TaylorStSox

The first couple weeks you have a pup, you should be focusing on potty training, learning bite inhibition, some minor training and getting the dog acquainted with the family IMO.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 9, 2012 -> 10:32 AM) The dog will most likely not be fully vaccinated til she is 10-12 weeks, so she shouldn't go there until then. After that, with proper supervision, it's fine. Don't take her into the area where the large breed dogs are. Take her into an area where there are other toy breeds or small breeds. There is no substitution for correct socialization. Weeks 8-16 are really important in a puppy's life...this is an absolute key period in her development. Some of the things you do at this age will affect her for the rest of her life. Quarantining her for 2 weeks at this point in her development is probably not the best idea. Socialization isn't about getting your dog used to some free for all. It's about getting your dog used to stimuli. You socialize your dog so it doesn't act a fool when it sees other dogs and people. You socialize your dog in training classes, where there are rules. Then, once your dog is socialized, it will know how to act in a park environment. It's like taking a kid in A ball, throwing him in the majors, and expecting him to succeed.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 9, 2012 -> 10:25 AM) Dog parks are indeed controversial. Apparently, you've had bad experiences with them. Depends on the dog park, depends on the owners at your dog park, depends on what you do as an owner at the dog park. I did research prior to taking my dog to the park. I took him to the largest one I could find, which has multiple areas sectioned off for dogs of different sizes. I take him there only at certain times and avoid certain dogs and owners if I have seen them behave poorly. That being said, my dogs have had wonderful experiences at the dog park and get much needed exercise. They learn how to deal with dogs of all different temperaments and dogs of all ages. They learn how to behave off of a leash. They are able to stretch their legs in a long run that would not be possible in any other environment. After an hour or 90 minutes at the park, they are satisfied, healthier in mind and body, and tired. Let me just say that I have Great Danes. My 15 month old is 36 inches at the shoulder and is all legs. He needs a place to run free. Obedience class or me walking him doesn't really accomplish that. That's fine for an adult dog. It's your risk. I wouldn't take a pup to a dog park though. They're just too uncontrolled. People don't understand dogs or their body language. They are disease ridden as well. It sounds like the dog is having some trouble adjusting to it's new environment, which is normal. That's why I would suggest the 2 week shutdown. You don't have to follow it to a T, but it's important for the dog to get accustomed to it's new home. That's the point. When the pup's about 10 or 12 weeks, I'd get into a puppy class and go from there. I would stay away from the Petsmart type of classes as well. Do some research and find a trainer that you're comfortable with.

An 8 week old puppy shouldn't even be leaving the house. It's just off the teet. Please, don't take an 8 week old pup to a dog park.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 9, 2012 -> 07:40 AM) Ok, honestly, the pup is just very young and it sounds like you've taken her to a very different environment than where she came. Please, please, please, do not follow this two-week shutdown bologna. You need to do exactly the opposite. You are in a prime socialization period for the dog. You need to be introducing her to as many people as you can. As soon as she is fully vaccinated, you get her to a dog park. If you have friends with small children, INVITE THEM OVER. Take the dog in the car once a day or so. Your dog will adjust to your environment, you just need to have some patience. But trust me, the answer is not keeping them in your house for two weeks, or keeping them on a leash all the time in your home, or refusing to allow them to interact with other living things for fear of overstimulation. The best book on the market, one I cannot recommend enough, is "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend," by the Monks of New Skete. The book is over 30 years old, but is recognized as a classic training manual for dogs and owners. Another great book (very similar, but maybe more focused on your particular issues) is "The Art of Raising a Puppy," by the same authors. There couldn't be a worse way to socialize your dog than to take it to a dog park. Socialization is about introducing your dog with rules. Dog parks are a madhouse. There's fights, disease, and idiot dogs with no manners. The average dog owner has no idea what they're doing with their dogs. Socialization is about introducing your dog to stimuli in a controlled manner. I wouldn't take any dog to any dog park, ever, unless I hated it so much I wanted it to fail. The 2 week shutdown is about giving your dog time to adjust and understand parameters. If you really want to get your dog socialized, take it to obedient classes.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Apr 8, 2012 -> 08:55 PM) Did end up going outside once, I think more out of fear she was on a walk. Seemed very scared to be walking outside. But am doing the praise thing now when possible. The other big thing, and I'm sure this is normal, is basically separation issues. She MUST be with you, touching you, etc. at all times. If you are on the couch, crying and jumping until she's up. You walk, she follows, then lays on your leg/foot. Close the door in the bedroom, bats*** crazy. I've been reading articles here and there but I generally trust the people in this thread more. Just ignore the bad behavior? Praise if she's quiet and let her know that's what gets your attention? I know she just got separated from Mom and family so we're not trying to ignore her, but I figure you can't let this sort of behavior continue to grow, as annoying as the whining and yelping is. Tonight we're going to try the clock/warm water bottle thing to see if it helps at all. Not expecting miracles, maybe just a step in the right direction. Ignore the crying. When the dog lays on your foot, push it off. That's your space. Your dog has to understand that. How old is the dog and how long have you had it? For the first couple of weeks you're with your dog, I wouldn't take it for walks. It's too much stimulation. Look up The Two-Week Shutdown. It's almost like a quarantine for a new dog that helps it adjust to it's environment and adjustment to a new family.

