Dog lovers - anybody deal with rescue or difficult animals

[sunseeker]

submissive position was explained to me as the position that gave me dominance over Maverick but comfortable enough for him to calm down....

[sy]

We've had our dog for almost 10 years and whatever happened in the early days before I rescued him caused him to be unduly aggressive toward other animals and people he's unfamiliar with, including family members he doesn't see all that often, so he'll go nuts and try to bite them when they come in the door. The thing that we've learned over the years is that consistency is the absolute key. One slip up can cause weeks of re-teaching, and that while our dog is ungodly spoiled and has pretty much free rein of everything in the house, that came over years, and he knows that when I or my husband stop, stand and say 'NO' he stops and comes to stand by us, usually curling up in the submissive form. This took a good year and a half to teach him and like I said, it is a consistent thing. When he stands up on hind legs, he's almost as tall as me, so it's pretty scary if he gets all weird and acts like he's going to snap, so we learned very quickly that while we are 'mom and dad', we're also the alpha leaders in the pack and he knows that if I tell him no, it's no, and he's to sit down.

We did use the forcing to the ground method (well, my husband did, I'm not strong enough) and while he would struggle and sometimes get away, the message eventually got across. He did snap here and there in the early years, and he did bite me once (and broke my nose, but that was honestly my fault ). But both were due to him not knowing what I was doing and being scared. I learned to make my intentions very clear to him and make my expectations very clear. The trainers and vet we worked with also ingrained one very clear piece of advice: A dog knows when you are scared or angry, and you transfer that anxiety to the animal. If you are and you are dealing with an animal, there's a good chance no good will come of it. If you are scared, get help, or stop, stand back, take a breath, and force yourself to calm down. That worked wonders for me since his size would sometimes scare me if he started acting up and jumping on me. Those who said that you need to act as leader of 'the pack' are very right. You need to assert dominance over him. That's not bad or mean or scary, it's like being mom. You are his mom, and you need to act like a mom to a kid who's screaming and acting up.

It took a lot of patience and a lot of work for months when we got him, and to this day we still don't walk him much around the neighborhood around strange dogs, but he's gotten decent with people coming in the house and he's been awesome with us for many many years. He doesn't snap anymore, and while he liked to rough play, he only does it with my husband and will stop when told. He won't do it with me, my parents, or other people who come into the house. We've set boundaries for him, we stick to them, and don't waver.

I hope something in there helps, and I wish you a lot of luck. It's hard, and a lot of work, and I hope you can get through to him

[docandjeanie]

We have a rescue dog, she's a Halvanese/Poodle mix. We have had her since September of last year. We have had our little challenges too. We have no idea how she was treated, but we know it wasn't good. Puppy mill dogs never see or touch the ground in many cases. Our dog is a great dog, but does growl at us once in a while and tries to snap once in a while. We worked with her a lot on this behavior, and it is finally at a minimum. All of the advice you are getting here is great. You have to be the leader. You can try the spray bottle or the can of coins, these both are good and will help with these aggression issues. But even more important, walking the dog is really important, every day at least once a day or if you can twice a day. They need to release a lot of energy here, plus it puts their mind in the right place, and it allows them to work off all of that nervous energy. A dog that has been walked often is a calmer happier dog. Use blocking methods with food, toys and teach them you are in charge.

Kongs are great, I fill ours with peanut butter and bones and put it in the freezer, she gets this when she has been a really good dog for the day, she loves them, so this helps her stay on track. She also knows she won't be getting one when she is not on her best behavior.

Postive reinforcement is a great tool. Good luck, work through this with your dog, and don't give up. I volunteer at Philly'S ACCT shelter, we have just under 600 dogs right now, that no one wants and it's a very sad time for the unwanted dogs in the City of Philadelphia and I am sure for every other area too

[MammaBear]

We have a rescue dog, she's a Halvanese/Poodle mix. We have had her since September of last year. We have had our little challenges too. We have no idea how she was treated, but we know it wasn't good. Puppy mill dogs never see or touch the ground in many cases. Our dog is a great dog, but does growl at us once in a while and tries to snap once in a while. We worked with her a lot on this behavior, and it is finally at a minimum. All of the advice you are getting here is great. You have to be the leader. You can try the spray bottle or the can of coins, these both are good and will help with these aggression issues. But even more important, walking the dog is really important, every day at least once a day or if you can twice a day. They need to release a lot of energy here, plus it puts their mind in the right place, and it allows them to work off all of that nervous energy. A dog that has been walked often is a calmer happier dog. Use blocking methods with food, toys and teach them you are in charge.

