JulesP

So are you guys feeding roughly the same meal everyday? When I did 100% BARF I used to feed a different sort of meal everyday. I thought the theory was that you are trying to mimic a more natural diet where the dog would find different things to eat each day. Never used to make food up in advance.

Yes I think he is a bit worried at school. He is very excited to get there but you can see it in the recall - quite slow and looking from side to side. Worked out yesterday that he is very scared of the area that I work him in at home. Don't know why at all. Was being super sooky and when I took him back in the garden he perked up and I did some more training and he was much better. I usually only formally train him at home or at dog school. Walks obviously involve some training. Do I baby him along? I don't think so. Unless he is super worried about something. I try to sound upbeat when he is like that though. No I don't expect him paying attention the whole time at class. If we are talking or if I decide he has done the exercise enough then we just relax (and have cuddles). Start word is usually his name and watch then it is go free at the end.

Thanks everyone. You have given me some things to try. He doesn't get breakfast before dog school so he should be a bit hungry. I was using frankfurts yesterday. One problem I am having with the food is he is convinced that he has to sit for food and that he can't budge. I haven't over trained this so not sure what is going on. It makes it hard to lure your pup for heeling etc when they keep trying to sit. I spent ages last week trying to get him to follow food and he is but very, very slowly. Any ideas on this?

There is lots of info around on training the bouncy, hypo type dogs but I am having trouble finding info on the super-soft sooky dogs. The dog school I go to is totally into the food reward, postive type training. Whilst pup likes food, he really isn't that fussed about his treats. I make sure I have very good treats too! So I assume that he doesn't have a high food drive. I've tried toys and again he will have a polite game but there is not much care factor. He has a slight prey drive but it is still very easy to control him whilst he is in prey drive. i.e. pony foal going nuts in the paddock and galloping around, pup didn't chase. Doesn't chase birds or the cats. Likes to lick and chew the cats but doesn't really chase them. I am finding it really hard to get him motivated and energetic at dog school. I skip around and try and razz him up but it doesn't really work. Any sort of correction really upsets him. Basically all he wants to do is be cuddled and have his tummy rubbed! The thing he shows most enthusiasm for is killing pot plants and digging!! Ummm and this is a border collie! Everyone thinks I have the best behaved dog and as a pet he is super to have around. But I want to trial him. Whilst training the recall today he lay down and went to sleep! He is 7mo btw, is healthy and is fed a premium/barf combinatination. Help!

Just had a look at my bag of Proplan Sensitive and there is no chicken or pork listed. There is animal fat listed, but it doesn't say which animal.

As I read this all I can see of my border collie pup is the white bit of his tail and lots of flying dirt! Time to build that sand pit for him. He has so much fun digging that I don't have the heart to tell him off.

MegaPet Store in Ringwood currently have a special on Proplan - buy 1 bag of 9kgs and get the second bag free. I got the sensitive skin one for $69

What gear have you got on your dogs? Just a collar and lead? If yes, you might want to go and get one of the head collar type gadgets (halti etc), all pet shops sell them. They will give you lots more control of your doggies and you will at least be able to give them some exercise whilst you are finding a trainer.

You need to train your visitors a bit too. My pup doesn't jump on me but does on visitors because they all keep patting him and saying it is ok. So I have to tell them what to do too.

Shudder.. I used to hate that! I used to use sticky tape to get the pesky hairs off the bra before washing.

I did full on Barf for about 4 years. I did the whole juicing of veggies, brewers yeast, kelp etc. I had always fed the dogs well so can't honestly say that I noticed a great improvement on Barf. They did love eating it though! The reason I stopped was a silly one I guess - I fed my bitch Barf whilst she was pregnant and one of the pups got stuck and died, thanks to a silly vet not believing me that something was wrong I nearly lost my girl. The pup that died was huge, all the pups were pretty big. I always wondered if it was because I had fed her too well. So just a psychological thing I guess and me feeding too much, not a problem with Barf but it did throw me. I went back to totally processed with some bones still. Now I do a modified Barf, good kibble and other stuff. The dogs look great.

Some kelp and brewers yeast would be good! Saw turkey (stir-fry type thing) at Safeway today for $7 I think.

Got home to a huge pile of dirt on the path, about a wheelbarrow load! Pup had been digging in the raised flower bed and flicking the dirt on to the path. Was darkish so couldn't see the full extent of the carnage but looks like a damn big hole! Serves me right for taking the dead bird off him this morning! That was keeping him entertained!!!

