[condor]

Originally Posted by Sankar

More than me getting bitten i'm more worried about mom or dad getting bitten by the dog when im not around, i don't want them to suffer in their old age.

Sankar, do remember that these larger dogs have a lot of energy in them, and pretty strong too. A Mudhol or Rampur may not be as heavy set as a medium-build Doberman, but they pack a punch. Training can sober their temperment, but they also like to play, esp in their younger years.

Mudhols at least are quite independent. Their hunting instincts are relatively intact.

If you are parents are clocking their years, then do consider the above points also. This is one of the main reasons I did not go for another one after losing our Mudhol and then our Doberman.

[hamza]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I've been doing some reading about this breed since the last few days and i think i might reconsider the decision of getting a Rott. Most of the Rott attacks were caused by chained dogs but have also come across a socialised un-chained family pet attacking family members. More than me getting bitten i'm more worried about mom or dad getting bitten by the dog when im not around, i don't want them to suffer in their old age.

We have a medium sized yard in the front, then there is terrace and then i plan to take it out on walks. I can take it for a 1 to 1.5 hour outing in the morning and for a shorter duration in the evening. What other choices do i have? I can't keep a breed that sheds too much, and don't want a breed that is too small, prefer medium sized dogs. Boxer has a better temperament i suppose? Boxer and Lab are the other two options i have in mind.

Boxer's make very good family pets, they are very intelligent, playful, and mischievous and they don't require much exercise. It's just that they get very hyper at times, specially if they see a family member after a long time. And they will never show aggression towards any family member.

[Sugeeta]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I've been doing some reading about this breed since the last few days and i think i might reconsider the decision of getting a Rott. Most of the Rott attacks were caused by chained dogs but have also come across a socialised un-chained family pet attacking family members. More than me getting bitten i'm more worried about mom or dad getting bitten by the dog when im not around, i don't want them to suffer in their old age.

We have a medium sized yard in the front, then there is terrace and then i plan to take it out on walks. I can take it for a 1 to 1.5 hour outing in the morning and for a shorter duration in the evening. What other choices do i have? I can't keep a breed that sheds too much, and don't want a breed that is too small, prefer medium sized dogs. Boxer has a better temperament i suppose? Boxer and Lab are the other two options i have in mind.

Sankar, did you consider Great Danes? They are somewhat tall and have a resounding hollow bark, but they are absolutely adorable and loving.

I have seen a few of them at dog shows and even the tallest one behaves like a pup, wanting to be mollycoddled all the time.

Funny thing is : they love to play with soft toys. One of my friend's has a Great Dane who likes to spread all his toys on the living room carpet and sit in the middle. He can spend hours in this mode.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

Sankar, did you consider Great Danes? They are somewhat tall and have a resounding hollow bark, but they are absolutely adorable and loving.

I have seen a few of them at dog shows and even the tallest one behaves like a pup, wanting to be mollycoddled all the time.

Funny thing is : they love to play with soft toys. One of my friend's has a Great Dane who likes to spread all his toys on the living room carpet and sit in the middle. He can spend hours in this mode.

yeas.
and additionally they are oafs!!
:d
that tail, itll wipe any and everything off centre tables, and they wont even notice.
if it strikes flesh, itll sting.

But they are absolutely adorable creatures!!
youll love to keep tham around, and they dont mind being used as a pillow.
bear in mind though, they tend to expect a return on that favor....

[Sugeeta]

Originally Posted by mayankk

yeas.
and additionally they are oafs!!
:d
that tail, itll wipe any and everything off centre tables, and they wont even notice.
if it strikes flesh, itll sting.

But they are absolutely adorable creatures!!
youll love to keep tham around, and they dont mind being used as a pillow.
bear in mind though, they tend to expect a return on that favor....

Very true.
Add to it - they can eat and eat and eat.

As for me, all my childhood memories are built around a cute female apso lhasa called Gypsy.

"Gypsy take cake" could very much make her do anything. The only time she was actually spanked by me is when I caught her sitting on the dining chair and happily lapping up cold coffee from my glass placed on the dining table. I had been gone only 2 minutes to wear shoes in my room.

[kri$hna]

My Tiger is now 1yr and 9 months old. Short haired, short tempered and naughtiest alsation I have ever come across. This guy had an allergic reaction to vaccines in puppy stage and hence short grown too.

