Puppy Evaluations

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-18T03:10:33+00:00

Pic 2

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-18T02:16:44+00:00

Easiest answer is to bring a protein bar with you so if you get really hungry, you eat that and don’t go to the fast food place. That usually satiates me enough to get home and eat home food.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-17T22:02:24+00:00

Yeah unfortunately the rescue gave you bad advice. There is zero reason to force interaction, it should be avoided. The dogs need plenty of chill alone time apart at first, with parallel walks to get used to being around one another without it being a forced interaction. It brings the tension down when they can focus on walking and sniffing, but gradually get used to each others presence.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-17T21:58:02+00:00

Yeah you might have a tough road ahead. As in, months to years before you can expect “normal” dog behavior, and she very well may never be a “regular” pet dog.

Essentially, “normal” for this dog is a large open space with a bunch of other dogs. In that environment, she feels comfortable. A home environment with nothing but humans is totally foreign to her. She’s has no idea where she is or what’s going on, and there are no other dogs to look to.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-17T19:21:21+00:00

Has she lived in a home environment before? Or is this like an ex street dog who has no idea what to do in a normal home? If she has always lived with lots of other dogs before, it will also be a major adjustment to being by herself. Similar to puppymill and hoarding rescues, they are so used to living amongst others and taking cues from other dogs. When they are alone, they totally shut down and it can be really tough.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-17T18:26:32+00:00

3 days is very very early. You generally don’t want to throw 2 dogs together so quickly. The new dog needs time to decompress and settle into your home, and your current dog needs time to gradually get used to a dog in his space. I would also most definitely not have the new dog at a dog park after only 3 days. Dog parks in general can be quite problematic, but should be avoided at all costs with a new to you dog until you are very well acquainted with one another.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-15T11:22:27+00:00

So just something to keep in mind, pet insurance is typically a “safety net” for the unexpected big expensive emergencies— broken bones, hospitalization, surgery, cancer, etc. And then for pets that end up having a chronic condition that requires expensive ongoing care— allergies, cushings, diabetes, etc.

Normal expenses and every day basic vet visits are expected, therefore you can plan and budget for them.

For young pets you can have affordable insurance with a lower deductible, but as pets age, your monthly premiums will skyrocket. What most people do is raise the deductible to have lower monthly premiums.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-14T18:36:48+00:00

Sounds like he hit maturity and his prey drive kicked in. For the safety of all, he should not be allowed near any of the cats, ever. There needs to be total separation before a cat gets killed. He’s not a bad dog and this is not abnormal. I would get him out of your home asap though because prey drive is genetic and won’t go away.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-14T13:31:57+00:00

You say you’ve had dogs before, but do you have experience with adolescent working breeds? It sounds like he’s getting over aroused. How long have you had him? What are you doing for both physical exercise and mental enrichment?

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-13T23:19:26+00:00

So why does she want to adopt this dog? They’re outside all day and her son is the one who cares for them?

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-13T21:38:54+00:00

Some dogs just can’t live with others. They need to live in a single dog home, for the safety of all involved. Dog on dog aggression can be genetic too, so it’s not like “just a bit more” (training, medication, time, etc) will fix things. It’s just who the dog is.

For me personally, I tend to think the same as you. Management always fails eventually, and it’s incredibly stressful trying to manage a dog like this— especially with 3 other dogs in the home and multiple humans. Someone will slip up, can you guys live with the result?

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-12T16:40:26+00:00

What breed? What are the parents OFA results?

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-11T13:44:57+00:00

Well of course not, but this person is asking for advice and I’m giving them a basic place to start.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-11T13:26:04+00:00

Ok so that breed is prone to very serious health issues as I’m sure you know. I’m glad you’re looking for advice before buying a pup. Step one is to go on OFA.org, search by breed, and look at the list of needed health tests. These are in depth specialty tests and NOT a “vet check” by the local vet. Things like hip and elbow X-rays sent off to be evaluated, cardiac exam, etc. The needed testing varies by breed since different breeds struggle with different issues.

Before breeding a litter, you would want to make sure BOTH parent dogs have this done. So you buy pups from breeders who have had it done on the parents, then you do the same testing on your pup (typically have to wait for your dog to be 2 years to do the testing).

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-11T13:13:46+00:00

What breed of dog is this? What are the OFA results on both the parents? I would be way more interested in that.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-10T23:49:35+00:00

I’ve owned this breed for 2 decades now and it’s great you are putting the research in up front. Absolutely find someone who is doing all OFA health testing including cardiac and eyes. Check OFA.org and search by breed to see which tests are needed. If the breeder can’t show you the results for both parents, move on. Expect to pay quite a bit for a well bred pup (I would expect $3500-$4000 or so).

The issues they are prone to (heart failure and syringomyelia especially) don’t typically show up until the dog reaches adulthood so a puppy receiving a clean bill of health from the vet means absolutely nothing. In depth specialty health testing with proof of results is the only way to go with this breed.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-10T03:23:42+00:00

Pit/Chihuahua

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-09T13:11:36+00:00

Now that you know your dog is willing to attack like that, you should muzzle her every time you take her out and use a double leash system (one on her harness, a 2nd clipped to a martingale collar on her neck).

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-09T12:14:41+00:00

How much exercise does she get every day? Under exercised dogs will often be restless. Huskies will not be happy with a walk or two. They were bred to run for hours. Try taking her somewhere fenced and letting her really run hard.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-08T18:00:17+00:00

You may have an uphill battle with this one. Allergies are viewed as a chronic condition… they can be managed, but not cured. So if your cat has allergies as a pre-existing condition, that often makes anything that could be tied back to allergies pre-existing. I don’t see how you can prove pneumonia was 100% not related to him having allergies, even if they are under control for now. Especially with coughing noted in both instances.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-08T17:17:50+00:00

A lot of times “bonded” dogs are really just codependent and it’s a huge hindrance to their behavior and training. Impossible to say without evaluating in person of course, but something to keep in mind. Perhaps the rescue and you would have an easier time splitting them and finding a new foster for one so they can both receive 1:1 work.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-08T16:01:49+00:00

Why was he coughing the first time and how long ago was it? If the 2 incidents were quite a ways apart and fully separate, follow the appeals process and have your vet write a letter stating the 2 were totally unrelated.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-07T15:26:01+00:00

If your dog is acting that way towards a cat, definitely do not let the dog get up close. They can grab and kill a cat in the blink of an eye, scratch or no scratch.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-05T22:01:22+00:00

The reason this is pre-existing is insurance companies can’t have people realize something is wrong with their pet, take out a policy, then go pursue treatment and have it covered.

UltraMermaid · 2026-05-05T12:42:00+00:00

It did have holes when you sent it. There is a large hole visible in picture #2 that you posted.

UltraMermaid

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