Vie

Hey, I'm having problems with my camera. I got curious and started messing with it, and now I can't figure out how to change the continuous/burst shooting option. The image on the screen shows the continuous shooting image with an 'x' over it, and 'L' to the right. I've tried looking it up,but I can't figure out what that means, or how to change it. I've tried pressing the button, but it isn't helping at all.

Any help is much appreciated.

So, Lobo is fat.

End of story, lol. I have a chunky dog. I admit that. SO, we've been working really hard to help him lose that weight. I've cut back his food (he's on prey model raw) and he gets a bare minimum of an hour of running outdoors - however, I make a MAJOR effort of that being two hours.

The problem is, it's summer in Texas. It's over a hundred degrees. Even right now, it's 105F here, at 7:20. I cannot take him out in that kind of heat. He's a Japanese Akita Inu/Siberian Husky mix. The times I take him out are usually around 11pm, and then again in the EARLY morning(I'm talking 3am, sometimes 5am). Both times, I bring him to a fenced-in park, and he RUNS. Usually he runs four about forty-five minutes, and then drinks some water. We then do one more walk around the perimeter, he gets more water, and we take the ten-minute walk back home. So in total, that's about... twenty-five minutes of power-walking, and then about forty-five minutes of running, and this is usually twice a day.

During winter, it'll be even more. He'll have not only those two night/early morning walks, but he'll also be taken to go hiking daily.

I would LOVE to take him to the lake and let him swim, and we did manage to do that Friday, but it costs money, and I simply do not have money. If there was a FREE body of water, of course I would be willing to take him. Heck, I myself LOVE to swim, so it would be no chore at all. I MIGHT be able to make it a weekly thing, but more than likely, we'll only do that once - MAYBE twice - a month.

Other than that, is there anything I can do for Lobo that will help him lose weight in a healthy way? I will not give him weight-loss pills, I won't starve him, and I will NOT take him out in this insane heat. I'm open to other idea, but if they cost money, just know that they'd likely only be done once a month - if I'm lucky, twice a month.

I hate these kind of questions, and I hate being one of the people who ask. However, I was looking on the internet, trying to find breeders of Akitas (the smaller, lighter Japanese ones; I don't like the way the American Akitas look) and have been unable to have success finding any near me.

AKC only provides American Akita breeders, and even if I were to suck it up and deal with the American Akita's looks, the one breeder I found didn't provide some of the necessary (in my eyes) things I was looking for.

I guess it's okay if I have to make a trip out of Texas in order to find what I want, I'd just rather not have to force a pup to do that, you know? I don't plan on purchasing a puppy anytime soon; I just want to be able to know a breeder before I buy.

Before anyone says to look for a rescue; The reason I want a puppy is to bond with it better than I would a rescue. If I can't find a breeder, sure, I'll look to a rescue and see if they have puppies or young adults. However, since ill-bred Akitas aren't good, I would much rather know where my dog is coming from.

Before anyone says how dangerous they are; I have an Akita mix. I've researched them, met a few very well-trained Akitas, and am an aspiring trainer who reads training books like crazy. My own dog is well-trained, polite, and is great with people. He understands the difference between outside and inside, he knows when it's okay to bark and when it's not, he's watchful and protective, but NEVER aggressive. I know what I'm doing and how to do it. I appreciate your concern, but it's not needed.

Thanks guys.

xo VIE xo

So, I've been interested in dog training for years (something that most of you already know) but a few days ago was the first time I was introduced to 'rear end awareness' training. An internet friend of mine teaches all-positive training - no verbal or physical corrections, treating and praising when her dog (Otis) does something she likes. She does clicker training, as well.

Anyway, we've had a couple of "arguments" (if you could call it that) about training. As I train with Positive-Punishment (verbal corrections when dog does something negative, treating and praise when dog does something positive), and she trains using positive only and clicker training. We both use the NILIF program, though. Personally, I think every dog is an individual and just because one thing works for one dog, doesn't mean it'll work for every dog. She believes that if a training program does not work for all dogs, it fails. Which would mean that both our methods fail, since positive only did NOT work for Lobo, and positive punishment did not work for her Otis.

The main point of this question was to question if anyone else had ever heard of 'rear end awareness'? It looks interesting, but I dislike clickers, and the only time I've ever seen it done is with a clicker.

Here's a few 'rear end awareness' videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22dOf88RTiI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkUjfoPYX4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ3GDrYw7aY&feature...

I'll ask my friend if I can use her rear-end awareness video of Otis whenever I see her.

