percyk

once again dont give up its important that the dog realises that resisting is useless so id use the sponge idea like pinnacle suggest and make sure each session is short i had the same trouble with a pup who didnt like being brushed i know that had i given up i woulda probably had to have him groomed under sedation cos he does need regular brushing i perservered i gave him short bursts with a soft brush ...as u would with the sound of water and the feel of it but always let him go on ur terms not just cos hes struggling use the same principle as u would a dog who scratches to come in dont let it in when its scratching...do it in the second that he has stopped so when ur pooch has relaxed even for a tad...thats when u praise and let her go timing is so important..end on a positive...be the boss ..dont let her get away with her fears dont talk soothingly either...this can reinforce their fear say nothing hold her firmly i have also heard not to give treats...this is from my sister in law who is attending classes with her staffy who is afraid of the car... i have heard a variety of methods of how to treat a dog that is afraid and struggling but i really do believe u dont go holding their hand as u would to reassure a timid child one of mine was afraid of the vacuum ..i just went ahead and vacuumed but didnt go right up to his face...just little steps this dog was also afraid of the floating decoy duck i took it from the pool and sneaked up on him and slowly introduced it to him out of the water then put it back in as he watched then took it out again..took a few times but hes fine now good luck

break it down dont expect anything yet hold the bowl and give it to her quickly before she breaks out of the sit its important she is successful so make it shorter if she is sitting still then thats good enough try a leash so that u have some control..mind u ..dogs do tend to pull when they feel tension so see how u go try holding the bowl longer and longer before putting it down and make her watch u not the food some do love their food more than others and its terribly hard for them keep at it! she will get the message one of my dogs has only learned a trick ...it took him months...the new pup learnt it oh so quickly ..so theyre all different...just laugh and dont give up!

i agree about the training and yes u dont have to go to classes but it is fun and something u and the kids can do my first attempts at training were really good i feel lol lol considering i was living up the top end and there were no puppy classes ...not even a resident vet but i bought michael tuckers book oh lol...so funny to look at the pics now the dogs did well mind u i had a gorgeous german shepherd dog...and what a dream and a sassy lil girl aussie terrier and they learnt quickly i was young and single and had time to spend but it was so important that the dogs were trained cos i used to take them away on school camps and even tho i didnt even think about it...there woulda been a catastrophe had the dogs taken to biting and chasing kids i say do it...ull be surprised how rewarding it is i trained one of my cockers at home...she too was a dream to teach and she learnt almost by watching the golden retriever that i was putting thru obedience school...( dont know if dogs can pick up things by watching other dogs learn ..i really would like to know this if anyone has read anything about it) good luck with ur pup...i know of a lady whose black cocker is also nipping at the kids feet but she says hes getting better....

i have kids so i think its really important that all of our dogs give up their bones i just cant have a dog that is possessive of food or toys so with all of them we make them sit b4 we give food or anything and we do take food away from them i know there are others here who have a differing opinion but as alpha i still see it as my job ( and the kids) to school any dog we have to give up what it prizes ...for our sake and the safety of the dog too in case one day its taken something dangerous so persevere... say the dogs name tell him to give then move in to take the bone away hold it for a few seconds then give back and praise do this a few times each 'bone time' if the dog is big or quite snappy do a trade...with another bone or treat i havent had to trade as yet cos the dogs were all pups some dogs give it up easily..others are more tenacious but i dont like the idea of having a dog that thinks it can bite just cos its protecting a prized object id never allow the kids to tease of course but its important for me that they too can be safe around a bone chewing dog

a really great thread...thanks people and varicool thanks for the vid... i will direct my friend to this info ...she has a tenterfieldx chi who has been fitting..im sure she find comfort in reading all of ur posts scary indeed...u just wanna hug the little guy and snap him out of it

yeah my vet ( hes such a good egg!) told me to buy sentinel online so,,, no one has had trouble with buying things online>??? im always a tad nervous about it...havent even gone on ebay!!! im quite the troglodyte when it comes to doing things online but i will venture out....!

