Dog and puppy pictures, please share.

[HorrorRetro]

I LOVE Sadie. She is adorable. I love the way their eyes look. Our neighbor has a pug boy, Jackson, and he totally cracks me up just by looking at me with that little face.

Yeah, their little faces show exactly what's on their minds, at least I like to think they do.  They can make me laugh, even during the worst of times.

[bateman]

Reposted from Reddit. Gave me a serious case of the awwws.

He might be only part of your life, but for him, you are his everything, the only person in his whole life.

I've had two Golden Retrievers myself, Dudley & Duncan.

[ChewMouse]

I've had two Golden Retrievers myself, Dudley & Duncan.

I would love to have a Golden, but I've heard they only live about ten years. I just can't stand that; that's why I have always had little dogs. Sam was 17 when he died and had only had a few weeks of poor health. My Bichon, Annie, will probably live that long as well.

Is that a myth, about the longevity of Goldens? Because I'll reconsider!

[bateman]

I would love to have a Golden, but I've heard they only live about ten years. I just can't stand that; that's why I have always had little dogs. Sam was 17 when he died and had only had a few weeks of poor health. My Bichon, Annie, will probably live that long as well.

Is that a myth, about the longevity of Goldens? Because I'll reconsider!

Ours lived a few years past 10, but unfortunately, yeah, that's a pretty average lifespan. Arthritis is a common ailment as they get older too.

[ChewMouse]

Ours lived a few years past 10, but unfortunately, yeah, that's a pretty average lifespan. Arthritis is a common ailment as they get older too.

Ah, I'm sorry for it, and I'm sorry for your losses. What lovely dogs they are.

[onan]

A dog's longevity is directly related to its diet.

Most dog food manufacturers use what is called the 4 D's. Meat that is dying, dead, diseased or down.

Many animals are euthanized and the chemical concoction ends up in your dog's food and it accumulates over time. Dog food manufacturers are not obligated to list anything already present in the meat they buy. They are only responsible to list things they add in the process.

I am a strong advocate of Blue Buffalo dog food. We had a Great Dane/Lab mix. At his healthiest he weighed well over 100 pounds. He lived for 17 years. I have read that if prepared raw meats are added to a dogs diet their life span can more than double.

[bateman]

Ah, I'm sorry for it, and I'm sorry for your losses. What lovely dogs they are.

Thanks, they really are. Our first one used to drop his slimy tennis ball from the top of a hill behind our house, and then chase after it. Which seemed pretty clever, but he'd end up charging headfirst into something, or just wipe out at the bottom of the hill. Sweet dog, but not the brightest, haha

[bateman]

A dog's longevity is directly related to its diet.

Most dog food manufacturers use what is called the 4 D's. Meat that is dying, dead, diseased or down.

Many animals are euthanized and the chemical concoction ends up in your dog's food and it accumulates over time. Dog food manufacturers are not obligated to list anything already present in the meat they buy. They are only responsible to list things they add in the process.

I am a strong advocate of Blue Buffalo dog food. We had a Great Dane/Lab mix. At his healthiest he weighed well over 100 pounds. He lived for 17 years. I have read that if prepared raw meats are added to a dogs diet their life span can more than double.

Any of these in particular you'd recommend? Good lord that's a lot of dog food choices: http://bluebuffalo.com/products/dogs

[ChewMouse]

I am a strong advocate of Blue Buffalo dog food. We had a Great Dane/Lab mix. At his healthiest he weighed well over 100 pounds. He lived for 17 years. I have read that if prepared raw meats are added to a dogs diet their life span can more than double.

17 years for a Great Dane! Okay, that makes you an expert.

Now: dry food or wet? Because we have the Blue Buffalo here, and it comes in both. Did you use the Longevity formula?

When you say "prepared" raw meat...like raw hamburger? Pork? Chicken?

How often did you add raw meat to your dog's food?

Thanks in advance because trust me, I'll follow through on this one.

