Felix, you are lucky about your dachsies! Maks is a digger like no other dog I've ever owned! He doesn't dig under the fence, but only because he's chicken to leave the yard. He just digs up the ground everywhere he can. Potter digs, too, but not quite as bad. They are trying to get to grubs and lizards. Potter thinks when the lizards disappear into the grass, they have gone underground and he will tunnel straight down hoping to find them. I agree that any dog can be a digger, and it is often related to boredom, just as chewing can be. So training is essential. But there are definitely some breeds who are worse about it than others, and dachshunds are one. They were bred to go underground for badgers and rabbits, so digging comes naturally to them. That said, if I put my mind to it, I'm sure I could get them to stop. Mostly. Maybe. If you have your heart set on a lab, I say go for it. Try the lab rescue groups and look for a pup or an older, already trained dog that needs a home. They might be able to tell you with an older dog whether it has problems with digging or not. And you will feel great that you gave a home to a dog that really needs one. Whatever you do, don't buy a puppy from a pet store. They often come from puppy mills, and that is a terrible thing. Not to mention you have no idea what kind of genetic issues your new puppy might come with. If you don't want to do a rescue, I would recommend researching responsible breeders in your area who can provide you with information on the pup's bloodline. Good luck finding a dog that works for you and your family. You're about to embark on a wonderful journey that will touch the hearts of every member of your family. Marcia

Thanks for all of the awesome responses. The Emtek ones are neat --- and the German Shephard actually resembles my dog... which makes them fun and I am trying my best to get Emtek door knobs in my budget, so I know I'd have good luck with similar finishes. I had no idea about Cast of Characters --- those are super cool, the husky is a good look also, I've got to check out the rest of the breeds too.... The dog bones might be a good idea to keep it simple, I have to do more research on the finish possibilities for those.... but they might be perfect. The House of Antique Hardware bin pulls I LOVE too. I might do those in my boys' study --- they are really beautiful --- I'm anxious to go back and look through that site! The Doggy wallpaper is AMAZING.... I sure wish I could figure out a limited space to do that --- I love love love it! What awesome pictures on the Urban Grace website too. Thank you all for the great ideas and links --- These are PERFECT and just what I was looking for. I can't wait to go back and take my time browsing these.... (a good thing to do in this rainy, cold weather here). Rachel

Lydia, I just noticed that one card but will check out the Avanti line. Thanks. (I ordered Peter Pauper cards, but they haven't come yet.) This post was edited by socks12345 on Sat, Dec 7, 13 at 10:42

We have a dog who mimics the injury of our alpha dog, limping goong down stairs. It is an obvious behavior that is clearly not causing any pain; he simply learned it when he was a puppy by watching her. While I believe dogs are capable of many things I don’t think they have the executive planning ability necessary to fake an injury for profit (treats, praise) and don’t do that unless they have been deliberately trained by a human. I’d definitely not just get another opinion, I would change vets at the first opportunity. If the vet thought the dog was “faking” why did he prescribe rimadyl? Rimadyl is an ibuprofen that has to be dosed carefully. It is sold under various other trade names and the effective dose is based on the injury, age and weight of the animal. We have a dog with profound arthritis and some other forearm problems who has used rimadyl as necessary for several years without any problems. It’s not inherently dangerous unless your vet doesnt know what s/he is doing or unless a particular dog has a bad reaction to it. I won’t go into the advisability of supplements generally but circumin has been been studied to the tune of over a hundred million dollars (supported by the US government) and there are no proven results for it as it remains largely bio-unavailable when taken orally. The Uof Texas researcher who started a company based on his “research” into the compound has had all his papers retracted by the university for fraud. It won’t hurt you or your dog but be aware that it is not a pain reliever if that is what your dog needs.