Kongs are great, I fill ours with peanut butter and bones and put it in the freezer, she gets this when she has been a really good dog for the day, she loves them, so this helps her stay on track. She also knows she won't be getting one when she is not on her best behavior.

Postive reinforcement is a great tool. Good luck, work through this with your dog, and don't give up. I volunteer at Philly'S ACCT shelter, we have just under 600 dogs right now, that no one wants and it's a very sad time for the unwanted dogs in the City of Philadelphia and I am sure for every other area too

What is a kong?? And...will it work with teenagers?

[tigzoe]

We have a rescue dog, she's a Halvanese/Poodle mix. We have had her since September of last year. We have had our little challenges too. We have no idea how she was treated, but we know it wasn't good. Puppy mill dogs never see or touch the ground in many cases. Our dog is a great dog, but does growl at us once in a while and tries to snap once in a while. We worked with her a lot on this behavior, and it is finally at a minimum. All of the advice you are getting here is great. You have to be the leader. You can try the spray bottle or the can of coins, these both are good and will help with these aggression issues. But even more important, walking the dog is really important, every day at least once a day or if you can twice a day. They need to release a lot of energy here, plus it puts their mind in the right place, and it allows them to work off all of that nervous energy. A dog that has been walked often is a calmer happier dog. Use blocking methods with food, toys and teach them you are in charge.

Kongs are great, I fill ours with peanut butter and bones and put it in the freezer, she gets this when she has been a really good dog for the day, she loves them, so this helps her stay on track. She also knows she won't be getting one when she is not on her best behavior.

Postive reinforcement is a great tool. Good luck, work through this with your dog, and don't give up. I volunteer at Philly'S ACCT shelter, we have just under 600 dogs right now, that no one wants and it's a very sad time for the unwanted dogs in the City of Philadelphia and I am sure for every other area too

What is a kong?? And...will it work with teenagers?

HAHA! A Kong is a pretty thick piece of plastic that you can stuff various things in to occupy time of a dog. Most people do peanut butter because it is really sticky and can keep them busy for a long time.

[browneyedgrltx]

Have you taken the dog to the vet to check for medical conditions that could be causing the behavior? I know that sounds crazy but I have a pit/lab mix that is 8 years old. We've had her since she was 8 weeks old and adopted through a shelter. She started acting more and more aggressive toward the other two dogs as well as us and it kept getting worse. Well then the behavior just became strange because she would just pee right on the floor in front of us! She's been trained to go outside for a very long time. We took her to the vet and found she had a tooth that needed to be cleaned because of tartar buildup and she has a thyroid problem that was out of control. We were suspicious it was diabetes but they did a full blood workup and found out about the thyroid. She now on medication (probably for the rest of her life) and happier than ever. All the behavior problems went away and she is better than ever and seems genuinely happy again. I wish I had thought to take her to the vet sooner and I feel somewhat bad that I didn't suspect a medical condition sooner.

[Dutch Harbor PH]

We have a corgi pup who probably came from a puppy mill. We are having a terrible problem with aggression. I do not want to give him up so I need some serious help/advice. We are working with a trainer and his obedience skills are excellent. However, I am afraid he will bite somebody. He is only 7 months old so I am hoping there is still a chance to turn this around. If somebody can help I'll go into further details.

*Caveat* I haven't read all of the responses so throw mine in the bin if tis already been said.....

You have a Corgi...... this is a herding breed......as in this dog has been selectivly breed with hearding instincts and skills as the desired behaviours..... their primary tool for herding is to nip at the flanks or heels of their herd......this is what they do......can't blame the dog for being the dog he/she is.......you are now part of her/his herd.....

