HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: scott@fido.cs.jhu.edu (Scott Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Floppy-eared G. Shep Puppy
Date: 21 Aug 92 15:45:17 GMT
Organization: Johns Hopkins Computer Science Department, Baltimore, MD

drg@biomath.mda.uth.tmc.edu (David Gutierrez) writes:

>In article <BtAAFE.41M@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> prange@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
>(Henry Prange) writes:
>>I have a four-month old puppy with one ear up and the other decidedly not.
>>I would appreciate advice on the liklihood it will stand on its own, 
>>whether it should be taped, if so can I do it myself, etc.?

>Leave 'em alone. Your pup is doing a very slow semaphore. Wurzi's ears took
>turns standing up before they both decided to stay up. The process took a few
>weeks and was hilarious for us - she looked so silly with one ear up and one
>ear down (and then the other ear up and the first one down...).

I second this call.  Natasha's ears were up and down until 5 months.
We were worried, and had read books saying to tape them up etc, but
our vet said they would come up eventually, and they did.  He thought
"taping up" at this early age a bad idea.

One theory is the ears need calcium to stand up, and at 4-5 months
dogs are teething so all the calcium goes into making teeth and not to
making the ears stiffer.  Once all the dog's adult teeth are in, the
ears should soon stand up.  Avoid roughhousing with other dogs to be
safe.  If they aren't up after a year, then its probably time to
worry. 

Scott

--

------------------------------
Scott Smith, scott@cs.jhu.edu
------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: hoff@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Wildfire)
Subject: Re: LIFE magazine and Puppy Mills
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 04:05:30 GMT

Kimberly Laird <U30993@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:

>don't buy from pet stores, please.....

This reminds me of a question....Here in Champaign, there is a petstore
that claims it does not buy puppys from mills, and they have posted petitions
for people to sign to stop puppy mills.  To what extent is this sort of
thing a marketing ploy, and how much is legit?  I like to stop in and
look, although it will be quite a while before I can buy a dog.  (I have to
get the huskys away from my mom before she trades 'em in for cats ;)
I sometimes wonder where they get their dogs, although they do have papers
and pedigrees for them.  (An overly eager salesman showed them to me once
when he thought I would buy the female akita puppy that stole my heart....
and I almost did :)  Now, I realize that one should be careful about
pet stores and genetic problems and such, but what about petstores like
this one?  If more pet stores spoke up against puppy mills, maybe the mills
would find themselves out of business.....
No flames, please, I'm just really curious about this and the legitimacy.
(and how many other stores do this?)
			-Wildfire-

 ||    Wildfire  ||  hoff@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu  ||  lmh44500@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu  ||
 || "Computers are just the opposite of people.  In computers the software ||
 ||  goes into the hardware.  In people the hardware..." Torchsong Trilogy ||
 || disclaimer:  "...my love, you, if anyone, should know that my rules    ||
 ||         only apply to other people, not myself"  -Friday               ||
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: jkjncs@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Re: help with retriever problem
Reply-To: jkjncs@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:35:58 GMT

In article <168488552.X005CB@tamvm1.tamu.edu>, X005CB@tamvm1.tamu.edu 
(Chris Barnes) writes:
>In article <1992Aug18.212606.25134@newshost.lanl.gov>
>  srlee@beta.lanl.gov (Stephen R Lee) writes:
> 
>>>  ...my description of using a shock collar and
>>>     video camera deleted to save space.....
> 
>>Is'nt this just a wee bit on the elaborate side?

I agree
>Perhaps.  But I did see it work....

Not always a good reason...

>Recall that the problem pooch didn't chew on things when she was
>home.  Kinda hard to give a command when you're not there.  For those

Wrong - re-read the post:

In article <3533@eastman.UUCP>
   garrison@kodak.com (Laurie Garrison) writes:
 
>i posted this question before, but i got no replies so i am
>trying again.  i have a three year old golden named Indy.
>this is the problem:  Indy does not destroy anything when
>i am not home.  when i *am* home, Indy seems to spend all of sher
>time looking for things to pick up and eat, like socks, underwear,
>used kleenix, shirts, remote controls, my glasses, etc.  if i don't 
>catch sher, she EATS them.  as in *gone*. she has eaten two pairs 
>of my glasses,

