Staffyluv

I wasn't a harness person until I started training Nix through k9 Pro. Zig was always a bit of a puller and he was trained out of it. Nix has NEVER been a puller and only had a harness until she was about 5 - 6 months old. If you train them right, dogs don't pull on a harness or a collar. Get onto Bec at K9 Pro for some tips on training for no leash pulling - it is a dream program and so easy to implement (and it works). Just in case anyone hasn't seen her yet: Ironklad Amstaffs Girl on Fire (Phoenix or Nix for short).. Just turned 13 months old.

For a puppy, I like the Puppia ones (they slip over the head, like a shirt and then the strap clicks up the back). Nice and soft for a puppy. I still use the largest ones as car harnesses for both my blockheads.

I have a bull breed here that was diagnosed with HD when he was very young. From the get go, we have used a chiro to help keep him aligned, he has regular injections (cartrophen or carprofen - something like that).. Last year (he was 4 yeas old at the time) we finally did stem cell therapy, after updated x-rays showed he had HD and ED, with his right hip being quite severely affected) His cells were harvested and two weeks later he was injected with his own cells in all joints. It was something like a one in one hundred chance but he had a 'flare up' from the injections in two joints, so had to be treated with laser and a heap of pain relief. He came good about week later and has never looked back - he continues to improve now. I no longer see in limp around after a run at the park. He can run and jump like all healthy dogs but I do limit the whole jumping thing because it is better to be safe than sorry. We still use the chiro about every 8 weeks (instead of every 2-4 weeks), just to keep him well aligned (he is a bull breed and plays hard). He also goes to Hydrotherapy, where he walks on an underwater treadmill for about 20 minutes now (it started out being 5 minutes and has built up) - this isn't cheap but totally worth it, as his muscle tone has improved so much. I don't know any one in Sydney that could help with this but our specialist vet, would know colleagues that could help. I would be happy to ask next time we are over for a check up, if you like. It's not cheap but honestly, the best thing we have done and I wish I had done it sooner - because the results we've seen are so amazing.

Good write up Rebanne and so true. I often questioned myself with Ollie dog years ago - where do you draw the line for treatments of terminally ill animals?? I stopped all his treatments and he still lived another few years, so we did well. But when his time arrived, it was quick and my gut told me he had enough. I still remember the vet saying that he could put him on a drip for the day but I would be back there again next week but it would buy us some time.. We had all the time, we needed - Ollie's timing was beyond bad (we had lost my husband just 3 weeks earlier) but I just couldn't bring myself to 'make him last another week - just for us'. So we said goodbye and it broke my heart but I also knew he was at peace. tdierikx - the save them all brigade are a nightmare. I see so many of them on the facebook groups donating money to save dogs that really shouldn't be saved. One recently was an really aggressive dog that even bit the hand of the handler when testing the dog with food - but they were still trying to save it. There were at least another dozen in the pound that were nicer dogs, would be better candidates for rehoming. But no - they put a 'this dog has been abused in the past and we must fix it' tag and then scream for donations... There are so many fraudsters in rescue now it isn't funny. Last week a 'rescuer' had a female (not spayed) beagle in care and was selling her for $400 on a buy, swap, sell page because she has spent enough money on her and won't get her money back, if she has her spayed...

Yep, he has come from being the most distracted dog, I've ever known, to one that actually likes to work.. We sure have come a long way - with the help of a few trainers and instructors over the last few years..

Thanks - there were some amazing dogs and handlers there. Our judge said it was the most impressive CCD ring he has seen in a while. It was challenging, even for the more experienced handlers and dogs with some of the distractions. There were a few of us that were real newbies to the ring and it was a bit nerve wrecking (I know it was for me - I was actually looking for excuses not to go ahead the day before, as you know). Thanks everyone - I am still in awe of my lad. He really did me proud on the day.

Thanks guys - we are pretty happy with our pass and look forward to competing again soon.

After my nerves almost getting the best of me - we finally entered and PASSED our first obedience trial. With a qualifying score of 90/100. The judge said he hasn't seen such a high scoring CCD ring in many years and that we should all be very proud of ourselves! 2016.7.9 Zig passes CCD Obedience trial by Jodie, on Flickr

OK. To the OP, please don't feed your dog chicken necks - I am sure there would another suitable alternative. My point was more to hide some sort of food around the yard (or where the dog hangs out most of the day), so it gives her something to do while you are out. Giving her something she is ALLOWED to do, may keep her amused enough to NOT do the things she isn't allowed to do.. I find dogs become troublesome, mostly when they are bored.

