[kingofmyworld]

Originally Posted by msbehave

A lab is a good dog for first time owners. Other than the tips shared, it's important for you to see the mother and if possible the father of the pup. See whether she is okay with you being around the pups and her owner handling the pups.

Also ask the owner whether the dam/sire was checked for hip/elbow dysplasia and ask for the X-rays if the answer is in the affirmative.

Preferably, get a lab who has been born in a home rather than at a breeders. Once you have your pup (not before its 6 weeks of age) - begin training it from day one. Get the help of a bonafide trainer who trains using positive methods. Depending on which area you live in, I could refer one to you.

If you wish I could send you a range of different guidelines/information that I use for first time owners I work with.

I am in constant touch with my friend whose neighbor is a bonafied dogs trainer and an avid dog lover. He said that he has somebody in mind who would give me a lab. Will be going along with him tomorrow to see the pups. Since he is an avid dog lover, he has pretty good knowledge about dogs and im sure he will get me a good lab. Hoping for the best and I will keep your words in mind.

Please do send me the guidelines/information for first times. It would be of great help Thank you.

[msbehave]

Originally Posted by kingofmyworld

I am in constant touch with my friend whose neighbor is a bonafied dogs trainer and an avid dog lover. He said that he has somebody in mind who would give me a lab. Will be going along with him tomorrow to see the pups. Since he is an avid dog lover, he has pretty good knowledge about dogs and im sure he will get me a good lab. Hoping for the best and I will keep your words in mind.

Please do send me the guidelines/information for first times. It would be of great help Thank you.

Hey thats brilliant. Sounds like you're all set. Watch out in the initial weeks for sleepless nights [yes, like a baby a puppy will wake you up to play at 4am] You'll also need someone to constantly supervise the pup toilet train him as well as teach him whats good/bad. When you adopt/buy your pup be sure to check where the puppies+mother have been toileting - it is more than likely that your pup would prefer toileting on the same surface ie cloth, newspaper, concrete. Will inbox you some information so I dont spam everyone else!

[nevinfrancis]

we are looking for an 'afghan hound' puppy.
my dad is a fan of that breed - does anyone know anybody who breeds afghan hound ? we are from cochin, kerala. its a bit hard to find.
even our vet, who is an avid dog lover, hasn't seen any afghan hounds till now here in cochin.

[motionfreak]

need info about vaccination of two stray dogs in my CHS.
I'm in Thane. Where can I get it done? any govt facility or something like CUPA
one pup is about 3 weeks old (check pics)
another is more than 4+ months

BTW I know NOTHING about dogs, but I luv these two.
(actually I'm thinking of bringing the small one home, but thats a different issue)

[msbehave]

Originally Posted by motionfreak

need info about vaccination of two stray dogs in my CHS.
I'm in Thane. Where can I get it done? any govt facility or something like CUPA
one pup is about 3 weeks old (check pics)
another is more than 4+ months

BTW I know NOTHING about dogs, but I luv these two.
(actually I'm thinking of bringing the small one home, but thats a different issue)

Contact the Thane SPCA. They do wonderful work. thanespca.org/ 093 22 271966 they'd be able to help with their deworming as well!

Awesome to hear that you're think of adopting one

[audioholic]

I have a query/problem that I would like people to help me out with regarding some stray dogs. Sorry if the post is long, but please read the background.

Why does a dog give out a wail or a cry when it sees someone? There is this stray dog that is very friendly with me. Its mother and grandmother were in my granys street. The first dog, ie two generations up came to my granys road a few years back. It was a very very clean dog, for a stray. No diseases, very well maintained fur coat and decent behaviour. Me and another guy from the same road used to feed it well, and it had a very good rapport with us. Its first litter(or whatever that is called) was of good looking pups, but due to a harsh winter, only one survived out of five.

This dog used to be with pups and we never dared interfere in order to take them to a warm place. The lone pup that survived got used to us and it used to follow its mothers routine. They ate at my place, slept and used to run towards me when I entered the street. The mother of the pup died a sad death after being taken away by BBMP and returned after sterlisation. I was not in station and the other guy informed me of this.

The pup too had a first litter after some time, and this time two survived. The two pups again got used to us and so on. Around six months back, after another round of sterlisation, the mother and the sibiling died, leaving this one year old dog alone. This one is a very nervous dog and rarely comes close to me though it follows me from the road till the gate. Sorry for the long story, but this dog starts out on a wail as soon as it sees me. It comes to me and it is just like a man or woman weeping. This has happened from the day its brother and mother died and till now.

I felt that this could go away in some time and it is more than six months and everytime I see it, it runs towards me, until a metre away and starts weeping and becomes restless. It eats, plays and behaves normally, except this problem. I assume it could be because of the loss. But is it so long living? I feel sad for the dog. Is it undergoing some other illness or such? How can I make things better for the dog? There is one recent entry to the street which is a black dog, again clean without noticeable defects. Yet, this dog has the same behaviour. Please suggest a solution if possible.