[tigzoe]

We have a corgi pup who probably came from a puppy mill. We are having a terrible problem with aggression. I do not want to give him up so I need some serious help/advice. We are working with a trainer and his obedience skills are excellent. However, I am afraid he will bite somebody. He is only 7 months old so I am hoping there is still a chance to turn this around. If somebody can help I'll go into further details.

*Caveat* I haven't read all of the responses so throw mine in the bin if tis already been said.....

You have a Corgi...... this is a herding breed......as in this dog has been selectivly breed with hearding instincts and skills as the desired behaviours..... their primary tool for herding is to nip at the flanks or heels of their herd......this is what they do......can't blame the dog for being the dog he/she is.......you are now part of her/his herd.....

That is what a corgi does best!

[karat]

What is a kong?? And...will it work with teenagers?

If you attach a rope to it... and use it wisely

[Dutch Harbor PH]

What is a kong?? And...will it work with teenagers?

If you attach a rope to it... and use it wisely

.....1 kong, 1 spoonful of peanut butter in the Kong.......a full evenings entertainment.......

[OceanCityGirl]

He was at the vet for a check up and is scheduled to go back tomorrow. Only now he is clearly ill. I am hoping it is nothing serious but I'm very concerned. As I said, I don't really trust where he came from. His eyes are swollen, red and runny. He is squinting all of the time. He's also lethargic much of the day. Of course it is a Sunday.
About him being a corgi, I know they are herders. If he was just nipping at our ankles I wouldn't be worried. He does try to herd us and the cat. But this is different. This is random attacks of growling, snarling and snapping. He will love a person one minute, then they come around the corner and that is how he reacts. Then you get him settled down and he is submissive to the person and very loving.
Prior to his getting sick we were using a spray bottle with wonderful results. We had a couple really great days with an almost complete reversal in the behavior. If he growled it was usually sufficient to show him the bottle and say no. He walked better on the leash and was great with his training and NILIF program.
I would get another corgi in a heart beat. I know that most of these problems come from his early months or breeding problems. But when he is good he is great, one of the smartest dogs I've ever seen.
I hope I'm wrong about being concerned about something severe like distemper. It could be a very bad case of conjuctivitis. We are bathing his eyes with warm water and giving him a very small dose of benadryl with some improvement so hopefully that is it. The lethargy is what is worrying me though.

[tigzoe]

He was at the vet for a check up and is scheduled to go back tomorrow. Only now he is clearly ill. I am hoping it is nothing serious but I'm very concerned. As I said, I don't really trust where he came from. His eyes are swollen, red and runny. He is squinting all of the time. He's also lethargic much of the day. Of course it is a Sunday.
About him being a corgi, I know they are herders. If he was just nipping at our ankles I wouldn't be worried. He does try to herd us and the cat. But this is different. This is random attacks of growling, snarling and snapping. He will love a person one minute, then they come around the corner and that is how he reacts. Then you get him settled down and he is submissive to the person and very loving.
Prior to his getting sick we were using a spray bottle with wonderful results. We had a couple really great days with an almost complete reversal in the behavior. If he growled it was usually sufficient to show him the bottle and say no. He walked better on the leash and was great with his training and NILIF program.
I would get another corgi in a heart beat. I know that most of these problems come from his early months or breeding problems. But when he is good he is great, one of the smartest dogs I've ever seen.
I hope I'm wrong about being concerned about something severe like distemper. It could be a very bad case of conjuctivitis. We are bathing his eyes with warm water and giving him a very small dose of benadryl with some improvement so hopefully that is it. The lethargy is what is worrying me though.

I am hoping he will be fine. What is the dew point where you are, because that might have something to do with it. Even with an a/c, the heat really does a number on them. If the benadryl is working, hopefully it is just an allergy issue.

