The PET thread.

[Guest]

Show us your pets!

My new puppy.

9 weeks old


12 weeks old


He's 14 weeks old now. He gets his ears taped up again tomorrow.

[StarFireSong]

Your puppy is adorable, bugdust! He looks so cute with the bandages in the 2nd picture.

Here's my cat, Gira. She's got some WEIRD sleeping positions.



The above 2 pics are when she was a kitten, right around the time I first got her (3 months old). She was small for her size, & still is, lol.

These are more recent pictures. She likes to spoil shots of her looking straight at the camera, lol.



She's 3 now.

[Dinny]

I love your animals, guys. Well, I love all animals. Except for the Corgi who tried to bite my mofoing hand off at the shelter yesterday.

I was going to write an essay last night titled "Why my cat is better than your cat", because I was thinking about how lucky I am to have my cat after seeing and remembering what most normal cats are like.

Spoiler:

This is Theodore (full name Theodore Vincent I). He is a high-bred pedigree Burmese, and a blue ribbon prize winner.

While most cats value their independence, Theodore absolutely loathes being alone. When I shower, he sits outside the cubicle until I'm done, he'll sit on my lap when I watch TV, and he sits behind me on the bed whenever I post on the forum or do my homework. He sleeps underneath my bedcovers with me, with his body under the sheets and his head on the pillow alongside mine. If I try to roll away from him, he'll move until his body is pressed up against mine again.

He loves being picked up, and will purr and wag his tail whenever someone tall puts him on their shoulders. He also enjoys being cradled, and kisses (if you kiss him on his head or cheeks, he will lick you back).

Finally, he's also very smart. I don't need to open doors for him because he's worked out how to open most of the doors in my house. He also responds to his own name and comes when called, much like a dog. There was a time he could fetch, too... I had a piece of paper and I hurled it across the room. He chased after it and then I heard him jump up on the desk next to me, and when I saw him, he had the piece of paper in his mouth. I repeated this several times and each time, he came back with the paper and dropped it next to me.

I love him more than I could ever love a child if I had one.

[mi-cuit]

Pretty Kitty!

[Dinny]

Pretty Kitty!

Thank you!

The dog is being a little bit of a headache. She got spayed this morning, so she's really disoriented and ill. She's been throwing up in ARM's room and being weird (she'll sleep for ten minutes, get up, walk around, etc). As I'm typing this, she picked ARM's closet to sleep in... Weird.

I just hope she un-weirds soon. I'm tired of the throwup and the sedated confusion and the unhappy dog. I know she needs more time to adjust to a new home and a new family etc, and I remember it being awful when I got my dog, but I dread tonight. Sigh.

[lilith]

Show us your pets!

My new puppy.

9 weeks old


12 weeks old


He's 14 weeks old now. He gets his ears taped up again tomorrow.

So cute... I love dogs/puppies. Why is he getting his ears taped up?

[Monty]

Mi-Cuit, upon my arrival back to Plymouth, guess whose on my lap right now? Sammy!

For those of you confused as to who my loveable moggy is, he's an adorable (Taurean?) black farm cat. 8 or so years old, he's so unbelivably stubborn it's unreal! I used to laugh when he'd hiss at my Mum or any female character.

[Guest]

Show us your pets!

My new puppy.

9 weeks old


12 weeks old


He's 14 weeks old now. He gets his ears taped up again tomorrow.

So cute... I love dogs/puppies. Why is he getting his ears taped up?

Because I did that cruel thing and had his ears cropped. The cone is to hold them while they heal. he got most of the stitches out Monday and a couple put back in today. he has both ears taped individually now to help train them to stand. I'll post a pic later or tomorrow. I think Doberman puppies are cute with floppy ears but look bad when full grown. They look much better with the ears cropped. i had his tail cut and dew claws removed as well.

[Monty]

Hey BugDust,

Just a quick question. Why would you get the tail cut? Call me idiotic or what not but it doesn't make sense to me!

[Dinny]

Hey BugDust,

Just a quick question. Why would you get the tail cut? Call me idiotic or what not but it doesn't make sense to me!

I might not be able to answer in his stead/for him, but I can explain from a more general perspective. Dobermans in general have strange standards for the breed. Often, you dock a doberman's tail, correct their ears and remove their dewclaws as bugdust has done.

I am not so sure about the ears or dewclaws, but I'll explain why dobermans traditionally have their tails docked. A huge part of it is to remove a weak point for an attacker/intruder/etc. as dobermans are traditionally guard dogs and police dogs. It's also a hazard when they pursue an individual, supposedly. Dobermans have extremely thin and fragile tails compared to other breeds, so small in fact that they have been known to break off on their own (while just wagging their tails, no less)!

