Papillon Kisses

Great update!

Oh how scary! I hope she's better soon.

Oh that's an adorable video! Vontae looks like a very loved member of your family and it's great to see him included in all the fun.

Our Papillon was on Loratadine for allergic rhinitis. It is non-drowsy (or at least it wasn't with our dog). Your vet can tell you the required dosage and whether it is suitable for your dog.

Ahhhhh! He is too cute!

Look some people will be rude regardless of what you do. We had neighbours that gave us grief for simply carrying our very elderly Pap with congestive heart failure up our hideously hilly street so he could have a sniff and potter around on the flat. Imagine what they would have said if we had a pram or wagon! I for one love seeing our senior and elderly dogs out and about whether carried or wheeled or doing their slow little shuffle and sniff. Your dog's quality of life is more important than the opinions of fools, but you know that.

Just because: https://instagram.com/p/BOfPaxsDCqQ/

On a similar note, you could use a wagon with a mat in it? You could possibly find one on gumtree. I think a carrier would get hot and uncomfortable, and dogs would probably prefer to be closer to where they can better sniff and interact with their environment. In terms of carriers, I have a Sleepypod but it's not particularly well suited to carrying a dog. It better serves as a crash tested car carrier + bed. It's awkward, heavy and tilts on its side unless you also carry it by hand. It's fine for short trips (to and from the car etc) but I wouldn't get it for walkies. The Sleepypod Air is probably more suited as a carrier but both carriers come at a price more suited for their job as crash tested car carriers.

Aunty PK sends her love. Hope tonight isn't too rough for all.

We will be going to the Popular Pet Show exhibition at some point. The big bring-your-dogs-and-kids event was today, but the exhibition itself is open until the 13th March. So still time! http://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/the-popular-pet-show-2016

Needle noses!

Look at him go! (Ok, he's paused in this photo but a PK can dream.)

But he's huge!

Ummmm... yes, quite frankly, he did! I mean look at him trotting along with it! Lovely to see him enjoying himself.

That's a brilliant name for a Grey. Middle-aged/elderly human names suit them perfectly IMO.

Love it!

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry for your losses. The Labrador thread in the Breeds 101 forum will give you an idea of things to look for in breeders and questions to ask. You can also contact the Labrador Retriever Club of Victoria. The club has some great resources on their website too.

We saw Red Dog: True Blue the other day! Great movie. I cried right from the start but inaudiably and the answer to the important question "DOES THE DOG DIE?" is no. There were no dogs injuried either. There is however mention of dogs having died, being separated from loved dogs, and the lifetime bond we have with heart dogs. There's one particular scene at the end that is rather traumatic from an emotional perspective, even Mr PK had misty eyes. So I'm on the fence about whether it is cinema-safe, I survived in that my crying wasn't too ugly (read: disturbing the peace of others in the cinema!) and I purposely did not wear mascara, which was a wise move!

Company matters to a dog. I too would recommend looking into a kennel or a house/dog sitter (at your property or theirs). Someone may be able to make a recommendation if you provide a rough location.

Bah! My eyes are misting. Lovely gift.

Too good not to share!!

Hi Cavmum, I'm sorry to hear not all is well with your Cavalier! It must be quite scary to hear your puppy growling, especially when you have kids. In relation to being "firm" it is actually incredibly important that you DO NOT punish or intimidate her for growling, including by saying "no!" Growling is not a bad thing to do. It is a warning sign. Your dog's voice. She's saying "Hey! I don't feel comfortable with xyz! Please stop!" So your job is to help her become more comfortable with whatever you are doing, where it is important to do so, and for this you do need expert help. Some dogs just don't like being cuddled, kissed, picked up or disturbed when resting and that's ok (some humans don't either!). Some of what you will learn will be: - Changing the emotional state of your puppy so she feels less threatened by your actions - Teaching and rewarding other behaviours like getting off the couch herself and walking away when she's uncomfortable - Learning how to manage your puppy's environment to lower stress - Learning about dog body language and how to interact with dogs, which is incredibly important for your kids in particular. - Setting your puppy up for future success in general, in particular with noises, people, animals, situations, etc. You are currently at the tail end of your puppy's Critical Socialisation Period so the clock is ticking loudly here. If you punish or intimidate your puppy for growling she will be liable to start SKIPPING the growling part and going straight to snapping, biting, etc. You don't want that! Or, conversely, your punishment may lead to learned helplessness (depression) which you don't want either. Behaviourists cost money but it is an investment. You will have 15 or more years with this dog, and it will be much cheaper to get good help now then leave it until later. A stitch in time saves nine especially when you're dealing with a puppy. Another alternative may be to return to return the puppy to the breeder. The behavioural trainer that Westiemum posted looks good. Here's another list though not all do behaviour consults. An even better thing to do would be to get a consult from AVBS or call to see if they can recommend a behavioural trainer near you. Here are some articles about growling that you may like to read: 5 Steps to Deal with Dog Growling How to Handle a Growling Dog Grouchy Canines: Dogs who Growl or Snap Also take a look at this: The Canine Ladder of Agression — when you see low key signs of stress/agression it is your job to lower the stress (again, don't punish or threaten your puppy!) so she doesn't escalate. Since you have children, also take a look at the videos on this site: Stop the 77 And this fantastic resource from the Vic Government: Pet Town All the best with your puppy but again, please don't try to go this alone or leave it to worsen. Please seek help now. Early intervention is the best possible thing you can do for your puppy and family.

There is! Look here: https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body condition score chart dogs.pdf

A cat attacked my little dog. A cat that had been stalking him for a number of months and was considerably larger than him. This was true predatory behaviour when we were out on a walk, my dog on a leash as required by law. I was being very careful walking well away from the cat's property but it went a long way out and sneaked up from behind. Thankfully neighbours were around to help. It is not hard to contain a cat. Keep them inside with suitable environmental enrichment if you cannot afford a cat run or those roller things for fences.