Papillon Kisses

Well done Monty! I suppose if the other dog is aggressive then you're looking for information about how to break up dog fights. I have no idea what to do there. I always carry treats on me for two reasons: 1) I take my dog off to the side / down a driveway / down a cross street / across the road and reward him for focusing on me. 2) If we get ambushed by a loose dog, I throw a big handful of treats at the dog. As these treats are super yummy it usually allows enough time for a swift getaway. Con: this reinforces the other dog's behaviour, so hopefully we won't see them again! I have roared "NO. GO HOME." complete with hand gestures to a giant bouncy Ridgeback that would not stop launching himself at us and whose owner wouldn't do anything about it. The poor thing winced and ran home. Not ideal from that perspective, but also because having your human yell like that is scary and would have set back the positive stuff we'd been doing. But as RP says, in the heat of the moment sometimes you don't know what else to do. Interestingly Mal was wearing an Adaptil collar at the time and from the way Ridgie was acting (he ran over like omg I've missed you so much I'm so happy you're here!) I think he thought this old man Chihuahua was his mum or something. It was really odd!

He really does! The mismatched head was such a wonderful surprise. What an awesome-looking dog. I imagine he'd draw a lot of attention on walks!

Scrappi makes an excellent point! The three prong/lump ones didn't do anything to slow down my dog either. I too have one of the Kyjen bowls (they also have Outward Hound on the label) and it works a treat. I also use a bunch of other food dispensing toys from Kong, Busy Buddy and Kyjen (many more brands exist as well). Variety is good for their brains. Oh and I give kibble as rewards in training! I am kind of envious of those with large food motivated dogs. The extra calorie requirement gives you a lot of food that can be put towards training and enrichment vs. a tiny dog like mine who gets 1/3 cup max.

We had a Papillon who lived to 18 (I accidentally wrote 'loved' but that too is true!). He had poor night time sight as he aged. He didn't have eye surgery but it was never on the table due to a bad heart condition. We left night lights on for him and he had eye drops of some description. He did not have Canine Cognitive Dysfuntion that we knew of. We saw an ophthalmologist recently with my current dog, an 11-12 year old Chi who has anxiety disorders (no dementia). He has some sight issues but nothing bad at this stage unless his lens luxates but that's a different issue. Anyway, the ophthalmologist we saw said that my dog's sight issues would not be worsening his anxiety and that vision changes usually happen so slowly that dogs tend to adjust pretty well. That said, he's an eye specialist not a behaviour one, and he was talking about my dog's specific situation. I think a veterinary behaviourist would be a good person to ask whether surgery would help with Dude's CCD symptoms and if so whether such benefits would outweigh the risks depending on her general state of health.

Poor bubby. I hope the new med kicks in soon.

This is a lovely thought. Perhaps you could contact shelters/pounds near you. Sydney Cats & Dogs Home have done this sort of thing with businesses. Puppies get extra socialisation and adult dogs have relief from the shelter. Several shelters/pounds also provide opportunities for businesses or Duke of Ed students to volunteer for a day or week. (Many large corporations these days have paid volunteer days.) So while I don't know anyone in particular who does this in Melbourne, this may be an avenue you could investigate. I've also heard of therapy dogs paying visits to university campuses in the US but I don't know if that's done here. You could ask the Delta Institute.

Hi there! So sorry to hear about your Staffy. First up I'd recommend a vet check as there may be some health problems responsible for the change in behaviour. If all is good, you'll find some good trainers listed here who work behaviour cases. You can also check out Delta and PPGA. It may be that you need to see a veterinary behaviourist so keep that in mind. The best trainers and vets will know when to refer you on. Finally, although it may seem like a quick fix it is very important not to punish your dog for showing aggression. Punishment has been shown to worsen aggression and fear/anxiety (which is usually what's behind the aggression) in the long run. Let us know how you get on?

You seem to be doing a great job!

Dying That's a leg. He actually would have been gently kneading it.