It sounds to me like Indy wants Laurie's attention and is very manipulative
at getting it. A friend of mine had this problem with their Brittany. To
solve the problem, they:
* took the dog to obedience class (Laurie, you're in my area, so feel free
  to e-mail me for info on local training schools); this helped in both
  controlling the dog and in maintaining the pack order (owners giving 
  commands are alpha)
* increased the correction for stealing - a good correction was to take
  the dog by the loose skin on the sides of the neck and lift the front
  of the dog off the ground, shaking her a bit, and scolding in low, 
  growly tones. Then ignore the dog for at least 5 minutes.
* uped the amount of exercise the dog gets; the obedience classes also
  helped increase the amount of attention the dog got.
* tried to be neater about leaving things lying around the house
* tried not to laugh or show any amusement when the dog 
  takes stuff she shouldn't - this is not always easy - my friend's Brittany
  liked to raid the laundry basket and would often fly around with various
  undergarments stuck to her face :+) - but, laughing will only encourage
  them.

To me, being in control of my dog means that I can always remove something
from his mouth; you should ask your obedience instructor to help you with
this and practice it often, since removing things from Indy's mouth will
also help maintain your status as leader.

Good Luck

********************************************************
* jane jackson and murphy b. lab, Am/Can CD, CGC, TDI  *
* jkjncs@ritvax.isc.rit.edu                            *
*                                                      *
* standard disclaimer applies...                       *
********************************************************

Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: N51LS801@NCSUVM.CC.NCSU.EDU (David Austin)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: CHD ( Hip displaysia)
Date: 19 Aug 92 17:12:53 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: NCSU

In article <1992Aug19.162252.25303@u.washington.edu>, martin@biostat.washington.edu (Don Martin) writes:
> 
> The early assumptions on CHD were that it was simple recessive.
> It soon became clear that this was false and it was assumed
> to be multifactor ( carried by combinations of genes).
> 
> Estimates of heritability range from about 25% to about 50%. This
> means that from 50% to 75% is environmental. The large environmental
> component is a major problem in trying to use breeding to
> eliminate CHD. Conjectures have included diet but I don't know
> of any supporting data. I think that there is some evidence for the
> following:
> 
> Keeping puppies underwieght reduces CHD. ( I cannot bring myself
> to do this. )
> 
> Limiting activity during growth reduces CHD. ( Ditto)
> [stuff deleted]
> Don Martin
> Widdershins Old English Sheepdogs
> 
Dr. Tony Buffington, a veterinary nutritionist at the OSU School of Veterinary Medicine, recommends
not feeding puppy food past 6 months since his experience suggests that accelerating growth by feed-
ing puppy food contributes to HD in susceptible dogs.  He says that there's no clear evidence to show
that puppy food is beneficial past 3 months.

David Austin, NCSU 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: STONE@Zeus.unomaha.edu (Travis R. Stone)
Subject: WWKC--The REAL Meaning
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 14:53:39 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.11

Actually, "WWKC" is an acronym for the "World Wrestling Kennel
Club".

                       ;-)  [wink!]

T.R. Stone,
Beagle Fan and Student of the University of Nebraska-Omaha

Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs,news.answers
From: AS.RAF@forsythe.stanford.edu (Rebecca Fenton)
Subject: Re:  LIFE magazine and Puppy Mills
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 23:14:29 GMT

My Mother-in-law used to breed Shih-tzu's in Southern Michigan (she
was one of the first importers of the breed in the mid-60's).  She
says she cannot count how many times she has been approached by
"Agents" regarding her dogs (she refused to deal with them).

I would never buy a dog or a cat from a pet store.  The animals are
inferior for the price (buying a pet quality animals for a grand
champion price?!!), have no social interaction other than being
picked on by children and other wild animals, and alot of times have
health problems.




Becky - Mom of Harley, Kalien, Surfer Bob & Angel
Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
Date: Wednesday, 12 Aug 1992 21:14:30 EDT
From: ari solomon <ASOLOMO@auvm.american.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Escape Artist

