Lowchenlove

I have five children Frank (although a lot older than yours) and I would not allow them to play with a young puppy running etc unless that puppy had been trained to not bite/mouth/jump up and even then I would want to be there to supervise things. It is still a puppy and is excited by the movements etc etc. compound this with other issues it may have with your son and it sounds like this was almost inevitable. Also sounds as if your son needs some training on how to be around dogs and how to treat them correctly....you said he was cruel to the dog...in what way? Be very wary, children are strange creatures and when your back is turned it is very possible that your son could be tormenting or being too rough to the dog without your knowledge. I don`t go to obedience clases but I do train my dogs on a daily basis. It isn`t hard and helps strengthen the bond between you. Dogs need boundaries and need to be taught just like children do.

I use aloveen. I use conditioner on one dog because his fur is very thick (but also very, very soft, it feels like velvet) and it helps when I am brushing him. I blow dry them after a bath and usually bath them about once a month. I brush them 2-3 times a week. With Ted when his coat is long I brush him daily. I also use a mars coat king on Tyke and Ted every three weeks to remove the undercoat. The frequent grooming helps keep their coats in immaculate condition and enables me to check for ticks etc. I don`t use any spays, de tangling stuff etc etc. They all love being groomed and are so used to being handled that you can do anything to them and they will all just stand for ages and ages.

I ran out last night. :D I knew I was out. Got in from work expecting to go shopping and waited and waited for my son to return home from his mates house. By the time he rocked up it was too late to go to the butchers. I didn`t even have an egg or rice in the cupboards. Had to do a late night drive out to the garage and get some tinned crap. Dogs loved it but I felt so very, very guilty - don`t feel guilty if I run out of food for the kids though..strange that.

Hi , There is a huge thread at the top of this forum about fleas. Personally I find fidos shampoo worse than useless for preventing fleas. I use advantix spot on the neck once a month. You will have to find out if it is suitable for pups though. I can`t even remember the last time I saw a flea on any of my dogs, it is definitely the best thing I have used.

For this breed of dog we charge $45. This is: First clip Bath Blow dry Nails Ears Eyes de gunked, Final clip and scissoring We do the groin and under arms with a 10 If the coat is extremely matted we charge a matt fee of $5 (but to be honest hardly ever enforce it) and if the dog has fleas we automatically use a flea rinse and charge $5 for that (and do enforce this). We take about 1hr 30 but could be longer if there are a lot of matts. We try to not stress the dog out so will give it a break if it is geting too stressed.

When Tyke was a pup white vinegar worked for me, also used nilodor to eliminate any lingering smells. First I would soak up the wee with kitchen towel, would stand on it to ensure I had got as much up as possible - amazing how much more comes out. Am also a huge fan of cleaning carpets regularly.

When I first got Ted he was terrified of small children. Luckily my own kids are all teenagers so it wasn`t a problem at first but if we had visitors with kids he would tremble and hide under the nearest bit of furniture. 18 months later and he is brilliant and a changed dog. I am lucky that he is not an aggressive dog but basically I have closely supervised every approach that children have made towards him. I did not reinforce his fear by comforting him or picking him up when he was scared but almost "jollied" him out of it. Every time he has allowed a small child to pat him I have lavished him with praise and treats so that he associates it with good stuff. You don`t say how old your pup is but don`t they go through a period of time when they get extra scared? Where is Erny - he would know this. I agree when you have the cute fluffy type dogs it is important to get them used to kids because you will constantly be approached by them and it does make life a lot easier. I am not an expert but pehaps find a child he can get to know well and then slowly allow him to meet more.

It is early days for me but initially I looked into the franchise option. A lot of things put me off but the main thing was they said they gave three weeks training with an existing franchisee to train in grooming. I seriously didn`t think it was enough. I did a lot of research on the courses that Tafe offer and local courses but kept rejecting them for one reason or another. I also researched most of my local salons, mobile groomers etc to see what makes a good groomer - I found a lot of them "not up to my standard". There are not a lot of jobs around with training included and when you do see them they are part time or miles away. I just got incredibly lucky and found a job in the salon that I had already decided was the best. I can`t imagine training that is any better than that I am receiving. I would advise you if you are thinking about your own business to offer voluntarily in a salon and find out if you actually do enjoy it I agree with the bad back - I am extremely fit but muscles are hurting that I didn`t knew existed. In some ways I find the condition of some dogs very depressing but the happiness they show when you have got their trust and they are clean and comfortable is very precious. Again I am in the fortunate position of not having to work if I don`t want to so the money side to me is irrelevant - it is more about job satisfaction and I am more than happy with everything (but again it is early days - ask me in 2-3 years!!!). Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Thanks for posting this DeanB. I had never heard of it before and with two dogs under 2yrs hope it is something I never have to go through. Sorry about your chi, sounds like it was a horrible experience to go through.