I am lucky, he still retains his puppy face waits at my bed sharp @6am asking me to let him out ! He wakes my wife from sleep, but never me. He is not correctly trained, so sits for biscuits, runs to the door when I am getting ready, sleeps when I say sleep (at his discretion) and fights for a place on my bed almost every time !

In the pic, he has his own bed/table which he uses only day time. Night time he is in our room, so uses my bed or carpet, wherever it is, pillow is a must !! sleeps like a human

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

As for me, all my childhood memories are built around a cute female apso lhasa called Gypsy.

My mum's last dog was an apso lhasa.

Very strange: she was the only dog I ever knew that barked at people on the way out! Once people had come in and settled down she really didn't like them leaving again.

They have those wild eyes, where you can see just a little white around the edge, which makes them look very fierce, just like the statues of the temple guard dogs which is what, I believe, they were.

Nice, though

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by Sugeeta

Sankar, did you consider Great Danes? They are somewhat tall and have a resounding hollow bark, but they are absolutely adorable and loving.

Originally Posted by mayankk

yeas.
and additionally they are oafs!!

Yes i did consider them, and they have a sweet temparament i believe. But i realised that they will grow up to become too huge for our home. Thats why i didn't list it as an option.

Originally Posted by kri$hna

My Tiger is now 1yr and 9 months old. Short haired, short tempered and naughtiest alsation I have ever come across. This guy had an allergic reaction to vaccines in puppy stage and hence short grown too.

I am lucky, he still retains his puppy face waits at my bed sharp @6am asking me to let him out !

He's still a puppy isn't it, can see mischief in his eyes What did you do when Tiger was allergic to vaccines, were there any alternatives? How do you excercise this guy?


Guys a few questions
How do you excercise your large dogs daily?
Do you take them out for walks or let it roam around on its own during the excercise hour?
Do you train them not to pull on the leash while on daily walks?
Do breeds like Rott, Boxer, GSD, Lab, Dob etc behave well during walks?
How should one plan a diet for these types of dogs, if not going for packed dog food?
How many days per week should i include meat in the diet and what kind of meat?

I'll ask the breeder these questions but would like to know first hand from TBHPian dog owners too.

[kri$hna]

Originally Posted by Sankar

He's still a puppy isn't it, can see mischief in his eyes What did you do when Tiger was allergic to vaccines, were there any alternatives? How do you excercise this guy?

Wen he became allergic, he was hardly eating anything. barely a couple of months old and totally out of nutrition. He was on saline dips for 3 to 4 weeks continuously. Used to sleep on my bean bag and then shiver a lot. After the saline dips, he somehow picked up strength. Doc told us to leave hopes on him, that is when i called up a vet in delhi (who handled such cases and i got his contact on net) who guided the blr vet in some medication and now its a thing of past !

well, when we were staying in a smaller house in BLR, i used to take him out for regular walks, down hill & up hill (tedious for me, but good exercise for any dog is uphill walking/running) I used to play ball game throwing it across to my wife and make him run for it.

Originally Posted by Sankar

Guys a few questions
How do you excercise your large dogs daily?
Do you take them out for walks or let it roam around on its own during the excercise hour?
Do you train them not to pull on the leash while on daily walks?
Do breeds like Rott, Boxer, GSD, Lab, Dob etc behave well during walks?
How should one plan a diet for these types of dogs, if not going for packed dog food?
How many days per week should i include meat in the diet and what kind of meat?

I'll ask the breeder these questions but would like to know first hand from TBHPian dog owners too.

tiger doesnt pull the leash when i am holding it, but he does it when i am not ! i did train him a little to walk with me instead of leading me, but whatever you train, there has to be consistency and continuity by everyone handling the pet. In our case, that was missing. So our tiger chooses whom to listen and when

regarding food, dogs can be very choosy sometimes and my dog is certainly one of them. He doesnt like any other dry food except for sabor & vida. He has liking towards carrots, potatoes & curd rice (typical veggie). But I feed him ready made cooked food (mutton/beef minced & boiled with rice) delivered to home. He gulps 2kg of this food easily and can have more.