QUOTE (mcgrad70 @ Apr 8, 2012 -> 09:09 PM) If this team has to rely on that, they have no chance. None of those guys that started for the Sox could replace anyone in the Texas lineup tonight. Good grief this is going to be a long season and maybe a long decade unless we get rescued by a billionaire Sox fan. Imagine talking about Caberra and Fielder in our lineup rather than Flowers and Morel. Are you replying to your own post? I've never seen 2 people write like that, putting every statement on an individual line. You're the only 2 people on the interwebs that write like and you're posting in the same thread? I smell a conspiracy.

Rios also had a couple nice grabs in right. The guy doesn't hate us. He doesn't try to fail. He's not a pariah. He has a fragile ego. Hopefully he'll carry us to some wins while he's feeling good.

Who cares? Everyone understands the team is in a holding pattern. Cowley has an agenda. He's the last of a dying breed. He needs to generate interest. The Marty character is obviously a troll. Anybody who acts intentionally dense to garner attention is, by definition, a troll.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 23, 2012 -> 11:13 AM) White Sox pitchers led the majors in 2011 in pickoff attempts: White Sox: 897 Padres: 890 Dodgers: 889 Athletics: 856 Royals: 853 Yankees: 833 Rangers: 818 Braves: 803 Diamondbacks: 789 Marlins: 771 AJ's arm.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 21, 2012 -> 09:41 AM) He was projected by Williams and his staff to be the 3rd baseman. Look at all the comments when he signed, many were referring to his strong arm and surprising level of athleticism. We had just let Juan Uribe go, and Crede was down for the count too. It wasn't until Viciedo struggled mightily at Birmingham in 2009...leading to the trade in November of 2009 for Mark Teahen to play 3B and the simultaneous move of Gordon Beckham to 2B. You're not going to find a single comment from 2008/2009 saying otherwise. If he was signed to be the primary DH, then bringing in Dunn didn't really make any sense unless KW was so smart at that point that he knew he would trade Carlos Quentin, he of the MVP ability just one year prior, yet have the foresight to know he would ditch Carlos 2 years later and open up that spot in the line-up for Dayan. THE POINT is that we had 2 great defenders in Uribe and Crede at that position...and brought in two dubious ones in Teahen and Viciedo, when clearly the defense played on the left side of the infield in 2005/2006, 2008 and 2010 (when Vizquel replaced Teahen early in the season) were common threads to our best teams in the decade. Morel wasn't drafted with the thought he would become a more important player in the organization than Viciedo or take over the starting role as soon as 2011. And, he has to prove on the diamond that he can consistently defend like Ventura, Crede, Uribe, Vizquelo or even Ramirez/Beckham, etc. He didn't do that last year, not enough to make up for his low OBP and missing power for 4 1/2 months of the season. But please show me a quote from the White Sox where THEY (and not scouts of opposing teams) viewed him more as a DH/LF/RF and presented him as such at the time of his signing. We have one of the better PROJECTED defenders at 3B, that's it, until he proves it on the field for a full season at near Gold Glove-level. I think you're missing the point. The Sox didn't sign Viciedo to play a position. They signed his bat with the hopes of plugging him in somewhere where he wouldn't embarrass himself. They signed him to fill any one of several positions including 3rd, 1st, LF, RF or DH. I do have to admit that I replied to your post without even reading it all. It was classic tl;dr.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 19, 2012 -> 07:27 PM) It is kind of amusing that KW's and Bell's solution to the 3B problem was to sign/acquire/trade for two of the worst 3B in modern-day baseball history in Teahen and Viciedo. Throw in Wilson Betemit, and you have a true Axis of Evil Defense. Even more ironic that after watching Crede and Uribe all those years and the positive effect it had on our pitching staff, they still decided to go in that direction. I know you like to talk a lot, but this is completely disingenuous. He signed Viciedo for nothing more than that bat. He didn't sign him to "play 3rd." Despite the "axis of evil" we have one of the better fielding 3rd basemen in baseball starting. So, uh...good post.

Oh yeah... Has anybody heard of a freaking tripwire?

Since we're bringing logic into a post apocalyptic zombie world, here are things I would do differently... 1) Find a fuel tanker. Take it. 2) Rob some more gun stores. You're in the south. One thing they do have is a s***load of guns. 3) Not drive around in a 30 year old RV that breaks down all the time. 4) Not drive around in a 40 year old pick up truck. 5) Find some kind of protective gear like a motorcycle jacket. 6) Do some training. I'm fighting for survival. I'm probably going to get into shape. Find some swords and watch some kung fu flicks. 7) Fortify the farm. Jesus. Build another fence. 8) Maybe live in a building made of freaking brick. 9) Find a laptop and see if people are communicating via the wonderful new invention called the internet. 10) Spend a little less time talking about my feelings.