   Re: Escaping Dog Tricks -- I posted the original query about my
   escaping Tervuren: Remember she figured out the top-of-line MidWest and
   General Cage wire crates in a jiffy? Well, I got lots of helpful advice,
   but the best (as usual) came from my Terv guru on the List, who'd
   been in Minnesota training border collies. Anyway, she says Tervs are
   the world's best escape artist dogs, and can escape from any of the
   common crate brands, including VariKennels.   She's got a special
   brand that she thinks is Terv-proof; if enough people want to know
   the name and where to find it, I'll repost (send me E-mail) w/ that
information. Otherwise VariKennels are closest to unsolvable by most
reports....
   A question for the List: Shouldn't manufacturers be required
   (or at least expected) to include warnings with crates that they know
   dogs can solve the latches on?? The potential for disasters is huge.
   I had presumed that if it was specially desgined to keep dogs in, well,
   that's what I could expect it to do.
   It would be interesting to hear from more  owners whose dogs have
   solved their crates.
Estrella sends congratulations to McDuff.
Ari
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: kls4344@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Person in flux)
Subject: Re: help with retriever problem
Reply-To: kls4344@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 12:42:00 GMT

In article <16848C94F.X005CB@tamvm1.tamu.edu>, X005CB@tamvm1.tamu.edu 
(Chris Barnes) writes:

>Actually she had 2 seperate problems (I'm going from memory, so
>I may be wrong here...)
> 
>1)  The dog would chew all manner of things while she was away.
>    This seemed to be the major problem.

This was not at all the problem; it didn't happen, in fact.
 
>2)  If the dog picked up something while she was home, she had a
>    very difficult time getting it away from her.  She resorted to
>    enticing the dog to open it's mouth by offering treats, where-
>    upon the dog began swallowing the "illegal" item.

The original poster (now I wish I'd saved her post) had a golden retriever who
was a total angel, completely nondestructive, when left alone.  This same dog,
however, would become destructive *in front of* the poster, going after
everything and refusing to relinquish it.  The poster's request was for
deterrents to this behavior (both the destructiveness and the refusal to
"give").  

I have not had a dog that remained destructive in my presence for long. 
Beginning when they were puppies, I would say "NO" to their taking
inappropriate items and then replace those items with their toys, saying "good
dog."  Repetition and consistency are the keys.

Katie
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: X005CB@tamvm1.tamu.edu (Chris Barnes)
Subject: Re: Hunting ability in Labradors
Organization: Texas A&M University
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 14:54:48 GMT

In article <2A919043.1025@ics.uci.edu>
    tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore) writes:
 
>Here's a bit of a tangent if you want to get into it: You keep
>maintaining that a lab that is a companion is not a "fit lab" to be
>bred.  But, and this is admittedly my opinion, what if the traits to
>be a good hunter are very closely aligned with those traits that make
>it a good companion?  Labs are reknowned for their temperament (and a
>steady one makes a good hunting dog and a good companion), their ease
>of training (again, complements both a hunting dog and a companion
>dog), a willlingness to please (ditto), and an ability to retrieve
>(ditto -- makes a good companion because it's a way to play).  Is a
>dog that has all of the correct *traits* that, incidentally are being
>used in a different way, really changing the breed (let's not get into
>breeding for the moment)?  If changing the purpose is simply a
>different use for each of the same traits, I don't see where those
>traits are disappearing.  If the change in purpose loses one or more
>of those traits, then yes, it is obvious that the breed is being
>changed (or more accurately, splintered into another breed).
 
You make an intresting point.  I think there is no doubt that the
traits that make a good hunting dog also make for a good companion
dog (and a good guide dog for that matter).  But the reverse is not
true, ie. that a good compainion dog (or guide dog) does not
nescassarily make a good hunting dog.  In this way, as you put it,
some of the traits would disappear.
 
      ----------------------------------------------
Chris Barnes            |
x005cb@tamvm1.tamu.edu  |  Only 14 more days until the start of
(409) 846-3273 (home)   |           hunting season (in Texas)
(409) 845-8454 (work)   |
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: tmason@ccscola.Columbia.NCR.COM (Tim Mason)
Subject: Re: looking for new dog suggestions
Summary: Tim chimes in again
Organization: NCR Corp, CCSD, Columbia, SC
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 14:08:33 GMT

In article <1684080F8.X005CB@tamvm1.tamu.edu> X005CB@tamvm1.tamu.edu 
(Chris Barnes) writes:
>If there are 100 Labs in the world & 50 of them are used for
>retrieving (or are at least trained to retrieve), then you could say
>that the BREED'S retrieving worth is at 50%.  But if more people begin
>to use them for companions,... <numerical example abbreviated>
>...Now the BREED'S
>retrieving worth is 60/150 = 40%.  Given that if this trend continues,
>the BREED will eventually be USELESS for it purpose.