Glad to hear that the water bottle is working for some of the issues. And yes, they are very smart...hahaha, sometimes too smart

[OceanCityGirl]

The heat was tough on him, when it was 110, even in the ac and he hated walking anywhere. However, it has been much better for the past two days and it is downright chilly in here if I forget to lower the air. No, he's sick. His eyes are puffy and they were initially swollen mostly closed. It is getting better. There is some green/yellow discharge and the whites are red. He is lethargic and cranky. More then usual haha. He is not eating his food but he's eating any treat or table food any one would give him and I chop up a hotdog in his food and stir it around. No matter how small I chop it up he manages to leave most of his food and eat the hotdog, so it could be that he has realized he's getting what he wants right now. He's drinking, going to the bathroom normally. But occasionally he makes a choking/gagging noise.

[tigzoe]

The heat was tough on him, when it was 110, even in the ac and he hated walking anywhere. However, it has been much better for the past two days and it is downright chilly in here if I forget to lower the air. No, he's sick. His eyes are puffy and they were initially swollen mostly closed. It is getting better. There is some green/yellow discharge and the whites are red. He is lethargic and cranky. More then usual haha. He is not eating his food but he's eating any treat or table food any one would give him and I chop up a hotdog in his food and stir it around. No matter how small I chop it up he manages to leave most of his food and eat the hotdog, so it could be that he has realized he's getting what he wants right now. He's drinking, going to the bathroom normally. But occasionally he makes a choking/gagging noise.

If the discharge from the eyes is green, certainly sounds like conjunctivitis to me. Hopefully, they gave you a little eye ointment to help clear that up. The benadryl might be making him lethargic. Dogs will either get really hyper on it, or lethargic. How much does he weigh and how much are you giving him?

[OceanCityGirl]

The heat was tough on him, when it was 110, even in the ac and he hated walking anywhere. However, it has been much better for the past two days and it is downright chilly in here if I forget to lower the air. No, he's sick. His eyes are puffy and they were initially swollen mostly closed. It is getting better. There is some green/yellow discharge and the whites are red. He is lethargic and cranky. More then usual haha. He is not eating his food but he's eating any treat or table food any one would give him and I chop up a hotdog in his food and stir it around. No matter how small I chop it up he manages to leave most of his food and eat the hotdog, so it could be that he has realized he's getting what he wants right now. He's drinking, going to the bathroom normally. But occasionally he makes a choking/gagging noise.

If the discharge from the eyes is green, certainly sounds like conjunctivitis to me. Hopefully, they gave you a little eye ointment to help clear that up. The benadryl might be making him lethargic. Dogs will either get really hyper on it, or lethargic. How much does he weigh and how much are you giving him?

He weighs around 25lbs and I gave him half a small pill twice a day. However, I only gave it to him in the am yesterday and he was still lethargic all day and now this am. It looks like conjunctivitis but I don't know if he would be this lethargic. Also the gagging/choking sound he is making is concerning me and occasionally it sounds like a wheeze. I over worry/think things so I'm hoping it's just me making too much of things. He could have an allergic reaction causing some post nasal drip. Son said he did this noise while he was sleeping last night too. It's not that he lost his appetite I think. He follows us around hoping we will give him something. He just won't eat his dry food. This morning I scrambled two eggs and mixed them into it. He inhaled the whole bowl. Son will be home soon and we'll take him to the vet. I hope it's ok. I also hope it won't get too expensive. I don't mind paying for some antibiotics and a blood test. But I can't spend thousands doing tests to try to find the problem. And I feel terrible. We signed up for dog insurance but it doesn't kick in for 30 days.

[tigzoe]

The heat was tough on him, when it was 110, even in the ac and he hated walking anywhere. However, it has been much better for the past two days and it is downright chilly in here if I forget to lower the air. No, he's sick. His eyes are puffy and they were initially swollen mostly closed. It is getting better. There is some green/yellow discharge and the whites are red. He is lethargic and cranky. More then usual haha. He is not eating his food but he's eating any treat or table food any one would give him and I chop up a hotdog in his food and stir it around. No matter how small I chop it up he manages to leave most of his food and eat the hotdog, so it could be that he has realized he's getting what he wants right now. He's drinking, going to the bathroom normally. But occasionally he makes a choking/gagging noise.

