niki schaef

i just got a packet today for ted. i got the new turkey, thyme and gravy one to try something new. ted loves the other ones and i let him lick out the tray after i put in in meal sized bags to freeze and he LOVED it ;) he was pushing the tray around the kitchen trying to get every last bit out!! the ingredients listed for this flavour are: Chicken, chicken stock, durum flour, turkey, starch, thyme, liver, carrageenan, salt, vitamins and minerals, food acids, flavour, guar gum, sunflower oil, natural clour, xanthan gum. i feed it to ted occasianally usually when we are at training. ot doubles as his tea and keeps his focus really well because he loves it so much and its something different.

i currently use revolution monthly plus worming 3 monthly. finding it to be reasonably expensive! does anyone get the yearly heartworm injection?

just like to say thanks for all the help from everyone :D now update: i got a crate for ted. its a plastic 'travel' one. with the more solid sides. i thought this would be best when flying and at the training course as it will (hopefully) make ted feel more secure. especially when flying. so i got the crate yesterday and as soon as i got home i put it down and opened the door. and ted went straight inside hes a very curious boy!! so i praised him, told him hes a good boy and gave him some treats. i then threw some treats right to the back at he was straight back inside, he loves it!!it didn't take him long to work out if he was in the crate he got treats, so he stayed in there i didn't leave him in there for long but when i stopped treating an walked off he stayed and looked at me as if to say- hey i'm still here give me treats!! today we did it again and he willing goes ino the crate. i threw some more treats to the back and as he was looking for them all i shut the door. as soon as he was finished sniffing the back and turned around i gave him a treat through the door and praised him. then i opened the door and he didn't want to come out again so i don't think crate training ted is going to be too difficult after all thanks again for the tips everyone. i'll be sure to check back in if i have any troubles

i've started work in as a groomer- good to hear i have something to look forward to a fly-blown dog that just blows me away!! how can they not realise? i know from when our sheep have been fly-blown that it reeks like nothing on earth HOW can they not tell? and i thought the bc i groomed the other day with poo clumps stuck to its bum hair was bad. i aint seen nothing yet hey??

thanks piper i'm really looking forward to the course good to here from someone who has done it that it was good. thanks for the tips to very helpful. teds pretty smart so i think he should be easy to train, he just has to get used to the new rules havne't gotten much off the qantas website. we're flying to melbourne for christams so i wnat to start crate training ted asap so hes used to it. and also to help him settle where we are staying. will definatly give them a ring before i get a crate. again thanks for the info. how long roughly do you think before your dogs were happy to stay in their crates?

hi all! i need some help i'm going to start the delta dog instructors course next year and there are 2 'live in' session that i need to attend with my dog and it is necessary for the dog to be crate trained. ted is my jrt maltese cross who i will be taking but he isn't crate trained. he is just turned one so kind of an adult! ted is perfectly fine to leave in the house alone and is totally house trained so i was just after a few tips on how i should go about training ted? should i just do it like a puppy? and when hes used to it, should i leave him in it when i go out? i would feel a bit mean because he is fine to leave free in the house and has been all his (long :rolleyes: ) life. also can you move crates around the house or is it better to leave them in one place? i would like him to eventually sleep in it (also necessary for delta training) but he is used to sleeping in my room (on the bed) so i think it would be a bit of a shock to make him sleep in the lounge room? or do they do alright once used to the crate? any help would be great. i had never heard of crate training until i came on this site once ted was already over the puppy destructive phase so i didn't need to do it... until now. i now can see what a great tool the crate can be and will definatly use it for future puppies. also are crates all collapsible? and are the airline approved to fly?

i've just been cutting up beef liver and lambs fry for the first time! man i didn't realise how big they are by the way is lambs fry liver? really should have asked the butcher, i just assumed because it was next to the beef liver! and boy it sure stinks no way ted was leaving my side while i was cutting them up!! already diced would be quite handy, although it is so cheap at my butchers, will have to check it out. should they be getting a little bit of offal every day? or is it more a special treat thing?

