My dog was about a year old and trained very well when I got her. I noticed though that she was beginning to do things, I think, out of separation axiety. Since she was house broken I tried to work without the crate. Then I noticed that she was purposely doing things - jumping on kitchen counter and trash can episodes, when I would leave the house. I actually caught her doing it right after she thought I had left ( I closed door but didn't leave). She was at it, right away. I ended up getting the crate, but still resisted using it until it was just obvious I couldn't leave her out all day anymore. At first she refused to even smell it, much less enter it. I started using treats - I put her in there and used "Stay", and would give her treats. Now, piece of cake. She watches my actions in the morning - getting ready for work on weekdays. When I put shoes on and head out of my room, she RUNS to the crate because she knows I'm leaving. I've even reduced the treats to almost none, and she still does it. I can always tell when she's done something "bad" - she RUNS to the crate and crawls under her blankie. I've heard most dogs love the crate, once they get used to it. It's a safe harbor, I guess. I will say though that my Bijon HATED his crate. He never got used to it, and ruined it with "going" in it all the time. I didn't know at the time how to work with Bijon's - they are difficult. Now though I think it would work. I don't have him any longer because my job took me out of town and I couldn't take him. But I miss him terribly. Best wishes, and don't worry. Your puppy will still love you like crazy - especially when you get home and open that crate door.

It is hard to explain because there isn't one right way to wean. You just kind of take it one day at a time. Don't think of the big picture, think of one nursing, one day, at a time. Just something to consider, in a few weeks he'll be old enough for whole milk. I weaned my kids from breast to whole milk, skipped the formula. I actually started giving #2 and #3 whole milk a few weeks before their first birthday, but that's not the recommendation of pediatricians, so don't do that just because I did. My point is, it might be easier, if you can tough it out a few more weeks, to do that switch all at the same time instead of weaning him to formula in a cup, then switching the game on him to milk. He might go along with it better. Wether you start tomorrow or next month, I think I'd start with that 11:30 nursing, try to elimate that one first. Instead of nursing, feed him regular lunch and give him a sippy cup. I'd skip the whole bottle thing, he can learn the cup as well as he can learn the bottle and you won't have to figure out how to wean him off the bottle in the near future. If the cup is tough for him, try the sipper bottles with a straw. Feed him lunch, whatever balanced choices you usually offer him, and the cup of formula/milk. My kids only drank a few ounces from a cup when they were eating foods. When you've got that nursing eliminated, start replacing the 4:00 one with a little snack, graham crackers and milk/formula or something like that. If he is in the habit of nursing and wants that routine, try doing something active and fun after his meal to distract him, or cuddle up and read a book. Then he still gets the mom time, it just doesn't come with food or require you to undress. :o) I had more luck during that time if we weren't home during those nursing times. If we ate lunch out or at a park, he/she was distracted and never thought about nursing.

It's a conversational skill, to be able to change the topic of someone else's monolog in a friendly or at least diplomatic way. Their topic could be anything, which is why it's a general skill and not restricted to 'bragging' per se. Concentrate on your breathing, count to 10 internally or whatever you need to do in order not to feel too frustrated or angry or irritiated. Then try to add something that can take the conversation in a slightly different direction. It can still be about whatever the child did, only in a more general way; or about something else which might be at least a little related even if it's a bit of a tangent. Asking a question in that way can sometimes work to change the topic and let the talker keep on talking. Sometimes, especially with something that feels to the listener like bragging, aknowledgement can curb things. A simple kind of 'he's lucky to have you and you him' or something else that kind of pats her on the back verbally. Basically, give her some feedback that lets her feel like someone else on the planet notices her efforts, and her child's little new successes. Different people have different habits of expression, and different interpretations for what they hear. Try to grant your friend any benefit of the doubt because she may not be intending to be tiresome, or to brag. What you hear may be her best attempts to convey information about what's new for her child or in her child's life. Even if your method of delivery is very different try to react to her as you would like people to react to you when you try to share information about your own child. general conversational techniques will work, or be gentle with her and share your feelings (don't forget she is a 'friend' and a human being who is probably doing her best, just as you are even though she may have a habit you find irritating)

