corrie

I purchased the Maritime bark in the form of Pycnogenol from a compounding pharmacy. It was so expensive. I did a bit of research and realised that they had likely ordered it from iherb (as I had to wait for it to come in) then charged me double the price. I was using it for human use so you would need to check dosages with your vet. Personally I would go for a proper suppliment over a homeopathic solution. Have also sent you a PM.

Sorry to hear this Caz. If you want to go the holistic route then your best bet is to see a holistic vet. Getting different homeopathic/ holistic concoctions can be a bit hit and miss and very expensive so a holistic vet visit would be my first port of call.

I once had a pure bred dog who we did not plan to have desexed. At 9 months she came into season and one day when I came home she was missing. I found her outside a motel mating with three dogs, one of whom was the motel's guard dog and was actually on a chain.

That is poor management on your part. If an owner is educated and responsible there will be no issues in managing entire dogs. Desexing is purely for the benefit of people who cannot adequately manage bitches in season. I am not sure how a phantom pregnancy could be distressing for you??

yeah, ...and that (poor management of other dog owners) is one of the reasons why I have to pay nearly 4 times more when I registered my dog :) ...a bitch doesn't come into heat over night, there are obvious signs!!!...it puzzles me that some dog owners use their incompetence regarding handling entire dogs to justify de-sexing!...what's next?...amputating 2 legs if the dog is too fast?

So now people with desexed dogs are incompetent? Not sure why I even opened this topic as I really don't enjoy your high and mighty posting style.

Someone not experienced in training can end up using food rewards and food as a lure when the dog is fearful and showing behaviour that reflects this. It is easy to think showing confident body language and giving lots of food treats can make the dog "come around" but it can unwittingly reward the fear (or behaviour that is reflective of the fear). I have made the above mistake due to my inexperience and feel that I created more problems because of it. Getting a professional in, as others have suggested, is a very good idea.

This is the link I was thinking of. It is the puppy development calendar. It is in the puppy forum, not the training forum like I originally thought.

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/117592-puppy-development-calender/#

It is possible your dog is going through a fear period. I think there is a pinned topic related to it in the training forum if I remember correctly. I would possibly avoid taking your dog into situations that make him very fearful for the time being and do more training in situations where he is more confident and you are able to reward confident behaviour.

Taking your dog into fearful situations during a fear period and using rewards can be tricky as it is easy to unwittingly reward the dog when he/she is feeling fearful and reinforce that behaviour.

My dogs are Rascal 7years ( I would never let him go he's our only foster failure)

Astro turning 5 (he wouldn't leave my side while pregnant)

Claudia turning 4 (she is my princess and probably also my kids favourite so we couldn't let her go)

Hugo the poodle ( naughty but very bonded to myself and my daughter)

Chloe just turned 1 (I love living with this girl she is loud and spunky, just had patella surgery and I can't imagine her not in our lives, also due to her being such a barker she could potentially end up going from home to home)

I was coming from the angle that if you had any real oldies about maybe delaying your decision until they pass away but seeing yours are relatively young, unfortunately, that suggestion is no help.

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Recipe for dog aggression in the family:

Two dogs close together in age, size and gender.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier litters aren't uncommon. I'd give yourself 12 months to get the cattle dog pup settled, trained in obedience (this is not a breed to leave in the back yard to entertain itself) then reconsider whether you're up for another dog.

I'd certainly be going for the next dog of the opposite gender.

English staffords are rare as hens teeth (at least here in SA). I have been searching (within 200km's) of my location for one for the past 3 years, but had no luck. As far as other states go- People keep falsely advertising pups as pure breeds ,only to find out that they are not. Over pricing said pups well over $1000 !!!! or selling pups with bad health problems- So- we have vowed to only buy one from someone locally, where we can go and visit the pups and the parents (& breeders) before making any decisions, to avoid any of the problems we have encountered earlier.

That being said- It's just typical that an advertisement would come up from someone in the town over from us & in the right price range- just weeks after we picked up our little bluey!

Makes sense to wait until our heeler is trained before getting another pup though. Must keep a rational head about it i suppose. Might hold off for a while and see if another litter becomes available. Not holding out any hope, but maybe that just means it wasnt meant to be.