It definitely sounds like separation anxiety. First things first - start putting up everything you don't want trashed because it will take time to get settle the dog and retrain. Have you considered a thunder shirt? I have had good success with one for my lad - he only has anxiety when he is in unfamiliar places but we put his thunder shirt on and he is a lot less stressed. I have had a couple of foster dogs with issues - crate training helps heaps (especially when the dog sees the crate as a safe and secure place to go. I cover my crates with a sheet - over the top, down the front and back and one side (leaving the other side open, so the dog can come and go, while training. start by putting a few really good treats in the crate and reward the dog loads (lots of good puppy and pats).. Then leave it for a couple of hours and repeat. Then repeat after 15 minutes and again after 4 hours - vary the times between training. I find that if the dog sees the crate as a positive place, they will often settle in there, if you go out... Note this takes time, patience and consistency.. Also can you offer her toys, bones, kongs or other treat dispensers (I freeze cottage cheese and some tiny kibble bits in mine).. If you have a couple of dogs and one is a resource guarder - I probably wouldn't do the treat thing, unless you can be home and monitor the situation.. A big marrowbone can take hours of chewing fun. Can you introduce games for pup to play while you are out - hide and seek (put a few chicken necks or something around the yard and teach pup to seek them out).. Good luck - DOLers can probably recommend a behaviourist in your local area..

It seems like a lot but they're all completely handmade from scratch (so a lot of time goes in to them) and the quality is amazing - it will last the lifetime of your dog easily! Mine still looks as good as the day I got it at least 3 years ago. Yep, totally agree with Mel - the quality is outstanding and they will easily last a lifetime. My lad swims in a couple of his and has had one of them for 4 years and it still looks and feels like a new collar.

Another Ruthless fan here... Zig has 4 collars and 4 leads from them now - I adore them. The work is beautiful and you can't go past the quality.

Thanks TSD, right now it is looking extremely promising.

Thanks, it is good to hear others experience with it as well. I am glad to hear your client is doing so well!

It's been a while since I posted but thought our journey might help others. I found Ziggy at the local pound nearly 5 years ago no. At the time he was about 6 months old.. I always thought he had a funny gait and seemed 'stiff' in his back legs all the time. At about 18 months old he kept limping and we initially thought it was a knee issue. Our vet did x-rays and it showed quite bad HD in his right hip (he had some serious wear on the ball joint from where it was rubbing against the rest of the joint). His left hip was also showing wear and tear but not as bad as his right hip. So we have mostly managed it up to a few months ago when it was obvious he was having more pain and pulling up sore more often (he is a very active dog, walking, running and doing obedience). So the decision was made to do the stem cell therapy. First he was x-rayed again and this time his elbows were done again and it showed significant degeneration in all his major joints. He had some fat harvested from his abdomen about 4 weeks ago and then Wednesday last week he went back in for the injections. Both hips, both elbows, his knees and hocks were all injected. They take the stem cells from the fat and on the day of the procedure, they take blood and mix the stem cells with the blood (they spin something out of this as well).. Coming home, he seemed to be in a lot of pain - it was a long night. The next day, his pain didn't seem to lessen, so by mid morning we were back at the specialist for more pain relief and they also applied a pain relief patch (that would last a few days). He came home and pretty much slept the rest of the day and night away. Limping out to go to the loo a few times (I was taking him water, so he didn't have to get up much) - he had no interest in food at all. Friday rolled around and he was much happier. Still limping a bit but didn't seem to be in pain - just stiff. Saturday (just 4 days after), he was bouncing off the walls. We did our first 200-300 metre walk and he wasn't ready to get home but we were limited to short walks on lead. Sunday, more improvement and he was walking around with no stiffness to note. We did 3 x 200-300 metre walks down the street and back and he was happy to be out and about. Monday, it is almost like he is back to normal. No soreness that can be noted and he is positively bouncing off the walls and hanging to get out of the house. So we did 2 walks of about a kilometre each. Tuesday he didn't pull up sore from the longer walks yesterday but I gave him a slow day. Today, just one week since the procedure and I took him to the offlead park for a walk around. He loved being off lead and he even ran a bit but I limited this because he isn't supposed to be running too much just yet. He will continue to improve up to 90 days after surgery - so I have pretty high expectations :) He won't ever have to have the procedure again but if he becomes lame later on, we can do another procedure where they take blood, spin out the good stuff and inject that directly into his joints again. The initial fat harvest cost $1800 The stem cell extraction from the fat and subsequent injection procedure cost $3000 (with the extra pain relief - note not all dogs will require this extra pain relief).. So it is cheaper than hip replacements and so far, it is looking like it is going to make his quality of life, so much better.

Love them all - lovely Easter pets!

Zig wants to wish everyone a Happy Easter.. Easter 2016 by Jodie, on Flickr

They call them 'bitches' for a reason!! I would run half a dozen male dogs before I would run two bitches together.