How to know the right quantity ? Trial and error. Try out a cup and if he empties it out and looks for more, quantity was probably lesser. It has to be like, the dog should eat full and a little gms of food should be left in the bowl. Then you can settle with that quantity. Keep watching his bowl, apetite increases when he grows

Now, for the exercise, you can walk him but walking isnt much of an exercise for his muscles. You can make him run by playing ball, play fetch and leave him alone and chase. I rarely tie my dog and since he is left alone always, he runs and exercises himself (pretty much figure conscious guy he is). Daily morning at 6, my wife leaves him in our backyard and he runs playing with mangoes ! The catch is, whatever you do to exercise him, he should get tired and stop by himself. Then pet him and encourage, he ll like it and want more!

[Aroy]

All the popular midsized dogs are either working dogs (sheep dogs) or retrievers and require a lot of exercise and grooming. Giant dogs - Great Dane and St Bernard take life easy and can do with less exercise.

Great Danes are big, but extremely gentle. They require much less exercise than Labradors and German Shepherds. The only down side I can think of is the quantity of food consumed. So do consider the Great Dane.

I have yet to see a dog that does not shed. OK some do more than others. Out Labrador sheds a lot, and I estimate that I can stuff a good sized quilt, every year if I collect all the hair shed. With my neighbours German Shepherd I could stuff a full sized mattress.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Poodles do not shed, because they have a kind of wool rather than fur. They are also very intelligent and playful dogs whose reputation has been wrongly spoilt by those who treat them as fashion accessories.

Great Danes are big, but extremely gentle.

That may be a little hard to explain to your neighbour or relative, when the dog is standing with its paws on the shoulders, looking down at them

[rnidumolu]

Hi Friends,

Here comes my Buddy. He is Trixy(12), getting old but still a crazy one. Anyone who comes home and take money from my mom is his enemy

[MuzzledMoose]

what a cute face......... poms are really adorable

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Sankar

Yes i did consider them, and they have a sweet temparament i believe. But i realised that they will grow up to become too huge for our home. Thats why i didn't list it as an option.



He's still a puppy isn't it, can see mischief in his eyes What did you do when Tiger was allergic to vaccines, were there any alternatives? How do you excercise this guy?


Guys a few questions
How do you excercise your large dogs daily?
Do you take them out for walks or let it roam around on its own during the excercise hour?
Do you train them not to pull on the leash while on daily walks?
Do breeds like Rott, Boxer, GSD, Lab, Dob etc behave well during walks?
How should one plan a diet for these types of dogs, if not going for packed dog food?
How many days per week should i include meat in the diet and what kind of meat?

I'll ask the breeder these questions but would like to know first hand from TBHPian dog owners too.

0. Vet Visits
Every three months as per schedule of the Vet. Shots include rabies, Distemper, De worming and a few other.
Our Vet has given a printed card, where he sticks the vaccine labels. That forms a document and proof of shots take, necessary if you want to take pets abroad.

1. Exercise
Doc recommended no taking out till the first set of shots were done, so till ten weeks our lab jumped around at home. Now he gets a 30-45min walk in the morning and 10 min in the evening and night. As we have a duplex, he is ever busy going up and down through out the day. So add another 30min walk equivalent.

2. Training.
We got a professional trainer at 12 weeks to give basic training - obedience, sit, lie, roll sleep, wait. He got it so well that if you asked him to sleep, he would go sequentially - sit, lie, roll sleep!

3. Disipline while walking.
As far as walking is concerned, depends on what you want. The TV program - Dog Whispers recommends that you be in charge and let him listen to you always. I do that at times and at times let him free in the back lanes. As long as he knows when to behave, it is fine to let him get some fun.

4. Diet.
The mantra is that you give them a regulated quantity. If you exceed the requirement; and Labs are famous for their gluttony; the dog will grow fat too fast, which will result in weak legs, and that leads to leg paralysis when they are old. Here is what we give
A. Milk one cup in morning and evening
B. Rice Mid morning and Night
C. Meat after mid day meal, when ever we have it
D. Cooked mutton bones, once or twice a week

RICE
. 1 kg of assorted vegetables
. 50 grams of garlic
. a tea spoon of haldi
. two table spoons of fat/oil
. 400-500 rice (par boiled)
. 200-300 grams chicken/mutton - liver, heart, lungs

Cook in a pressure cooker. This makes around 10 portions, two per day. We pack it in take away containers and keep it in fridge.