... But why remove dewclaws?

[mi-cuit]

ouch. Does PETA know about this?

Sammy's great!

[Guest]

There are a variety of opinions on whether or not any of the procedures should be performed.

The dew claw removal is pretty much accepted because it serves no purpose and can actually grow in a circle and go back into the foot. It does not wear like other toenails because it is higher and doesn't immediately touch the floor.

There are documented pros and cons about tail docking. I won't go into it but I will say it's pretty much an aesthetics thing, IMO. I have a friend with a boxer that didn't get his tail cut and it will beat the snot out of you when he wags it. I think it looks better and it is the accepted norm for the breed.

The ears are like the tail; some oppose it and some do not. It is illegal in many countries, especially in Europe. The accepted opinion in the US is that it is actually good for the animal and causes no psychological trauma. Long ears are believed to hold in dirt and parasites supposedly. The other belief is that if it traumatized the animal, the animal would lose it's appetite like it does when it is sick or injured. This does not happen so it is considered humane. For me, I just think it looks better.

Oh yeah, fuck PETA. I'm all for not mistreating animals and performing experiments on them but PETA is a bunch of idiots.

[Dinny]

That's right, because dewclaws are basically dog equivalents of appendixes.

Here are some pictures of Blanca (the name we finally settled on for ARM's adopted shelter dog).

Spoiler:

[Monty]

Irrelevant, yes. hs had me in laughing straight for about 10 minutes. BEHOLD!

[PapiChuloLeon]

Irrelevant, yes. hs had me in laughing straight for about 10 minutes. BEHOLD!

[Guest]

Current pic. he was 14 weeks old yesterday

[Guest]

Today, just got his ears taped up again. he had them loose for a few days. I have to find that pic.

15 weeks old, 33 lbs.

[Dinny]

There's something oddly cute about it's ears being taped up like that. I really do love Dobermans though, one of my favorite dog breeds. I'm also very fond of Huskies, Akitas, Australian Kelpies, normal sized Poodles and to some extent German Sheps. I'm not so much for small little dogs at all. I think Malteses and Shih Tzus in particular are ugly dogs.

I'm going to miss Dr. ARM's doggie. </3

[Dinny]

Identical to my cat in appearance, behavior and voice/meow:

[Argent Fang]

There are a variety of opinions on whether or not any of the procedures should be performed.

The dew claw removal is pretty much accepted because it serves no purpose and can actually grow in a circle and go back into the foot. It does not wear like other toenails because it is higher and doesn't immediately touch the floor.

There are documented pros and cons about tail docking. I won't go into it but I will say it's pretty much an aesthetics thing, IMO. I have a friend with a boxer that didn't get his tail cut and it will beat the snot out of you when he wags it. I think it looks better and it is the accepted norm for the breed.

The ears are like the tail; some oppose it and some do not. It is illegal in many countries, especially in Europe. The accepted opinion in the US is that it is actually good for the animal and causes no psychological trauma. Long ears are believed to hold in dirt and parasites supposedly. The other belief is that if it traumatized the animal, the animal would lose it's appetite like it does when it is sick or injured. This does not happen so it is considered humane. For me, I just think it looks better.

Oh yeah, fuck PETA. I'm all for not mistreating animals and performing experiments on them but PETA is a bunch of idiots.

I don't know much about dobermans, but I can shed some light on the removal of tails/dewclaws having grown up around dogs my entire life.

Tail removal is often done with herding dogs to allow for streamlined motion and the dewclaws are removed because they could get caught in wiring and like you said, it could grow in on itself and puncture the foot.

I know it's a little late, but I figured I'd offer my two cents.

I agree w/ Dinny on small dogs to a point. Shih Tzus are ugly as sin and can smell quite nasty if they're not bathed regularly. (and even when they're not) Pomeranians on the other hand can be cute in their own way, but they're not something I'd go out of my way to have. Call me biased, but I've always been fond of Australian Shepherds and Pembroke Welsh Corgis, probably because the first was a breed I grew up having around and the second was what my last dog was.

[Guest]

This was taken a couple weeks ago when he was 5 months and 54 lbs. I feed him mostly Innova Large Breed Puppy food with the occasional canned food and raw egg.

[Dinny]

This was taken a couple weeks ago when he was 5 months and 54 lbs. I feed him mostly Innova Large Breed Puppy food with the occasional canned food and raw egg.

Aww, he looks like the quintessential doberman now. So beautiful.

[StarFireSong]

Hmm, dogs...