my dachshund years ago had a problem after eating a bone boy was he in strife ...agony he was literally doubled over in pain ..moaning it was an obstruction caused by the big bone my dad had given him but that doesnt stop me from giving my dogs bones i just dont leave home whilst they have them i give em chicken necks but they really do chew them ...not gobble them and im on hand.... its just one of those risks u have to take really i think...the benefits outweigh the risk and like all here i touch wood and pray that my dogs never have a problem like my lil dachie did.... he was fine btw but it was soooo heartachingly scary to watch him go thru the pain

i grew up with the knowledge that one must not use human shampoo on animals the ph balance or something..acidity whatever someone here will clarify i use aloveen ..love love the smell and i use the conditioner on my long haired one now about pantene i heard that it coats the shaft beautifully and gives it softness but that over time it actually damages the hair gets this buildup dont know..cant believe everything a hairdresser tells u but pantene certainly wasnt the number one with choice mag for human hair either dove was and fructis garnier was up there no need to spend big $ at the hairdresser folks

ooh i do hope all is ok please let us know it is apparently in the lines and also in yorkies and bedlingtons..so a breeder told me its awful and hopefully ur dear cav hasnt got it i know someone who has two dogs affected by it

i use biozet just dissolve it well i read on a site that talked about urine off products and it said that biozet had the same components as some of the stuff that vets use to clean up the messes they encounter dont use ammonia based products lots of people use vinegar

the last pup i had was very sooky after the op he was actually moaning a bit so we kept things very quiet but then HE kept himself quiet ..didnt feel like moving i guess i suppose it depends on the breed and the individuals in that breed ..how they cope with pain... it really feels awful to see them in that state...knowing u inflicted it on a healthy wagging dog that morning.... but it has to be done no ifs no nothings ( still makes me feel gushy thinking about the pain tho...lol...no wonder some blokes insist on never having muttley desexed !!!)

lol rascal! i tether my dogs when i train them to sit on a mat theyre either on a lead so i can correct them ...say when i am watching tv or working at the pc or have them hitched to a big tethering hook i have two in the family room and near the kitchen ...i just take their mat and enc0urage them to sit i dont have them loose ever...until theyre older...ie can hold their bladder and starting to go to the door or to their paper in the laundry ( thats for the littlies who cant hold it so well lol) this way i never have to chase...cos they love that... same thing with the come command...labs are clever and work willingly so keep her on a big rope or lead and insist that she comes.. never call her and then let her get away with not coming... every come must end with her coming so take small steps dont expect her to come until she really understands that she must come every time..keep her on the rope..if she doesnt come right away .,.give her a tug and coax her above all never chastise her if she does come and uve been fed up calling her...no matter how frustrating! she will be scared to come and the next time it may be in a dangerous situation near a road or whatever good luck..they are amazing dogs but it takes about two to three years to get the potential out of them..dont expect much from a puppy..lots of informal fun training that occurs incidentally is also good

hard call for u a bc is a pretty big dog that can do considerable damage and a little toddler cant defend itself i havebeen in that situation...i have had a dog which was a fear biter with other dogs but not with people and i have had a brief encounter with a large dog we bought that was very dominant and really should not have been placed in our family when we had a young son i have minded a dog that used to nip if rough handled or tired but we kinda could read the signs and it was only a small dog and the kids were old enough to handle the situation by then from what i have seen personally and read the situation can escalate...from nipping to biting and sure there are behaviourists who can assess and work with the dog but in the end...would u trust it completely? theres a few years before ur child could be competent enough to handle such a dog if the unpredictable behaviour persisted an awful choice to make... im not suggesting pts or even rehoming...but u have to ask urself how commited u are to getting this dog back onto the road to being a good trusted companion...i believe most things are possible but not everyone has the 'magic' of caeser milan ( nor do we really know what happens in the end with the so-called rehabilitated dogs he works with ) for the average person its a big ask...and it costs money to have them trained and huge dedication to keep it all going... mind u ...there are a lot of average people doing the not-so-average thing so im not suggesting u do anything but study the challenges ahead and assess ur own capability and commitment im truly sympathising with u here...its a rotten situation for u all to be in .. a dog that cannot be trusted loses its freedom ...can u walk this dog where there are people? are u always on ur guard...? these dogs need lots of exercise and stimulation as u know and if u dont trust it ..each outing becomes fraught with potential disaster...u leave it i nthe yard and its literally driven nuts wreacking havoc... keeping a toddler and a family pet separated is a nightmare and kinda defeats the purpose of having a dog anyway... im just rambling here trying to come to my own conclusion as to what i would choose to do ...i hope u have some time to decide and that u meet with a professional who can shed light we once gave up a standard poodle after having it assessed by a dog psychologist who came to our house and spent over three hourse with our dog...in the end it was decided it was too much of a risk for our 5 year old son to cope with and the dog was returned to the breeder who thankfully was very gracious and understanding it was awful..u feel like a failure but looking back ..there was no way i couldve put in the time to get that dog 'right' for us...i was far less experienced and very busy with a young family and work commitments...so there was no choice for me...we needed a dog that could just be a family dog and not something that had to be coaxed into it good luck with ur situation and keep us posted