Thanks guys.

xo VIE xo

By the time we move in together, my boyfriend and I will have been dating for two years. I'll be eighteen, and he'll be seventeen. Technically, it's more like he, his mom (and her partner), and his brother are all moving out of his grandparents' house and getting a house. Obviously, we're all going to get a job (minus his brother, since he's only four years old). My boyfriend and I are both stubborn and hot-headed, but in the past months, we've really started to learn to work together and compromise(not one-sided, either - we both have learned to let go of minor things). As of now, we've been dating for a year and a half. The first year was pretty bumpy, as both of us have commitment issues and fears of getting close. But, thankfully, we've both broken past that. It hasn't been easy, but we're both very happy.

Anyway, we've been talking about moving together for a while now, I'd say... maybe eight months of talking. His family loves me, and I love them. My personal home life is not bad, but I'm definitely ready to move out. I wasn't nervous at first, but now, for some reason, I'm starting to have doubts. It's not that I don't want to, it's more of, I know that it will be difficult, and I know both of us will have to alter our lifestyles a little (though, I honestly can't see that it will be a problem - we're both gamers, he plays xbox, and I play on the computer).

Other than that, what do you think we should do in order to prepare ourselves?

Thanks,

xo VIE xo

I recently answered a question about someone looking for a breed, and one of the answers suggested a Labradoodle. Of course, I said that if that person was interested in this particular MIXED BREED, then they should look in the shelter, not a "breeder." Anyway, the person who answered went on to explain that they come in three different sizes.

So, what, are BYB's deciding that they want their mutts to not only be unhealthy, but also unhealthy and in different sizes to better appeal to everyone else?

I have no problem with dogs who are mixed. I have two mixes. And I'm sure that most dogs I get will be mixed. But giving them names is way different. Not only that, but now they're becoming so popular, that BYB's are going to have a surplus of requests. Great. More overbreeding and inbreeding and unhealthy mutts who will probably end up dead from a genetic disease that the BYB has no care to look for.

Anyway, since when did Labrador/Poodle mixes come in three sizes?

Legit;; What's your favorite mixed breed dog? What sort of designer name can you come up with for that mix?

xo VIE xo

I'm trying to find a professional camera that's fairly easy-to-use, but is a little more than just point-and-shoot. Originally, I wanted a Nikon D3000. I've found a few that aren't as expensive as I thought, so I pretty much figured this was the one I would be getting, probably around Christmas time. However, I came across the Olympus E-500, and the shots taken by this camera are also amazing. The Olympus is also TONS cheaper than the Nikon, but, from what I've seen, it works just as well if not better.

However, I'm still only a photographer in training. Either way, I still won't get a camera until Christmas-ish time, maybe a bit sooner (closer to Halloween if I play my cards right, I'm sure). Of course, the Olympus sounds more appealing because it's only around $200-$300, while the Nikon is closer to $500-$700. Obviously, if the Nikon is tons better than the Olympus, I could understand the price.

I would like for someone who has had experience with both to answer, not someone who's biased. I need facts, not opinions.

Thanks again guys, even though I've already asked about cameras, lol. Thanks for your patience.

xo VIE xo

Price is sort of the issue, but I'm too worried about it right now. For instance, if an animal is expensive the first couple of weeks, but then inexpensive, that's okay. I mainly just don't want to spend $200 a month, since I already do that with my current dog. Not that I mind or anything, I'd just rather not spend that much each month, you know?

Anyway, it's already been cleaned, and I do have a working filter. Previously, there were frogs, but I just let them go, and I don't want a tank lying around doing nothing. I also have a beta fish, but he's very content in his 5g tank. Lots of bubbles and everything (:

The tank doesn't have a top, but if that's an issue, then the lids where I live are cheap so I can easily get one. I've owned a lizard before, but I'm pretty sure a 10g tank is pretty small. I used to have a 20g tank, but it broke when I was trying to wash it out in the backyard =/

Alright, so, fish? Any small critters that will be happy in a 10g tank? I'm pretty sure only fish, but then again, I'm not an expert, and I tend to want to lavish my pets in the very best. Lol I sound like some rich "posh" person. I know how to take care of an animal. Not only will I do research BEFORE actually buying the pet, I always make sure they're happy and they have everything they need. Socializing and spending time with the pet is also not an issue, even if it's just a fish. I enjoy talking to them and getting them used to me. Back when I had pond outside, we had some pretty big gold fish. They started coming up to the surface and letting me pet them after a while.

