebook.com/ChennaiAdoptionDrive.
There are also hundreds of little puppies living on the street, your mom could pick any one of them.
Good luck finding the right pup for your family, do post pics once you do!

Thanks - I'll share the link to her. Unfortunately I am tied down to work and other reasons for some time, and can't make the trip to Chennai so it is upto my parents to take the next step.

[voodoochild]

We lost our adopted stray Pyke yesterday. He was a born urchin, regularly getting into streetfights with the other strays in the area. Came home badly battered as usual last week, and had to be restrained and medicated. Ran off immediately, got into another fight and never came home. A neighbour found him on the street yesterday and conveyed the bad news.

True rogue he was, fought to either kill or be killed. He will be missed. Most of all by his adopted sibling, our Labrador Cassius.

RIP little rowdy! :(

[archat68]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Hello Bhpians,
My 12+ old dog, Spookie, died two days back at my hometown (Chennai). The poor fellow was a dear to one and all; moody as any human can be, yet as friendly as a dog can get. He was utterly useless as a security option , warming up to everybody who turned up at our place, from friends to beggars and peddlars; the only ones he would be barking at would be the cows and buffaloes on the road. That too only behind a closed gate; he was the epitome of the saying "Barking dogs don't bite"!

Although my parents and grandparents have taken it well with the loss, but I can clearly understand it is going to take some time to be at peace. But IMO what would help is another dog, but as of now my mother prefers a street dog (or a cross if available) and I wouldn't disagree on that. She is open to breeds too, but would prefer a stray for now.

Are there any NGOs/organizations that help in adoption of a puppy in Chennai? Or if someone has any info about any abandoned pet (like @hooloovoo below) in Chennai, please PM me or reply to my post.

Sorry for your loss!! It's very hard to cope up with loss of someone dear.

rgarding adoption of a stray you can post on the FB page of http://www.indog.co.in/ (indog club). I have seen many appeal for adoption there. You can also contact the owner of the page.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

We lost our adopted stray Pyke yesterday. He was a born urchin, regularly getting into streetfights with the other strays in the area. Came home badly battered as usual last week, and had to be restrained and medicated. Ran off immediately, got into another fight and never came home. A neighbour found him on the street yesterday and conveyed the bad news.

True rogue he was, fought to either kill or be killed.

Sorry for your loss but you actually allowed your adopted dog to go out and fight the other strays?

"fought to either kill or be killed" is not how one takes care of there loved ones.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Sorry for your loss but you actually allowed your adopted dog to go out and fight the other strays?

"fought to either kill or be killed" is not how one takes care of there loved ones.

I should rather say that HE adopted US. When he strayed into our backyard, we cut off a rope from around his neck that had cut into his flesh. We medicated and immunized him, kept fresh food and drink outside for him and gave him a bath once a month. He came and went as he pleased. He was very hesitant to stay in the house compound, jumping the wall at any given chance. Did not bother coming indoors either. In a sense, he wasn't even our dog to the end. He came and went as he pleased. We do not confine/tie/beat/starve dogs into submission. He was a stray, and we left him that way. You would probably define "adoption" differently. We provided him food and shelter from the weather and we tended his wounds whenever he came to us. That was all he asked for. We refused to prevent him doing what he wanted to. Caring for him was different from domesticating him.

What I mentioned in quotes was his tendency/trait. It was not what we trained him for.

For your information Doctor, this dog was brought back from near death, and tended to for 2 whole years by two doctors who have probably cared for more animals than humans as patients.

[Googleman]

Originally Posted by voodoochild

I should rather say that HE adopted US. When he strayed into our backyard, we cut off a rope from around his neck that had cut into his flesh. We medicated and immunized him, kept fresh food and drink outside for him and gave him a bath once a month. He came and went as he pleased. He was very hesitant to stay in the house compound, jumping the wall at any given chance. Did not bother coming indoors either. In a sense, he wasn't even our dog to the end. He came and went as he pleased. We do not confine/tie/beat/starve dogs into submission. He was a stray, and we left him that way. You would probably define "adoption" differently. We provided him food and shelter from the weather and we tended his wounds whenever he came to us. That was all he asked for. We refused to prevent him doing what he wanted to. Caring for him was different from domesticating him.

What I mentioned in quotes was his tendency/trait. It was not what we trained him for.