Let me see...My border puppy has demolised an entire fernery, wrecked another flower bed and is slowly destroying a lovely, gravel path. I get him outside for 10 mins with some pot plants and 4 died a sad death. Not sure were he is getting all the plastic pots from.... He likes to drop them off a raised flower bed and then pounce on them. My older border got a bit cross with this the other day as she was trying to snooze, she got out of bed, growled at pup, grabbed the pot and took it back to bed with her. Was very funny. :D My other male border was a gardener too. His best effort was an apple tree. It was still pretty skinny but was over 6 feet tall. I came home to a stump in the ground.

I gave up my grooming business as I was about ready to kill people. I used to show people how to brush their dogs too and it didn't do any good. One charming owner told me that 'she sold furniture and I groomed dogs'!!! I did her dogs fortnightly and they were always a total mess as they were maltese x and she wouldn't let me clip them and she wouldn't brush them inbetween. The couple of spoodles I did were actually my favourites as they were lovely little dogs with caring owners. The thing that bothered me about those really badly matted dogs was at least their owners cared enough to get them groomed but what about all those other doggies out there that the owners wouldn't even do that? shudder.

Not sure if anyone else has suggested this, it's a long thread, but ask your puppy's breeder were the pups are currently sleeping - in or out and go from there. My border pup was living in a stable before I got him and found the house very hot at first. He seems to have got used to it now. So if pup is in a nice warm place before you get it then take a while to get it used to the outside. I do think it is better to have 2 dogs or a dog and cat if you are a 'working mum'. Good excuse to buy more pets anyhow!! Good luck with your new pup!

I have a kitten and puppy as well, the kitten is a little guts she wants to get everyone's food! I feed them in seperate rooms. I have an older dog and older cat as well. The older pets are pretty polite. I have keep kitten away from older kitty at meal times as well.

I have never had any problems with my dogs bonding more to each other then to me. I think that is your fear? They love each other but push each other out of the way to get time with 'mummy'. When training I have to put the one I am not training inside or they will be heeling off lead at the same time as I am training the other one! Your older dog will tell the pup when he has had enough with playing etc. I try not to interfer too much with the pecking order. Just let them sort it out themselves. I guess some breeds of dogs may prefer other dogs over humans but not mine. I have border collies btw. I would never have one dog again. I like that they have each other for company if I am not around.

If you are teaching drop from a stand then you put the food on the ground under the dog rather then forwards in a L. So food to doggies nose and slowly down and backwards under the dog, not too far under. Doggie sort of folds down backwards and food ends up at his nose. Does that make sense? Sorry if that is how you are doing it.

Have you tried the Nature's Gift kibble? It is a semi-moist kibble so is softer. My doggies thought it was rather yummy including my pup who isn't that keen on kibble. Pup was weaned on natural foods and hasn't thought much of the expensive kibble I buy unless it has other stuff with it. He did leave his Innova to go and pinch my other dog's Nature's Gift though. First on the ingredient list is meat, it doesn't have corn or artificial colourings/flavours.

Hello, yep Kitty's leg is OK. She never usually has a mark on her, just lots of saliva! I was looking for Kitty yesterday and she has found a nice, warm safe place away from pup (on top of my horse rugs) so that is good. She has also been sleeping with my older border collie. I had kitty for a couple of months before I got puppy so she is well bonded to me. I also have them in the house at seperate times as it is too hard to train pup to stay in his bed with kitty wandering around. Not something I would recommend doing having a puppy & kitten at the same time but unfortunately I lost my old border collie not long after getting kitten and my other border was really fretting so I got puppy. It is chaos here!

Thanks for your reply. They are still being very rough with each other. Well Puppy is being rough. He is now grapping her by the scruff of her neck and dragging her around. Kitty still isn't getting out of the way though or really putting him in his place.

Hello, I am having a bit of trouble with my puppy & kitten. Kitten came first and is now 3 months old. Puppy is 11 weeks old and has been here about a month. Puppy and kitten will not leave each other alone. They are constantly 'play fighting'. The problem is that they are getting too rough for my liking. Over the weekend puppy ended up with a bleeding ear and kitten a sore leg. Puppy isn't growling and is wagging his tail during the 'play'. Kitten is growling. Kitten for some reason will not get herself out of the way. She could easily escape but stays put. She could also give puppy a good swipe and put him in his place (as the other cat did). I have been keeping out of it and hoping that they will sort it out themselves but I don't want either of them getting hurt. Anyone had this problem before?? Don't know why kitten doesn't run up a damn tree and escape!!!

Hello, I work full time and have a 10 week old border collie pup. It is my third border and I have always worked full time. I took a week off work for the first week and the second week I left work early. Pup is outside in the garden. He does have my older border for company and is having fun playing with the kitten! With the 3 feeds I do a morning feed, a feed at around 6.00pm and then one when I go to bed. I don't think any breed of dog is happy by itself and personally would always have 2 dogs. Goodluck!