Halti has a dog harness with a loop on the front to connect the lead to. theres a ridgeback at our training who has one and is quite effective. no pressure put on nerves so this could be a good product for the dog. http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/halti-harness.php also from halti the lupi harness. but i haven't had any experience with this one although it says "gentle on dogs with spinal injuries" http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/lupi.php good luck i'm sure you'll find an appropriate product

the barf sa website should answer all your questions. i have found it most useful: http://www.barfsa.com.au/

ok changing mind now!! thanks goldiesrgreat for the warning! i think you just saved me some money!! so what do you look for in applicants that have no training? do you just go on personality? just interested...

i'm planning on enrolling in the next one! think it starts in september, but not 100% i really need to get onto that maybe i'll see you there

my lab kelpie and brothers ridgeback are all fed kibble at night and bone in the morning. they love it! but if they all lived in adelaide with me they would be fed raw food like my jrt x. they live in the country with my parents so its a lot harder to get good ingredients to feed them. there are endless possibilites and opinons on what to feed dogs. whatever works for you i think.

i also am thinking of becoming a dog groomer- so this topic is just perfect timing for me :p i was just wondering what type of training you need to do to be a groomer? i know theres a course through tafe and tompson education. just wondering if the training is more on the job or are courses more preferable? also is it hard to get a job?

we've got 2 (sort of) same age pups ted, who i feed a barf diet. Ausmoz- www.barfsa.com.au is great thats where i found a shop that sells the pre-made patties. ted is a jrt maltese cross so he doesn't eat much only half a pattie. with bigger dogs i think it would be better to make food your self as the patties cost a bit. clifford is my bros dog (ridgeback) he gets bonnie puppy food plus a variety of different bones a day. i have actually found that there isn't much difference in between the condition of the dogs. both seem to be in excellent health. i only feed ted barf abd not clifford because i'm in adelaide with ted and it easier to get. my bro lives in the country with clifford so it is bit harder to do. i feed barf only because i can and i think it is more 'enjoyable' for a dog to eat. i haven't actually noticed a great deal of difference in their overall health/apperance. although his poos are smaller

i've noticed recently that all 4 of my dogs eat a lot of grass. actually its wheat crop (but doesn't really matter) anyway i have a 6 year old lab, 3 year old kelpie, 1 year old jrt maltese x and an 8 month old ridgeback. they are all fed different things i was thinking maybe they are missing something in their diet?? any ideas? they eat A LOT!! when we go for walks they spend like the whole time muching on crop!! so i was just wondering why doggies do this? anyone know?

i think you've recieved some very good advice here and i'm glad to see that you are on your way to fixing the problem (fencing and training) i say good on you for not giving up on your boy, you obviously love him ;) we have the (sort of) same situation here. my kelpie is obsessed with the chooks, being a sheep dog i think she just wants to round them up, but can;t be certain. so our chooks have a massive free(ish) range yard where they can happily peck and scratch around and the dogs can't get in. that said one quick chook got out the other day and the dogs were on her like a shot! but they quickly stopped after i shouted at them and told them to 'leave it' (which i never thought they would!!) so i just want to say good luck and it can be done ;) by the way puggles that story

yep i've used it with no problems! i've got a black cat and didn't realise she had fleas (shes not very cuddley) until i got ted (hes white) and saw them on him. wasn't very good but got some revolution from the vet and hey-presto no more fleas worked very quickly too, i gave him a bath the next day and there were so many dead fleas was kinda gross but we've never had a problem since

got a bit of choice now i can't get enough of dog books, so i've read a few. i found Its me or the dog, victoria stillwell to be really good as well as KISS guide to living with a dog. so many books

