littledrover

Have just started petsitting a 3 year old female Staffie and she keeps licking my 5 yo male English Cocker's face - he's not too happy about this and after a while he gives a low warning growl, result = full on aggression on her part. My cocker is VERY easy going and gets on with all dogs - small to large. At the moment I just use a sharp BAH as soon as she starts and she stops - problem is she keeps on doing it. Other than that they both get on fine. Have had this face licking happen with a couple of other Petsit dogs (Pomeranian and Irish Terrier/kelpie! both females) but they both ceased when given warning. My understanding was that face/lip licking was subservient - the Staffie does a lot of "grovelling" and belly showing but then goes into full on attack mode. Any ideas on what's going on here please? Is she seeing the warning growl as a challenge and automatically reacts?

Have tried searching the site but can't find anything. Was chatting with a woman who'd just returned from a visit to Melbourne and she mentioned a really good cafe in Port Melbourne that's especially dog friendly - has doggy menu etc. Have tried a google search but can't find anything recent (was something about My Dog Cafe but it seems to have closed) - anyone been there and know name and/or address? I'm a motorhomer and travel all over Australia so would also be interested in any other especially dog friendly places.

I used to attend a dog walking group at the Baxter Sports Grounds - think it's still on - It was an excellent group - all sizes of dog - all running off-lead and the owners walking and chatting together - cup of tea afterwards. My Cairn loved i! They used to have days for small dogs and also mixed groups. Was a nominal fee of a couple of dollars towards coffee and eats. There's a large dam there and some dogs go swimming as well - mine only paddled contact details were Guinevere's Social Walking Group (03) 9789 8475 Annie

Thanks to everyone for their help, in the end I saw the Vet and he put Skye on Clomicalm - after 4 days she stopped shaking and whining. I kept her on it for 2 weeks, then slowly stopped the dose - she has been her usual happy, bouncy self since

Thank you very much for all your responses. We tried having all 4 of us (my friend and her dog, myself and Skye) in the motorhome and as soon as the door was shut she commenced whining and panting - so at least that narrows things down a bit. Skye has travelled quite extensively with me - since she was 8 weeks old - so this is something new. The only thing I can think of is that when I became ill we were in the motorhome and I was carted off in an ambulance at 3am and Skye was left in the motorhome until 8am when she was taken to a Veterinary Clinic where she stayed for a week before my friend collected her - apparently Skye was in a sick and sorry state. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to acclimatise her to the motorhome (it's 28ft in length so isn't particularly cramped). I'm concerned at the panting and shaking as it's quite excessive. She is being fed there and also sleeping (eventually) there - it's been 3 weeks now and no signof change so far. She's definitely a stubborn terrier! thanks, Annie

My 10 year old female Cairn Terrier (Skye) recently had to spend 8 months with a friend and her dog because I was ill in hospital. This is the first time that Skye had been separated from me. I have now left hospital but am living at my friend's house, camped on her property in my motorhome the problem is that Skye now seems to be confused as to whose dog she is. She comes into the motorhome quite readily and eats her dinner there, however if I close the door she whines and pants continuously, when I turn off the light and go to bed she eventually quietens down and comes to bed herself, she starts whining and panting again at daylight. When she is let out she goes immediately over to the house. My friend says that when she comes into the house she says "hello" to her dog then goes and lies before the window in the sun as is her usual custom. Have tried ignoring her; letting her out and my friend not letting her into the house, when you do this she comes and sits and waits at the bottom of the step to be let in, after a few minutes she recommences the whining and panting. Does anyone have any ideas on how to tackle this behaviour. I need to stay here for another 3 months or so until my strength returns. Annie