persephone

hi :) THIS THREAD might answer some of your questions :) LOVE that you have nice high fences :)

OH :) thank you for the positive update ...look at him - quite content .

:) :)

I am so glad you had a second opinion - and now hope he can heal quickly :) I suggest a good probiotic in his food, and lots of good fresh food .Happy healing!

I love the Whippapotamus :)

I agree with rehoming the pup - managing the two is difficult and unfair on both dogs and humans. pup will also grow up with a 'warped' view of living with another dog , and may well develop its own problems . The next thing , if you are near Perth ... is to contact this person ASAP : CLICK HERE You can not rehome Choc with her behaviour - a new owner will affect her even more ..and she could be very unhappy

Friends brought their teeny little SWF to visit :) he is so old and wobbly he almost falls over when he barks :/ dear little soul .. I am SO pleased that one of the images I shot turned out nicely :) 'Mirri'

;)

perhaps start a new thread? - it becomes very messy when you break into someones else's conversation ;)

Canetoad , I am so glad you popped in here- I have no experience with either breed , and was wondering about the logistics of having two so very different breeds in this situation ...What you posted is what I was thinking ...

I noticed steve is posting ... take any advice she has to offer ..she knows maremmas inside & out!! :)

:) he may well have been getting as close as possible to the deliciousness ;) ... and over an hour with no crying ? !!

I am going to comment on this :/ if this was one of my dogs, I would be most embarrassed , and feel I'd failed . IMO , Lying down to sniff is the dog dictating what happens and when ;) I am presuming you gave him permission for some sniff time .... you are working SO hard to get things on an even keel ...well done !!

:) it is very different when a puppy is with you 24/7 ..and every day is a new challenge!

I do suggest a session with a professional ..and if you're in melb .. there are some good people there!! Underdog (D O L member cosmolo) is one who I would urge you to contact :) have a read of these two links as well , to help you understand some of what pup is thinking ... LINK LINK

poor indi ... he is such a nice temperamented boy ....when he was born , he got the name 'Indi' ( Indiana Jones) as he was always away from the nest ..and from when his eyes opened was climbing on things /wandering ...now ... he's the one who gets piggy backed to bed if he's too tired !!

oh ..; and what has the breeder suggested?

OF COURSE she keeps on & on ..cos she knows that you will, eventually, let her in!! How long have you let her wait ..an hour? two? is she noisy all that time ?

:)

The Boss's pride & joy -Indi came to me this morning for a cuddle ,after working a yard full of feral goats ... I couldn't help myself ;) he is a sooky boy, luckily, and will tolerate rubbish !

Agree whole heartedly . She has been taught that there will be someone at her beck & call 24/7 - so of course she yells & screams when that doesn't happen .... Start NOW - leave her outside with a meal / raw bone .. and when she is SETTLED - either chewing /sleeping / just being - then call her indoors with you - but without fuss & carry-on. I also suggest that the kids be taught a sensible way of interacting with her ... to NOT play with her all the time ...that sort of thing ...

Ah yess ..our softest cuddliest dog is an absolute devil when working with goats !!

Good descriptions ! When our pups are a few mths old they start to lean one way or the other ...if they're yappy and forceful and really energetic ..they may well enjoy yard/truck work . If the are more the 'thinker' ..and a stayer, not a sprinter .. paddock work might be just their ideal. Our yard dogs do work independent to a degree ..they sometimes will need to 'back' sheep 50 metres or more go into a shed .. sort the sheep out so they run freely into whichever yard is open ..then , as they come back ..just make sure the flow continues . they may also be in charge of 'keeping sheep up' ..patrolling the rear of a large yard ( with maybe 1,000 sheep or so) ..every so often , jumping up, or standing on hind legs just to check on 'the boss' ..and what's happening - so they know whether to increase or decrease pressure ..to grab a lie down in the shade ..or a splash in a trough ... paddock dogs here are worth their weight in dog bikkies!! paddocks here can be thousands of acres in area ..with fences few & far between . Often a good pair of dogs is left with a mob of sheep - headed in one direction , while the boss goes searching for stragglers, or goes to open a gate , etc... paddock dogs also need to be quick thinkers... to get the message across to whichever herd animal keeps trying to 'break out' ..and there is always at least one ..., to steer the mob in a given direction ..and to just adjust speed /stop 'traffic jams' ... A good paddock dog can just trot along for hours , all the time keeping his/her mob heading where they're supposed to , with no mutiny ...OR they can also HOLD a mob in a small area when needed ...a couple of dogs are great at this ..one each side ... and just keep the sheep to a certain area ... very fine control needed.. Paddock dogs need to chase/apprehend stragglers/ boofheads...and our dogs now have learned to work feral goats ... once again .. the gentler dogs are not use with goats ..goat dogs need to have almost 'no brain no pain' attitude ..and be very forceful indeed ..Goats have NO idea about being herded/yarded...and when one mixes different goat families - well , it's like oil & water Goats are family oriented , and mobs often do not mix easily ... The poor dogs have to work SO hard ! Does this help?