Oh, no hamsters... Firstly, I'm pretty sure they have to be in a cage, not a tank, and second, I'm just not fond of them.

I'm sure that I can only have fish in a 10g tank, and that's perfectly fine. But what kind of fish? How many? And what all do I need to know?

Thank you guys

xo VIE xo

Hi, I'm a beginner photographer, but this is pretty much what I want to do with my life. Photography and dog rehabilitation. Obviously, neither would actually get me a lot of money, but I'm hoping that, with photography, I could try to work for NatGeo.

Anyway, as of now, I have no way to get a job (I don't have a way to get to a place until Fall, when I get my driver's license and a car) so my grandparents have agreed to buy me a camera. The problem is, they aren't exactly loaded. So, my dad is also going to pitch in.

Yes, this makes me feel extremely useless. But, with whatever money I'll make, most of it will be going to my grandparents. I do plan to help them with everything I possibly can.

Anyway, I would really like a Nikon, but I've heard that Canon also makes good photography cameras.

Basically, I need something that's under $500. Preferably under $400, but I understand if that's a little low. I want something that's fairly easy to use, but something that will also give me control. Basically, not exactly a regular point-and-shoot, but not something so advanced that I have to spend three hours on the manual. That's another thing. I would definitely like the manual to be easy-to-understand. I am rather intelligent, but I'm also rather lazy. The only thing that I really enjoy putting forth any effort for is photography and dog training.

My current camera is a Panasonic (don't know the exact type) and it pretty much just... sucks. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but there's very little that I enjoy about this camera. I've managed to figure it out, but I can't seem to get the images to stop looking so... bad. I take better pictures with the camera on my cell phone than with this thing.

My friend has a Nikon D3000 that she absolutely loves. And her pictures come out beautifully.

This is her photostream on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-productions/

And this is mine:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59871857@N07/

Not all of the ones that say 'taken with Panasonic' were actually taken with my Panasonic camera. They were from an older camera that belonged to the family, and my brother broke it, sadly.

Anyway, thank you so much for helping me.

OH! I forgot to ask my actual question. I was basically wanting to know which of the two are actually better for what I'm looking for? And if you could please give me the prices? And examples of the images that have been taken with the camera, please.

xo VIE xo

I am a raw feeder. I started about 10 months ago, and I think it's the absolute best. I have finally found a vet who agrees with me, and I have to drive for nearly an hour for her, but it's totally worth it, ha.

Anyway, Lundehunds are notorious for "Lundehund Syndrome"

"Lundehund Syndrome- the collective term for a group of gastrointestinal disorders that include bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine and protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) which causes abnormal protein loss in the intestines." (from lundehund.com)

I mean, I would assume that raw would be the absolute best especially for a Lundehund. However, raw meat also has its bacteria (I know most dogs are immune to these)

I'm mainly just curious. I don't see me getting a Lundehund anytime soon. Possibly way into the future whenever I move into my own secluded little home.

Thanks guys

xo VIE xo

In this rescue video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znSKVftQ3gQ&feature...

There's a dog that looks a lot like a Pharaoh Hound. But, isn't this breed kinda rare? I know it's not necessarily 'rare' like the Lundehund or the Otterhound, but I thought they were pretty uncommon. Also, I don't know where this guy lives.

Anyway, the dogs are strays, so if they are Pharaoh Hounds, then someone probably had the mom as a pet and let her go for whatever reason. I don't know.

Maybe someone who knows dog breeds better than I do can decide if they're Pharaoh Hounds or not?

Thanks for the help.

xo VIE xo

In this hypothetical situation:

Let's say you're looking for a Golden Retriever. I say this because lately the Goldens are being horribly bred, and it's painful to see such an amazing dog beginning to show aggression because of improper breeding (not ruling out training and socialization, though)

You find a breeder who tells you that she does have a waiting list, but she expects you'll have your puppy with the next breeding season(let's say, another half a year?) She allows you to come into her home and lets you meet the dam. The dam is in wonderful condition. She looks exactly the way a well-bred Golden should look. The Golden is also friendly and very outgoing without being overly pushy. The breeder shows you her paperwork: The dam is registered with AKC, has championship lines leading past her great-grandparents, and she herself has won a couple competitions in show.

Then you ask to see the sire. The breeder politely tells you that she does not own the sire (I'm sure that's pretty common, though) and that it would be difficult for her to get the owner to come over with the dog (let's say they live too far, and the only time the sire is brought is when the two will mate) She does, however, give you the sire's paperwork. Like the dam, he has championship lines, and has also won several show awards.

