Life at "The_Farm"

[The_Farm]

Life at "The_Farm"

Good morning from Michigan, land of the snow and cold (at least today anyways). Last Friday my daughter rescued a pair of English Mastiffs. They are 7 months old and their life consisted of a crate (they shared it) and an occasional trip to the back yard. Both people worked and were probably tired when they got home. I'm sure everyone here knows the type... I ended up with the male and am in contact with the owners of the female just in case... Odin is probably close to 100 lbs. of untrained, loving, lovable puppy at this time. Since I took him he has learned a few of the basic commands already and has met most of our animals. He was so afraid of the horse (CoCo the quarter-horse) and the Shetland Pony (Star Bright) that he backed up almost 20 feet before I was able to calm him down. Of course he pulled out of his collar by going backwards and I was wondering if he would take off for the highway or the back deck. I gave him a 40/60 chance for the road because he already knew where the food was stored. After spending almost 3 hours of coming towards the barn from various directions Odin found out that there was a drinking bowl (please insert Horse Tank) that overrode his fear. Now I am happy to say that as soon as he is out the door (Odin no longer requires a leash) he takes off full speed for the horse tank to get a drink. Odin has only had a few problems adjusting to here so far. He gulped down his food and then pushed his sister away and would eat hers. I also have 2 Great Pyrenees females (one is 7 years old the other is about 1 1/2 years old). Goose, the older showed him who was boss and he no longer goes after any other food bowl than his own (Goose is a rescue who led a very, very hard life. I'll post her story another time.) Luckily there was only growling and I was able to break it up before anyone got hurt. Addie is my wife's puppy (still) who is so lovable we should have named her Nermal. His other problem is that he has no urge to "hold it" during the night. We go to bed around 10:00 and I am up by 4:30 A.M. every day. Thus far, every night he has made a mess in his crate. During the day he goes to the door for me and has not had an accident inside. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this yet.
I would also appreciate any help anyone could give me on neutering Odin. We have a housing area 1/4 mile north of our farm. We have a definite problem with other dogs coming onto our farm from there. Even though we are 98% fenced in many dogs (and cats for that matter) go over the fence. Quite often they appear to be "just hungry". I really don't want any puppies as I cannot handle them due to some medical problems I have. I have read that neutering him this young will not allow him to grow normally. We have never owned a "Giant" breed before so I have no first-hand experience. (BTW, all of our domestic animals are fixed.) Odin also sat down and howled when he met Moe. Moe is a Tennessee Fainting Goat. She proceeded to faint right into her watering tank when she met Odin. Every time she tried to stand up she would lose her balance and fall over again. Odin stood there watching her for almost 2 minutes and then sat down on his haunches and howled. I was so busy laughing that I almost fell over into a snow bank myself. (Moe was taken out of the water tank and dried off - she is doing fine). I cannot get over his voice. I definitely have to teach him how to "Speak". The mastiff's have the most amazing howl I have ever heard. To my wife's dismay I am trying to imitate it with my 3 year old granddaughter Olivia. Our fondest wish is that we can get Odin to howl on command. Olivia and I (we're partners in crime) think it is hilarious. Tomorrow Odin will meet Dolly. Dolly is a very old Painted Desert/Wool sheep mix. She usually waits for our dogs to get close to her fence and then tries her best to head-butt them. I'm looking forward to this.
Currently Addie and Odin are side by side in our living room. I am laying on our couch typing and my better half is doing her best to get a picture of them both. Of course, every time she tries one of them moves their head / paw / body / ... It looks like Odin will fit in fine here. This coming Tuesday is butchering day. It's time to fill my mother-in-law's freezer for the year. Odin is going to get the treat of his life for a while after that as we make our own broth from the bones so he will get what may well be the first "Real" treat of his lifetime. I only pray that he doesn't want to help....


To all: Have a very Happy New Year and my wife and I (with all of our animals) are looking forward to being a part of this site.
Jeff
P.S. I apologize if this is posted twice. Had an operator malfunction the first time I tried to post.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

What a great story! Thank you for rscuing Odin. Sounds like he will be right at home at the farm. I am still laughing about the fainting goat part of your story. Where is his crate? If he is able to hold it and he obviously is if he is doing so all day, then his reason may be fear or loneliness. I would make sure he goes at night before bed and keep him out until he does and in the event that he is crated away from you at night, moving his crate closer to you (Beside the bed) might help. Keep us updated and welcome to the forum. You must post pictures.