The first thing I thought was Canine Cognitive Dysfuntion (doggy dementia) too. The thing is that it's a progressive disease that presents differently in each dog, so you may only see a symptom or two to start and not ever see the whole gamut of behaviours that you read about. So you're seeing crying, confusion/distress, some repetitive behaviours and nighttime anxiety. Other symptoms may or may not come in time. The timing is interesting, but it is common for dementia patients to be anxious and have increased confusion at nighttime. If you think it's diet or GI related, perhaps you could try a different hypoallergenic prescription diet and/or see an internal medicine specialist. Does eating at different times produce the same effect? Perhaps that might give an indication. Ask your vet. How long has she been on Seleginine? It's my understanding that it can take some time to see whether meds like these are working, as in weeks or months. Early on you can get an indication of benefit but not the full impact. There are other medications that you could try too if Seleginine doesn't seem to be helping enough, though the positive things you are seeing are great. The thing is that it's not a one-size-fits-all sort of a disease... an absence of the amount of progress you'd prefer doesn't mean the diagnosis is necessarily wrong (if that thought has crossed your mind). I would highly recommend consulting a veterinary behaviourist. That's a vet with additional qualifications in behaviour, kind of like a psychiatrist. They also rule out illnesses that masquerade as behaviour issues. Some calming things that may help at night: - a crate that's dark and decked out with comfy blankets etc. Not to lock her in at all, just as a den. - a thundershirt or other body wrap - Through A Dog's Ear albums. I use them with my dog and they really do work! There are even specific ones for geriatric dogs dealing with brain issues. - Adaptil diffuser or collar Please don't give any calming/anxiety treats or supplements without consulting a vet. They can interact dangerously with prescription medications, negating their effects or causing worsening illness or other problems. I'm so sorry that you're going through this. Seeing our pets in distress is awful.

@Scottsmum advised me that the below photo belongs in this thread. She's probably right. So here's Malcolm looking like he's been caught showing off his puppies in a makeshift strapless dress. You are welcome.

Sadly I suspect you'll still have people acting inappropriately. I've thought about the yellow nervous or no dogs gear for Malcolm and decided people would probably just come closer to read it and in any case the vast majority of owners of 'friendly' dogs don't listen anyway. They'd probably see it as an invitation to come over and help. *eye roll* Just yesterday I had someone say "don't worry mine's friendly" to which I said "mine's not, I'm going over here (walked off) please stay away." So he proceeded to let his beagle walk all the way over to mine. It was even on a leash so he had full control! Anyway Mal was a superstar and just sat and maintained perfect focus on me while I told him he was a very clever boy and rapid fed him treats.

Non-horse person here. I didn't know, however I never walk anywhere near the rear end of horses as I act on the assumption that any horse will kick and I don't know how to read their body language. It's like not taking a toy or food away from an unknown dog. One time in Tassie we were walking through a field on a property and all of a sudden a big herd of horses (maybe 20?) just descended on me out of nowhere. They weren't at all interested in my husband, just super fascinated by me or maybe thought I had something for them? I don't know. It felt kind of special but with my limited understanding of horses I decided it was properly safest to 'be a tree' even though they were nuzzling into me.

Thanks SM.

I find myself dearly missing a sweet little dog I've never met.

Agreed. And Phyl, it may also make people wary, as it may come across that you have not properly considered whether a particular dog or breed is right for you and that's not good for the dog. You are making an important decision about a family member that will hopefully be with you for 10 years or so. Be patient. Not all dogs are the same, so even if you find one it may not be appropriate for you. Remember the dog's needs should come first not yours. Also the problem you had with your male cat was a behaviour issue specific to that particular cat. It does not transfer to dogs in general or boy dogs specifically. The only times my boy dog has urinated in the house has been when he's had a urinary tract infection. He has never marked in the house.

What a sweetheart.

Thanks SeeEmArgh. My boy LOVES his Greenies. They are his reward for teeth brushing, which I know sounds counter intuitive but he needs a big reward/incentive for his bravery. Sorry just saw this. I'm not sure. An individual rib would be quite small, which could be dangerous? Most vets if recommending bones (many don't, especially dental specialists) recommend that you get a meaty one that is at least the size of the dog's head and the aim is to have the dog tear the meat off it not actually eat the bone. Others recommend chicken wings for the smaller set. Tooth brushing is the gold standard of dental care and doesn't carry the risk of obstructions or fractured teeth.

LOVE Boomerang Tags. Such excellent quality. I have the hard plastic one.

Is that puppy Em or Ginny?

LOL

Hi Molly! Welcome to the forum. Please ask a vet for advice on a suitable elimination diet and how to follow it. The food needs to be properly formulated and prepared for this purpose and you need to be very strict and not feed ANY other food. Since your current vet has not helped you with this I would be consulting another or asking for a referral to a specialist. Once you know what to feed you can go online and see if you can find said diet for cheaper! You can also do the same with medications, though you must use an Australian pharmacy and have a script from your vet for which they may charge a nominal fee. Again, please consult a vet about this. If an elimination diet isn't done properly you won't get accurate results and will run the risk of nutritional deficiencies that can make your dog sick.

There are quality of life scales that can help: http://vet.osu.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf http://www.aplb.org/resources/quality-of-life_scale.php I would for starters advise her to think ahead and write down the names, locations and operating hours of vets that can PTS in the event that her regular vet is closed. Or see if the regular vet has an emergency number and can PTS outside usual hours. PS you may want to move this thread to Palliative Care.

Is it a requirement to have dogs run on your left? Just wondering.