Walk your dog 3 times a day -- or be fined

[citronsoul]

We don't have to cut my dogs nails. The roads we walk him on keep them nice & short.

But walking 3 times a day? I think that's a bit much. Although I'm pretty sure my dog would love that. But it would wear him out completely. His age (13) is really starting to take its toll on him. Last week I took him for a second walk & we were out for an hour. By the end of it he was walking at an incredibly slow pace. He used to take me for a walk.

We do let him run around in the yard a lot, & that usually keeps him entertained for hours on end.

[Myspoiltpiggies]

I have a dalmatian and she only goes for walks once a day, like I've already said, but when she goes out for walks, she goes on long walks, not just round to the local park. So I think once is fine.. if they get a long walk.

[laura220]

Voodoo, Poodles ears are NOT cropped.

Myspoiltpiggies, you do know that Dalmations were bred to run alongside or under carriages for miles at full speed everyday with no breaks, right? I really hope those walks are really long.

My two lab mixes are old, 10, they still have loads of energy so they get three walks.

I have never heard of show clipping dogs nails though the quick. I'll look into that, it may just be a rumour.

[VoodooJoint]

Originally Posted by laura220

Voodoo, Poodles ears are NOT cropped.

You misread my post. I said "boxers, most terriers, poodles, weimeriners, most spanials dobermans and rottweilers are some of the dogs that get their tails cut off"

Originally Posted by laura220

I have never heard of show clipping dogs nails though the quick. I'll look into that, it may just be a rumour.

Not a rumor. I knew many show people who had this done to their dogs. The show cut is also popular among some people with nice hardwood floors that don't want the flooring scratched up by their dog's nails.

[laura220]

The tails are actually surgically removed. And Poodles don't have their tails docked from the base though that doesn't matter..I'll ask some of my showing friends about the nail clipping. I'm starting junior handling so it'd be good to know.

[Myspoiltpiggies]

I care more about my own dog than you do! Of course she gets long walks, that's why I posted what I posted! Gosh, like I said in one of my previous posts - in my opinion, knowing my own dog, I think she'd prefer cuddling up with us more than her walkies. I know that's not the point, they have walks for keeping fit too. I really don't like it when people try to make you feel bad on here.. I'm not saying you are, it's just that's how it makes me feel. My dog is my best friend, and I love her to bits. So yes, her long walks are very long.

[sasha]

I think they must mean to go to the bathroom, which in that case is good. Dogs do need to go outside to pee more than many people let them. The problem is people could follow this law while taking the dog out 3 times in the same two hour period, but not once in the morning. It seems ineffective to me.

[Sabriel]

non-clothes wearing dogs in the world!!!

I thought people bought doggie clothing to keep the doggies warm when the walk in the winter. The winters are very harsh here and I would think if I had a dog that I would get him a nice warm coat and booties if he looked cold on his walks.

My mother has a chihuahua. He has "broken" floppy unmodified ears, he's not the same colour as the Taco Bell dog, and he's one of those bigger chihuahuas but she loves him to death. When she (or my siblings) take him for a walk he gets a sweater for the fall and spring and a coat in the winter (it matches my mother's) I'd dare say he'd become a doggie popsicle without his coat.

[Slap Maxwell]

Where I work the dalmation gets booties and a coat in the winter, and she definetilly needs them. `

[suzy_99]

Suzy, do your dogs by any chance dig, bark or chew excessively? Anybody else's dog/s?

I am really not to sure what this has to do with me letting my dogs run outside, rather than taking them on the road, but none of my 3 dogs have chewed anything up since they were puppies (they do have toys that they chew) and I can't say that I have ever seen my dogs dig up anything, besides soemthing that they buried. My little terrier does bark whenever someone comes into our yard, but that is really her only means of defense since she is so tiny and I don't mind that she does that because she is not the least bit aggressive when the people actually get out of their cars, she just goes up to them wagging her tail.

I am glad that you mentionned dew claw removal. If I ever get another dog, I will get his/her dew claws removed right away if they aren't already. I just ahd to take my little girl (6 years old) in to get her dew claw removed, we have been having trouble with it for sometime and we tried everything to fix it, but it wouldn't work and I would much rather that this be done as a puppy.

[VoodooJoint]

Originally Posted by laura220

The tails are actually surgically removed.

