PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Dear PetLvr Mailbag,

I have a pit lab mix that loves too much. She is about 55 lbs and strong as an ox. She has been trained to not jump on me when I come home and she won’t jump on my S.O., but she goes nuts and wants to tackle everyone that comes over. But even with me she bounces off of the furniture and wants to jump but tries to control herself. She is strong as hell and she jumps, licks and is generally a spaz with every adult able bodied. She is better with me, my S.O., little kids and usually with old or handicapped people. But everyone else, look out!

We call her Our Lady of Unwanted Facials. What can I do to get her to chill and let people come in with out being tackled?

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The subprime mortgage crisis, declines in some sectors of the economy, and a rising cost of living have led to more families moving out of houses and into apartments, townhomes, and condos. I see ads on Craigslist or in the newspaper almost every day, reading something like, “Free Border Collie. Have to move into an apartment and he won’t be happy there. Needs a yard.”

Does apartment living with a high-energy dog always spell disaster? Do all high energy dogs need a yard and a spacious house in order to be happy? While some dogs simply can’t function in an apartment, the majority of high-energy dogs can adjust to apartment living, and though the situation’s not ideal, it’s certainly a better plan than giving away a family member because of necessary changes in one’s living situation. More →