Papillon Kisses

I think that's wise. I understand why poodle breeders do it, but it'd be a deal breaker for me especially if I wanted an active companion.

Food dispensing toys. Not just Kongs, though Kongs are great too. Don't even bother buying a regular bowl, it's a waste of a potential enrichment or training opportunity!! Ideas: Sprinkles, snuffle mats (buy or make), Kong Wobbler (can fill partly with shredded paper when it becomes too easy), Kyjen slo-bowl, Kyjen invincibles range.

I often see dried chicken recommended for puppies. Remember to use the most amazing treats in the world when teaching new things, especially when toilet training.

One thing our vet behaviourist recommends is to whisper "good boy" when your dog is relaxing. It has to be a very soft whisper – so soft that you get zero reaction from them. Remember their hearing is a lot more sensitive than ours, so even if you can barely hear yourself they still will.

She does travel from time to time @westiemum

Relieved to hear you have rethought getting two puppies at the same time. In terms of socialisation, one mistake commonly made is to confuse it with exposure. You need the experiences to be positive or if not positive then neutral. So watch your puppy's body language closely. Here's a few resources that may help with your planning: Sophia Yin's Socialisation Checklist and an article Sound Proof Puppy Training App Puppy Culture Dogstar Daily AVSAB Position Statement

Arlizng, can I suggest she looks for a trainer who is a member of Delta, PPGA or APDT.

All the love

Doesn't smell bad to me. It's in most of Mal's dental stuff (toothpaste, gels and we've used the liquid to flush a tooth). The only product that stinks is his toothpaste but that's because it's gross-to-us, yummy-to-dogs chicken or beef flavour.

Not an answer to your question, but have you thought about seeing Dr Jaime Jackson? (Jumabaar on DOL) I wonder if there may be some exercises you could do to help compensate for those legs etc.

Hey SM, Are you sure they are being very strict with the diet? As in, no treats from ANYONE – no family member or friend or neighbour or random stranger giving treats because they think they know better and feel sorry for the dog? You'd know this but they may not realise that a vet exclusion diet will not work if they are feeding any extras, unless the extras have been proven to be tolerated and are prepared in such a way to avoid cross-contamination (which may have been an issue with the supermarket food, but I digress). Do suggest they check online for any prescribed diets as may find them a lot cheaper elsewhere. Also I'm not seeing any chicken in the Hills DD? http://www.hillspet.com.au/en-au/products/pd-dd-canine-potato-and-venison-formula-dry.html

She is beautiful!

Hi Sharky! Welcome to the forum. You should talk to your vet to see if your dog's weight and growth is a concern. However, it's important to note that you've got yourself a crossbreed... and genes don't splice and dice like may think they do! I recently heard of a study where they crossed a Cocker Spaniel with a Basenji. Some pups looked like Cockers and had the temperament of Basenjis, some looked like Basenjis and had the temperament of Cockers, and some looked and acted like a mix of the two. It's all a roll of the dice. So you will need to throw breed standards out the window and follow your vet's advice. Because you don't have a Cocker Spaniel. You have what is reportedly a Cocker Spaniel x Cocker Spaniel x Poodle, and what type of poodle is unknown. Crossbreeds do not breed true to a type! Make sure the little one is healthy though, ok? Because there is potential for something to be amiss.

I've got a longer post coming, but look who I just found. https://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/444203

There's a lot of things you can do to help dogs in confinement. I would start crate training now and look into all the wonderful enrichment activities you can provide to give your dog's brain a good workout. Mental exercise can be more exhausting than physical exercise. An easy one that requires little effort from you is a snuffle mat.