First, I want to remind everyone that some things that are so cute when you have a puppy, are not so cute when they are grown! Begging is one of those behaviors.

You know how cute it seems when a puppy begs for attention, food, or other goodies from their human?  Keep in mind how not cute that will be when they are no longer fuzzy little fur balls.  Like when they are 100 pound adults, begging for that Big Mac you barely have time to woof down before working from home for the next couple hours so that you still meet your deadline at work tomorrow when you just walk in the door after a grueling 12 or 14 hour day at the office.  (Not that yours truly would have ever done that )

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Last September, a reader adopted what they think is a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix puppy from a rescue at approximately eight weeks of age.  Throughout most of her puppyhood, she had a very timid personality, and she was always extra cautious of people and inanimate objects, but she was always very playful with and intrigued by other dogs.  Now, the family is starting to notice some behavior at 1 ½ years old that is disturbing to them. Continue Reading

If you have not figured it out already, there is a special place in my heart for rescue dogs.  Whether they are adopted from shelters, rescues, or fosters, they are all special friends to me.  For that reason, I decided to use my celebrity to draw attention to the deserving dogs available for adoption.  Initially, we are focusing on shelter dogs local to me in the Atlanta metro area, as well as the state of Georgia, but we plan to expand our reach to a national level.

With interesting and entirely coincidental timing, Mom recently added two puppies to our home temporarily after hearing their story.  We think they are Newfoundland/Lab mixes, and they are very cute, fluffy balls of fur.  They are quite active, playful, and energetic.  Yesterday, I posted a video and some pictures of them, as well as their back story as the first dogs posted on Spike’s Shelter Dogs.

If you are interested in adopting either of these puppies, or any of the dogs listed on Spike’s Shelter Dogs, check out the contact info for each of them.  Also, if you are a shelter, rescue, or foster interested in having an adoptable dog listed on the site, check out the Ask Spike Online Contact Us page.  Something that we are doing differently to help gain attention for these dogs, we are utilizing the social media power of Twitter and Flickr to raise awareness.  To be the first to know about additions to Spike’s Shelter Dogs, follow @shelterdogs on Twitter or become a contact on Flickr.

Feel free to spread the word about my newest project to all you know, especially those who are looking to provide a forever home for a four-legged friend.

If you have not noticed already, there is now a page of helpful information just below the header wedged between the pages for Spike’s Pack and the Reader Photo Gallery that contains some helpful information for those of you in need of potty training help.  If you do not want to scan for it, check out this link instead.

Recently, we received a concerned mother’s e-mail about some activity that would concern most pet parents.  I have copied the most concerning and embarrassing issues for you to read as well.  Due to the embarrassing nature of the problem, I have redacted the puppy’s name to protect his identity.

I’ve recently noticed, as my puppy [redacted] is now about 8 months, he’s doing something which is causing a bit of concern. We have an 8 month old kitten, Maya, (has yet to go into heat and has not been spayed yet), and the two of them have grown up around each other most of their lives, so they get along wonderfully and are great friends. Lately, I’ve noticed that while [redacted] & Maya are playing, he’s been trying to mate with her, and the frequency has been increasing over time. Continue Reading

Outside of dire circumstances, like the current peanut butter/salmonella issue or the dog food of Chinese production of a year or two ago, you should not change your dog’s food immediately from one type or brand to another.  A perfect example of when this tactic will come in handy is the transition from puppy food to adult food.  When you have about three day’s worth of the old food left, mix a small amount of the new food with the old food at your dog’s next feeding.  Over the course of the next week or so, gradually increase the amount of the new food as you decrease the amount of old food.

Though many dog foods are similar, you do not want to shock your dog’s system with an immediate and drastic change from one food to another.  Trust me, both you and your dog will appreciate the extra care you take to transition from one food to another.

Over the holidays, many families across America became new and loving homes for puppies.  A friend of November 2008’s addition to my pack was one fo those lucky puppies.  As with all new relationships, there is a period of adjustment, and this post addresses some of the “new puppy issues.”  Specifically, we are going to discuss this Golden Labrador Retriever, but many of the puppy issues pop up regardless of breed.

All of the retriever breeds are born being comfortable with having or carrying something in their mouths.  I am no exception, as I often wander the house with my toy du jour.  We are also notorious chewers, especially as puppies.  Sometimes I spend a whole day just wanting to walk around with something in our mouth. Continue Reading

Earlier this month, a reader e-mailed me about a problem she was having with her Springer Spaniel puppy.  Basically, anytime her puppy saw her, she would get so excited that she could not contain herself, and she would pee wherever she stood, sat, etc.  This seems like a pretty cut and dry case of submissive urination, but there are some steps we need to take to rule out other potential issues.

Submissive urination is a problem common to a lot of puppies, especially the exceptionally energetic ones.  This problem occurs when your pup is just so happy to see you, she simply releases her urine.  My first suggestion in this situation is to rule out any physical problems.  Continue Reading

Over the holiday weekend, I was asked via e-mail about an issue that someone was having with their fairly young puppy.  Anytime they walked into a room, the puppy would get so excited by it, she would pee, no matter where they were.

They hit the nail on the head when they recognized that it was due to her excitability factor.  Puppies think that everything is GREAT!  Continue Reading