Finally
Our new puppy finally made it through the night without having to poop (or at least until 6AM, which is close enough). The dog is small enough to be food for hawks and owls, so we have to take her out ourselves, and my sleep deprivation has been approaching levels not reached since my kids were babies. I am new to dog ownership, so experienced owners probably could have short-cut this somehow, but I will observe that small dogs seem to have small brains, small bladders, and very short GI tracts.
Otherwise, we have been very happy with her. She is the quietest small dog I have ever seen (she almost never barks) and she has a wonderful disposition.
Brad Warbiany:
Our little monsters (Yorkies) are the same way... I don't know how many times I've been woken up at 3 AM by the older one to take him out to pee. And he's the smart one, able to actually scratch at the door. The younger one is still on potty pads.
Unfortunately we have to take them out as well. We've had reports of coyotes in the neighborhood, who have already dispatched one neighbor's cat. As an expert on coyotes (assuming that's why this is the "Coyote Blog"), do you have an techniques I can teach a Yorkshire Terrier to take down a coyote? ;-)
December 20, 2006, 3:34 pmRay G:
I'm in AZ as well, and from what I gather, you really do have to watch out for birds of prey if your dog is small enough. A friend of mine lost a chihuahua to a hawk.
December 20, 2006, 5:10 pmsteve r:
Something for the owners of tiny dogs to think about:
http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2006/12/dumping-dog-and-then-man.html
(...)
For the record, I think anyone who has a teacup dog is guilty of canine abuse. The litany of health care issues associated with "micro" breeds is nothing short of a nightmare: collapsing tracheas, hydrocephally (water on the brain), epilepsy, seizures, broken bones (a jump from a chair can do it), serious dental issues (their jaws are always too small for the teeth), moleras (soft spots on the skull), hypoglycemia, lens luxation and eye infections (due to over-large bulding eyes), and liver and heart problems.
The reason these dogs are expensive is that they have about a 70 perent natal mortality rate. Microbreeds are guaranteed death.
I have to admit not understanding where the cut-off point may be between ordinary toy dogs and "microbreeds".
December 22, 2006, 10:13 amsteve r:
BTW, if a consistent libertarian society ever comes about wouldn't this mean an end to all laws against animal cruelty? Animals are,after all, only property and such laws would infringe on the animal owner's rights.
December 22, 2006, 10:35 am