 

[Harrygto]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

welcome and thanks for the rescue

 

[cinnamon roll]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

A big welcome to you and your family. Can't wait to see pics of all your pups.

Where is his crate at? i would suggest maybe removing his water bowl 2 hours before bed.

Has he been to the vet yet?

It is truly in the best interest of giant breed pups to not neuter before 18-24 months. They are many side effects of neutering too early.

 

[mountainfila]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

You mentioned that he and his sister shared a crate and were in most of his short life, so im wondering if he is having a mental issue with the crate, what would happen if you left him loose at night or in a gated room? You said he lets you know when he has to go out so he understands hes not to mess in the house.

 

[The_Farm]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Urrggghhhhh. I really don't like image verification. I know why it is needed but my vision isn't all that great this early in the day and when I tried the "listen" function it was so fuzzy/staticy that I didn't understand a single letter. Anyways, Odin made it 3 hours without going in his pen. I set my alarm to wake me up a few hours early. Figured it couldn't hurt and what are a few hours of sleep during the course of a lifetime? Right???
When I got near our kitchen (that's where his crate currently is) all I could hear was soft whining. I don't know if he was scared or lonely. But it was heart-breaking to hear. Unfortunately our other two dogs are working dogs and spend the majority of their lives outside with the farm animals. At night they roam our little farm and/or sleep in the barn with the larger animals. It is their decision to make. I trust them to do what is right.
I think Odin is going to be going off of convetional store-bought dog food. Two reasons for this:
1. He really, really lets SBD (silent but deadly) ones too often.
2. We have everything we need to do it and it sounds like it would be good for him health-wise.
3. (Please see number 1.)

Odin will be going to the vet on January 27th. Originally he was going to get all of his shots, get a check up and get neutered. After reading and watching a few videos I think I will wait on the neutering. I hope this is the right decision. I want him to grow up healthy but I also don't want him getting "Fresh" with my daughter and my grandchildren. When he gets 1 1/2 years old we'll have xrays taken to see if his growth plates are closed. If they are then we will get him fixed.
If anyone has any ideas on this please let me know. I am very low on the learning curve when it comes to owning a dog this large. Jeff

 

[musicdeb]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

What do you mean by getting "fresh" with your daughter and granddaughter?

Sounds like food issues with Odin due to the fact he's going to the bathroom in the crate. It could also be that he's used to doing that because of his previous living arrangements.

Mastiffs need to be near their families. Are you able to put his crate in the room with you until he bonds with you?

Bond with him by hand feeding him, brushing him, walking him, and training him. Training is one of the best ways to bond with Odin.

 

