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Grooming and more grooming is the only way to keep the hair. During coat change the dog needs to be thoroughly brushed and combed out every day. Weekly bathing and drying is a must (some people do twice a week) and you can put the coat into oil or condition heavily. This is a regime followed by show people and is quite demanding which is why most people with pets choose to clip the hair off rather than groom daily. Enjoy your babies

I used the "Megaderm" Omega stuff from the vets but discontinued after 6 months as the response was no better than I had achieved with fish oil capsules. Good luck with your crusty demon Sorry, couldn't resist

That "matting something shocking" was probably their coat change. An adult coat is generally harsher than the soft puppy coat which means their topknot will hold its shape better and your groomer will not grind their teeth trying to get it to sit nicely

Standards would usually go through coat change later than this - mine have all been between 10 and 12 months of age but it sounds like guard hairs coming through. Your mini's coat would have been soft as a puppy. Coat change is very noticeable in show dogs - agghhh all that hair and less so on pets with short clips.

Hi Miriam, I can only speak about the food allergy part ( which presented in my dog as a skin problem: small sores and frequent scratching and inflamed skin) I worked out what food she was allergic to by doing an elimination diet. To do this you need a food which is a novel source of protein ( I used Eukanuba fish and potatoe diet available from vets) The dog ate this and this only (no extras, no treats) for 10 weeks. There was a definite improvement. At this point you can reintroduce other foods one at a time to see if there is a reaction. I kept her on the fish and potatoe dry food but then looked for a raw meaty bone which she could tolerate which turned out to be turkey - lamb, beef and chicken give her an upset tummy. She was also allergic to any grains (rice, wheat etc). I am also careful with shampoos as she will react to these too. Since your dog responded so well to the food you made yourself maybe you should base you elimination diet on this (using a novelk source of protein (duck, venison anything your dog has not eated before and was not used in the manufacture of the dry food) One thing I have noticed about my dog is that she can tolerate the things she is allergic too if they are cooked.

You need a trip to the vet. Ears that dirty are not normal. It could be ear mites, a yeast infection or something else. A vet is the only person who can give you an accurate diagnosis

That is also the way I read it. The owner has chosen to sleep with the dog - are they getting up to take the puppy for a toilet break or is the puppy wandering to the end of the bed and peeing. A double bed is pretty big and baby puppies don't go that far before peeing.

Sas, why are you so certain that inadequate toilet training does not explain this behaviour? Just curious.

Spot on ! (lol at the pun) If a puppy's crate is too big they will do the same thing - sleep and eat in one spot and toilet in another.

Have to agree with "spotted devil". Deal with the obvious first. Baby puppies wee often and without a lot of warning more times than not. How often is this baby being toileted and does the owner wake up as soon as the puppy moves during the night? What is being done to establish good toileting habits?

Afghans usually don't hqave 6 monthly seasons.

If your dog has picked up the odd flea from somewhere then Capstars will be sufficient. If you have a persistent flea problem you need to break the fleas breeding cycle and also treat the environment (if you have fleas in your yard this is a nighmare) A longer acting product (frontline, Advantage, advantix)- probably in combination with (sentinel spectrum or one of the others that kills eggs). If your dog is being reinfested from its environment it could take 6 months of persistent effort to get rid of the fleas and the use of chemicals in the house and yard as well as treating any animals you have.

Forgot to add I trim my girls vulvas with a 40 blade as well Nothing worse than seeing a beautifully groomed poodle and a big hairy ....well you know.

Hi Melbell, just wondering how you got on at the vets?

Can't stand hairy doodles - I shave the whole lot with a 40 and those things that dangle between his legs too I must say he gets very wide eyed at this point. You can feel him holding his breath and saying to the others - for gods sake don't distract her she needs to concentrate.

Anyone used Andis MBG model (detachable blades)?

Melbel it is not unusual for dogs to be disorientated when they regain consciousness after a seizure - some are unable to see for a certain period. My boy bit me the first time he had a seizure (he is normally a gentle soul). I talk to him while he is coming out but stay some distance away and do not force myself on him - sometimes he seeks contact and other times he like some space. He will be very thirsty and hungry after a seizure and may pace around for several hours. Write down all you can remember about the seizure and make an appointment to see your vet. There is heaps of info on the net. The Canine Epilepsy web site is excellent. Good luck.

Can someone lay their hands on the name of the tests for thyroid function that are recommended for epi dogs - prefer actual tests you have had done here rather than what they recommend in USA.

One of mine had very active anal glands until I got on top of her allergies to food and fleas (allergic response also decreased further when she was desexed). Now I never have to do her glands.

I only have a problem when I clip non-poodle breeds. I apply a liberal amount of baby powder to areas such as creases of elbow, neck and chest . Also use the turbo dryer to blow hair from my apron, clothing etc.

Hi Puggles, just popped in to see if you had posted the new info about genetics and epi which you mentioned. Hope all the epi dogs out there are doing well. I tried the omega oils too and didn't find any benfit but I think I will give it another go and double the dose.

I check my dogs several times a week for fleas and if I see one all three dogs get a capstar and a top spot - and all bedding washed. I sometimes spray my carpet with a surface spray as well and vac. thoroughly. My dogs do not lay outside in the dirt and I think this really helps as once you have fleas in your yard they are very hard to eradicate. Good luck with the diet but as someone said dogs are often allergic to more than one thing . Fleas are right up there in the allergy stakes and with the regime I mentioned mine very rarely have fleas.

I crated my standards overnight until they were about 8/9 months old as I didn'y want them roaming around at night. If they crate happily it means they will be comfortable at the vets or groomers or any other time they might need to be crated. Although they might get the idea of toilet training quickly they certainly will have accidents for several months and chewing can also happen - they are only babies and still learning. I always get up and take a puppy to the toilet once in the middle of the night as I think it is a long time for them to hang on and they get to stretch their legs and I give them a pigs ears or similar to settle back in the crate with.

Make sure you are really strict with the elimination diet - I did it for 10 weeks and you have to be obssessive with the fleas - one bite will set an allergic dog off. Keep Capstars and Advantage on hand. I have heard the skin testing is expensive and often of little value as the results are inconclusive. What experiences have people had with the skin testing?

Any novel protein source is fine to try an elimination diet with. Duck is certainly a novel protein. You must feed the "eagle pack" and nothing else for the 6 week period to determine if your dog has a food related allergy - no treats - no little snacks from anywhere. I have a dog who has food allergies and she reacts to lamb, beef, roo, and chicken and all grains. We use pro-plan fish based biscuits and prior to that used Eukanuba fish and potatoe very successfully. Make sure your dog has no fleas (mine will react to just one flea) Use a good quality shampoo such as Aloveen and make sure you rinse completely and then rinse again just to be sure. You could also add omegas to your dogs diet using a supplement such as Megaderm or fish capsules - omegas have anti inflamatory properties so help with allergies.