Personally, I'd be hesitant. Even though the dog is of show quality, if he has a nasty attitude, it could be passed down to the pups, which obviously wouldn't be very good.

What do you think?

Also, I think this is a legit question, because in about a year I'm going to be looking for an APBT breeder (yes, even though they aren't registered with AKC) and this thought just popped in my head... I don't think I'd be ready to buy a puppy until I saw the sire.

What are your thoughts on this?

Oh, and sorry for all the questions... I've been feeling incredibly curious lately.

xo VIE xo

I was reading about tadpoles some more, and have found mixed information. My tadpoles are Woodhouse's Toads, if that matters at all.

One site said 5-7 days, but I read that 24 hours is okay, too. I'm getting dechlorinating drops on Saturday when I go to get a larger tank (they don't need one, but I like to spoil my pets) and a couple of freshwater snails. Anyway, I really need to change their water because it's getting dirty (I'm kinda OCD about how dirty I'll allow the water to get), but the water I'm going to use has sat out for about two or three days. Is that enough time for the chlorine to evaporate?

Btw, their tank is only a two gallon tank, and their switching to either a 10 gallon, or a 20 gallon. So the amount of water is only about two gallons.

Three days ago, my brother accidentally knocked one of the tanks over (we keep two, one for the tadpoles and one to put the water in to let it sit before we clean out the tank). At that time, I believe the water had only been out for two days. It was a mess, and we ended up losing one of them (I found him at the bottom with half his tail gone, poor thing...) But, the rest seem perfectly fine. They're eating and swimming normally, although the first day one of the bigger ones seemed to be tilting, he's fine now.

Thanks for the help.

xo VIE xo

I admit, I feel utterly ridiculous for asking this, but I would like other opinions. NOT rude comments, just your opinions.

So, I was talking to my dad about how much I enjoy dog training, and that I wanted to make dog training what I do for a living, so my dad suggested to me that I get an agent and start my own show. Of course, my first reaction was to laugh, and I told him "Most EDUCATED people will never take that seriously. Generally, if someone's on tv, they're an actor or actress, not a legitimate trainer." So, he went on to say have my own rescue, since that's pretty much what I want: A doggie rehab center.

At first, it sounded pretty odd. A seventeen year old trying to tell people how to train their dogs? Especially a seventeen year old whose only experience is her own dogs, her friends' dogs, and her families' dogs. My experience is only about two or three years, not something to really boast about.

Then I got to thinking: Our shelters are overcrowded, and every year more and more dogs are put to death for, generally speaking, easy things to fix. If I could lessen that number even by just 1%, it would make me feel absolutely amazing. There are also TONS of lots around where I live that are open that I could use.

So, even though I don't think I'll actually start a tv series (though, if I did, what are some clever ideas for a name? "April's Transforming Pooches" Ha, that's a joke...) what do you think of the whole idea? Of course, I'm not naive enough to think that I can do this all in a matter of a few days/weeks, and I'm sure it would take a good few years, but I'm out of school and have way too much time on my hands. Why not?

Just interested in others' opinions, and if anyone would actually think me credited for this.

I noticed that a lot of people in the Dog Section tend to be hostile (myself included) so, to step back from the idiots and the "stress" of the Dog Section (lol) I wanted everyone to think about funny or strange things their dogs do.

My dog likes to lick my sunburns (ouch!) I think he can sense the heat and is trying to cool me off, so I can appreciate the sentiment, but I usually don't let him because I put Aloe gel on. When he wants something that I won't let him have (IE he's in a pet store and "OMG MOM LOOK IT'S ANOTHER DOG!" but I'm busy, I put him him in "Sit; stay") he starts howling and yelping, which gets pretty embarrassing. Of course, it's not a big deal, because that's how he talks to me. Unlike others, I don't think SOME barking is a menace. My dog is very rarely vocal, so the few times he is, doesn't really bother me.

Lobo also likes to put himself between peoples' legs when they come home.

Our smaller dog will run up to anyone walking down the hall and circle around their legs, wagging his tail, then he rolls over on his back.

PS: Not sure what happened, but if you recall I asked a question I think last year about dog aggression? Well, I have no clue what was wrong, but the aggression literally vanished. I think my dog was just sick with something minor (IE a cold or possible a stomach ache) and just generally didn't feel good. Anyway, he hasn't snapped at anyone since, so I'm not worried about it.

Legit: Should I be worried if the only signs of aggression my dog showed in five years was last year, and nothing since then? Why or why not? I'm confident in the way I've trained him, but of course, even I don't know everything, lol.

