persephone

Didn't realise I'd repeated myself, sorry. Why does it seem odd?Because in my experience no one intentionally leaves them on .

The mental imagery!! :p

:) Thanks for sharing the story. That is one beautiful piece of pewter!

:) good news .

If the dewclaws are not attached by bone .. it's basically a 'snip' of the skin, and a stitch :) Pups are usually done at a few days old - and it's odd the breeder left them on .

Maybe get a referral to a dermatologist, before you start treatment/changing diet etc .

Hmmm ..it has an awful lot to do with timing/body language /understanding your dog ...and not so much with the sound of your voice , IMO...esp. with a baby puppy :) A lot of the time with pups, if they are being silly ..I go "PSSST!", short & sharp. ..and then when they stop and look at me .. I divert them, or praise them ..or move off , depending . It's to get their attention, and then show them what is required :) I suggest you do lots of reading/asking . You can show your pup who the leader is (and train yourself to be leader) by changing the way you interact with your pup . It is a bit of work, and partner must also do it ..but after a few days , it should become a habit for everyone :) Nothing In Life Is Free. It will not solve all problems , but it should give the puppy every chance of getting plenty of attention /cuddles , and give you a dog who looks to you for direction ;) win/win !

Agree :) puppy food for one meal ..and nice crunchy lamb flaps for the other ... plus maybe a whole egg a few times a week

Unless your breed is one of the few in which rear dewclaws are a normal/desired thing .. then having them removed is a useful op . They do not serve a purpose..they need clipping a lot, and they can easily get hooked up /torn . It's odd they weren't removed when he was a baby ...

Good news . I hope all goes well :)

My cousin had an elderly boxer..and added a couple of small annoying young dogs - there was no real problem .all were desexed.

Bolded bit mine . Carlo11 - you made Pearl smile again ..and you gave her love and care :)

I would be getting some professional advice , as this habit ..like chasing lights or tail chasing, can be compulsive, and can get worse . Hopefully ,Lucy is just being inquisitive .... :) have you spoken with the breeder?

aahhh That's disappointing . I hope she can be treated successfully , and continue to smile :)

ANY training aid/tool still needs the dog's owner to understand WHY his dog is doing X&Y and WHAT needs to be done to change it , and HOW to properly use the chosen tool/aid. :) Understanding the basics of what makes a dog tick ,and effective communication , is IMO,much more important than any physical training tool. Perhaps you would really benefit by some one-on-one sessions with a personally recommended trainer? That way the professional can teach you a way which suits you and your pup :)

Imagine the wanna-be 'Bwanas' going on shooting sprees . A property owner I know recently had 2 pet camels shot from the road .. they were in their paddock , very obvious fences .. 2 of a small group used for rides etc . Poor things .

I have on a couple of occasions picked up a labrador when attacked by large dogs . ...then backed away from the property frontage slowly , until the dog was satisfied I was off his patch. I have never carried food/treats . Nowdays I do always have a hiking staff /walking stick . I remember once being attacked by a dally tied outside a shop ..I gave it clearance (I could not cross the road as it was a very busy city shopping precinct ) and then it lunged and broke the leash! That was scary !! Luckily the owner came rushing out of a shop and no disaster happened. Once many years ago ,where I worked had a large and protective/aggressive GSD . Very well obedience trained , but not friendly at all to anyone bar family.(who were away) One night I locked myself out the front entrance, and had to get back into the building to lock up for the night ... the only way was thru a short section of backyard where the dog was .There's not much more fearsome sound on a dark night than a big dog growling non stop behind a gate which one has to use When I got my shaking under control ..I roared at him to SIT . On the second go, he did . I then got him to down, and stay. I then unlocked the gate and walked past him , telling him what a good dog he was , blah blah ..all the while listening to him growling/grumbling , and thanking the universe he was trained . I then really upset him by throwing him some food as a reward ....he was so ambivalent ! :p

:) I think the writer achieved his purpose .People who may not be interested in reading yet another environmental article certainly noticed this one!

A nice solid ACD was my nanny dog for my first years ... not even my grandparents could pick me up without Mum ok' ing it,; he saved me from snakes a few times, and I used to be able to do anything with/to him ;) No one could touch mum, or enter our yard if he was 'on duty', either. 'protection' dog certainly doesn't need to be huge .

That's a responsible step to take.

;) so is rectifying the digging damage each time, I would imagine. Chicken wire pressed down well, and secured with wire 'tent pegs' or rocks ..and covered with soil/mulch works ok ... you might also consider buying ground black pepper in bulk..and applying it around the shrubs .Dog will sniff, sneeze, sneeze , snort ....and be a bit careful . I have used this method on dogs and piglets! Where I once worked, the piglets would come and ruin the lawn in a very short time . A couple of pepper experiences ... and they stayed away . I did feel a bit sorry for them when they were all sneezing away ....

Our dogs regularly find and eat very, very old eggs ..and apart from the smell where they break them open , and the smell they then exude for 24 hrs ,we have no apparent problems ...

LOL!! lots of very stinky burps to follow .................................

It's an interesting read, it makes people actually LOOK at writing on the issue of fire risk/feral animals , and it sparks discussion . A good piece of writing :)