If the discharge from the eyes is green, certainly sounds like conjunctivitis to me. Hopefully, they gave you a little eye ointment to help clear that up. The benadryl might be making him lethargic. Dogs will either get really hyper on it, or lethargic. How much does he weigh and how much are you giving him?

He weighs around 25lbs and I gave him half a small pill twice a day. However, I only gave it to him in the am yesterday and he was still lethargic all day and now this am. It looks like conjunctivitis but I don't know if he would be this lethargic. Also the gagging/choking sound he is making is concerning me and occasionally it sounds like a wheeze. I over worry/think things so I'm hoping it's just me making too much of things. He could have an allergic reaction causing some post nasal drip. Son said he did this noise while he was sleeping last night too. It's not that he lost his appetite I think. He follows us around hoping we will give him something. He just won't eat his dry food. This morning I scrambled two eggs and mixed them into it. He inhaled the whole bowl. Son will be home soon and we'll take him to the vet. I hope it's ok. I also hope it won't get too expensive. I don't mind paying for some antibiotics and a blood test. But I can't spend thousands doing tests to try to find the problem. And I feel terrible. We signed up for dog insurance but it doesn't kick in for 30 days.

Is it possible that it could be kennel cough? Have you had him long? Does he spend time around other dogs? If you keep adding other food to his normal food, that might create a much more finicky dog.

[OceanCityGirl]

The heat was tough on him, when it was 110, even in the ac and he hated walking anywhere. However, it has been much better for the past two days and it is downright chilly in here if I forget to lower the air. No, he's sick. His eyes are puffy and they were initially swollen mostly closed. It is getting better. There is some green/yellow discharge and the whites are red. He is lethargic and cranky. More then usual haha. He is not eating his food but he's eating any treat or table food any one would give him and I chop up a hotdog in his food and stir it around. No matter how small I chop it up he manages to leave most of his food and eat the hotdog, so it could be that he has realized he's getting what he wants right now. He's drinking, going to the bathroom normally. But occasionally he makes a choking/gagging noise.

If the discharge from the eyes is green, certainly sounds like conjunctivitis to me. Hopefully, they gave you a little eye ointment to help clear that up. The benadryl might be making him lethargic. Dogs will either get really hyper on it, or lethargic. How much does he weigh and how much are you giving him?

He weighs around 25lbs and I gave him half a small pill twice a day. However, I only gave it to him in the am yesterday and he was still lethargic all day and now this am. It looks like conjunctivitis but I don't know if he would be this lethargic. Also the gagging/choking sound he is making is concerning me and occasionally it sounds like a wheeze. I over worry/think things so I'm hoping it's just me making too much of things. He could have an allergic reaction causing some post nasal drip. Son said he did this noise while he was sleeping last night too. It's not that he lost his appetite I think. He follows us around hoping we will give him something. He just won't eat his dry food. This morning I scrambled two eggs and mixed them into it. He inhaled the whole bowl. Son will be home soon and we'll take him to the vet. I hope it's ok. I also hope it won't get too expensive. I don't mind paying for some antibiotics and a blood test. But I can't spend thousands doing tests to try to find the problem. And I feel terrible. We signed up for dog insurance but it doesn't kick in for 30 days.

Is it possible that it could be kennel cough? Have you had him long? Does he spend time around other dogs? If you keep adding other food to his normal food, that might create a much more finicky dog.

Son took him to the vet tonight. The don't really know what is going on. And he did the cough/gag thing while he was there. Or they didn't want to tell son everything they are concerned about. They gave him oral antibiotics and eye drops. His lungs were clear. But I'm assuming if it's kennel cough the antibiotics will help. He had a much better day today even though his eyes still didn't look good. Although he slept alot he got up and ran around and played several times, including right now. He was back to stealing socks and trying to frighten daughters boyfriend. He hasn't done this in several days. But the cough/gag thing is getting a bit worst as he's running around more.
I am concerned about him becoming a fussy eater when we are giving him things he usuallly won't get. But I was very concerned because he wasn't eating anything on top of being sick and just laying there. So this is a problem we will have to deal with, hopefully in a few days when he's recovered. I may end up including a tiny bit of canned food into his diet mixed with the dry. He's not going to get big so it wouldn't be expensive.
Now that I'm listening to the gagging noise get worst it does sound a bit like kennel cough. I am assuming that the antibiotic they gave is the typical treatment for this. Freaking Puppy Mills. Hopefully son has learned a bit about this now.