[onan]

This is the one we use.

http://bluebuffalo.com/dog-food/wilderness-salmon?pf=1&animal=dog


This is a good site for information on raw meats for your dog.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/raw-dog-food/

[sleeplessinca]

A dog's longevity is directly related to its diet.

Most dog food manufacturers use what is called the 4 D's. Meat that is dying, dead, diseased or down.

Many animals are euthanized and the chemical concoction ends up in your dog's food and it accumulates over time. Dog food manufacturers are not obligated to list anything already present in the meat they buy. They are only responsible to list things they add in the process.

I am a strong advocate of Blue Buffalo dog food. We had a Great Dane/Lab mix. At his healthiest he weighed well over 100 pounds. He lived for 17 years. I have read that if prepared raw meats are added to a dogs diet their life span can more than double.

That is unheard of.  Well done. 
No guarantees with pets though.  I fed my dear Kiki a very high quality organic people quality food and she developed a kidney problem.  Broke my heart to lose her at only 7.  She was a small dog and should still be with me.  I sometimes dream of her and it is like she's back.  My other dogs are looking very good.

[onan]

No guarantees with pets though. 

You are right. I lost a German Shepherd to a melanoma that was less than 6 years old. It always hurts no matter the time.

[shell88]

Here's my dog. His name is blue. 11 yrs old and just a great dog. So far so good he's stayed healthy.  I've always had labs - just one other.

[shell88]

My heart broke when i lost a 10 year old black lab to a car. He used to keep anyone trying to give me a parking ticket off the front windshield. lol funny.   A year later I got blue. I was still feeling pretty sad about it so i named him blue.

[ChewMouse]

Here's my dog.

A wonderful dog with such expressive eyes! I can tell he likes swimming, as labs do.

[sleeplessinca]

Here's my dog. His name is blue.

Looks like a good friend.  It looks like his brand of heaven near that lake too. 

[Chine]

My heart broke when i lost a 10 year old black lab to a car. He used to keep anyone trying to give me a parking ticket off the front windshield. lol funny.   A year later I got blue. I was still feeling pretty sad about it so i named him blue.

Beautiful.

[Chine]

Brimstone!

[b_dubb]

I'm with Onan about food being important to dog health.  Dogs that we've had that didn't live very long (10 years) were fed standard grocery store dog food.  I switched my parents' old golden retriever to the food that I feed my 4 year old German Short Haired Pointer mix and her health improved dramatically.  I also started substituting a can of green beans for a cup and a half of food and she dropped 25 lbs.  A year ago my dad seriously thought we'd have to put her down.  Now she's trotting around the yard with my 4 year old GSP

I feed them Origin Fish formula.  It's $60 for a 30 lb bag.  Not cheap but the furry little monsters are worth it.  I was originally buying Iams but when I tried to determine where it was manufactured there was only strange, vague language ... like "sourced in USA".  WTF does that mean?  It means "made in China".  Or in my book "don't fucking buy it". 

[shell88]

  I agree good quality dog food is really important. There's so much crap they put into dog food and I don't like the mass production of animals for it either. They just grind them all up and toss it them together with a whole pile of not so good crap, add some glue, and dry it out.  I tried the Origin and thought it had too many calories for a senior dog so I went to Acana senior, which is made by the same company.  They use free range animals so at least they have led a more decent life. I think I'll take a look at the blue buffalo and see if it's better quality.  Especially now that my dog is getting older, I really want to feed him the best there is.  He deserves it.  I don't find the quality food is much more expensive than the crap food. My dog eats half of what he use to. The high quality protein content satisfies his hunger with less. 

[shell88]

LOL Only long-time dog owners will understand 

Ya. Thanks for sharing. Bet Tango is a great friend.

