Papillon Kisses

OMG, Melzawelza. Those poor dogs.

Alternate ideas just in case: You may be able to find a good doggy daycare you could have him visit. That could be for an hour or however long you'd like. You'd want to ask around for recommendations. Alternatively there are dog walking companies who do small group walks and play sessions with suitably matched dogs. I know of one servicing the St George & Sutherland Shire areas which is reportedly good https://m.facebook.com/perfectpawsdogservices/ I've never used these services and obviously they have a cost, but if your dog is quite lonely that's one way to give him some canine company, especially if he's at home alone during the day.

Scottsmum used to train with Pro Canine, which I assume is Diane at Petersham. A little to the south in Earlwood is Polite Paws.

My goodness look at that conditioning!

Nah I did know he's a trainer there's just a lot of those terms thrown about and I thought it was the title he gave himself. Good luck with the vet behaviourist. At least sleeping will be a break from his anxiety in the meantime.

Akuna Pet Resort comes highly recommended by a number of veterinary behaviourists and owners of anxious dogs who can't just send their dogs to any kennel. They are our backup if we can't get in-home care but we haven't used them yet. Their setup, which you can read about on their website, is low stress for a boarding kennel. The owners are lovely too: Marcus spent a long time on the phone with me answering all my questions. I used Don't Fret Pet one time and had a bad experience with the minder. She didn't feed my dog his prescription diet because she didn't like the look of it, and she had him socialise with other dogs when I explicitly forbade it. The company says they are very strict on those two things so that shocked me. She also put him in situations that knowingly provoked his anxiety and proudly took pictures of him not reacting when he was actually terrified and shut down. Anyway, my point is that while I'm sure there are some wonderful minders and it can be good to have your dog in a home environment, you need to choose the minder wisely. I honestly thought I had and was burned. I don't have any experience with Blue Gum but someone else might. :)

Same thing can happen to humans in the same household, just saying...

Yes that's him*. I could elaborate but would rather this thread stay on the topic of your beloved Sir Scotland!! *I have misrepresented him on one front, he calls himself a 'dog psychologist' not a behaviourist...

You guys pop sebaceous cysts? They look like they'd be painful to pop. Mal keeps getting them on his face. Can they be prevented?

I hope you both get some relief with Scotty on Xanax. It must be so worrying. I had a quick google for VBs and behavioural trainers near you and YIKES I can see your predicament. Maybe you can get a skype consult? NB I don't think VBs can prescribe in that instance but you may at least find a trainer using humane, up-to-date methods. (I came across a "behaviourist" ranting about the use of rewards in training, WTF?!) ETA: I know such people exist everywhere I was just floored.

This thread is gross enough!! Ewww!!! Just ewww!!!!

I laughed when I first saw the woofy wash bag as it seemed like the sort of thing you could get from the supermarket for much less than it presumably costs, but it seems sturdier than the average lingerie bag and comes in three different sizes. Another cool thing was a pack of flushable poo bags which I haven't seen before. A lot of the 'biodegradable' bags are really just plastic that breaks down into smaller bits of plastic over time. The bags last for two hours once used but start dissolving within a few seconds of being put in the toilet. flushablepoopbags.com.au Some of the kibble and treats I wouldn't ordinarily give Malcolm (hello non-prescription Hills & RC) but others I've been wanting to try him on so the sample packs are great. Mal also gets sick of kibble about 1kg into a 3kg pack and lets out these huge dramatic sighs so it's good to have some variety for that reason too. With a roughly 4kg dog we'll be set for a while. :laugh: The only things I bought were the Nosework harness, the SD&CH errands bag :D and the blue/yellow bags of fish treats on the left. All of those bags minus the little nibbles on the far left were $10! A cracker of a deal. The nibbles were $5 for the bag and I won't have to break them down as much as other training treats. I will def. post a picture of Mal in his harness once I work out how to fit him in it correctly and whether it is in fact the correct size... maybe you guys can help, lol. And Thistle, if you go next year try to be there towards the end of the last day. Exhibitors practically throw things at you! :laugh:

Bunnings, the unofficial Nosework supplier!! :laugh: Great videos TSD!

Gah, adorable! I love the ones towards the end where the little girl is trying to look frightened but has a twinkle in her eye and the dog is all smiley himself. :D Thank you for sharing!

Aww cute! It looks like a little boy's heart exploded too. :)

Lol, nosework fail this morning! He was excited to play, but disappointed with what he found in the hides so he spat them out and kept on sniffing! :laugh: They were pieces of a biscuit from the show that he was excited about last night, but ok Mal, I think they're rubbish ingredients-wise too. :laugh: At least all that sniffing helped short-circuit a little anxiety attack. Sounds like a good afternoon all in all! Lots of fun and brainwork, and I'm sure you'll get there with the small boxes in time. Malcolm had a big success after a nosework class with finally getting over a fear of rubber toys that I had been desensitising him to for months. Amazing how it builds their confidence.

No of course it doesn't offend. :D Is Malcolm the little fella in your avatar? Yes, that's him.

Were they as quick to highlight the daily grooming requirements, too? I can't remember what was said to be honest. There was a 'meet the breed' type presentation where a number of questions were asked of breeders about temperament, grooming, suitable owners, exercise, etc. A wheaten breeder made a joke about how she could wear all sorts of dark colours without issue, so that's the main thing that I remembered about their interview.

Haha! Love the one with the dumbbell. :laugh:

Holy batman Kirislin, I did a double take there: Nanna Meece looks just like a curled up Malcolm in that pic. I hope that doesn't offend. Rescue thought he might have some Iggie in him but I've never been entirely convinced of anything.

I'm unsure about the fit on Malcolm but I don't know if it's a size issue or just my poor attempt at adjusting it. The harness itself though is good quality though, it's really well-padded and I love that you can customize the labels. This is the baby 2, the larger sizes than this have a handle and I think also a spot where you can attach a flashlight.

There were some very cute stands. The French Bulldog people had an elaborate mural of Frenchies in stereotypical French garb at Parisian cafés, the Chihuahuas had sombreros and cacti, and the Lappies or Elkhounds? had assorted reindeer and Viking paraphernalia. :D Here's Malcolm with most of his stash... I found more samples after the photo was taken! (Apologies if the photo is huge.)

A Papillon and a Phalene! I was so excited. :laugh: I saw the Lagotto people doing that too, lol! The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier people were quick to highlight their breed's low shedding coat, too. :D

I looked that up online. Labrador x Poodle. I think Tamaruke may be the kennel name. We had a great day! Very exciting to see two papillons taking part in the agility display. I got to pat one of them and managed not to cry until I walked away. Miss my boy. Always wonderful to see Jumabaar and I got meet her dogs!!! We have SO many samples, OMG. I'll post a picture later complete with Mal. Also got a dedicated Nosework harness. It was fun to see the 'Scent Dog Spectacular' too with an arson detection dog from the NSW Fire Dept. and little Freida from K9 Nose Time. :)

Too cute. :D