[tigzoe]

The heat was tough on him, when it was 110, even in the ac and he hated walking anywhere. However, it has been much better for the past two days and it is downright chilly in here if I forget to lower the air. No, he's sick. His eyes are puffy and they were initially swollen mostly closed. It is getting better. There is some green/yellow discharge and the whites are red. He is lethargic and cranky. More then usual haha. He is not eating his food but he's eating any treat or table food any one would give him and I chop up a hotdog in his food and stir it around. No matter how small I chop it up he manages to leave most of his food and eat the hotdog, so it could be that he has realized he's getting what he wants right now. He's drinking, going to the bathroom normally. But occasionally he makes a choking/gagging noise.

If the discharge from the eyes is green, certainly sounds like conjunctivitis to me. Hopefully, they gave you a little eye ointment to help clear that up. The benadryl might be making him lethargic. Dogs will either get really hyper on it, or lethargic. How much does he weigh and how much are you giving him?

He weighs around 25lbs and I gave him half a small pill twice a day. However, I only gave it to him in the am yesterday and he was still lethargic all day and now this am. It looks like conjunctivitis but I don't know if he would be this lethargic. Also the gagging/choking sound he is making is concerning me and occasionally it sounds like a wheeze. I over worry/think things so I'm hoping it's just me making too much of things. He could have an allergic reaction causing some post nasal drip. Son said he did this noise while he was sleeping last night too. It's not that he lost his appetite I think. He follows us around hoping we will give him something. He just won't eat his dry food. This morning I scrambled two eggs and mixed them into it. He inhaled the whole bowl. Son will be home soon and we'll take him to the vet. I hope it's ok. I also hope it won't get too expensive. I don't mind paying for some antibiotics and a blood test. But I can't spend thousands doing tests to try to find the problem. And I feel terrible. We signed up for dog insurance but it doesn't kick in for 30 days.

Is it possible that it could be kennel cough? Have you had him long? Does he spend time around other dogs? If you keep adding other food to his normal food, that might create a much more finicky dog.

Son took him to the vet tonight. The don't really know what is going on. And he did the cough/gag thing while he was there. Or they didn't want to tell son everything they are concerned about. They gave him oral antibiotics and eye drops. His lungs were clear. But I'm assuming if it's kennel cough the antibiotics will help. He had a much better day today even though his eyes still didn't look good. Although he slept alot he got up and ran around and played several times, including right now. He was back to stealing socks and trying to frighten daughters boyfriend. He hasn't done this in several days. But the cough/gag thing is getting a bit worst as he's running around more.
I am concerned about him becoming a fussy eater when we are giving him things he usuallly won't get. But I was very concerned because he wasn't eating anything on top of being sick and just laying there. So this is a problem we will have to deal with, hopefully in a few days when he's recovered. I may end up including a tiny bit of canned food into his diet mixed with the dry. He's not going to get big so it wouldn't be expensive.
Now that I'm listening to the gagging noise get worst it does sound a bit like kennel cough. I am assuming that the antibiotic they gave is the typical treatment for this. Freaking Puppy Mills. Hopefully son has learned a bit about this now.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing

If it is kennel cough, they might have given him clavamox, which will help. Sometimes you will need to add a cough suppressant on top of that. You certainly want to make sure he is eating when you give him that because it can really do a number on his stomach. If he does cough more after exercise, that does make me want to lean towards kennel cough. It can lay dormant for up to 8 weeks before any signs are seen.