[motionfreak]

i'm really sad after reading this story brother. I feel sorry for the dog.
why don't you try this.
have some biscuits or some other treats in your hand and sit on a rock or something like it and see if the dog comes to you. you might have to sit at one place for quite along time. even have to repeat it for few days, till the dog absolutely trusts you.

just my thoughts

[drmohitg]

Whats with this sterilisation drive? Even I witnessed the same thing in my neighbourhood. The MCD people ( or whichever dept is responsible for it) came and caught 4-5 dogs from our apartment complex. All of these strays were very friendly with my whole family and even my lab. Now when they dropped them back after a week or so, I was shocked seeing the dog's condition. All of them were shivering and clearly looked in too much stress and pain. They didn't eat, play and just stayed hidden in a corner. I assumed they must be scared after there recent experience. But then within a couple of days the Alfa male of the pack died and so did another one. The 2 females they took have also just kept on losing weight and have become very very weak. I am suspecting some gross negligence and foul play here where these govt appointed vets probably sterilize these animals without the least bit of care and botch up the procedure in many cases leading to the dogs death.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by motionfreak

i'm really sad after reading this story brother. I feel sorry for the dog.
why don't you try this.
have some biscuits or some other treats in your hand and sit on a rock or s

Motionfreak, the dog does trust me. I feed it regularly and it spends time in my compound. Only worry is why it gives out a continuous cry. Is it in sone pain or something I dont know.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

. But then within a couple of days the Alfa male of the pack died and so did another one. The 2 females they took have also just kept on losing weight and have become very very weak. I am suspecting some gross negligence and foul play here where these govt appointed vets probably sterilize these animals without the least bit of care and botch up the procedure in many cases leading to the dogs death.

Dr, exactly same thing happens here. I think these animals are not being treated properly.

Once they are returned after sterlisation, they just hide inside the SWD and start losing weight. As I have mentioned, they die a SAD death. I was disturbed for a few days even though I wasn't in station when they died. Still I missed a great companion. The dog used to come and sit next to me whenever I sat outside. The dog which is left also was sterlised. Somehow it has survived.

Another gory practice is to cut a portion of the ear of the dogs which have been sterlised. Outright cruelty. Not sure why PFA, PETA, CUPA oppose such things. Feel like thrashing the people who obtain such contracts and for the sake of money, they just do their job in the cheapest, easiest and careless way.

[msbehave]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I felt that this could go away in some time and it is more than six months and everytime I see it, it runs towards me, until a metre away and starts weeping and becomes restless. It eats, plays and behaves normally, except this problem. I assume it could be because of the loss. But is it so long living? I feel sad for the dog. Is it undergoing some other illness or such? How can I make things better for the dog? There is one recent entry to the street which is a black dog, again clean without noticeable defects. Yet, this dog has the same behaviour. Please suggest a solution if possible.

Hi. It seems that what you are describing is whining & vocalising along with excitement. This is normal submission behaviour on seeing you/other people who may have given food/attention. If the dog is eating, playing & carrying out its other bodily functions okay - it's physically healthy. My dog regularly "cries" from joy whenever my brother comes over. Is the vocalisation accompanied with running around/tail wags/ jumping?

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by audioholic

I have a query/problem that I would like people to help me out with regarding some stray dogs. Sorry if the post is long, but please read the background.

Why does a dog give out a wail or a cry when it sees someone? There is this stray dog that is very friendly with me. Its mother and grandmother were in my granys street. The first dog, ie two generations up came to my granys road a few years back. It was a very very clean dog, for a stray. No diseases, very well maintained fur coat and decent behaviour. Me and another guy from the same road used to feed it well, and it had a very good rapport with us. Its first litter(or whatever that is called) was of good looking pups, but due to a harsh winter, only one survived out of five.

This dog used to be with pups and we never dared interfere in order to take them to a warm place. The lone pup that survived got used to us and it used to follow its mothers routine. They ate at my place, slept and used to run towards me when I entered the street. The mother of the pup died a sad death after being taken away by BBMP and returned after sterlisation. I was not in station and the other guy informed me of this.

The pup too had a first litter after some time, and this time two survived. The two pups again got used to us and so on. Around six months back, after another round of sterlisation, the mother and the sibiling died, leaving this one year old dog alone. This one is a very nervous dog and rarely comes close to me though it follows me from the road till the gate. Sorry for the long story, but this dog starts out on a wail as soon as it sees me. It comes to me and it is just like a man or woman weeping. This has happened from the day its brother and mother died and till now.

I felt that this could go away in some time and it is more than six months and everytime I see it, it runs towards me, until a metre away and starts weeping and becomes restless. It eats, plays and behaves normally, except this problem. I assume it could be because of the loss. But is it so long living? I feel sad for the dog. Is it undergoing some other illness or such? How can I make things better for the dog? There is one recent entry to the street which is a black dog, again clean without noticeable defects. Yet, this dog has the same behaviour. Please suggest a solution if possible.

The howling is typical separation anxiety.
Are you the only person who is friendly with the fellow? and does it have a pack it roams with?

