Tassie

Hopefully a person who's lived with Paps can give some advice about the shedding. From what I know, from friends' Paps, they're pretty easy care dogs. I think of them as aa small version of Border Collies .. Teflon coats, pretty easy to keep looking good if you don't let any matts develop, and I suspect hairs they do shed are like BC and cat ones .. they roll up into dust mice, and don't stick in carpet or furniture fabric. And no need for regular clipping. I do know they are incredibly smart, agile and trainable dogs who love to work .. or at least the ones I know or know of are. There's an amazing Pap breeder and competitor in Victoria several of whose pups have gone on to achieve Champion titles in Agility, in Tracking and Track and Search, as well as conformation and obedience and Rally. They are also extremely good at being lap dogs when required. From what I know, it's worth asking about possible heart problems and/or luxating patellas.

To be honest, I wouldn't start with a ball.. For me, a ball, unless it's on a tug lead of some kind, is not particularly interactive. I start my pups off with a soft toy (maybe on a soft lead of some kind, that I can get the pup excited about by dragging it round the floor and making it like a prey animal trying to get away. That should get the pup interested and chasing and you can have a gentle game of tug. Then using another soft toy or super high value treat, and holding your hand under the pup;s chin, encourage him to swap the first toy back to you for a treat, or a game with the other toy. To start with, you can do this sitting on the floor. Once the pup understands the basics of the game, and gets excited, then you can start a gentle throw of one toy, and encourage the pup to b ring it back and swap it. Once the pup gets the idea of this game, s/he will start to understand that bringing one toy back gets the game going again. If pup doesn't bring it back, just sip your coffee, look at your phone .. whatever, and wait .. you can play with the toy you have, then once the pup is intrigued enough to bring the one toy back, it's game on again. Keep it short, excited and frequent .. and don't leave these toys around for pup to amuse himself with. They are special for playing with you. Reasons I don't play ball with my dogs … I want to be more to my pups than a ball launcher .. you can get a machine for that. And also, chasing balls, particularly when thrown with a Chuckit type ball thrower .. is placing the dog at risk of injuries .. subtle at first if you're lucky, but maybe worse and more expensive, like a weakened or torn cruciate ligament.

I hope some people with more Queensland/ local knowledge might look in … but for a start, there is a training club (affiliated with Dogs Queensland) at Buderim https://www.thesunshinecoastdogobedienceclub.org.au/. They might get you started .. although I notice their next intake is Febryary 2020 .. but you could maybe contat them. I don't know how far you're prepared to travel, but there is a great club at Pine Rivers in Brisbane, and I think the Caboolture Sports Dog Training Club is OK too. In the meantime, I would be inclined to get a martingale collar or a well fitted, non restrictive harness .. Ruffwear Front Range is good..for times when it would be dangerous for him to slip his collar. He sounds like he'd be an ideal candidate to learn some tracking with, but no rush ,, get some basic obedience and relationship training with him first, so that he wants to work with you.

I find myself dropping in to watch this every now and then. Quite addictive. The three chicks are really growing now. Dad has just been into feed them, and himself .. looked like a juvenile gull., maybe. He's taken the rest of the carcass off with him, and the chicks are sitting there with their crops almost bursting. Food coma soon, I think.

You could maybe try asking Dogs NSW if they know of any. We had some good classes run through Dogs Tas down here,

Depending on location some vets are satisfied with the 2 puppy vaccinations, so it's worth asking .. and then the adult booster of the core vaccines 12 months later. So worth having the discussion with your vet.

Another vote for covered crate beside the bed or in the bedroom at least. Door shut until pup can be trusted - as TSD says. My just turned 11 year old BC has had a doorless crate next to my bed, for the last 5 years, and the door was propped open before that for 2 years, It's still his choice to make a beeline for the crate at bedtime, and the only time he goes out into the rest of the house at night is if he hears something that needs his attention - and that's rare.

From what I know from a couple of people who have them. the Working Cocker is a very smart, trainable dog. Training for things like obedience, rally, tracking, and the new dog sports that are coming on the scene .. tricks, and Scent Work would definitely help to keep him a thoroughly happy chappy .. and a lot of those would be ideal for training at home, especially in a big backyard. If you could give us an idea which part of Queensland you're in, we could maybe suggest some places to start inquiring about starting training.

It's just beautiful to watch isn't it .. and a little bit addictive.. Along similar lines .. nature red in tooth and claw …. my neighbour was telling me that a blackbird crashed into one of her windows this morning and killed itself .. but one of our resident grey butcher birds was very quickly on the scene to get the fresh takeaway. (Possible that the butcher bird had actually arranged dhte accident .. although it might have just been accident.

Poor pupper. Not personally, but a few friends have. In at least a couple of cases there were physical anatomical problems which had to be corrected by surgery .. probably best done by a specialist vet surgeon. Hope you have a good consult with your vet. Sorry I don't have more details that cold inform questions to ask your vet.

You know ,, with a desexed female at 18 months .. barring harsh handling (which she won't be getting from you) … I'd say what you're seeing in terms of temperament, is pretty much what she is. "Naughty" behaviours that you don't like can be converted with positive training into behaviours you do like., The photo to me shows a very relaxed Jaxx, and a polite Harlem allowing Jaxx to have the centre space, and she's slanted slightly away from him, so respecting his space. This is not to say that they might not have the occasional spat .. .I've pretty much had 2 dogs at a time over the last 30 years, always opposite sexes, and they do have disagreements occasionally .. over resources, and who's having training time, but a "That'll do" usually fixes it, and if it's my older boy telling off his pushy younger 'sister' for being a pain, I keep an eye on it, to make sure she's not arguing back, and let him get on with it.