Hey guys, Thanks to all that took the time to answer. I appreciate it. I know my post was long and I'm not very good at communicating this way. Yes, costs are a consideration... but not the main thing. We have had communication "issues" in the past with this vet and her office staff and we are trying to rectify this. Although, I don't think we are getting anywhere. For instance, when we took the new pups in for the second set of shots (the rescue shelter had given the pups the first set of shots, but we missed the time frame by 6 days (it was unavoidable on our part) so the vet insisted that the first shots wouldn't count). After the exam she sent in a vet tech to finish up and we specifically asked what would be needed on the next visit for puppy shots (what we considered the 3rd set but the vet said they were the second set) and we were told that there was no charge for the actual visit because there was no need for an exam, it was considered just a follow up visit, and then given a list of shots needed. I had it figured at 57 dollars... and that is after i told them that it wasn't just the money due that was the problem, it was not knowing ahead of time and we are not willing to face surprise charges (when possible, of course, we are not talking about emergency situations or diagnostics). So... here we are with the pups in the exam room, on time, according to the vets strict shedule for time allowed between sets of puppy shots and just to be doubly sure I mention this to the vet tech who sees us and the pups before the vet does. She tells me there must be some confusion (picture heavy sighs and eye rolls from DH and I.. here we go again) and I explained to her that the confusion must be on their part, not ours, because we specifically asked on the last visit about this. She tells me this is "impossible'. I tell her it is not only possible but, sadly, highly possible and par for the course. Geesh! She then asks me who the vet tech was on that visit. I tell her I don't know her name (it's hard to keep track, there are new and different employee's, including this one, every time we visit and this is, again, after we have told them that we want all communication on record and that we neeed to know what to expect, moneywise, beforehand... surprises are no longer accepted) but it should be on the record, no? Silly me, eh? We tell her we want to speak with the vet.. she scurries off and comes back just as quickly...says things will be straightened out. Starts to leave again, as she does we spot the vet tech from the previous visit. We tell her that is her, she's the one that gave us the info. Much wispering and not so whipering conversations going on in the hall. At this point it is bordering on the absurd. I open the door and ask the vet to talk to us.. she says take it up with the office manager and walks away. My DH was boiling. Anyway, office manager tells us same thing... it is impossible that anyone could have told us this. At this point door is opened and i see the vet again... she tells me that this is not up for discussion and that if I don't agree with the exam fee and a few other puppy shots that we were, also, told previously that were not needed, that we can go to petco! I was furious and told her that even petco has scheduled shot days and if we left now, the pups would, again, be off the allowed puppy shot period, thus forcing us to negate the 2nd set of shots just as we had to negate the first set. Her reply was that a week or so wouldn't matter!! My DH had taken us to the vets office directly from work... he works construction, very hard work... he had not even had a chance to take his boots off. He was tired to begin with. Now he was exhausted and pis*ed, too. We gave up in sheer frustration. What was supposed to cost 57 dollars now costs us 147 dollars! Ugh! We didn't even have 147 dollars. It simply wasn't in the budget for that week. Don't forget, we did try to budget for this. Also, on the Rimadyl thing, I struggled with the issue when Toby needed it. I knew it was a risk but he was in so much pain that if there were no relief I would have had to put him down. He was crying at night and could never find a comfortable position. The Rimadyl was a miracle drug for him. My concern for the pups is because the vets office says that there isn't much risk for young pups. I'm not sure I believe that. And I do know that there are lots of other meds out there. What I need to know is which ones to ask for and which ones will work with less risk. There, surely, must be standard meds for post surgical pain? As to folks who say that the pups won't need pain meds? Maybe not for 5 to 7 days...but I do believe that they will need some pain meds. I don't subscribe to the thought that they (animals) don't need them even for such things as dew claw removal, neutering and tail docking (as newborn pups or older) and such. I remember when hospitals routinely did circumcision (no anestectic) on human babies. I didn't understand THAT thought process then, never mind that it came from doctors. It took a nurse to prove just how excruciating the pain actually was/is. She instinctively knew that the cries from these babies were cries of pain. Nobody listened to her. She taped recorded the different cries of babies. Clearly, you could hear the terror and pain in the cries. It seems so foolish to me that doctors would think otherwise. I know that when I had abdominal surgery I was very, very sore and in pain for more than 24 hours. I won't over medicate them. I'll observe them and see what they need for how long. But I also won't under medicate them. Hey, maybe I will end up taking the pups somewhere else. Still, I'd like to know ahead of time what pain meds are effective and not risky. Thanks again, Silly