For your information Doctor, this dog was brought back from near death, and tended to for 2 whole years by two doctors who have probably cared for more animals than humans as patients.

I am a dog lover and own and love my dog as much as anything, but the way u cared for a stray without expecting anything (love, faithfulness) in return is Kabil-e-taareef.

Feel bad for your dog, any idea how he died? For all I know, the strays are territorial but they do not kill for that.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by Googleman

I am a dog lover and own and love my dog as much as anything, but the way u cared for a stray without expecting anything (love, faithfulness) in return is Kabil-e-taareef.

Feel bad for your dog, any idea how he died? For all I know, the strays are territorial but they do not kill for that.

Googleman, I'm not sure what Kabil-e-taareef means, but I'll take it as a compliment

Pyke seems to have been victimised since his childhood by watchmen, neighbourhood kids, other dogs, I don't know! He may have been puny, but the chap could put up a fight! He somehow took to us, following my dad and Cassius at a respectful distance on their daily walk. When dad noticed a red nylon rope around his neck had cut through his flesh, he lured him home with biscuits and whatnot. Managed to gain his trust, began petting him and one day snipped off the rope. After treating his wounds and generally giving him some love, the guy turned from a tattered, raggedy street mutt into a gleaming ball of hyperactivity. He did run off every day, but always returned for his meal, some milk and a biscuit. And general smotherings of affection. Sort of like a cat, don't you think?

But his street brawls continued. Every month or two, he'd come home with bites, scratches and looking quite forlorn, then sit for a few days on the front porch. And then run off again. It was either territory or women. The only two things men fight over. Last week, it looks like it got the better of him again, but he ran off a bit too soon after his repairs. We really have no idea what he was up to outside, but it wasn't nice to hear my parents on the phone every time their "son" came home bruised and battered. And certainly not when they called the last time.

Phew, long post.

Cheers,
Rahul

[Abhi_abarth]

Brownie has turned 8 months now. He has been growing at a rapid pace (quite obvious with dogs) and my parents are having tough time handling him durirng walks.

I have switched the food from Pedigree Large breed to Royal Canin Labrador Junior 33 and body itching has come down significantly. Thanks to fellow bhpian KartikK for the advise.

Now that he has entered into adolescent age I need advise from you all on some things which need to be taken care of. He often tries to free himself and runs towards any dog that comes across during our walks. And if he is successful he doesn't return untill we go and bring him back after scolding. I am little worried as he might get bit by these dogs. I haven't neutered him and don't want to do so.

Do we need to give him calcium supplements till he reaches one year ? I used to mix 10 ml calcium syrup in his food twice a day. Any alternates. ?

He has caught the taste of Bananas and apples which we are feeding to him on a regular basis, completely ignores carrots now.

Here are some latest pics.

[mayankk]

I lost two of my three girls over tha last year.
One died of ripe old age, and the other one just collapsed of an apparent heart condition magnified by what seemed to be mild asthma.
Not looking for condolences, but need advice.
The last one, sona, I can see she is feleing very lonely, and very occassionaly becomes slightly cranky. And we've also shifted house recently, so i can understand.
Conseqeuntly, we have decided to bring another guy/gal into the family.
One, to give a dog a home.
So, I am not looking at any pedigree or anything.
I was looking at some desis too, but now we do not have the luxury of the associated "khets" of government accomodation.
Would a desi be comfortable in an apartment?
Also, the current one, is a small dog, about two hands worth of size, so also want minimize the threat of size, ina Just-in-case scenario.

[Googleman]

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

He often tries to free himself and runs towards any dog that comes across during our walks. And if he is successful he doesn't return untill we go and bring him back after scolding. I am little worried as he might get bit by these dogs. I haven't neutered him and don't want to do so.

Do we need to give him calcium supplements till he reaches one year ? I used to mix 10 ml calcium syrup in his food twice a day. Any alternates. ?

He has caught the taste of Bananas and apples which we are feeding to him on a regular basis, completely ignores carrots now.

Running behind dogs is a problem with my dog too and 90% of suggestions are to get him neutered.
WHy dont you want to get him neutered? That is actually good for the dog and his health.

No need to give calcium supplements as you are already feeding him Royal Canine which has equal proportion of what he needs in his daily diet.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Abhi_abarth

Brownie has turned 8 months now. He has been growing at a rapid pace (quite obvious with dogs) and my parents are having tough time handling him durirng walks.