MEAT
Now comes the controversial part
Over and above the above staple I give my dog Raw meat in form of
- Chicken Caracas - skeleton left after getting the boneless chicken. 1/2 at a time
- Beef slabs, 100g piece at a time
- Mutton bones - ribs with meat.
This is not given regularly, but in bursts of 5/6 days at a time with another week rest. Has to do more with my getting it from the market, rather than design.

The virtue of raw meat is extolled on the net, the benefits which we also confirmed are
- Clean teeth
- No smell in the mouth
- Extreme satisfaction, hence less rice is needed
- slim and trim appearance
- no ticks or mites

No No

- No onions, chocolates or tomato these are poisonous for dogs
- No cooked chicken bones until and unless the dog is an expert, most dogs will not chew properly and the cooked chicken bone splinters may puncture the stomach.
- avoid giving sweets, they will induce shedding

There is no hard and fast rule and owners have sustained their dogs on meals varying from only meat to only vegetables/rice/bread. As long as the dog does not get fat it is fine.

At 5 months


now at 6 years

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by Sankar

Guys a few questions
How do you excercise your large dogs daily?
Do you take them out for walks or let it roam around on its own during the excercise hour?
Do you train them not to pull on the leash while on daily walks?
Do breeds like Rott, Boxer, GSD, Lab, Dob etc behave well during walks?
How should one plan a diet for these types of dogs, if not going for packed dog food?
How many days per week should i include meat in the diet and what kind of meat?

I'll ask the breeder these questions but would like to know first hand from TBHPian dog owners too.

In my opinion, you could keep your choice down to Lab/ GSD from what you mentioned.

Regarding your questions, a golden retriever (large 32+kg) owner speaking here. I'll answer them

How do you excercise your large dogs daily? -
I go for a long 1.5 hr walk in the morning, covering 6-7km. Another short 1.5-2km walk after dinner (around half an hour duration) is all I do. Sometimes, the kids around my area like to throw and watch her fetch the ball. Additional exercise is welcome in any form. A large breed will do best with 1.5 - 2 hours of exercise per day.


Do you take them out for walks or let it roam around on its own during the excercise hour? -
Absolutely, I am always supervising during walks. Never let a dog roam on its own during walks, regardless of how well trained he/she appears in your presence. Either the dog will get distracted and go fishing for garbage in trash cans or will likely be attacked by stray dogs here in India. You wouldn't want either situation happening. Of course, if you live in an estate or farmhouse, you can let it free in the open


Do you train them not to pull on the leash while on daily walks? -
Yes. I see a lot of badly brought up dogs pulling and taking their owners for a walk, not the other way round . My golden never pulls, in fact adapts to our pace of walking. The next time your dog pulls (I am sure every dog will do it in its adolescent years), the easiest way of correcting this is to stop dead in your track. Refuse to move until the dog gives up being restless. Move again, only once the tension in the leash is loose. Repeat this for a few days and you will find the dog magically adapting to your pace of walking.


Do breeds like Rott, Boxer, GSD, Lab, Dob etc behave well during walks? -
as long as they are trained properly, walking should not be a problem at all, irrespective of the breed. By behaviour do you mean barking at other people/dogs or picking up garbage thrown on the streets? Solution to these is pretty simple. When the dog is being taught to walk, get your dog to focus on a small piece of treat (I am sure their eyes will be glued). Slowly after a few days, get a couple of people to walk past you, next throw some vessel on the ground, create other distractions like this. Slowly venture out on the road near your house and repeat. Reactions to distractions will also vanish.


How should one plan a diet for these types of dogs, if not going for packed dog food?
How many days per week should i include meat in the diet and what kind of meat?

Dog food is something I would recommend, since it is formulated to contain all essential nutrients and required amount of meat,cereals, etc. If this is not an option, most people prefer rice + chicken pieces or even rice + egg. Some even prefer rice and milk porridge + egg. Depends entirely on the dog's preference and what he/she likes. Trust me, once the exercise part is taken care of, the appetite automatically goes up and they will eat literally anything you feed them. Meat is their natural food so try to include as much of it in the diet as possible. Like someone else mentioned, keep chocolates, onions, and bakery eatables far from reach. The bakery stuff will not kill the dog but will make it obese. All fruits can be given, except for Avocado (butter fruit) which is toxic.

Hope that helped