I'm much more of a cat & bird person than I am a dog person, but I do like them. I've had a variety of different dogs: my most recent was a purebred Old English Sheepdog (STUPIDEST & MOST STUBBORN DOG EVER!!!!), a German Shepherd mutt we rescued (German Shep. coloring, but weighed about 30-40 lbs. at most. Couldn't stand the smell of her fur--I used to retch so badly my parents thought I'd be sick), & a Schipperke (gave him away cuz he wouldn't stop humping our legs, rofl). My first dog was a German Shepherd/Chow mix my parents got to use as a service dog, but after she bit me & my sister, they gave her back to the place we got her from. I still have the scar from the bite on my lower right cheek near my jawline. We also took care of a Pug that belonged to a friend of my parents while she was away for a few weeks. I liked him even though he had a whole mess of health issues; he was very quiet & stayed by my side all the time, lol. It got to the point that whenever he went missing on my parents, all they had to do was find me & they'd find him sleeping under my chair.

I LOVE Golden & Labrador Retrievers though. They're the most awesome dogs.

Video of my cat from last year:

Spoiler:

Not my best effort. She tends to interrupt me whenever she wants to, LOL. You can see & hear her 1:31 into the clip.

[Dinny]

Hmm, dogs...

I'm much more of a cat & bird person than I am a dog person, but I do like them. I've had a variety of different dogs: my most recent was a purebred Old English Sheepdog (STUPIDEST & MOST STUBBORN DOG EVER!!!!), a German Shepherd mutt we rescued (German Shep. coloring, but weighed about 30-40 lbs. at most. Couldn't stand the smell of her fur--I used to retch so badly my parents thought I'd be sick), & a Schipperke (gave him away cuz he wouldn't stop humping our legs, rofl). My first dog was a German Shepherd/Chow mix my parents got to use as a service dog, but after she bit me & my sister, they gave her back to the place we got her from. I still have the scar from the bite on my lower right cheek near my jawline. We also took care of a Pug that belonged to a friend of my parents while she was away for a few weeks. I liked him even though he had a whole mess of health issues; he was very quiet & stayed by my side all the time, lol. It got to the point that whenever he went missing on my parents, all they had to do was find me & they'd find him sleeping under my chair.

I LOVE Golden & Labrador Retrievers though. They're the most awesome dogs.

Video of my cat from last year:

Spoiler:

Not my best effort. She tends to interrupt me whenever she wants to, LOL. You can see & hear her 1:31 into the clip.

Unrelated, but I really like your earrings in this clip as well. I cracked up at the random "meeeeow!".

Just sounds like your experience with dogs hasn't been all that great. I love all animals, I couldn't pick a favorite, I'd have every animal in the world as a pet if I could.

But since that's not the case...

Dogs are more work than most pets. There's housebreaking for one. Most other pets are either litter trainable (cats, rabbits, ferrets) or you expect them to poop on their own turf and it's in one place where you can clean it all up (outdoor rabbits, mice, birds etc). But dogs can leave "surprises", and if no one's around to let them out when they need to be let out, they will just go on the floor. And their poops are massive and way stinkier than any other animal I've ever had to clean up after.

Then of course there's walking. You really don't have to exercise any other house pet but dogs, and all the breeds I particularly like (mainly huskies) require insane amounts and if they don't get it, they get massively destructive.

And you have to bathe them. Which is something you don't have to do with any other house pet except for under certain circumstances.

And they're just big in general and have more capacity to damage stuff in your house than other animals. I had a very small dog (a dachshund) but she was responsible for destroying my favorite toys, shoes, and books more often than I'd care to admit, despite having ample toys.

We're getting a ferret when ARM gets here, and I have decided that I really want mice as well. I will keep the mice in the study and far away from the ferrets (the ferret's latin name literally means "mouse killer"). I have my heart set on koi too, but that will have to wait until I have a lot of money. I'm going to get a massive indoor tank and buy baby butterfly koi, raise them to adulthood (15 - 20 years) and move them to an outdoor pond.

And maybe one day in the far future, I'll get pygmy goats. Goats are basically like dogs but odorless, smarter, and frankly a bit cuter.

Edit: As an aside, the only domestic pet I've never considered having or desired has been birds. In my opinion, if you're going to keep birds, you should either have a spacious aviary or let them free around your house (as people do with parrots/cockatoos/cockatiels).

[StarFireSong]

Unrelated, but I really like your earrings in this clip as well. I cracked up at the random "meeeeow!".