For the second one, however, it seems more like it just misses you. That's also anxiety, but on a lesser level. Typically, strays bond well with not just people who feed them, but also at the same level with people who are affectionate to them.
You may have to chase your domestic with gourmet meals, and still you will get nakhras, and you may have to call them repeatedly for them to come to you. But with strays, if they hear you once, theyll be there in a flash, will eat ANYTHING you may have for them.
For the first guy, you could try petting him for a lil longer, stagger your time when you feed/meet him, get it out of the routine when he sees you, he'll be more happy to see you, and also give it time.

The other guy is just happy to see you.
I have a similar dog in my society who I feed everyday, and we call him "rotlu", because of this . He howls on demand.
"Are you hungry?"
howwwwwllll.....

[Biraj]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Only worry is why it gives out a continuous cry. Is it in sone pain or something I dont know.

As others have mentioned, it is the affection and anxiety of the dog. I recently experienced something similar. I live in Delhi but work for an Ahmedabad based company. I lived in Ahmedabad for about 10 months in 2010 and I used to miss my pet dog (A GSD) a lot. I befriended a stray outside my office and I used to call him "Hero" because of his carefree attitude. I used to give him biscuits and food regularly and he used to play with me and soil my clothes. Last month I returned to Ahmedabad after a gap of 2 years. The moment I got down from my car, I looked around for Hero. I saw a thinner Hero at distance and it was staring at me with gleaming eyes as if it was trying to believe that he has actually seen me. I just called "Hero" and he ran towards me and started howling/whining and wagging his tail. He again soiled my clothes but I have never received a warmer welcome to any place or by anyone than the way Hero welcomed me.

I always try to pat the strays around me and play with them, and fortunately I have never been attacked by any stray. All of them just crave for affection and they will never forget the person that gives it to them.

PS: I am contemplating relocating to Ahmedabad and if I do, I surely will adopt Hero.

[kvish]

I need pointers to a good shop to buy an aquarium (nature aquarium). I heard about Russell market. I am not aware of any shops there.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by msbehave

Hi. It seems that what you are describing is whining & vocalising along with excitement. This is normal submission behaviour on seeing you/other people who may have given food/attention... Is the vocalisation accompanied with running around/tail wags/ jumping?

Hi MsBehave, I feel relieved reading this. Yes the dog is somewhat restless, running around and whining. But this is the only dog that showed such a behavior. The other strays used to come near me, jump, wag tail but never bark or whine. That was why I thought this was not normal. Thanks for your input.

Originally Posted by mayankk

The howling is typical separation anxiety.
Are you the only person who is friendly with the fellow? and does it have a pack it roams with?

Currently only one dog is left. I am the only person that currently feeds her. My friend who used to feed now is studying in a hostel so he usually sees the dog only on weekends. His parents too are animal lovers so I usually see a feeding bowl near their place for this dog. It had a pack before but sadly, alone now. Though there is a new entry to the road, I dont think these two are so friendly with each other. Kind of neutral behaviour.

Absolutely agree that street dogs have never created problems for anyone in the area. They mind their business and no incidence of attacks, chasing etc. I usually have the habit of feeding them biscuits. If it is raining they come into my granys compound and take shelter. Completely fine with it.

Originally Posted by Biraj

The moment I got down from my car, I looked around for Hero. I saw a thinner Hero at distance and it was staring at me with gleaming eyes as if it was trying to believe that he has actually seen me. I just called "Hero" and he ran towards me and started howling/whining and wagging his tail.

I always try to pat the strays around me and play with them, and fortunately I have never been attacked by any stray. All of them just crave for affection and they will never forget the person that gives it to them.

PS: I am contemplating relocating to Ahmedabad and if I do, I surely will adopt Hero.

Same here. The dogs which I have fed elsewhere, like in my native recognise me very well. It is a nice welcome when the dog starts running towards us as soon as we enter the road.

Originally Posted by kvish

I need pointers to a good shop to buy an aquarium (nature aquarium). I heard about Russell market. I am not aware of any shops there.

If you are a newbie to fish keeping, most shops will rip you off with exorbitant rates for everything. Avoid huge establishments and search for a rather smallish shop who will usually sell at lower prices. For example, a specific brand of fish food has an MRP tag of Rs. 180 which is sold at MRP in one shop, whereas a shop near my house sells it for Rs. 80. That is how different the prices are. In case you need any help, do PM me for an idea of the costs. Same applies for fish too.

[ariesonu]

Originally Posted by kvish

I need pointers to a good shop to buy an aquarium (nature aquarium). I heard about Russell market. I am not aware of any shops there.

Cost of aquarium largely depends on size/thickness of glass.
I'll suggest minimum 8mm glass. You may opt for thinner glass but again this depends on the size of your intended aquarium.
To avoid getting ripped by LFS (Local Fish Shop) just counter check the PSF price of glass of all thicknesses. Some glass shops also make aquariums so you can check that too.
If you are looking at ACRYLIC aquariums then they are almost twice the price of an ordinary glass aquariums. However they come with most fitments like air pump etc. They make nice clean buy and are clutter free.
Buy TETRA BITS (Rs 250 for 330 ml can)-Excellent fish food.

Raab rakha.