How is Zorro going? Hardest part is trying to get them to keep quiet a couple of days after the operation. Oh yes, remember to not take Zorro to off leash parks or around other strange dogs. I have always found that a few hours after returning from the vets the dogs are up and at it. Keep us updated.

Cool. Love your signature by the way.

Just been informed about a t.v show in Canada which highlights that tiling adhesive and carpet glue are not good for dogs and cause seizures. Apparantly dogs should be kept away from the area whilst it is being done and for up to three months afterwards until the smell disappears. My own dog had seizures and I am convinced it was because of the tiling adhesive we were using. Just wanted to post this up because know most people will get new carpets/tiles without knowing of the possible effect on the dogs.

aaw - just been to rescue pages to see your foster, beautiful. It could be that you didn`t get all the shampoo out from the bath. Outside of that I am out of ideas. Good luck with the snip and getting him to be quiet for a few days.

Think it is just like dandruff. My newest girl couldn`t be bathed for two weeks - just been desexed. She had this. Gave her a hydro, groom yesterday and it has all gone - she smells yummy too.

Sometimes with Kongs you have to persevere. My dogs took ages to take to them. I would fill them with tasty treats. They would sniff them, paw them a bit then just leave them. I had to show them what they were for, throw them around a bit etc etc Now they love them. For a long lasting toy I prefer rope chews ie a rope with plastic sausages on. Plush toys last about an hour in my house, the rope is two years old and still going strong.

What is Thrive D Steve?

Barbera Woodhouse - now there is a name that takes me back.................................. Am I imagining it or did she advocate smacking a dog on its nose? I was only young when I watched her but she scared the stuffing out of me.

If it is fleas they don`t have to be on him to get a reaction. Just one flea bite can cause a reaction and you may never see any fleas because the protection is killing them but not before they are biting him. One usually sure sign of flea allergy is biting at the back legs and bum area. I use a medicated shampoo (costs $30 but is worth it called ecto soothe - found supermarket flea shampoos to be worse than useless). There are loads of threads on dol regarding flea protection so don`t want to revisit old ground but hope this helps.

Yep I know that - I never give any cooked bones. My question really was related to the chicken wings/frames/necks - I was brought up believing that you should never give ANY chicken bones because like cooked bones they splinter - also had a work colleague who accidentally swallowed a small chicken bone (admittedly it was cooked) and nearly died. Think I may have written a bit confusingly - basically is it okay to give raw chicken wings etc It obviously is but how come - do the bones not splinter?

My OH has a huge aviary with lovebirds and something else (wasn`t paying attention - he wasn`t talking about dogs so dozed off Initially he had two in the house but I put my foot down - it was an accident waiting to happen. I understand your concern and feel you are being very responsible asking for advise but honestly agree with others here - secure the chook pen. Your dog is just doing what a dog does and is not a "bad" dog and you shouldn`t rehome it for doing what comes naturally. Personally I would get rid of the chooks before the dog

Hi there, my lhasa x has skin allergies, she is allergic to seeding grass, lots of plants, has a terrible flea allergy and even her own fur irritates her. I have tried different things but find neotopic-h lotion works fairly well but the best thing seems to be sea water, strangely enough. She is prone to eye infections and I was spending a fortune on eye drops etc but when I noticed how quickly her skin cleard up after being in the sea I started to bathe her eyes with tap water and salt and found it worked almost imediately. Don`t know if it would work on your dog but anything is worth a try

I agree with Mystiqview. I was asking an experienced vet for advise and he warned me off using Proban because he reckoned it can damage the liver over a period of time. I don`t like the collars because you end up with two collars on and have also been told that they aren`t that effective and other stuff only works for two weeks and am very cautious about filling dogs up with so many pesticides/teatments etc. I basically constantly check my dogs by hand and make sure they do not go into long grass/brush areas/under trees etc - basically anywhere that the ticks may be. Wondering if it is paralysis ticks or brown ticks that your dog is getting on him - perhaps you could save a couple and take them to your vet for identification?

Sigh. I remember the days when I didn`t even think about dog diet - just gave a tin of chum. Now I spend more time planning the dogs meals than I do my kids. I use a mixture of everything - depending on where I am shopping and how much time I haveto prepare meals. I try to not buy anything with preservatives/colouring/salt/filler etc but WILL use canned food a couple of times a week. Natures gift makes one of my dogs throw up and supercoat makes them all poo more. I do give raw bones a couple of days and fresh meat a couple of days and then also give them fresh veggies. There is so much advise that it can get very confusing and I would appreciate advise on chicken necks/wings (sorry to hijack the thread) Do you feed them raw and what about bones - I thought chicken bones were dangerous - do the necks etc not have bones in them?

:D Not bothered by poo/vomit etc but hadn`t even thought about getting weed on - thanks for the tip.

I am starting in a grooming salon in 2 weeks :rolleyes: Can`t wait but know I have heaps and heaps to learn. Th elady I am working with has a great rep and is often fully booked 6-8 weeks in advance.