Originally Posted by nanahas3 (Post 4335369)

When I was growing up I had a mom who yelled to get her point across. I learned real fast to act like I was listening but to tune her out. My Dad on the other hand sat us down and talked in a calm but firm respectable voice. He could have me in tears and never raise his voice or a hand to me. Personally even as an adultI would walk away from someone being rude, or aggressively trying to get their view about an issue across to me. I would not get my feelings hurt but I would not respect the person doing this enough to even want to listen to any advice they were giving me. I love learning and I love a good teacher who knows how to teach wisely. I am probably many of your senior but I am never going to get to the point that I am to old to learn.

Originally Posted by Sunnydayz (Post 4334989)

My dog is not really good all the time, but I am teaching him that I am the boss, and I make the rules. He's only 4 months old, so we are just into all the training stuff, and will be training for quite some time to come. Right now I'm working on training him to a schedule that works for him as well as myself.

When I first rescued Gizmo 8 maybe 9 weeks ago, he was extremely sick, but he's well now. But the first thing I did was contact a friend I have that's near me and also has a yorkie, she's actually had many of them, and I asked her if in the future, if I needed a break if she would take him for a day, here and there. That was very important to me to make sure I had someone ready, if needed.

Over the last 4 1/2 years, I've had about 7 or 8 surgeries for things caused from my spinal cord damage, and have been in the hospital approx 15 or more times from going septic from infections also due to my paralysis. I too live in a large city, one of the biggest since I'm right outside of downtown Los Angeles. Sometimes being in a big city can be helpful as there are more resources available.

I do hope your back feels better soon, but if I were you, I would just let your dog know that sometimes you are not able to play as much as you would like. The one thing about dogs, is they do adjust to what you ask of them. Like I said, with Gizmo, we are just in the training phase as he is young, but he is learning that I am the boss, and he has to listen to my commands for him. He has no choice :-) just be really consistent with putting him down for naps in an xpen or crate, and he will eventually get it. I have put Gizmo in his xpen for naps between playtime every day since I started training, and he now knows if I put him in there during the day, it's nap time and he goes to his bed now, without me having to tell him, and takes a nap. Think about people in wheelchairs that have service dogs, they obviously are not playing all day, and do what needs to be done to meet the disabled persons needs, because they are trained that way. I eventually am going to get gizmo certified as my service dog, along with the training he requires, since I am permanently disabled and my paralysis will progress as time goes on, it already has in the last four and a half years since I became this way. You shouldn't feel bad about not playing when you can't, because is you don't take care of yourself, who will take care of your dog is something happens to you, like if you end up in the hospital. It's really important to have someone that can be there in an emergency, that was why I asked my friend to begin with, so I knew I had a backup plan if needed for a break, or if I have to go the hospital or anything. Do you have a friend you can trust? I would definitely think about the what ifs, ad make sure you have a person who can help you out occasionally.

Originally Posted by Sunnydayz (Post 4335495)

I hope I am not one of those being referred to as being rude or anything. Sometimes when you type words, the emotion behind them does not show. I was sincerely trying to be helpful with how I have dealt with my own situation of being partially paralyzed. I have learned so much here, and was just trying to pay it forward, with some ideas :-)

Originally Posted by nanahas3 (Post 4335369)

When I was growing up I had a mom who yelled to get her point across. I learned real fast to act like I was listening but to tune her out. My Dad on the other hand sat us down and talked in a calm but firm respectable voice. He could have me in tears and never raise his voice or a hand to me. Personally even as an adult I would walk away from someone being rude, or aggressively trying to get their view about an issue across to me. I would not get my feelings hurt but I would not respect the person doing this enough to even want to listen to any advice they were giving me. I love learning and I love a good teacher who knows how to teach wisely. I am probably many of your senior but I am never going to get to the point that I am to old to learn.

Originally Posted by nanahas3 (Post 4335369)

When I was growing up I had a mom who yelled to get her point across. I learned real fast to act like I was listening but to tune her out. My Dad on the other hand sat us down and talked in a calm but firm respectable voice. He could have me in tears and never raise his voice or a hand to me. Personally even as an adult I would walk away from someone being rude, or aggressively trying to get their view about an issue across to me. I would not get my feelings hurt but I would not respect the person doing this enough to even want to listen to any advice they were giving me. I love learning and I love a good teacher who knows how to teach wisely. I am probably many of your senior but I am never going to get to the point that I am to old to learn.

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly (Post 4335682)

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.
Author: Kurt Vonnegut

Originally Posted by lexi43 (Post 4335744)

hey sportschick: I can really understand how you feel i had hip surgery a few years ago and i also fractured my knee quite a few years back. Now i was diagnosed with osteo. I know the pain. We have 5 small dogs and they are all young and love to play. The only good thing is that they have each other to play with and don't demand too much attention from me. My friend lives with me and she is home most of the time to help me but on the days when she has to work in the city it's murder. I actually have to throw their food down because i can't bend. Also zach is a real lap dog and loves to be held. When my friend is home she holds him but i can't even bend down to pick him up. I never had to drug my dogs because most of time they play with each other but i can really understand you. You're doing what you can and don't let anybody tell you different.

Originally Posted by sportschick (Post 4339178)

O.K., so I am back after being banned for calling BUFFY512 a "bad name" for insulting me.