Nip this problem in the bud, or else the dog will be the one taking the person(s) for walks, not the other way round.

If he pulls, stop walking, stop dead in your tracks. He will look back and see why you are not walking along. Ignore this.

Walk again only when he has stopped. If he starts pulling the leash, stop again. Follow this for a few times yourself. He will soon start understanding that any tension/pulling in the leash delays his walk. You will soon find him adapting to your pace of walking naturally.

Remember, consistency is the key. If you follow this and your parents give in to his pulling, he will not learn. Make sure everyone follows this rule until he quits pulling.

I have switched the food from Pedigree Large breed to Royal Canin Labrador Junior 33 and body itching has come down significantly. Thanks to fellow bhpian KartikK for the advise.

good you did that . Pedigree spends more money on TV advertisements than their own product R&D, unfortunately. I don't advise anyone to use this brand at all.

Now that he has entered into adolescent age I need advise from you all on some things which need to be taken care of. He often tries to free himself and runs towards any dog that comes across during our walks. And if he is successful he doesn't return untill we go and bring him back after scolding. I am little worried as he might get bit by these dogs.

How does he free himself? Does he just give 1 sudden jerky pull and release himself if he sees another dog? A fool-proof method for preventing him from snapping away is to wind the leash's holding loop around your forearm and hold the leash itself. Either way, you won't face this issue if he gets used to walking properly (like what I explained above).

while training to avoid distractions is another ballgame altogether (I'll PM you for this), for some time, try walking him on the exact same route everyday. He will soon start to feel it is a routine task (dogs like routine things), and won't bother much about seeing the same dogs in the same locations every morning/evening. Once he has gotten past reacting to every distraction, you can switch routes if you like.

I haven't neutered him and don't want to do so.

More beneficial to do it at this young age. You will not only be saving from developing aggression/territorial/mating traits, but also will be prolonging his life by preventing testicular cancer, which by the way happens to be one of the most common reasons of death in old male dogs.

there are other risks associated with intact males. They can get so desperate if they see a female in heat, that they can escape and run away from home in a bid to mate. Not sure if you would want that happening .

Do we need to give him calcium supplements till he reaches one year ? I used to mix 10 ml calcium syrup in his food twice a day. Any alternates. ?

Calcium supplements are always welcome for large breeds, but limit the quantity. Too much of these supplements do more harm than good.

He has caught the taste of Bananas and apples which we are feeding to him on a regular basis, completely ignores carrots now.

Limit the bananas a bit, they are quite high in sweet content and potassium and not too good for health. Carrots are way safer, in fact they help in controlling bad breath too.

Here are some latest pics.

Awesome stuff, really enjoyed these. The best one is the one with the face on the pillow. Hehe

Originally Posted by mayankk

Would a desi be comfortable in an apartment?

if you apartment was big enough to accommodate the 3 dogs together earlier, i don't see why not. You can go ahead I guess. As long as dogs are exercised regularly, apartment or otherwise makes no difference. Of course, a lawn/portico always allows for that much more activity.

Also, the current one, is a small dog, about two hands worth of size, so also want minimize the threat of size, ina Just-in-case scenario.

if the new dog is going to be brought into the home at puppyhood, it shouldn't pose any problem since it will grow up with the current dog. They will seek out their own ranks during adolescence and once settled in, will not challenge each other ever. If you are planning to adopt an adult stray, yes you will have to give some supervision to make sure things don't get out of hand during the initial days.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

--------------------SNIP----------------

if you apartment was big enough to accommodate the 3 dogs together earlier, i don't see why not. You can go ahead I guess. As long as dogs are exercised regularly, apartment or otherwise makes no difference. Of course, a lawn/portico always allows for that much more activity.


if the new dog is going to be brought into the home at puppyhood, it shouldn't pose any problem since it will grow up with the current dog. They will seek out their own ranks during adolescence and once settled in, will not challenge each other ever. If you are planning to adopt an adult stray, yes you will have to give some supervision to make sure things don't get out of hand during the initial days.

The previous house was big enough to keep an elephant.
the other two passed on over there itself.
If not a desi, I may look at orphaned/abandoned small guys at friendicoes.
Thanks.

[lilMonSter]

Gettafix, 2 months old today. Dont let the face fool you, he is quite the monster.