Wrong.  People who keep hunting labs breed their dogs to other hunting labs.
The two populations don't mix freely.  As long as there is a group of
pretty serious hunters using labs, THESE HUNTING labs will always be around.
Of course, if you get your dog from an ad in the newspaper, the chances may
be greater that you get a non-hunting lab.  So what?  If you want a hunting
lab, buy from a hunting line.

>And if you dispute that this can happen, just look at how many Cocker
>Spaniels there are, and how many got any kind of hunting title last
>year.  Not many.

OK.  I'm disputing.  Cockers are no longer hunting dogs because they fell 
out of favor as hunting dogs.  Other spaniels (and other dogs) became 
more popular AS HUNTING DOGS.  If you dispute this, just look at German
Shepherd Dogs.  Many are not bred for Schutzhund, and these lines don't have
the edge or prey drive needed for this kind of work.  Has the GSD lost its
ability in this area?  No.  There are people (mostly in Germany) who breed
for these characteristics.  The only problem is you need to look into a dogs
pedigree before choosing it to do a job.  Shouldn't this be done anyway?

I'm through spouting on this topic.  I loved the post on the Chow.

-- 
---------------------------
Tim Mason
Tim.Mason@ccscola.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us (S. Mudgett aka little gator)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: WANTED King Charles Cavilier Spaniel
Date: 19 Aug 92 12:24:24 GMT
Reply-To: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
Distribution: na
Organization: gators 'r us
X-Software: HERMES GUS 1.03 Rev. Apr 14 1992

the national breed rescue contact for cavalier king charles spaniels is in
maine- babs murdock at 207-829-4436.
-- 
-- little gator aka s. mudgett     email: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
-- friend of a gator is a friend of mine
From: mlhb@mammoth.dr.att.com (Sky Warrior)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Dogs Sleep how long...on the average per day?
Date: 14 Aug 92 14:51:04 GMT
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Aug14.031506.15011@news.Hawaii.Edu>, bill@gaza.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (William J. King) writes:
|> 
|> o	Any estimates on how long a dog sleeps each day?
|> 	thanx
|> 	

All the time ;-)

No, actually, they sleep an average of 11 hours a day.

Sky Warrior
-- 
-----------------------------                                              
SKY WARRIOR aka MLH Bonham  | "Good tea.  Nice House." -- Lt. Worf
mammoth!mlhb@druhi.att.com  |----------------------------------------------
mlhb@drutx.ATT.COM          | SKY WARRIOR RACING KENNELS - Coming to an
                            | Iditarod near you!
----------------------------- 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
From: jkjncs@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Re: dog digs holes
Reply-To: jkjncs@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 18:20:40 GMT

In article <1992Aug17.214233.3301@ecst.csuchico.edu>, 
rgoldstone@OAVAX.CSUCHICO.EDU (Robin, Girl Wonder) writes:
>Many people have replied to my posting about my dog digging, and I just want
>to make a few followup comments:
>
>* Another person suggested that indeed he might equate the existence of the
>hole with punishment, but that he cannot equate the hole with anything he
>did, i.e. he knows there is a hole, but not that he dug it.

This is similar to your 1st point (which I deleted) that the dog slinks and
hides on "hole-digging" days.
You can try a test. Let your dog out in the yard while you dig a hole in
the ground; the dog should see you doing this, but ignore him. Now leave
(say nothing to the dog) the house for about 5 minutes (go run to the store).
What is your dog's behaviour upon returning? (let us know)
People who have tried this have reported that the dog slunk and hid even
though *you* dug the hole, not the dog! However, I don't know if every
dog will have this response.

>* People have mentioned that maybe the dog is not getting enough exercise
>and/or attention while I am home.  Wrong. 
>
>* Someone asked if he has enough shady places to lay.
>
>As for other suggestions, the sand box sounds like a good idea

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the obvious - that your dog just *loves*
to dig. Sometimes this is breed-specific - does your dog have any husky or
terrier in him? In any case, the pleasure your dog derives from digging may
far surpass any after-the-fact punishment you give him. (sorta like 
thanksgiving - you know you'll be sorry if you eat one more thing, but 
you do anyway - in any case, I don't think the dog puts that much thought
into it :+)

If you really like your yard hole-free and you don't want to build a
sandbox, I suggest confining the dog.