I believe they're Woodhouse's Toad tadpoles. I'm feeding them boiled/frozen lettuce, but on Monday I'm going to get blood worms because a few of the tadpoles look about ready to sprout limbs.

I believe they're Woodhouse's Toad tadpoles. I'm feeding them boiled/frozen lettuce, but on Monday I'm going to get blood worms because a few of the tadpoles look about ready to sprout limbs.

Recently, I've read a few questions (mostly from Launi) about training methods and the "proper" way to train a dog. I read peoples' responses, and everyone says that their method(s) worked on their dog(s). However, not all methods were the same.

People who use all-negative training swear by their ways, whereas people who use all-positive training swear by their ways.

It got me thinking: Is there any one way to train? For instance, my larger dog (akita/husky/wolf mix), was more of a challenge to me than my friend's pit/lab/whippet mix (though I guess it isn't surprising...). Well, for my dog, I realized that it was a matter of trust. He didn't trust me to lead him. So I bonded with him (basically, just played with him, fed him, and set a few boundary rules for him) until he realized he could trust me (it actually didn't take as long as you'd think).

My friend's dog, however, almost instinctively followed me and now does anything and everything I ask of her (if the family isn't there - she gets away with murder with them).

I've also personally seen dogs who do amazing with mostly negative-punishment training, and dogs do equally amazing with positive-punishment training.

I'm mostly just curious, what do you guys think works best? (And why do I always put such long explanations for my questions?)

Legit: Do you have any personal experience owning a wolf mix? Or know someone who has? What would you say the pros and cons are? OR, if you've never owned one, would you ever? Oh, and my baby's six years old, but if you think you have anything you might wanna tell me, shoot (:

Thanks for reading~

xo VIE xo

My dog is a very well-trained, obedient, playful dog. Generally speaking, he loves people. He's always been iffy with other dogs, but for the most part he gets along with dogs in our neighborhood. When I say obedient, I mean I snap my fingers (or clap if he's too far away to hear a snap) and he looks at me. I can either say a command, and he'll do it, or I'll point somewhere, and he'll go wherever I pointed. The only time I haven't been able to control him is if he sees a cat. And even now, I'm getting to the point that when I say "Leave it" he leaves it (usually)

He has seizures. I'm not always home. Apparently, when I'm not home, this dog acts like the most depressed thing in the world. Going by what my family tells me, he is literally just out of energy. So, lately, I've been trying to be home more. But I can't exactly be home 24/7, you know? I have school and whatnot.

Anyway, I said all that because he's suddenly becoming aggressive. And I do mean suddenly. With me, he's an angel. With others, he gets defensive and attacks if they make quick movements. My brother (seven, when he was younger he wasn't very nice to my dog, even now he has a mental problem and doesn't always understand that there are certain things you can't do to a dog) came running in, loud, and I believe my dog got scared by the sudden noise and he jumped up snarling. As soon as I said his name, he went quiet and walked away from my brother. The point is, he had the intention to attack him in the first place. Not a very pleasant thought.

I'm at a total loss. He's exercised, played with, fed regularly, fed a good food... The only problem is his seizures. They're mild, he doesn't really spaz out, but he does shake fairly severely, like someone from Texas going to Connecticut in the dead of winter. He's had about... six or seven that I know of. His longest seizure lasted about three minutes, but usually they only last a minute, a minute and a half. In case you're wondering, I'm looking for an alternative vet. I don't believe medication is healthy at all, and I don't take it, neither will my dog (unless there is absolutely no other solution, of course)

I feed him the prey model raw diet, which is a big controversy in my house. My grandpa thinks that what I'm feeding him has made him aggressive, but I disagree. I think it's the seizures. Now, like I said, I am getting him a vet. I just want to know if maybe I'm missing something, if maybe there's something else?

Thanks guys.

xo Vie xo

I live in a little suburban that clashes with the wilds of Texas, meaning we have coyotes, rabbits, large predatory cats(cougars and bobcats mainly), rattlesnakes, rats, lizards... You get the picture. Right behind us is a biiiggg open field with all kinds of wildlife. Great for looking. Not so great when you have a predatory dog.

A dog whom enjoys hunting, which isn't so bad, if he'd go after the right prey. He went after a skunk(don't they all? haha) and got, well, skunked.

Soo, I've heard that tomato juice and orange juice are both good cures for getting rid of the smell. Is there anything better?

Thanks guys. (:

xo VIE xo