It is Grade 2. Have been referred to oncologist yet to meet - not keen on chemo Have a look in the palliative care thread (here at the top of the health threads) - Ollie dog was my old SBT and he had MCT grade 2 - no clear margins on removal of multiple tumours. We did 6 months of chemo (although I know there are much quicker and easier protocols now) and also treated holistically. With no clear margins on removal, we were initially given 12-18 months for him. He lived 6 years :) We live in Canberra, our oncologist was Rob Straw in Brisbane (amazing man, can't recommend him enough) and our holistic vet was All Natural Vet Care in Sydney. We liaised with these specialists via our vet here in town. All Ollie's test results were emailed through to the other vets. Our holistic vet made sure she didn't prescribe anything that would interfere with the chemo. Dogs and chemo - it's expensive! However, they don't give dogs the doses they give humans and a lot of people get worried that their dogs will get sick or be like humans when on chemo. That simply ins't the case! The lower doses they give dogs, give them longer lives - rarely is chemo used as a 'cure' for dogs (because they can't give them the doses they give humans). In humans chemo is given in such high doses that it kills all fast producing cells (including bone marrow - hence why so many humans on chemo, require bone marrow transplants). However in dogs, the dose is much lower, so as not to kill off the bone marrow - because they don't do bone marrow transplants in dogs (well they do but it's even more expensive than the chemo).. So the dose is much lower. Ollie was a bit flat a few times after chemo but mostly he was fine. He had a three week protocol with Vinblastin and Lomustein (spelling??) Week one, blood test to make sure his cell count was high enough to have chemo - if it was, he would spend the day at the vets and have his chemo via drip. Week two, blood test again and he would get 5 tablets. Week three was nothing. Then back to week one, week two etc. For six months. Holistically, he used to take high doses of vitamin C, Fish oil, Five Mushroom drops, Anti Ox, a few other things and some Chinese herbs. His diet (because of chemo) was not raw food and we removed all starchy carbs and grains. He did have steel cut oats in his food though because not all grains are created equal and some are actually good for keeping them healthy. Have a read of Ollie's thread if you have time - all his info is in there but there has been huge headway made in MCT treatment since he was diagnosed. I believe Palladia is one of the better treatments these days.

^^ This.. To an experienced vet for x-rays. The earlier it is diagnosed the better. My, now 4 year old, staffy cross was bunny hopping and seemed to be limping and sore in one back leg all the time but he was still super active (when he was about . We initially thought it was a knee injury and we opted for x-rays. months old). Under x-ray, the vet managed to get a bit of his right hip in the x-ray and that is when he called me to say that he needed to extend the x-rays to his hips. His right hip is really quite bad and we are now booked in for updated x-rays and to remove some fat for stem cell therapy in the near future. Don't leave it - if you are concerned but your vet fobs you off - find another vet that will listen. Personally, I would rather be out of pocket the cost of x-rays and tests and have them all come back clear, than have the dog suffering because the tests weren't done.

Three weeks is plenty of time to house train a pup. If you start from the minute you bring them home, it really doesn't take the average dog long to learn. The minute you walk into your home with the pup, after picking him/her up - take them out the back (with a pocket full of treats) and walk around with them until they pee. As soon as they are finished give lots of treats and praise. Then every half hour or so, do the same thing - out the back and praise, praise, praise. After every nap, every meal and every play time - out the back to toilet. Don't come back in until puppy goes to the toilet and you get to praise them like crazy.. This method is pretty foolproof. Get a dog door put in the back door/laundry door, so the pup can come and go into the backyard - once he/she is trained, the can make their own way in and out to toilet.

Thanks I had a look at vans website I hadnt heard of it before so you can just add kangaroo or the above etc So it has grains which is another topic grains or grain free There are so many for and against with all the information out there it can be confusing for dog owners like me that are just looking for the best for there loved dog Not all grains are evil, there are good grains. Here's some good grains: Oats (Gluten free) Brown Rice Millet (Gluten free) Quinoa (Gluten free) Sorghum (Gluten free) Although listening to others is how we learn more, I think it's also important to take that information and research it further as well meaning people often are recycling info they have heard and some of it gets lost along the way. Thanks for answering sas, I completely missed that post. Yes some grains are definitely better than others. I mix VAN with roo or I mix other minces together (just to shake it up from time to time). I prefer to use human grade, premium mince meats - turkey, beef, lamb and pork mostly. I don't use chicken mince much - not sure why, I just don't. Like I said before - I really think that the food that your dog does best on, is the best for your dog. Although I do prefer a predominantly raw diet.

Yeah that's it. Zig loves anything fishy - I sometimes buy him salmon heads from the fish shop at the markets and he gets so excited when he gets them.

I personally feed Vets All Natural (VAN) - I either make it up myself or I do buy the premade stuff (because it is easy when I'm busy).. I also feed: Turkey necks, chicken frames, yoghurt, eggs, sardines, other bones as well. I also use kibble when I have foster dogs here (but Zig rarely eats it when he is on his own). My kibble of choice and the one they seem to do well on is Earthborn Holistic - I three of the range: Primitive, Ocean Catch and the other fish one (can't recall the name). I am another that believes the best food for your dog, is the food they do best on - we don't really change anything here, other than the flavour of the kibble.

I don't walk my foster dogs off lead. We do go to the off lead park to play but we only play with dogs that I know well or we go home or for an on lead walk somewhere.