poor dog... rough trot... hopefully this will be the end of it and therell be no more surprises for u

great to hear about the effort u have gone to! i dont use royal canin but im glad ur pups like it i dont have a problem with chicken necks i never leave my dogs alone with bones anyway ...the bigger ones eat them easily and the little ones chew away for a considerably longer time but i can see them thru the glass sliding door ( and yes i know that some can wolf them down and choke within minutes but none of my dogs wolf anything down so i guess u have to be pretty certain as to how ur dog behaves round any bone) id love to leave them with some bones when i go out but i dont..just in case they run into trouble....also when u have two or more dogs...a dog might start burying bones and this becomes sacred territory..any dog that walks past the burial ground is at risk..this did happen many years ago with a desexed bitch that never finished a bone but would place them like landmines round the yard and go off at any other canine... in the end we just gave her necks so that she could consume them in one sitting and that solved the problem my smaller dogs dont like the wings ...my bigger ones enjoy the chicken carcasses

i suggest if u ever get one of those matty kind dogs u start brushing them with a baby brush right from day one and get them used to scissor noises round their noses and eyes and bellies...sometimes u have to be very persistent if the pups are nervous ..the knots and matts on their bellies can get really sore soooo many of these little hairy ones get dumped..not cos theyre super aggressive ( even tho they can be snarly/ barky as well ) but because the owners have let it go...the fur becomes so matted that its nigh impossible to get thru without a shave...owners cant bear the cost nor the embarrassment of letting their dog get into that state...ive seen this happen with people who should know better but the finehair gets soo knotty soooooo quickly that u have to be a real lover of grooming to stay on top of this funnily enough ( or not so funnily ) their seems to be a bit of a correlation btw the hair matting and socialisation ...dogs that are kept in top condition are often the ones taken out by their proud owners and the scruffy ones get left in the bac kyards to get scruffier and develop those phobias that little dogs can get about big dogs, children etc... so keep the matts under control with brushing and watch the four armpit areas..that way u save the groomer time if its only the clipping and shaping that needs to be done

cauliflower does create gas brown rice too...anything thats got fibre...if u give a dog this new diet its going to react...until it adjusts and it can be painful too...so go easy when doing anything new

it depends on the area u live in some neighbourhoods present less risk because the people tend to vaccinate their dogs ( i know some people have said to me that they dont bother to vaccinate each year cos their dogs never leave their rural property but i believe u can walk parvo in your shoes and some breeders have insisted on taking shoes off before visiting unvaccinated pups and washing ur hands b4 and after...i guess they never know what litters u have visited on the way ) id not take a dog out and even after the second shot we are careful...we have taken our last one out but only to shopping centre cafes where thered not be a lot of dog traffic ( yes and if parvo can be walked in on shoes it is a risk)...we put down a mat for the pup to sit on or hold on our laps...we have carried pups in bags when taking the others out and had people stroke them in our arms so they get used to them i have heard of puppy schools on concrete but a few years ago people didnt take their dogs to public places til they were 16 weeks old...seems a bit more relaxed now but id still wait for that second shot and at least 7 days after ( agony waiting i know) enjoy ur new doggie!