Surgically removed=cut off. It amounts to the same thing. A part of the animal's body is amputated to make them cosmetically more appealing to their owner or in the show ring.

Maybe you aren't aware of how most Back Yard Breeders and Puppy Mills dock tails.

They wrap a rubberband, piece of wire or tightly tied string around the tail until it rots off. It must be horribly painful.

Some people that want their dog's ears cropped, but don't want to pay a vet, simply use scissors and no painkillers. In happens here in the city...especially with Pit Bulls...all the time.

2 Years ago I resuced a Mastiff that had her ears and tail totally cut off from "home surgery". Her ears were completely gone. All that was left were two knarled bunches of scar tissue on top of her head. The vet said it looked like the ears had gotten horribly infected after they were snipped off. She is in a good home now but she is constantly getting ear infections because she has no external protection on her ears.

If ear cropping and tail docking is continued then stiffer laws MUST be implemented to protect the animals. Vets that perform these surgeries should be specaially certified. I don't know about other countries but in the States the Vet schools do not teach ear cropping. Veterinarians must teach themselves to do it while practicing on people's dogs. I can't tell you how many cases of mutilated dogs I have seen. Dogs mutilated by a vet that said they could/would crop a dog's ears but had no idea what they were doing.

Here is the [font=Arial]American Veterinary Medical Association [/font]stance on Ear cropping

[font=Arial]The AVMA's position on ear cropping and tail docking, adopted on July 9, 1999, states: "Ear cropping and tail docking in dogs for cosmetic reasons are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient. These procedures cause pain and distress, and, as with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthesia, blood loss, and infection. Therefore, veterinarians should counsel dog owners about these matters before agreeing to perform these surgeries." [/font]

[DocDolittle]

Isn't California trying to get this outlawed or something? I may be wrong, but I sincerely hope it happens. One small step towards a more humane world.

[Access]

I hope so. Many of us think that animals are beautiful, just fine in their natural, "God-given" form rather than the cutting off of ears, tails, claws, etc. for the sole benefit of a human observer. I look at my guinea pig and I think he looks great, but even if he didn't look that great to me, I wouldn't be tempted to try to re-arrange his face or features to make him look more pleasing to me. They're beautiful just the way they are.

[DocDolittle]

I am glad that you mentionned dew claw removal. If I ever get another dog, I will get his/her dew claws removed right away if they aren't already. I just ahd to take my little girl (6 years old) in to get her dew claw removed, we have been having trouble with it for sometime and we tried everything to fix it, but it wouldn't work and I would much rather that this be done as a puppy.

*confusedness* Is it harmful for your dogs to still have dew claws as a result?

[Myspoiltpiggies]

My dog had her dew claws cut off when she was a puppy because they get their dew claws caught and they bleed and bleed. My first dog had a dew claw, and it got caught a lot. It was horrible.

[Access]

My dog when I was growing up had claws that were halfway up his leg (next to the knee) that were also removed. The vet told us they were the result of inbreeding -- something of a genetic defect. My dog also had epilepsy and a lot of other problems. The vet said to get the extra claws removed or they would keep causing problems. IMO if it's something like that, it's for the best (for you and the dog), I mean neutering is the same way.

[Marlania]

*confusedness* Is it harmful for your dogs to still have dew claws as a result?

Some dogs dew claws can be a problem, especially if they get caught on things. Sometimes even trimming them regularly doesn't even help. I've seen someone's foster dog have major problems with the dew claws on her back feet because they were kind of floppy. She'd get stuck on her crate and hurt herself badly. I'm not sure if her back dew claws were ever removed, but I do know it was a continual problem for her. Luckily not all dogs have dew claws on their back feet.

Dew claws can also be a problem if owners trim nails infrequently. Obviously due to its position on the paw, it won't wear down like other claws just from walking on hard surfaces. If these claws aren't trimmed, they can grow into the skin and cause infections.

Anyway, that's a couple of problems with dew claws. I've never had any removed from my dogs (or cat for that matter). My lab, who came from a rescue, apparently had his removed at a young age. My other dog has his, but sadly, I'm sure no one ever gave him enough thought to even consider removing them. (But considering his horrible pawing habits, I do wish he wasn't born with them. While he little foot routine is cute, it's also painful for me!)