I actually lol'd during Rick's confession of killing Shane. Yeah, Shane was a crazy loose cannon who everyone was scared of. He lured me into the woods to try to kill me. It was him or me. Everyone's upset? WTF? Seriously? That doesn't mean it's not a fun show though. Then again, I'm not looking for a deeper meaning in a post apocalyptic zombie show. Also, I understand the episodes are slow, but if every episode was a zombie shoot out, it would get boring real fast.

Lori might have some issues with Shane's death because she knows Shane is the father. f***in Maury man.

If you watch any show with the goal of finding inconsistencies, you'll see some. I don't think The Walking Dead is trying to be innovative or smart, so I don't hold the show to those standards. It's just a fun, Sunday night show.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 15, 2012 -> 08:01 AM) I was in a high-quality food store yesterday and looked at quite a few different foods. The obvious new niche product is the grain-free dry food. Most lower to moderate priced foods are going to be made up of a lot of grain as a "filler," because it's cheaper than any other acceptable product they can get away with using. Unfortunately, almost all studies show dogs simply cannot digest grain well, which means it is serving very little purpose to them, other than making them s*** more. However, because replacing grain with a meat or plant-based product is more expensive for dog food manufacturers, grain-free foods are going to be significantly more expensive for consumers. Another niche product is food that includes only "human-grade" ingredients. This protects one from having a food that includes ingredients from the rendering industry, which may include animal carcasses and other disgusting things. Finally, some foods that are primarily meat-based are advertising that those meats are free-range or grass-fed, etc. this protects you from having meat from the larger "factory farms" in the formulation. Overall, it depends what your budget is, how active your dog(s) is, availability, as GT mentioned, and how highly you value/believe in a better diet for your dog(s). From what I saw yesterday, foods from Champion Pet Foods (Orjen, Acana), Fromm, Canidae, Now, Wellness, etc, are all solid dry foods. Not only can dogs not process grain, a lot are allergic. Some dogs develop skin issues and yeast infections from their food. Taste of The Wild is a good and fair priced feed. Also, most dogs in America are obese from their diet. A healthy, short haired dog should show muscle tone and the last 1 to 2 ribs. A dog that's too skinny will show hips.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 7, 2012 -> 05:21 PM) False and false. The west loop goes all the way to Ashland which is 3 blocks from the UC. The West loop is one of the more affluent and family friendly areas in the city at this point. Randolph street was just named one of the best restaurant areas in America, there are more James Beard award winners in a few blocks than there are in all of Indy. Good post. 2 miles east of the UC would be Wells or Franklin.

QUOTE (La Marr Hoyt HOF @ Mar 3, 2012 -> 08:46 AM) Guy can't hit anything ... seriously, that's pathetic, anyone with reasonable athletic skills can hit a golf ball, especially after trying for 2 months straight. Worst White Sox player? How could it not be Manny Ramirez or Sammy Sosa ... cheating scumbags Don't forget Pablo Ozuna in your "cheating scumbags" rant.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 29, 2012 -> 11:40 PM) There's a long history of Sox broadcasters who have been SOMEWHAT critical of Sox players before Stone, including DJ and Paciorek. I'll respectfully disagree about DJ or Chris Singleton being very critical. Farmer is more so (albeit radio, so not as heard)...and Paciorek was kind of in the middle as well. All things considered, pretty fair/objective (although Farmer's sense of self importance, Notre Dame allusions, name dropping and conservative rants get me annoyed at times). DJ is a BIT more critical now on radio...I think when he was doing TV and then regional/national TV broadcasting at time, he became very plain vanilla and tried not to offend anyone. Harry Caray, of course, and Piersall, were MUCH more polarizing in terms of their beliefs and opinions in the both...Jack Brickhouse, too. Adjust sarcasm meter. I was talking about the way it was written.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 29, 2012 -> 09:27 PM) I still say Hawk and Stoney and before Stoney DJ and before DJ Wimpy make more negative comments in one series than other teams' announcers make all season. They are homers but they do criticize once in a while. Most teams have plastic idiots who just complain about the calls that go against their team. Interpreter? Wtf does this say?

It is tax season.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 11:31 PM) Albert Belle and Jaime Navarro come to mind. Cory Snyder, but it's just because he sucked so bad with us. Steve Sax, never liked that dude at all. I loved Belle. He was a freakin monster. I'm also a Raiders fan, so I have no problem rooting for assholes.

QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Feb 28, 2012 -> 10:59 AM) You shouldn't assume zombieism works the same in The Walking Dead as other zombie books/films. GIANT SPOILERS SERIOUSLY I have no self control.