Random questions none related to the other.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Abby always yawns with a squeak when she is feeling anxiety. Too cute. Do your doods do this?

Do any of you use Otomax ear drops? What do you do about the greasy hair look? Quick fixes for this?

Does genetic dwarfism happen in dogs? Ive heard of runts but check out the back paws of the hidden pup in comparison to the paws of the normal sized pup. This reminds me of a show on primordial dwarfism.

If a healthy standard sized dog has 2 pups 1st litter and 4 pups the second is there something wrong?

Why do vets reccommend food that has corn in it when we all know this isnt good for dogs? They act like they are such know-it-alls and you feel like saying "Are you getting a commission?"

Do you worm your dogs on a regular basis or just in puppyhood?

If you take your dog with you on holidays what do you do with them if you cant take them for the day (drop in doggy day-care?)

How often do you practice tricks with your dog? Do you go for a walk daily?

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

And what are you on tonight? I walk my dogs daily. I used to take Yankee to the dog park daily but I can't anymore until Finn has all his shots.

I only wormed in puppyhood. Yankee does squeak when he yawns. I don't do anything about the greasy hair from the ear drops but I have gotten better at not getting so much in his hair.

Don't know anything else!

[April Cliber]

LOL!! I just have to answer these. You are too funny!

Abby always yawns with a squeak when she is feeling anxiety. Too cute. Do your doods do this? No, but I have a goldendoodle that ALWAYS sneezes when she's really happy.
Do any of you use Otomax ear drops? What do you do about the greasy hair look? Quick fixes for this? Not anymore, but I did. I like TEP powder now.
Does genetic dwarfism happen in dogs? Ive heard of runts but check out the back paws of the hidden pup in comparison to the paws of the normal sized pup. This reminds me of a show on primordial dwarfism. Yes it does happen. http://www.ehow.com/how_4549114_recognize-treat-dwarfism-dogs.html

If a healthy standard sized dog has 2 pups 1st litter and 4 pups the second is there something wrong? No, first litters are usually smaller..

Why do vets reccommend food that has corn in it when we all know this isnt good for dogs? They act like they are such know-it-alls and you feel like saying "Are you getting a commission?" Yes, they do get commission!

Do you worm your dogs on a regular basis or just in puppyhood? Yes, your monthly heart worm meds also deworm round worms, hook worms and a few cover even more.
If you take your dog with you on holidays what do you do with them if you cant take them for the day (drop in doggy day-care?) Sure....

How often do you practice tricks with your dog? My daughter does it every day. I rarely do. Do you go for a walk daily? Usually.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

Wow that is amazing! Thanks for the article. I bet this "runt" is actually a dwarf! The breeder was saying that they had one puppy born extremely small and underweight and isnt catching up....I wonder if she knows about this.

The litter size I found surprising too....because 4 pups; then 2 pups is a small litter for a standard sized dog isnt it? 13 yrs ago when I bred my shitzu/min schnauzer she had 6 pups.

[April Cliber]

You said the smaller litter was born first. Is it the other way around? Either way I wouldn't worry.... The timing of the breeding could have been off by a day, or even a few hours.

That pup may just be smaller. Dwarfism is pretty rare. It can also occur when one parent is much better smaller then the other. That's why most breeders won't breed a 80 pound golden or lab to a 5 pound poodle.

A few years ago I had a MUCH smaller pup in a litter. The parents were the same size and were thoroughly health tested. I had many, many tests ran on this pup and we couldn't find anything wrong. So, I sold him at 9 weeks with a full guarantee. Within 9 months he had caught up to his siblings and is now completely normal and healthy.

Cosmo at 8 weeks.


Cosmo with his sibling.


Cosmo at work with his owner a few weeks ago.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

So this pup wasnt a dwarf? Look at the size difference! That is amazing! Too cute!

Yes the first litter was 2, second 4. I just thought big dogs normally have a minimum of 6 pups.

It is amazing that the puppy you show grew up to be normal sized. What a tiny cutie! Loved the big bobble head on the teeny body! LOL

[April Cliber]

Nope, wasn't a dwarf......but he was homely for a while. :o) We think maybe his growth hormones didn't kick in right away...

Big dogs do usually have bigger litters, but not always. If you don't time it right, you can get just 1 pup or none at all.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Truly amazing!

[Adina P]

I remember this story! I am amazed at how normal he became after his puny little starting size! Who knew!

[April Cliber]

I thought you might remember! At about 4 months he just started growing really fast! His family adores him. :o)

[Adina P]

My turn! My turn!

Not too much squeaking when yawning...but I think I've heard a high pitched sound at times =)

I HAVE used Otomax in the past, but recently I just clean with a tea tree oil based ear wash.

Hmmmm...was the genetic dwarfism show you saw on YESTERDAY? Cuz I watched a part of one yesterday!

Can't answer the litter size question or corn question... but human docs are also rarely knowledgeable about human nutrition (I can say this as a dietitian) so I guess it makes sense this is true for doggy docs!

I don't worm my dogs regularly. I have heard it's a good idea for those whose dogs do high risk activities, but not for pets like mine who only go on walks (no rivers, lakes, and other nature on ANY regular basis). Heartworm is not an issue where I live so they are not on worm preventatives.

Holidays...you mean like the holiday I was JUST on? They stayed behind and were cared for by friends who stopped by 4 times a day, fed, watered, played with them, hung out extra long on the evening/night of 4th of July when our fireworks-wary Cass tends to get nervous. But I don't take my dogs if I knew I'd have to leave them for a whole day unless I was staying at my mom's and knew someone would be home with them. We've left them behind for shopping or meals when renting a cottage at the beach. They just napped away the time--but again that was a short period. When I went away for 2 days of training a few months ago (when it was still cool out) I took Rosco with me and he hung out in the car while I was in training and I'd walk him at lunch. Impossible to do for summer vacation with the heat and all.

We rarely practice tricks now-a-days but I used to with Rosco.

Walks are a few times a week but not daily.

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

I am guilty of watching those shows on TLC. You know they are like a train wreck you cant bear to watch but you have to. This is how I get my laundry folded with the distraction of the 'woman whose legs wouldnt stop growing', or the 'man with the tree bark for skin', the "I didnt know I was pregnant till I gave birth" chick, the 'wolf-man children', the 'conjoined twins', the 'real life cyclops', the 'kids allergic to sun'....shall I go on? LOL.

That or shows such as 20/20 prime-time crime. It freaks my 19 yr old out! that he always sees me watching murder shows...LOL!

[Adina P]

LOL! I thought the dwarf one was interesting, but it freaked out my mom (who I was visiting)...who was WAYYY in the kitchen and wanted me to change the channel. So eventually I just gave in and went on to something else. And YET this same mother of mine loooves the surgery channel! Go figure.

I did watch a very creepy, eery, but true-story show called "Monsters Inside Me" which is basically true stories of people who have had random, icky, nightmare inducing parasite infections like this baby who got a type of roundworm that ate parts of his brain....ewwwwwwwwwww----horror horror horror but sooooo intriguing!