*********************************************************
* jane jackson and murphy b. lab, Am./Can. CD, CGC, TDI *
* jkjncs@ritvax.isc.rit.edu                             *
*                                                       *
* standard disclaimer applies...                        *
*********************************************************

Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: phayes@engin.umich.edu (Pamela J Hayes)
Subject: Cat Needs Home
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 16:43:18 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor
Distribution: University of Michigan

Do you have room in your heart and in your home for a new cat?

If so, I have a adult cat that needs a good home.  He's an elegant-
looking black longhair.  He's neutered, gentle, affectionate, and very 
well behaved.  He has recently had his shots and was given a clean 
bill of health by a vet.  He lounges and purrs equally well inside and 
outside.

If you think you can fit this cat into your life, call Pam or Dave at 
665-9109.

Or mail leblanc@caen.engin.umich.edu
        phayes@csmil.umich.edu

-- 
Pam Hayes (a.k.a. Elephant Leather)
phayes@caen.engin.umich.edu
phayes@dip.eecs.umich.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets,alt.best.of.internet
From: palmj@vccsouth25.its.rpi.edu (Jyri L. Palm)
Subject: Jonny Cat Litter / Ferrets
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 17:27:31 GMT

Okay ferret and pet owners out there, don't buy JONNY CAT "premium cat
litter."  It sucks.  Okay, maybe it's because I use it for ferrets, but
it doesn't do the job.

Aside from all that, I was rather amused at the information written on
the bag.  It's the epitome of saying nothing with a lot of words.

The best has to be: "JONNY CAT is the best value for your money.  A 20 lb.
bag of JONNY CAT contains 25% more litter than 16 lb. bags, and 43% more
than 14 lb. bags!"

The math works out (believe it or not), but it sure doesn't make it a 
better value.

Other importanant info:

"100% natural clay mined from a rare deposit makes Jonny Cat
especially absorbent."

AND THEN they have a section for "Other Uses" of Jonny Cat:

"GARAGE SPILLS-sweeps up oil and grease and reduces stains"

"TRASH CANS-a layer on the bottom reduces odors and discourages flies"

"REFRIGERATORS [!!!!!!!!!]-an inexpensive nontoxic odor absorbent"

"GARDENS-enhances water retention and soil aeration, promotes growth"

All this from a cat litter!  Who could ask for more!

(I don't sit around reading cat litter bags for a living.  It's just
that one line caught my eye as I was sitting on the floor cleaning out
the old poop box.  As I continued reading, I couldn't help myself!)

As I contemplated posting this, I glanced accross my desk at the used
Dr. Pepper bottle, to find ONE MORE little tidbit:

"(!)WARNING: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE. CAP MAY BLOW OFF CAUSING EYE OR
OTHER SERIOUS INJURY.  POINT AWAY FROM PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHILE OPENING."

So remember, when you buy Dr. Pepper, be careful!  AT ANY MOMENT, WITHOUT
WARNING, it may just explode!

JP

Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: craigdo@microsoft.com (Craig Dowell)
Subject:  A new ferret owner's father
Date: 14 Aug 92 00:06:07 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation
Distribution: na

I made a huge mistake and bought my daughter a ferret for her birthday two
months ago.  I'm about ready to start asking for recipes for ferret stew.

I have three problems with this thing:

	Getting underfoot on the stairs.  I'll step on it and kill it or
	it'll trip me and kill me.  (It's chasing my feet)

	Digging up all the plants in the house.  They're all going to be
	dead soon.

	Every corner in the house has ferret feces in it seeminly within
	seconds of the animal being released.  It sometimes does its
	business within a few feet of the cat's box but rarely makes it
	actually in the box.

Any suggestions as to how to humanely train this little $#!+ not to do
the things I have listed?  Or alternatively, any recipes?

-- Craig
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: CSMSETS@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU (CSMSETS)
Subject: Re: Rabbit infested with mites
Date: 13 Aug 92 11:55:23 PDT

In article <Bsx7wM.4yy@news.udel.edu>, on 13 Aug 1992 11:57:58 GMT,
angela@brahms.udel.edu (Angela Lakwete) writes:

>
>We don't need a biologist to identify mites from fleas, or ticks
>for that matter.  Ordinary literate folk can do just fine.  Get
>an insect id book and a magnifying glass.  Mites have eight legs.
>Ticks and fleas have six.  Pin 'em down with a straight pin and
                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>have a look.               
                            
                 You don't even have to do that. I find it much
                 easier sticking things like this on scotch tape.
                          --Ed