Totally! I assumed 2 pups would be double the fun and cuteness and although they were cute actually they were a real headache. Never again! You can become the third wheel if you are not careful.

The beauty of waiting is once your cattle dog is a settled and sensible adult and you get a new puppy, you get to go through the whirlwind again but without trying to juggle two idiots at the same time.

I laugh now but I was genuinely at my wits end at times and felt like I wasn't doing any of us justice.

Also, I agree with HW on having opposite gender. It doesn't work that way every time but if it was to be an issue it would not likely manifest until maturity anyway so it is just one good way to help minimise the potential for problems.

Good luck with it all.

Personally, I would never have 2 puppies at the same time again so I would concentrate on raising and training your cattle dog pup in to a well adjusted dog and get another dog down the track. Once you already have a well adjusted and trained dog they can help instill good behaviours in the new pup.

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11 pups - 6 girls, 5 boys :D

I'm definitely going double figures with that belly :)

I was thinking 11 too but 5 girls, 6 boys. :)

What ages are your dogs, Rascal?

No judgement on anyone else's decision but I wouldn't. I just couldn't.

Kirislin, she is stunning in that photo. Just beautiful. From the way you have spoken about her on Dol over the years it is very clear how loved and what an important part of your life she has been for so long. I hope you are doing as okay as you can. Hugs.

Kirislin, I am so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful girl and long time companion.

I have so many. Cosmolos Dexter. I always admired the photos of him that were posted. I sometimes wonder how he is going as I know he had bad joint issues or something along those lines. Kirtys Pia. Still remember the cute pics of her with the little kitten. Hazywals Maddy and Stan. Bubbittys Bub and Bitty. Kirislins mob including the chooks. There are way more but there are a few off the top of my head.

I like rubber seals on my bins to keep the food fresh. I use similar to these.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/glenhaven/pet-products/plastic-drums-with-lids-20l-/1092979762

I randomly found this link but if I am not allowed to post sale items I will delete.

Love Feather. Such a beautiful girl. ❤️

I would be livid, too. There are plenty of people who don't use facebook so what hope would they have of being reunited with their dog. I would be happy to pay to get my dog out of the pound rather than having someone steal them or them being killed on the road. So many people are too lax about containing their dogs in the first place so the likelihood of getting a fine would act as a good deterent.

All I imagine is Odie pirouetting on to the desk with the similar style and grace as Hyacinth the Hippo.

I have had numerous situations where the dogs have had to wear the cone of shame. My earlier experiences involved me feeling bad and taking it off at different times and making things worse and prolonging healing. Even if you are sitting right with them you only need to be distracted for less than a minute and the wound has been licked or scratched. I had a smallish wound take over month to heal because I kept taking the EC off and she kept getting to it. Finally I came to my senses and left it on. She got so used to it she started use it as a battering ram and barge her way through where ever she wanted to go. They definitely are not too happy with it the first couple of days then it just becomes the norm. I have tried the cloud ones but actually didn't find them quite as effective and they just don't seem as comfortable.

Don, if you get some bones and vegetables such as carrot and celery etc. Throw them in some water in the slow cooker for as long as possible 8+ hours. Then you have your own beef stock to freeze in small portions that you can just add to your future slow cooker meals for the pooches.

I am so sorry, Anne. In my years reading this forum it was always so clear from your posts just how loved your dear Boof has always been. Thinking of you at this sad time.

They are possibly herbalists as well, cavNrott, but the particular preparations I purchased from McDowells seemed more like a homeopathic solutions. I have not purchased from Canine Vitality, though, and I am not familiar with the company.

I am open minded and happy to give anything a go but have come to the same conclusion as you. And I agree they are certainly not cheap.

I don't think they are herbalists, more homeopathic. I have tried some of it and 2 instances made me decide not to buy it any more. One was that dog was diagnosed with a condition after he had been on a preventative for that type of condition over a long period of time.

I feel sorry for Greyhound owners when I am around. I can never just let them go about their business and enjoy their walk without accosting them so I can say hello to their Greys.