definitely call the vet and if he advises ( which he probably will) go in ive had dogs react to the third vaccine...one got an itchy face and was given an antihistamine and the vet watched her for about half an hour this one felt off colour for a day..just lethargic and didnt eat much but...pups do get a bit off colour vomiting a lot is of concern but pups do vomit from time to time.,,,sometimes its what they chew or the new food or stuff u introduce as treats..,.some seem to have sensitive stomachs diarrhoea is also a problem at times so look for tape worm segments ....young pups do get reinfestations and sometimes when u worm them they can actually spit the stuff out after u think they have swallowed so make sure u hold their snout...when their tongue licks their lips the tablet is gone ( always check their bib area if long haired and the floor!) if it goes on for more than a day or so...definitely go to ur vet but usually its nothing....so dont panic just be alert and be the poo detective...know what ur dogs stools look like normally and what can make them change good luck ..let us know pls

u have to check that she actually goes b4 bed..watch her and only let her in if u know shes gone if she has a drink b4 bed then u will have to get up make sure all food ( dry ) has been put away so that she cant have a midnight snack either and then fill her bowel so that she has to go again b4 morning always teach a word that signals her to go...females are easy to train cos they usually dont hold back the urine..empty and go..boys can keep it on tap! ( i do have one desexed bitch that will go in two lots rather than one big wee) i tether my dogs when training,,,i have places that i can hook their long lead and a mat and i time them i have paper near the door for them to go on ...so at least they dont mess in the rest of the room...but generally i really try to know where they are all the time i have even tied a rope round my waist so that they can be with me be super vigilant after meals and play and sleep with some pups i have had them sleep by my bed with a longish leash round my arm and the minute they stir i get up...yep it costs me sleep but after every month they get better at sleeping right thru .... after a while if they stir i just say 'lie down ' and if they dont then i know they really do need to go ....a real drag but so worth it long term i have had some really difficult breeds to toilet train and yes i know they can go backwards thats why i am so fanatical about getting up at night and supervising their toileting... its just creating that habit for them good luck it can take up to a year with small breeds...small bladders remember!!

we have always trained all of our dogs to sit before a meal we then progress to them waiting til we say 'ok' then they may eat we always train our dogs to give up what theyre eating some give up easily others will put up a fight but we still persist now we can bones away from any of them even when there are dogs around we simply say the dogs name...give the command 'give' and take it away ... this saved my birds life once..im convinced bird got out of the cage...dog grabbed it...and jumped down into the garden bed below... no way was i ever expecting the bird to be alive i went down after the dog...said 'give' and to my mind numbing disbelief and relief the dog gave up the bird bird was not harmed ... bird did bite me hard tho lol so yep;...u have to be boss...they have to know that no matter how precious the food/ object is to them they must give it up to the alpha of the pack...every human in the family could save their life...could be a cooked bone..or goodness knows what they pick up next time of course u never tease the dog...but even the snarliest can be taught to give it up...for everyones sake

cancer is usually hard and fixed...u cant palpate it the way u can with a benign lump... if its soft and u can almost put ur fingers round it its probably just a benign lump...my dogs have those....esp round the ribs and its soooooooo scary when u find one but the vets are pretty quick to assess these things and the two dogs i had years ago never had to get a biopsy or anything and they lived til 14 and 15!

great feeling isnt it!

was shown this technique by a trainer about 7 years ago ( b4 that some recommended the ole knee to the chest trick ...we dont do that one anymore lol) so anyway the pup jumps u turn away immediately...ignor turn back quickly once the dog isnt jumping and quickly hold treat over its head to encourage into sit position do not go outside if pup is jumping...make the pup sit b4 u let him in or b4 u go out so work on sit command...its one of ur best commands in the beginning ( as well as 'come) never greet an excited dog..just ignore it when u come home or into the yard...til it settles...then reward with pat/ treat labs are great ...learn quickly and have that bonus of being food driven ( regular tub trucks lol)

ticks are everywhere my dog got a tick while she was living in a courtyard on brick pavers she had been ill so i hadnt taken her anywhere for walks for a few weeks possum brought it in the vet reckons