[The_Farm]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Finally, I'm inside the house again. We got quite a bit of snow over the past day with strong steady winds. Too many drifts to move from point A to point B. I'm praying that the wind doesn't change and move it back to point A again.
And now it's answer time. Odin sleeps outside our door at night in his crate. We can't put him in our room because I've got some medical issues and there is equipment in there that I cannot move around to make room for his crate. Already he has chewed up my boot, a couch cushion and my better half's slipper. I don't really mind all that much as I know it will take time to teach him. During the day he is with me continually both inside and outside. Because he is still chewing I don't feel comfortable letting him roam around at night. We live in a big old farm house built in 1852. Unfortunately the only 2 rooms we could close off with a child gate are not condusive to a dog. One is not possible to heat with our existing system and the other is a storage area for our food (pantry). I don't want to put him downstairs in our basement because it is unfinished and the steps are steep. I'm afraid he may get hurt going up and/or down them. I also feel that he is still scared/lonely from being on his own for the first time. We've only had him for a week so there is no rush. I started getting up earlier and we'll see if that helps. We already have a radio on low for him at night. During the day he stays by my side. When I take a break on my couch he lays right beside it. If I get up he gets up on his own and follows my every move. So I feel that he is bonding in a positive manner.
In addition to this I am transitioning him from Meiher's Basic Dog Food (that is what he was on originally) to the raw diet. After finding this site I have spent hours reading, listening, and watching everything I could find. We've never had a dog that had problems with the food we use. To make it easier on me we are transitioning all 3 of our dogs at the same time to the new diet. Luckily we have access to everything including the fresh organs and tripe. I'm still working on figuring out how much to feed him. I am feeding him right after our first time outside each day and then again when all chores are done (usually about 5 hours later).
During the day I see him get up and walk around. He is going to the door when he has to go out already. However, he doesn't seem to whine or bark when he has to go out. If he did it would wake me up and I could take him out immediately like I do during the day. He does like to bark when he is "playing" with the other animals. (Example: Today he met Dolly (our oldest ewe) and he had a great time charging the fence. He would get within a foot or two and stop. Dolly would do the same. He got very, very excited and they went back and forth for over 30 minutes while I was moving hay.
My other concern is that one of the dogs we rescued in the past was a cocker spaniel mox. He would get fresh (attempt to mount) my daughter who was going through puberty at the time. Although we got him fixed this continued to be a problem. He was small enough that I could deal with it (as could she). I don't want a dog in excess of 100 lbs. doing the same down the road. We have always neutered/spayed our animals since that time. Again, after finding this site I realize that neutering is not a good option. Odin is only 7 months old so his growth plates are definitely not closed. I know it may not be a problem but the fear is there none the less. I have children who come out to the farm on a regular basis to be with the animals. Right now Odin seems fine. I'm praying that it stays that way.
I have already started grooming Odin. Last night it took almost an hour to get his front feet trimmed a little. He wasn't mean but he was anxious. He would put his paws under his stomach and move them every time I started to get the clipper close. Originally I tried my Dremel (I use this on our Great Pyrenees as needed. I have been working with him the past few days to let me handle his paws in preparation for this. I figured I would give him a break today and try to trim the back ones tomorrow evening when everything is quiet here.
It will take time for him to completely trust me. That is something that I have a lot of. I only leave our farm for trips to the doctor and/or a weekly shopping trip. This weekend when we go to get grain/salt blocks/pony halter, etc. he will be coming with us. The doctor that I see the most is a dog lover and we already have permission to bring Odin with us when I have to make that trip. The hope is that little by little he will not only trust me but will look forward to going on car rides and such. This coming summer I am making a trip back to where I grew up (the Adirondack Mountains) and I really, really want him to come with us. He would have a great time. In preparation for this I am switching back and forth from using a leash/voice commands. He has already learned to sit and lay down using hand signals. He is the smartest dog I have ever seen. The problems will just take a little more time.
Sorry the post is so long. I'll try to do better next time.
Jeff

 

[raji]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Frankly, I love your posts! Don't shorten! And, your farm sounds like a little piece of heaven. I have an EM who just turned a year in November. Indy is our first mastiff. We've always had big dogs, 3 newfoundlands and a bloodhound over the years. Or at least we thought they were large, until Indy! Completely new perspective to large! I have to say he has been our easiest puppy ever. It sounds like you have done an amazing job with Odin. I think he may be further advanced training wise, than ours-and we've had him nearly a year! Indy, also has never really had an alert or "tell" for when he wants out. He also will not, and hasn't even once ever barked at anything other than myself, my daughter, or husband. Apparently, just for attention, and now that he's older, he really doesn't bark much at all anymore. But, he doesn't miss a trick-he's constantly watching and observing, and always near one of us. Odin was so very lucky to find you. And, I imagine it won't be long, if not already, you will feel like the lucky one! Best of luck! And, keep the updates coming, please. I love the thought of the fainting goat in the trough! Pictures would not befrowned upon either!,

 

[Milton Meathead]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Welcome to the group and I love reading your posts which are very well written by the way. I'm still waiting to see some pictures.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Welcome - You sound like a well informed dog owner, and your home sounds like a piece of heaven on earth. Odin will be a fantastic addition to your farm and to your lives.
I believe Mastiffs need to be near their family members, but if you can't organize your room to accommodate his crate, try placing a worn item of your clothing in his crate to comfort him. It works well with separation anxiety, and it might work here. Or, as you become more comfortable with him, do away with the crate, put a dog bed on the floor of your bedroom. We did this, and Bailey settled right in. Oh, she tries to sleep with us, but goes grudgingly to her baby bed (90+ lbs of baby!)
Keep writing, us city folk get to live vicariously through your newsy letters of life down on the farm. Colour me an envious Canadian.

 

[Mario]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Welcome to the board! Your farm sounds amazing. FYI once you hit like 10 posts you won't have to do the image verification anymore - its much better then. I felt the same way too!