First off, I would like to thank the member who suggested the claw idea. It is working GREAT!!! I am able to pick up her ball and fling it down the hall way more accurately then if I was doing it with my hands!!

Second, I did get a cortisone shot in my hip, ahhhh, I thnk it made it worse, but I guess it can take up to 5 days for it to work.

Third, I had a wellness checkup with my vet this past week. I made the apt. as Beanie had been sneezing and itching constantly due to the pollen. He prescribed, WAIT FOR IT, Benadryl. Can you imagine??? He said that you already know that she will get sleepy since I told you to use it when I had to pull her nail out to keep her calm. I told him that I actually used it on her when my back hurt to keep her calm for a night and I felt terrible about it.

Anyway, I don't want to have to use the Benadryl to control her allergies every night so I am trying to wipe her down with baby wipes. I wipe her face, ears, paws, etc. I am hoping that helps to get the pollen off her.

Originally Posted by Magnus (Post 4339279)

Welcome back?... :p I'm glad things are working out with a different method. I'm not sure about sneezing but.. is your puppy's skin dry? I've seen people suggest adding fish oil to the kibbles or whatever dog food you feed. Also, perhaps spritzing might help? I use Kalaya Emu Oil.

For your back... have you tried getting a massage? Or perhaps acupuncture? Doesn't work for everyone but for some, it works wonders.

I hope your back feels better soon. :)

Originally Posted by jeane (Post 4339312)

hope you feel better// I have had one knee replacement and looking at another in the near future

Originally Posted by sportschick (Post 4339178)

Anyway, I don't want to have to use the Benadryl to control her allergies every night so I am trying to wipe her down with baby wipes. I wipe her face, ears, paws, etc. I am hoping that helps to get the pollen off her.

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom (Post 4339442)

Why don't you want to use the Benadryl? It may really help her. Allergies are so miserable...I've been there w/ my dogs and know what you're going through. We have a Vet Derm we see, and they are utterly amazing. As far as the wipes...it may help, but it's kinda like putting a band aid on a burst artery. Pollens are microscopic, and they're EVERYwhere...so wipes can help only a tiny bit.

If her quality of life is affected, I'd really suggest treating her. Start w/ OTCs (like Ben./Zyrtec/Claritin) - you have to give them for 2 weeks solid before judging efficacy. Those usually don't work well for most allergy dogs, but you never know so they're worth a try. If those don't work, then you start thinking of Atopica or allergy testing if they allergies are mostly year round. If seasonal, then you consider Temaril P or steroids.

Originally Posted by sportschick (Post 4339452)

Yes, I know what you are saying. I just don't like to have to give her something every day, even though it is such a small amount and it actually does help her, although she conks out from it.

Thank you for actually validating what I had been saying earlier in this thread. I got killed here for giving Benadryl to her to make her a little sleepy one night because my hip and back hurt so much, I just couldn't walk her or play with her. (Hence the title to the thread) I mean there was one poster who absolutely eviscerated me, insinuating I shouldn't have a dog because I actually gave her Benadryl. I tried to tell people that vets prescribe it all the time for allergies and that my vet had told me to use it.

Anyway, I might have to go with the Benadryl for a couple of weeks. I just got home from being out with her and she is itching and itching and making sneezy noises so I know the pollen is getting to her even though I wiped her down and combed and combed her with the flea comb to try and get as much of it off as I can.

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly (Post 4339466)

It's the drugging your dog for your relief and not the dog's that I think everyone was objecting to. OTC medications can have unintended consequences for anyone and to give a dog un-needed medication for your own convenience rather than training it or working out another solution is what is unethical. It's a line most people just won't cross with pets or children. There is nothing wrong with giving medication to an animal for its own medical needs, such as Benadryl for itching or allergies but doping for convenience sake when there are other workable solutions is not something a group of doglovers will ever condone.

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly (Post 4339466)

It's the drugging your dog for your relief and not the dog's that I think everyone was objecting to. OTC medications can have unintended consequences for anyone and to give a dog un-needed medication for your own convenience rather than training it or working out another solution is what is unethical. It's a line most people just won't cross with pets or children. There is nothing wrong with giving medication to an animal for its own medical needs, such as Benadryl for itching or allergies but doping for convenience sake when there are other workable solutions is not something a group of doglovers will ever condone.

Originally Posted by sportschick (Post 4339507)

O.K. so wait, I gave my dog Benadryl ONE night because my back hurt as opposed to my vet telling me to give it to her EVERY night with the same side affects and the same consequences is somehow different? SO you you CONDONE giving her Benadryl EVERY night, again with the same side affects, but don't condone giving it to her for ONE night. As I said, I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE IT TO HER EVERY NIGHT for her allergies. I did, however, with MUCH guilt, give it to her ONE night. I haven't given it to her for either situation because I DO NOT AGREE with giving myself OR my dog drugs on a daily basis.

Giving her the freakin Benadryl to calm her down had NOTHING to do with me training her. She IS trained. It had to do with what was best for ME so that I could put myself in the best position to continue to take care of HER. My back and hip need a break for ONE DAY. So I did what a lot of parents of human kids do, I gave her something to calm her down for that day. And YES, parents actually do give their kids things to calm them down. And Benadryl is one of the most benign things that parents have given kids.

I just cannot believe what I I am reading. I have gotten so much good info from you guys, but after this thread, I don't really know anymore. The ridiculousness of this is boggling my mind.

Does anyone else here see this??