LOL! She does what she did in the clip on a regular basis, lol. That's the only video I have of her actually doing it. It's funny when I have to take her to the vet... She gets so stressed out by the car ride & everything that she makes this human infant crying sound that FREAKS PEOPLE OUT. When I put them at ease by saying, "It's just my cat", they go, "I thought you had a baby in that carrier!" When she wants to play with me, she runs up, paws my leg as if to say "You're it!" & dashes off. Her favorite toy is string. If you have a piece of string, she'll be your best friend forever & ever. & thanks for the compliment. Those earrings are my favorite pair.

I've never had ferrets, but a former neighbor couple (lesbian pair that's since broken up, one works at a scientific research facility) used to have a HUGE variety of pets: 7-10 cats, a couple dogs & snakes, rabbits, ferrets, turtles, mice, rats... They took them in after the research on them was done cuz they were gonna be put down. They told us that the ferrets need to be oiled or bathed weekly because of their skin. I don't really remember what exactly because I was busy looking at their pets.

My experience with dogs could have been better, that's for sure. I do like them, but sometimes they don't like me, lol. Dogs are definitely more work than cats are. I guess the thing that grates on me most is that they can be so needy & NOISY at times. It makes me sound like a completely awful person, but... Anyway, the personalities we had with the dogs ran from stubborn & hyperactive to smart & calm. I tend to gravitate toward the calmer/quieter dogs, but my pick usually got out-voted by the rest of the family, lol.

Bathing... That's the one thing that didn't help the German Shepherd mutt. The oils her skin excreted... OMG. I'm gagging just typing this. It's really sad cuz it was at its worst toward the end of her life so I didn't spend as much time as I could have with her. Funnily enough, I was the only one who reacted as I did near her. My sisters & parents didn't have much of a problem with the smell, although they did have to wash their hands after petting her.

I really don't mind the rest of the training. Dogs have accidents, just as we do when we're young & when we're elderly, so picking up their pee & poop isn't so bad (unless they have the runs). & dogs in general do have great personalities, which makes up for the rougher times.

The only really destructive dog we had was the Sheepdog. She shredded a TON of my books, my HEARING AIDS (swallowed some pieces too, but she was okay), & it took my parents THREE YEARS to housebreak her. She was extremely hyperactive--the kind of dog that thinks people that come over are coming to visit her--& didn't really settle down until she turned 9 & started getting arthritis in her hips. The rest of the time, she behaved like a puppy. She was sweet & funny most of the time, but she really didn't care when we punished her cuz she'd just get out & do it again (& again, & again...). There was one point where she'd done something bad, & instead taking her punishment like she usually did, she turned around & snapped at me & destroyed the shirt I was wearing cuz she'd caught my sleeve & shredded it. There'd been a few times when my parents thought about giving her to someone else, but after she nearly got my arm, it was the only time they seriously considered it.

If I were to get a dog again, I would never choose the Sheepdog.

I think my dad suffered the most with her. She was his dream dog, & it was quite a blow when he got her home & discovered how stubborn she could be. He loved her the most though. The night after we put her down, I heard him say as clear as day in his sleep: "Siba? You hungry?" in the gentle, concerned voice he used with her in her last years. He never did anything like that with our other dogs.

*****

I agree with you about the birds. The larger the bird, the more space you need to accommodate them.

Before we had our blue & gold macaw, we had parakeets. They never lasted long, & we're still not sure why. Until we got Rainbow, I wouldn't have ever thought about getting a bird. It changed with him though. He was AWESOME. My mom fell in love with him at Petco & wouldn't stop nagging my dad to get him, rofl. I was scared of him for the first 2 weeks until my mom forcibly placed him on my arm. That was the moment I fell head over heels in love. I was the one who taught him his first word ("Hello") & then his vocabulary exploded from there. At any given point in the day, we'd hear him crunching on imaginary chips & drinking an invisible soda, then going "Want some?", "Hello?", "HI!", "I want Mamamamamamamama!", "NooOOOoo!", "Peekaboo!"/"Peeka!"/"Peek-boo!", "WHEE!", *gentle voice*: "Awww, it's okay, sweetie.", "Uh-oh!", clucking his tongue, laughing, fake-coughing & fake-sneezing, & doing this: *long whistle that comes closer* *explosion*. That was a particular favorite of his. Once he'd even yelled at Siba to "GO LAY DOWN!" in a perfect imitation of my mom's voice while she was cooking supper. ...AND SHE DID! ROFL. Mom was speechless! He was out an average of 8 hours/day, & longer on the weekends.

We adopted him out to another couple just after he turned 12 because it'd become clear that he wasn't happy, & we weren't meeting his needs in some way. My dad was also growing increasingly allergic to his droppings.

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