Bri

I am attempting to housebreak a 4 month old Siberian Husky/Lab mix, and I am desperately fighting to maintain my patience. How long is too long for a 4 month old large breed dog to be in a crate? What suggestions do you have for removing pet odors from rugs and concrete? Does pine sol eliminate the odor, or can she still smell her "scent"? I take her out every hour to two hours. I monitor ALL of her water and food intake, and take her out fifteen minutes after she eats. If she doesn't eliminate, she goes back to her crate (without any reprimand for not going.. I know she might not be ready yet), we wait another fifteen minutes and go again. If she doesn't go then, we'll repeat the process. I praise her when she potties outside by using her name and telling her "Good potty!" and issue a sharp "No!" when I catch her in the act indoors and move her outside. I don't want to train her with food or treats, but with praise and affection instead. What am I doing wrong? I love my puppy and I don't want to lose my patience. I don't want to give up on her. Please help!

My cat is about three and a half years old. He has recently begun to show signs of illness, like unkempt, greasy fur, lethargy, extreme weight loss, and just tonight, vomiting. I've done some research to see what might be the cause, and I keep coming across hyperthyroidism. Can a three year old cat develop hyperthyroidism? What else could he be sick from? I tried worming him, and it worked for a little while. What else?

I'm making a delicious recipe I saw on the food network, but it calls for Gruyere cheese. I'm not familiar with it, and it was not available at my grocery store. I understand that the common opinion is swiss, but I'm not a very big fan of swiss cheese. I do have some fresh shredded mozzarella. Will that suffice?

She's done it twice in the last month or so. She will be lying down on the bed next to me while I watch tv or a movie and when i reach down to pet her or move her, theres a big wet patch of urine on the bed. She just lays there like nothing ever happened.. What's going on with my dog?

My cat suddenly lost a lot of weight in spite of the fact that he is still eating regularly, has become very lazy (I still see him playing every now and then, but not as much as usual), and his fur has become increasingly oily. We found a nasty lesion on his cheek just under his eye the other day, but I'm beginning to even wonder if this is even related to his other problems. He has become quite affectionate, preferring to lounge in my bed next to me rather than outdoors like he usually does. If not worms, what might this be?

Google search is causing serious problems with installation of new programs, but here's the catch: My boyfriend uninstalled Google desktop from my computer already. From what I have gathered from searching for answers, I'm assuming he didn't deselect the "Keep my index and gadgets" box. I've searched my computer for anything that has "Google" in the name and its all been deleted. Nothing is showing up about google on my task manager pane, and nothing about google is showing up in my add or remove programs screen either. How do I get this pesky program off of my computer?

My cat had a tick on her shoulder last night and my boyfriend pulled it off with tweezers, but half of the head ripped off with the blood sac and the other half stayed. He thinks that ticks can regenerate from the head, but can they regenerate from half of their head? Or is the sucker dead? By the way, she is on flea and tick preventive. (Frontline) For some reason it's becoming more and more ineffective. Any brands ya'll might suggest?

My sister in law and I did some research on the symptoms she's been experiencing and everything, including her family history, points to colitis. What do we need to know about colitis until she can get to a doctor? Like, what can she eat? What kind of foods should she avoid? What sort of effect does caffeine have on her condition? What can she do to treat it? Is there a medication or a series of medications she can use? Is it curable? How will it affect her life? Can it possibly be fatal? Last but not least, can she ever eat popcorn again? (it's her favorite snack.. she's devastated)

If it is, how much at a time is acceptable? If not, why?

My dog, an Akita/Mastiff mix, pulled a 2 year old girl out of a swimming pool before her head even went under. Amazing! Tell us about yours!

I live on the Gulf Coast and it seems every year our fence gets knocked down by another hurricane. I can't let my dog out in the yard loose alone, so I take her out for potty breaks regularly, but I'd like her to have more outside time. Is it safe to put her outside on a chain for a little while, or is that really a negative behavior? I've always thought it was a little cruel.

My pup, Sabina, paws, licks, and nibbles to get the treat out of my hand while I'm training her. She doesn't seem to be responding very well to training either. She seems too distracted by the treats. It's sort of funny, but I know it's ineffective, she sees a treat in my hand and immediately sits (the first thing I taught her), then stands up on her hind legs (Up!), then spins around (Dance!). In other words she's doing every command I've taught her until I give her a command, and then she claws to get the treat. I've tried to phase out treats by holding the treat in the left hand and signaling with the right hand, but she doesn't respond. Too distracted by treats. So when I remove the treats from her sight, she's uninterested. I've read, "Make training sessions fun!" but I've never read anything on how to make them fun.. I need help!

My one-year-old Beagle Laborador mix is a heavy chewer. She chews everything from her bed in her kennel, the towel that I replaced it with, the blanket I replaced the towel with, plastic toys, plush toys, crayons, pencils, a wooden magazine rack, and door frames. We are lucky enough that she has not chewed on any major funiture... yet. We have gotten considerably more diligent in making sure that there are no items available to her and the toys, crayons and pencils are thus far being spared. But she still chews the wood. Is it safe for her? What can I do to stop her?

Yesterday, my family and I went to the river where we grilled out, took the boat out and swam in the designated swim area. When I got home from the river, I jumped in the shower. While washing myself I felt an unusual pain just on the inside of my vagina, just below the urethral opening. It is less than an inch inside, and on the top wall. It's perfectly round and about the size of a marble. It does not move around and it is firm when I touch it. It is not discolored, but it is extremely painful. I have an appointment for tomorrow, but I am extremely concerned. It hurts to sit. It hurts to stand. It looks as though the swelling has gone down since yesterday, but it is still very very sore. What could it be?