[OceanCityGirl]

The heat was tough on him, when it was 110, even in the ac and he hated walking anywhere. However, it has been much better for the past two days and it is downright chilly in here if I forget to lower the air. No, he's sick. His eyes are puffy and they were initially swollen mostly closed. It is getting better. There is some green/yellow discharge and the whites are red. He is lethargic and cranky. More then usual haha. He is not eating his food but he's eating any treat or table food any one would give him and I chop up a hotdog in his food and stir it around. No matter how small I chop it up he manages to leave most of his food and eat the hotdog, so it could be that he has realized he's getting what he wants right now. He's drinking, going to the bathroom normally. But occasionally he makes a choking/gagging noise.

.

If the discharge from the eyes is green, certainly sounds like conjunctivitis to me. Hopefully, they gave you a little eye ointment to help clear that up. The benadryl might be making him lethargic. Dogs will either get really hyper on it, or lethargic. How much does he weigh and how much are you giving him?

He weighs around 25lbs and I gave him half a small pill twice a day. However, I only gave it to him in the am yesterday and he was still lethargic all day and now this am. It looks like conjunctivitis but I don't know if he would be this lethargic. Also the gagging/choking sound he is making is concerning me and occasionally it sounds like a wheeze. I over worry/think things so I'm hoping it's just me making too much of things. He could have an allergic reaction causing some post nasal drip. Son said he did this noise while he was sleeping last night too. It's not that he lost his appetite I think. He follows us around hoping we will give him something. He just won't eat his dry food. This morning I scrambled two eggs and mixed them into it. He inhaled the whole bowl. Son will be home soon and we'll take him to the vet. I hope it's ok. I also hope it won't get too expensive. I don't mind paying for some antibiotics and a blood test. But I can't spend thousands doing tests to try to find the problem. And I feel terrible. We signed up for dog insurance but it doesn't kick in for 30 days.

Is it possible that it could be kennel cough? Have you had him long? Does he spend time around other dogs? If you keep adding other food to his normal food, that might create a much more finicky dog.

Son took him to the vet tonight. The don't really know what is going on. And he did the cough/gag thing while he was there. Or they didn't want to tell son everything they are concerned about. They gave him oral antibiotics and eye drops. His lungs were clear. But I'm assuming if it's kennel cough the antibiotics will help. He had a much better day today even though his eyes still didn't look good. Although he slept alot he got up and ran around and played several times, including right now. He was back to stealing socks and trying to frighten daughters boyfriend. He hasn't done this in several days. But the cough/gag thing is getting a bit worst as he's running around more.
I am concerned about him becoming a fussy eater when we are giving him things he usuallly won't get. But I was very concerned because he wasn't eating anything on top of being sick and just laying there. So this is a problem we will have to deal with, hopefully in a few days when he's recovered. I may end up including a tiny bit of canned food into his diet mixed with the dry. He's not going to get big so it wouldn't be expensive.
Now that I'm listening to the gagging noise get worst it does sound a bit like kennel cough. I am assuming that the antibiotic they gave is the typical treatment for this. Freaking Puppy Mills. Hopefully son has learned a bit about this now.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing

If it is kennel cough, they might have given him clavamox, which will help. Sometimes you will need to add a cough suppressant on top of that. You certainly want to make sure he is eating when you give him that because it can really do a number on his stomach. If he does cough more after exercise, that does make me want to lean towards kennel cough. It can lay dormant for up to 8 weeks before any signs are seen.

We've had him about eight weeks. I have actually been hearing the cough off and on most of the time but it seemed to be tied in with things he was doing like pulling on his leash or playing really hard and it never really seemed like a cough, more like the noise they make when they pull too hard on a leash and are excited. They gave him clavamox so I guess they were suspecting that too. And he coughs more after exercise and when he's sleeping. His eyes are looking a bit better after two doses of the drops.
Oh, and if I could train him to only growl at the daughter's bf I would probably do that. The one friend who was making me nuts is afraid of him and doesn't come over at all. I'm not complaining about that.

[tigzoe]

HAHAHAHA! There are times when owning dogs (or being owned by a dog) is a darn good thing!

Sounds like you are getting things under control. Let's hope the clav kicks in and clears up the cough. Once he is feeling better, maybe he will be a even more responsive to training.