My money is on the Burmese kittens. They can be quite naughty, but usually able to look after themselves as long as they have escape routes. It's good to be watchful, and take precautions when you can't supervise to make sure that the kittens are safe (and/or that the dogs don't get monstered . A friend's Burmese kittens used to monster her BC … wait in ambush near the fridge at the edge of the door of the corridor leading from the rest of the house.)

I guess the main questions for you to answer are do you like the youngster, are you in a position to have 2 dogs, are you prepared to have 2 dogs? If so, it could be a good thing. That age gap is quite a nice one, and she will get less annoying as she gets older, especially with training and management. Your boy is likely to be quite glad of the company, as she settles down. It might be a bit busy for you in the first few months, as you organise new routines to make sure your boy knows he is still the special one, and at the same time put some training into the youngster. So it's really up to you to decide, if it comes to that. If necessary, is the girl's breeder prepared to take her back or find an appropriate home for her?

@Dogsnob, no personal experience of osteosarcoma or amputation, but I have seen friends go through it. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you're facing this while your dog is relatively young and apparently healthy .. that makes it tough. But on the basis of what I've seen, I'd say you're absolutely making appropriate decisions in not going to any extreme lengths of either diagnosis or treatment. Palliative care is absolutely appropriate IMO, in circumstances where it appears the cancer is advanced. And as far as end of life goes .. it's good if you can think about and plan things you might do. I found it helpful that we have good cremation services available now .. for me that was an important decision to make, as was planning where and when I would be saying a final goodbye. In my most recent case - 15 year old BC with lymphoma - I knew my vet, who had known her since she was a puppy, was happy to PTS in the back of my SUV in the car park at the end of clinic hours. That was very sweet and peaceful for her I think. Others are able to have their vet come to their home, or even to some favourite place. It is important to have a good relationship with your vet - sounds like you do have, and TSD's recommendation is definitely worth considering. But IMO it's all about quality of life for the dog .. managing pain, for sure, but also the ability of the dog to find enjoyment and comfort. When that diminishes significantly, it's time to act. Most of us here have faced these sorts of situations with our own dogs in different ways over the years, and my experience has been that it's a very supportive and understanding group. I do hope you and your girl are able to have a relatively easy journey, although it's way sooner than you were expecting. The other thing that I find comforting, is that your dog doesn't know about cancer and prognosis and so on. She just knows love and comfort and support, and lives day to day. ,

I'd definitely be looking at seeking help from a canine physio and/or a rehab qualified vet. There are a number of modalities available which might at the least reduce pain, and at best restore better function .. thinking of things like acupuncture, PEMF etc. If your dog doesn't mind water, hydrotherapy might be ab option. Physio/rehab vet would be well placed to develop plans.

So very sorry @sheena. It's definitely the kind thing to do at this stage. Bindi's been such a lovely happy girl, and you and she have done some great things together. A wonderful journey .. and you'll have so many good times to remember.

It does sound like it .. but it's good that you've worked out ways of keeping it under control. And it's lovely to read how pleased you are with her … at nearly 3, with the work you've put in with her, I thinkyou can say you're seeing the dog she really is.

@sheena sorry to read this, It's a worry after she's been doing so well. Fingers and paws crossed it's something fixable in the short term .. but yes .. depending on what the bloods are showing .. it seems to me your plan is a good one. There comes a time when quality of life rather than length of life is absolutely an acceptable goal.

This!! General rule of dog training ,,,, try not to let the dog practise behaviours you don't want to see again …. so I would not be taking her places where she can do this behaviour .. which as @Rebanne pointed out could be damaging to other dogs, and is not good for her. And definitely keep working on her recall.... on a long line is a good idea to make sure she will have a high success rate … and as with training anything .. low distractions first, then increasing as she gets better. High value rewards. And remember she is only relatively new in your household and getting used to having freedoms she probably did not have before. Just take it slowly as you get to really know each other.

My BC girl's breeder includes raw salmon (including heads) in her dogs' raw diet. I would say what @persephone found is the answer,

Oh bless her .. dear old thing! … And nice to have found the pizza secret for hiding meds. Your dogs are lucky to have such a thinking outside the box owner.

Something that hasn't been mentioned so far is that it vital to keep the dog as lean as possible .. on the skinny side of lean, and to try to get some exercises to build up strength in the muscles .. particularly the core and the big leg and shoulder muscles .. to take some of the strain off the joints. And in spite of what skeptvet might say, a highly respected sports medicine vet in the US who only makes recommendations based on double blind placebo controlled studies, does recommend glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM as a prophylactic as well as a supplement for dogs from a young age. She also recommends fish oil with high levels of Omega 6 and Omega 3. .

There you go … thanks for that ..When I first started in dogs they were still officially known by their French name which included the Spaniel bit .. but it makes sense why it was dropped.

Perfect description from the ones I know. And definitely … choose good breeders and rely on their assessments of a good fit. ETA @Nepal_AU I have just sent you a message.

No personal experience, but I couldn't help doing a quick Google search. It seems like the jury is still out, but that caution is definitely advised. US site aimed at veterinarians