[shell88]

You can't see their faces, but I am a crazy dog-lady who rescues, transports, and runs pet fairs/fundraisers for Maltese dogs.
I have a pure Maltese, a Bichon Poodle a "sort of maltese" and those are my 3 permanent dogs. And # four is my foster-slot. I always have one rescue dog I foster for our group. I am on my 10th foster right now. This picture is a typical breakfast time at my house. To see more dogs we have up for adoption, check out this link. Poppy is the one up there I have now.

http://malteserescue.homestead.com/

My little white dogs are my life. My real kids are grown up so I spend a lot of time rescuing dogs. Some come from really bad situations and it is nice to get them good homes. I am always sad to adopt out my foster, but I must in order to continue to have a spot for the others.

Way to go Campsie. It's lots of hard work to I bet. It's a shame the way some of them end up. Thank goodness there's people like you around to help out the few lucky ones.

[shell88]

  Everyone's got such amazing pictures of their dogs here. It would take a lot of time to comment on every one. I wont but i'd like to. I sure enjoyed looking though. They (dogs) sure can and do enrich lives.

  Here's a funny youtube video you might enjoy. I had it posted over on the youtube/video thread but it might be more appreciated here.


Ultimate Dog Tease

[Chine]

The expressions are perfect with the dialogue. Ha! Just joined here. ...Should post in the'Meet and Greet.' Here's one more. This is an old pic of an angel from years ago. Su-Lin... Also, an Afghan Hound. Been in breed for many years.

[onan]

The expressions are perfect with the dialogue. Ha! Just joined here. ...Should post in the'Meet and Greet.' Here's one more. This is an old pic of an angel from years ago. Su-Lin... Also, an Afghan Hound. Been in breed for many years.

Welcome, tuesdays are dress up as Dave day.

[Chine]

Welcome, tuesdays are dress up as Dave day.

Hi Onan,

Thanks for the Welcome.

[Chine]

This is Tango and he is part dog, alpaca, cat and albino Tasmanian Devil.
[attachimg=1]
This is Kiki and Amber.  Kiki is in the Best Dog Ever Club, gone but far from forgotten.  Amber is always ready for me to give her a job.
[attachimg=2]

sleeplessinca. Funny when you mentioned a "mini Afghan", I immediately figured you were speaking of a Crested. Lots of people in Afghans who tired of grooming, jumped over into CCs.

Tango is lovely.

Interestingly enough, I think Puffs (Cresteds) are much easier to care for than the Hairless. Skin issues with hairless are a big problem. Acne, sunscreens, etc. etc.

I personally am a big dog person. Currently, I have an infatuation with Tibetan Mastiffs. Big, great "lion dogs".

[Chine]

Okay, had to share this. This is a friend's dog, Bartok. Tibetan Mastiff.  All dog, here, folks! They can are very destructive, and are all mass and muscle. Afghans are actually lean, lithe... and of course, sighthounds are of a different nature than your working breeds. Wish I had the energy for one. If you do some googling about.. you will find the fascinating history on them as protectors for the monks in Tibet.

[CampsieNP]

Way to go Campsie. It's lots of hard work to I bet. It's a shame the way some of them end up. Thank goodness there's people like you around to help out the few lucky ones.

Thank you shell88!
It really isn't too hard. I would recommend fostering to all the dog lovers out there. There is a tremendous need and it is so rewarding. The rescues (ours does and I believe most do) pay for all the vet costs. That is the worst of the expense of having a dog and that is covered by donations. Then people adopt your foster and they are so happy. I admit, some in our rescue group can't do it. We call it "Failing Foster 101". That is when you can't part with the dog placed in your home and you adopt them yourself!
Tiki is my only foster-failure. She looks so much like the dog I lost in November I adopted her. She isn't a cutsie-cute as some of the dogs we get, but she was so much like the dog I lost, I could not part with her.
But, it was a set-up. The head of our rescue placed her with me because she was frantically looking for a dog like Buddy and then she found Tiki. I could not let Tiki go after she made it her mission to find her for me. 

[HorrorRetro]

I admit, some in our rescue group can't do it. We call it "Failing Foster 101". That is when you can't part with the dog placed in your home and you adopt them yourself!

I've often thought about fostering or volunteering at a shelter, but I'm sure I'd become an animal hoarder. I don't know that I could stand not taking them home with me or keeping them if I was fostering.