percyk

i find baby wipes are good - just with my finger but i usually use a piece of chux cloth

the one thing im consistent with when brushing is not to give in to their biting i let them down on my terms - not because they have been biting me i always start with a baby brush and just brush them lightly every night

what is in PAWS brand of fresh mince? cant see anything on the packet is it roo meat? how do you know if there are preservatives? i guess i could ring the manufacturers... it's in woolworths thanks for any responses

i remember the days we used to pour money into our new garden it looked ok fora while but we are not gardeners now it's established andwe dont do anything anymore it is heartbreaking for somewhen the first bit of dog damage is done- so i hope youre 'well steeled' we have a couple of fenced off areas that we designed for the dogs but we hardly use them now - we had a golden retriever many years ago and it was supposed to be his run but it never worked out of course - he wanted to be close to the house where he could see us you learn along the way i regret getting red gravel pebbles - hard to clean and now we have to partition that area off ,too(by the fence it is) theyre good for security as they crunch underfoot but ive never been able to keep the dogs off it because like most dogs they like to run the perimeter of the property and check things out ive never worried about where the dogs toilet because there is a lawn area they use but one or two ofthem like to sneak off to the gravel area and its a pain picking up their waste with pebbles attached i reckon we should have just concreted - easier to clean

thanks for that everyone Gashmir, i have never seen ear mites before and i believe that i have never had that problem with any of my dogs til this one but the tip of the cotton bud ( yes i know to be careful not to delve too deeply with a a cotton bud) had many wiggly round things caught up in the wax and my daughter verified it...at first i thought i was seeing things...as if the tiny strands of the cotton bud were moving themselves! the vet didnt dispute the fact either - she just said' oh so you could see them ?' and then went on to give me the advice re revolution and the oil treatment...surely she wouldve suggested that i bring in the dog for a test and not just diagnose over the phone? hmmm ill keep an eye on it anyway...thanks for responding im wondering how i can effectively get the 'greasy look' the flick - i might just have to wait to wash him again when it's time

one of our dogs is allergic to a lot of meds so we always double check before we go for over the counter preparations seems like hes got an infestation of mites in his ears rang the vet ( described the little white mites visible in the dark ear wax that hes been producing of late and theres been some scratching) revcolution is the treatment of choice but he is allergic to it - i guess its only going to be a very small dose but im still hesitant so i asked about other remedies and oil was suggested - either parafin or olive - basically youre drowning the little blighters so i dropped a few drops into each ear and massaged well having cleaned out as much as possible and in a few days the wax production had dropped significantly gave him a bath but his ears are still oily - the long hair that is any ideas how to get rid of this oil? i thought i did a thorough job when shampooing but hes still looking like fonzie from happy days! i was thinking there might be some grooming powder ? flea powder that might absorb the excess? appreciate any tips ( and if youre thinking that the oil is just a wivestale please yell out cos i dont want to repeat it if all i get is a greasy looking dog!)

ooh good to get an update on the chicken bone thief!

yeah just catching up with newnewf here hope it all irons itself out here glad youre getting advice we had to return a particularly dominant standard poodle pup..had him assessed after he was nipping and dominating my four year old..( years ago).. finally the behaviourist who bred standards conincidentally deemed him unsuitable as a pet we just didnt have the time nor the inclination to work with an errant dog...not with full time work and a small child...we needed a dog to fit in im sorry youre having some hiccups with a newfie...i so adore the breed and always assumed they were placid as! dont give up...you have the time still to correct him ...and it's wonderful to see you putting your heart into it... wish you all the very best and please keep updating...Turtle is a special dog of the Kimberleys now...cant give up !

i feel lucky that i have a spare shower that nobody uses...its really roomy and has a hand-held shower head...dogs can have a good shake in there too before they come out for the big dry i used to love giving the dogs an outside bath on a big wrought iron table in the garden but with water restrictions thats been curtailed

hmm and gee whizzzzz! i was always told at training that women have the advantage cos of their high pitched voices...excites the dog! and who can forget barbara walkhouse ( was that her name>) "walkies!!!!!!" she'd trill....goodness that voice has stayed in my head for years ps whatever happened to babs???? anyone ever meet her?

interesting post Reddii i assume im pack leader and teach the kids to assert themselves too but youre right... there are so many times that you know youre not the leader...not the leader you want to be! can you be a part-time leader? or leader when it really counts ? most of my dogs are easy...easy going laid back...naturally biddable typically they will hand over any toy or bone...they have good recall ( except for one but hes 'special' lol and getting better! but we knew what we were getting into!) they exhibit that licking that seems to indicate that they are submitting they roll over and look away they stop any horseplay when commanded theres a lot more to it...but i guess it depends on what you find acceptable..mine arent big dogs so its easier i find to live with them than a big dominant dog still it will be an eye opener...this thread ..so thanks for posting!

