persephone

DG ..thanks for the background info ... it makes a difference if you are acquainted ... :)

Hmmm.. one suggestion I will make is to change the conversation ;) keep your vocal conversations low tone, slower and calmer ... "Gooooood Doogg" rather than "oh, GOOOOD boyyyyy :) :) !!!!! ' "hello dog" .....as greeting , rather than Hi, Boy :D Did you Miss us ??? have you been Goood ? You Look wonderful :) ...... You may also enjoy doing some 'whisper therapy' ;) not much eye contact ..and talk to him in a whisper ..that way he needs to concentrate on exactly what's going on ..not how high he's bouncing ;) Sometimes, even loving eye contact can set of a tail wag frenzy .... so keep your conversations low key with him ....and good luck withy teh consult :)

???? why should you have to?

You have, without being asked , told a stranger their dog has possibly two ailments ,... I think you have done your bit , and suggest you do not pursue it further . The little dog may indeed be very old, and still enjoy his walks, albeit with reduced mobility....

I suggest going back and doing toilet training .... supervised, and train him to toilet on command :) makes life a lot easier ..and using much priase/yummy treats , should not take long at all! I also suggest closing th doggie door for a while while doing this ..he doesn't get indoor access until you see him poo , praise him for it and then have a mad play :) For the rug .. is it able to be removed for a while ? While it is there, his toileting will be triggered by its presence, its texture on his feet and the retained scents.This 'trigger' needs now to be grass/a vocal command :) begin by ..associating a word with toileting . pick a word you are happy to use in public ..and start saying it when he starts to toilet ..not loudly, or excitedly .. but as a command... followed by praise The idea will catch on ..then say it as you see him think about toileting ..... then, when that seems to work ..< start saying it when he goes near a place that encourages toileting , etc .... and eventually (within reason - they can't poo if there's nothing there) you will have a dog who can be asked to toilet in certain places, at certain times...or just generally ,when put outside ...

One is never too ill to have dogs , however one can be too ill to provide everything the dogs need. These dogs sound an unsuitable match for this lady's state of health ..and it is a very sad story. I hope that you ,or a social worker with sense are able to talk with this lady and find out a bit more - ie: does she feel safer with the dogs ? Are they for company/diversion? Are they her reason to keep trying , to keep living? Is she aware that she can rehome them with help ..that she doesn't need to feel they have to stay there ? Poor lady ... I hope she can be assisted to find a solution - sounds as if having other living beings in her house is important ...

LEO's STORY facebook page link

GSD X ? very pretty and looks pretty intense ! What's she like with other dogs?

got a photo ?

Hamlet was similar ..he would 'quarter'..he would point , he would freeze, and he would find and follow a scent very well .. absolutely no training ..but he had a cocker spaniel mother . if she is marking and constantly ground scenting..she may just be a sniffy dog ;) My first thought she is establishing her territory ..then she checks her scent trail to see if anyone has dared mark HER spots ;) do you have any idea what her make up is? We have an ex pig finder here .. he pees/marks ,being a dog , and having other males in our pack ... but he only sniffs when on a track ...

Yes, I often think of him, and tell his story :) An update would be lovely .

Go, little Thomas! :) (When do we see photos? )

Thank you so much for updating, and for the GORGEOUS photos :) Glad you found out about the new mans' problems early on, and I hope you weren't hurt! The kennel staff sound as if they need to be more observant - poor Roo I just love the pics of her & her daycare friends :) :)

crate training is just that .. gradual, fun training over a period of time .... not just locking a dog in a crate ;)

Our family, like many others ,have always had dogs with testicles ..and 99% of them have lived well into their teens with no problems at all because of their natural state . one with a retained testicle was found to have cancer at about age 13/14 . don't PANIC!!! AFAIK prostate problems/testicular cancer etc take much more than a year or two to develop ......

yes...condensation can happen ...

Thanks for putting up photos :) she is gorgeous!

I do doubt a mastiff would be able to physically achieve a mating with a young staffy ..... and a couple of weeks won't make a lot of difference

Unless a yard is securely floored and roofed ,it is not secure when in-season bitches are concerned

Yes, get her speyed ASAP ..... Also keep her indoors .... it's lucky she wasn't badly hurt/killed ... You can get her speyed NOW ..it is a bit riskier , but it can be done ..she will still be in season in a fortnight ..so risks are about teh same . have a read here . http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/246794-desexing-after-heat/page__p__6133990__hl__%2Bdesex+%2Bbitch+%2Bseason__fromsearch__1#entry6133990

it's a good plan to retire to a chair , keep your ear to the radio in case of a change of forecast , and keep the fishing book nearby, just in case ;) "Widget" today ... it is a wet and thundery and cool one!

Oh ..Ok :)... some more to try ! I shall let you know . Thanks a lot!!

I like that one , WM :) height wise I can't remember what any of them are now .. but this one says 24 " ...... would he be tempted to try & escape ..or the others - would they try & get in ?

Hi Bianca - thanks for the suggestion - but as Perse pointed out earlier (I didn't think of it} soft would be better for a dementing boy with deteriorating night sight, a tendency to pace at 3am... I can find one of these used locally for $50.00 which seems a fair price. Its 130 cms in diameter, will fit next to the bed at a pinch, is as close to circular as Perse suggests as I can find, has no toxic materials and I could put a rug under it and a bed and blanket in there for him and he can move around at night without disturbing the whole house. What do you think? What haven't I thought of? oohh... this is the sort of thing I had in mind :) LINK to Ebay Australia I saw them as well Pers, they look good but they may tip over if WM's Mac tries to jump up on the side, though he will still be ok...the playpen will just be upside down with Mac still inside. Oh oops. ..could it not be placed against furniture or walls ? ....thought the little screen bits at nose/eye level might concentrate attention there , and not the top ...and so avoid aiming for the top ....

Hi Bianca - thanks for the suggestion - but as Perse pointed out earlier (I didn't think of it} soft would be better for a dementing boy with deteriorating night sight, a tendency to pace at 3am... I can find one of these used locally for $50.00 which seems a fair price. Its 130 cms in diameter, will fit next to the bed at a pinch, is as close to circular as Perse suggests as I can find, has no toxic materials and I could put a rug under it and a bed and blanket in there for him and he can move around at night without disturbing the whole house. What do you think? What haven't I thought of? oohh... this is the sort of thing I had in mind :) LINK to Ebay Australia