Is Your Dog a “Beggar”?

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 :))

Trying To Find The Inner Alpha

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.

Spike’s Shelter Dogs – Adopt Your Next Dog Here

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.

Spike Says: Check Out My Potty Training Info Page

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.

My Dog Is Mounting My Cat. What Do I Do Now?

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.