ooh Carp i sympathise and empathise we made the decision to give back a gorgeous black standard poodle youngster many years ago bought as a pet for my young son...he was totally unsuitable...very dominant .., we brought in a behaviourist..a lovely lady ...who owned and bred poodles herself and she convinced us after spending an afternoon observing and interacting with the dog that he was not going to be a reliable pet we took him back to the breeder ..no problem...he was supposedly then heading off to the showring..breeder didnt seem too concerned about his attitude so i didnt feel too badly in the end... its a hard decision ..but that dog of yours ( love shelties and have only come across very sweet biddable ones or the little nervous ones that disappear under the couch!)...that dog of yours will be part of your life for a long time.. if its going to be very difficult..id be taking it back

my dogs have eaten cooked bones...u find them everywhere...even on the oval where we walk...kids must get takeaway and throw the scraps...hopeless i know so far nothing has happened my ole girl has had many a go at a cooked bone...a regular thief she was ( and still would be no doubt if she could get at the bin) but weve not had a problem did have a dachsie..my first ever dog..and im pretty sure mum mustve given him a cooked bone ( cant remember) might have been raw but i somehow doubt back in those days of dark ignorance i remember him going to the vet pronto..he was in a lot of pain...just literally sitting hunched over and moaning...no op tho...so long ago i dont remember what the vet did... hopefully nothing will come of it...i know you will keep an eye on her ( and yes it is like having a child hit his head just b4 bedtime ..sigh lol sigh...what they do to us!!!)///but dont stress too much ..it could well pass

handsome clever dog caught up in a whirlwind of something only humans create wasted life

oooh theres something about the sophie dogs i have one too and she is so old any time now i fear takes courage to let them go pass on our best wishes to sophies owners please

gorgeous little one im sorry to hear your sad news

too sorry for words thanks for posting...it may save a life...who wouldve thought that this accident couldve happened hugs to you both

so sorry to hear of your loss Apfsds-t... thanks for posting the autopsy result its comforting to know when you know there is no coming back from that road to the bridge...its when you have doubt or guilt so cling to those lovely memories of Scotty ( love the pic...made me teary though) and enjoy your new rescue Chloe..she looks so pretty!

yep exactly! get the kids to help you practise settling Turtle they will love it and will get a sense of ownership...what a lovely bond with you and your students! lots of treats in pockets and no pats til all is calm ...may take a while but the more exposure he has ..the quicker he will be trained in this aspect so grab anyone you know ( in little remote community its easy !) and get them to repeat the exercise with you four or five times good luck...looking forward to reading more of Turtle the Wonder Dog of the Kimberleys! ( my own dogs..a gsd and an aussie terrier used to go camping with all of the local kids when i was in NT...great for the kids and great for the dogs...they all had a ball down at the rivers..nothing like a life out in the bush for the dogs)

they do move round the clock just like our human babies and its the pits waiting for them to do so i used to get up all through the winter to toilet my pups ...at any hour they stirred and its paying off they wake much later ...provided i have toileted them round midnight they can hold on til 7 on the weekends then i let them out one goes back in the laundry for futher sleep if i need it on a sunday ..another comes back upstairs with us ...another stays outside every dog is different...i have different breeds and some are more people oriented and are miserable without the pack leader thats why they cry...others are the independent kind and are fine to be left alone for a bit u cant win ..theyre all lovely in their own way and they all drive us nuts in their own lovely way lol dont give up!

yes good idea sidoney a second fence would be the answer..could be expensive i know but look at all options its hard to train the dog without the cooperation of the neighbour and without you being home to do it consistently keep at it...dont give up slip a note to the neighbour that you are exploring options ..let him know you do care...he may with time even come around and respect you...hes just cranky ( understandably at the moment) do the right thing...thats all

it is indeed an honour to have them in our lives...well said Shep max! beautiful shepherd eyes.... loyal gorgeous dogs im so sorry that you are going through this..

Grotty Rotty im so sorry to hear that you had to make that decision I hope you get some comfort that it was the right choice and that we are lucky to be able to make that choice for them when the time is right every story that tells of the death of a dog is hitting so hard at the moment because i will be making that decision soon i feel i wish we didnt have to lose them so often ...how many dogs i have lost in my lifetime and how many more ...the pain is so sharp just to think of it but thats the price you pay when youre born an animal lover wouldnt swap it to be one of those people who are obsessed with material things...give me the cycles of dogs in my life and i will die happy big hugs to you....

heart is heavy for you a colleague lost her dog a week ago ...got the ashes ...we are all commiserating but you know its never the same til it happens to you a beautiful dog...a dreadful dreadful place to be in, Rysup

My sister- in- law is being treated for breast cancer. Her oncologist who is also a Chinese herbalist ( yes, East meets West) told her that she didn't have to buy expensive organic fruit and veg but simply soak all produce in apple cider vinegar and that would eliminate any chemical spray on them.