breakthrough!! (sort of) my housemates dad stayed over friday night and when he came i put ted in the other room then when he came out later he calmed down SO much quicker he did a quick hello excited sniffs all over the dad but then was just kinda like yeah ok someone else is here!! but i am looking after a friends pomeranian for the weekend so i don't know if this can totally count ted pretty smart so i think he should catch on reasonably quickly. Amy rose- know how you feel- ted used to roll on his back and 'squirt' luckily hes grown out of that. yeah lablover 5 would be better, maybe i should get another one maddie, dot and clifford live at home (country s.a.) with my parents and ted is my 'city dog'. i live in a flat so couldn't bring maddie with me (plus i don't think it would be very fair on her going from farm to city). i go home regulary so they are still 'my' dogs

yeah he knows 'off' he isn't allowed on the couch when people are on it, even if there is room. with visitors he puts his front paws up on them or drops toys on them for attention and trys to lick them. ok so if its my fault hes like this how should i greet/act when we get visitors the thing is we don't get HEAPS of visitors and he is the total opposite when i get home? (maybe i just need to get more friends ) also how long should he be left in time out? just a few minutes so he calms down? yes faolmar he definatly isn't aggressive, he doesn't even bark when we get a knock on the door, its just tail wagging, excited mode!! thanks for all the help everyone. its a starting point

i agree with the minced chicken frames, then hope is still getting necessary bone nutrients etc. also with the softer chicken necks, wings turkey necks etc you may be able to smash them up a bit? as for cleaning teeth you could get those MASSIVE bones (marrow bones?) from the butcher. then her teeth will still get a good workout but no horrible blockages!! you poor thing how horrible, but i'm glad hope is better

thanks faolmar good info there. i've told visitors to ignore him but coz they don't really understand dog behaviour/training they don't really get it nd so push him away (therefore giving him attention). i'll try putting him in the other room. should he be quiet (no whining etc) before he comes out and should he be on the lead or 'free'? does anyone have any idea why he does this to visitors but when i come home its very uneventful?

my 10 month old terrier x Ted is really obsessed whenever we get visitors. he gets super excited and will jump all over them and runs around like a loon grabbing toys then runs back to them and jumps up again. he isn't like it when me or my housemate get home. when i get home he will be right at the door tail going million mile an hour put doesn't jump up. he does run off and grab toys but he doesn't jump up at me or housemate i can tell it is super annoying for visitors i mean hes like ALL over them. after a bit he calms down but is still obsessed with visitor. if they sit on the couch he will drop toys at their feet or on their laps and then attempt to climb onto their laps and he LICKS!! i don't think he EVER licks me but with visitors his tounge just goes, not even necessarily licking them just licking the air near them!! he ususally settles into a spot as close as he can to them on his back hoping they will pay some attention to him. even worse is that when friends stay over they sleep on the foldout in the lounge room and ted will try and sleep with them!! i've started closing my door so he physically can't get to them but if he needs to go out during the night or as soon as i wake up in the morning first thing he does is go stright to the poor sleping visitor!! it doesn't matter who they are, my parents, friends, brother, strangers (they don't usually sleep over ) he is the same. so what can i do? most of my friends aren't really into dogs that much but even if they were he is just all over them and that would be annoying to anyone!! i've tried correcting him and pulling himaway but as soon as i think he's over it, straight back to them! i've told my friends to just ignore him but they can't handle it and just push him off. and most of them talk to him in an excitable voice which i know makes him want them more but they just want him away!! now he just has to be on a leash whenever anyone comes over. is there anything i can do as training to help him get over this obsession?

congrats on your new babies as for the food i think the best thing to judge is their weight as poodle wrangler said. yep labs love their food :D i don't think theres anything wrong with a chicken neck or similar food as it gives the dogs some variety as well as being really good for their teeth :D and will keep them busy for a while!! i think speerating the pups for a bit is a good idea, as well as giving them a break it will save any seperation issues if they ever need to be seperated in the future (eg if ones injured/sick or training issues etc). good luck with the babies there will be a lot of fun times is the future!!

i used to mix things in with kibble (now only raw) because i thought it would be nicer! i mean personally i don't think plain kibble day in day out is very interesting