 

[The_Farm]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

The cold spell broke for a day or two. I can't say we're above freezing but no more single digit temperatures this afternoon. Odin is doing better and better every day. The problem was that I wanted to sleep past 1:00 A.M. uninterrupted. Go figure... Yesterday afternoon we worked on stairs. Another person posted about putting carpet on the stairs. Want to guess how I spent part of yesterday? You're right. There are exactly 14 stairs going upstairs in our house. I never really thought about it before yesterday. Who does? You want to go upstairs you walk up the steps. No big deal unless you are foolish enough to try and tug/lift/push a dog up them who is about 2/3 rds your weight. Believe me when I tell you that I know each and every stair in a very intimate way. I feel blessed in that it only took twice up and once down before he figured it out. I was so tired out that I ended up taking almost a 3 hour nap. I'm beginning to feel old around him.
The reason for doing this wasn't that I wanted him to go upstairs. Actually I want him to be able to take the basement steps. However, they are a "tad" steeper and right now they have no backboards (at least that's what I would call them) in place. (Trick question: Who can guess how I'll be spending a day sometime next week depending on the weather?) I have a room under our living room that I putter around in. Currently I am working on way too many projects and it is beginning to feel more like a storage room of unwanted toys. I want Odin to be able to come down there when I'm down there.
Of course, like any other toddly, Odin is now going up and down the house stairs every time I turn around. I've never had a dog quite like him. He is learning so fast that I may be out of job (training him) before too much longer. I should have applied for the babysitting job - now that would be job security...
We had a scare last night. My daughter (who found and rescued Odin and his sister) has been taking care of a pit bull who delivered 12 bundles of joy about 4 weeks ago. A little while after Renee (my better half) and I were in bed Stephanie (her real name) called and told me that Bell (not her real name) was down and after talking it became obivious that she had mastitis. The breast was already almost 3 times its normal size. I cannot imagine how much pain she was in. We tried the moist warm towel trick among other things. Nothing worked. She couldn't even keep down a baby aspirin to help her with the pain. First think this morning my vet saw Bella. Luckily she will be okay but the puppies are done nursing ahead of schedule.
Oh, Bell does not need a home. Stephanie has already found her one in case anyone is thinking about it. Instead the story is about the type of owner she had. Bell's owner lives in her mother's apartment with her two children (toddler and baby). They weren't supposed to have any pets so when delivery time came she went up on Cr&*%'s L&^% like so many other animals. She was on the "thin" side and Stephanie drove almost 4 hours each direction to get her.
The owner agreed to send some money to help for her care and at the time she wanted Bell back. She also wants the 2 pick of the litter puppies and half the money from the sale of the other puppies. So far Stephanie has been putting out every penny herself via her favorite father figure. When the puppies go up for sale at this rate there won't be any prophet per se. Between vet calls (2 so far for Bell) and the puppies first visit and shots, and the worming (did I mention that Bella had round worms and a tape worm) of all of the dogs I figure Stephanie can take her family to McDonald's and look in the window. She won't be able to order anything but my 3 year old granddaughter and I can at least play in the playground.
My questions are moral ones. My vet highly suggests that Bell be spayed A.S.A.P. so she doesn't get bred again. The way it was explaioned to us is that the mastitis has an excellent chance of coming back again. Bell's owner is not responding to emails or messages left. How many days should go by before contact is stopped and should I just go ahead and make the appointment myself for Bell? I really doubt she went into heat even twice before getting bred. The father was a pit bull also so the breeding was "possibly" done for money. Just curious how other people feel about this dilemma.
Well, it's time to go and give fresh water to Idjit and his girls and Junior and his girls (roosters and hens). If all goes well I will tell Idjit's story sometime over the weekend. Everyone have a very nice weekend. Jeff

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Holy mackeral, bravo to your daughter for looking after the Pitt and her babies, that's dedication! As for the spaying question,
exhaust the legal attempts to contact the owner, including a registered letter. Lay out the dog's health concerns, and the whole cost/care formula, and the vet's earnest concern for the animal's future. Give them a date by which you require a response,
and what your position will be if you don't receive a reply, namely that the dog will be spayed to save it any future suffering.
If there was any way to keep the puppies from them, do it, they are just fresh breeding stock.
As for your two roosters and their harems, lucky man, fresh eggs every morning...colour me envious again. I look forward to hearing about your fowl escapades.

 

[cinnamon roll]

Re: Life at "The_Farm"

Call animal control and find out exactly the steps you need to take legally to prove that she has abandoned this dog. I tried looking at your laws but for abandonment it states a dog left outside with no food water etc or left on the side of the road for 24 hrs.

Best of luck.