fbaudry

Thank you for that! You're making me feel better about it... 3 more sleeps now Quick question regarding the rushed lunch-time trips home; I'll obviously will be doing these for a while but I am not sure how to make the most of them. Obviously she'll be excited to see me (Well, hopefully!) and I'll try to make my coming back as low key as possible (to avoid nurturing separation anxiety), but at the same time I feel I should be doing something to tire her out for the afternoon (training / play session / short walk). Do I run the risk of revving her up and making my going back to work in the afternoon more difficult for her to cope with? Sorry for all these silly questions

Aaaawww they're gorgeous! Look at them together... Luke you might have to plan a trip to Sydney to photograph my pup when she arrives ;)

5 more sleeps yeahhh!!!!! :D

I know what you mean Bubbity... Taking time off doesn't mean spending all this time with the pup! I know many recommend to get the pup used to being on its own gradually. Like on Day 1, you leave pup alone for periods of say 2 minutes, then you build it up until the puppy is happy enough on its own for hours. The other thing, as you say, is that it's good to be able to spy on your pup, and find out what sort of mischief they can get themselves into that you didn't think of Not long to go now... I was thinking of doing a mail drop to the neighbours to let them know that I had a new puppy and that even though we are trying as best as we can to settle it, there might be some crying / barking during the day to start with... Is there a template handy somewhere I could use coz I'm lazy?

Can't wait to see the list of breeds you come up with! I reckon it won't be a long one  Thank you all for your feedback! Somehow I feel better about things.... I really like my delta society trainer, but I thought their views were very extreme on that matter. One more week to go...

Thank you all for the replies! CW EW I know what you mean re sleep deprivation! From what the breeder told me this little pup has been crate trained and is down to one toilet break in the night Good to see Charlie is still doing well too... hugs to him and Em! Buddy1 I know puppy pick things up quickly and are very adaptable. I think I've been doing too much reading about critical socialisation times, fear periods etc... I don't want to mess things up Saxonpup, I agree more time off would be ideal to fast track toilet training. I accept things will take a bit longer... Esky, when is the next puppy due ? Will you go for a Lappie?

Very tempted to go for it.... timing is not ideal (but it will never be), and I'm slightly apprehensive at the "older" part, with whatever baggage / bad habits it may imply...

School holidays...... that seems so long ago now I know that would be ideal, but short of a sudden career change Thank you Pav Lova, that does make sense indeed. It's probably easier to settle with a full tummy. I wasn't really planning on getting a pup so quickly, but an older pup (13 weeks) came up from a breeder whose lines and breeding I like a lot. Decision decision... I'm so hopeless at making up my mind...

just thought I'd add a little poll to see what DOLers' thoughts were on this...

Thank you Melinda! Fancy seeing you here I think I have decided against the play pen... I'll have one inside for when I can't keep both eyes on the pup, but I'd be scared the pup might try to scale it in my absence and get injured. If I do end up getting those compost thingies from Bunnings, they'll be to fence off plants more than anything! Might block off the stairs up to the balcony to at the beginning. The pup would be outside when i am at work with a choice between 3 kennels and a couple of trampoline beds, heaps of shade... as for toys I reckon I've got everything under the sun!

Thank you so much guys! That's what I was hoping to hear! I was thinking along the line of a long week-end. I spoke to the trainer I used in the past and she sort of scared me off saying I should take 3 weeks off, or 2 at the very minimum to settle the pup and get it used to being on its own gradually. I love the idea but I really can't see that happening in real life The dynamic will be made slightly more complex by the fact that Will (Tenterfield terrier?) proved to be a foster failure and is here to stay. However I wouldn't want them to be together unsupervised for long period of times to start with. Maybe I'm over protective, but I'd really like the pup to be comfortable on his own (with choice of beds and kennels, plenty of toys, boredom busters, pet loo etc). Pav Lova, would you necessarily want the pup to be fed before you leave? I was thinking that being alone could be made more exciting if the pup had plenty of food orientated activities (kongs, treat balls, bob-a-lot etc). Of course I'd make sure the pup knows how to play with these before expecting him/her to feed off these. Aussie Lover, I would get an English Cocker Spaniel. It's been nine months since I lost my 2nd one and I keep on finding excuses. I must say the puppy stage is both thrilling and daunting

I was wondering what the consensus was (if there is any!) as to how much time off work one should take to settle in a new puppy. Working full time here, but I'd be popping home at lunch time at the beginning to feed / play etc... All input welcome!

Fantastic shots! You guys have the two cutest pooches ever!

Thank you very much Sally&Tex! Have PMed you...

I don't think Corvus is suggesting that purebreds are such disasters. I think she is just trying to say that it's not all black and white, i.e. all purebreds are great and all crosses are necessarily bad and bred by money grabbing uncaring individuals. Shit luck shouldn't see generations and hundreds of years of selective breeding ignored in favour of dogs that come with a bunch of claims that many simply can't live up to. To me the real selective breeding towards the end of the 19th - early 20th century when breed clubs, Kennel clubs and dog shows were established. If we look for instance at the spaniels, up to the late 1800s there were roughly 3 main types: land spaniels, water spaniels and toy spaniels. Each of these types had been "selected" to perform different functions, but out crosses remained common. Different dogs from the same litter could be classifieds as different breeds depending on their size for instance (English cocker / Field spaniel) With our desire to categorize and fix mostly physical appearance, we have restricted the gene pools by only breeding together dogs we deemed to be of the same breed. By doing that we have been able to produce dogs of predictable appearance / temperament, but it is very likely we have also unknowingly selected undesirable genes that we know have to test for and try to eliminate (PRA and so forth)

Does anyone know if the DVD can be bought? I've tried looking for it but can't seem to find it... Download is out of the question due to a very slow internet connection

I disagree. Every owner of a DD I have asked has given me a reasonably considered answer as to why they chose one. They did not impulse buy. Most did not come from pet shops. Temperament considerations are invariably high on the agenda. I know someone with a pair of Labrador/Cocker Spaniel crosses, both from the same breeder. They liked the first one so much they decided to get another. Both have the most beautiful temperaments, never cause any trouble at the dog park. Just really nice dogs. Another dog park regular has a gorgeous young Lab/Poodle cross that is all wriggly cuteness and plays very well with my two and is lovely with people and very responsive. Owner flew the dog in from a breeder in QLD. I understood that this breeder was selected over local breeders for some particular reason. I am sitting here with a supposedly purebred dog from a registered breeder that looks vaguely like the breed he is meant to be, acts like it sometimes, and is riddled with health problems that can not be tested for. You can get burnt no matter where you get a dog from and even if it is purebred and even if you do some research. There are some DD breeders who are driving towards predictable results and health testing. There are some purebred breeders who are not. I don't think it's fair to pick on one as if the other doesn't have the same problems. Most purebreds have been around a lot longer than whatever DD of choice we are talking about. I am sure that some breeders of DDs believe they are developing a new breed for whatever reason. That's their prerogative. Good luck to them. Thank you Corvus for articulating so well what I wanted to say. Most of the poodle crosses in my neighbourhood / local park were purchased after much thought and research, and from "small" breeders who only had a few dogs raised in a family environment. All these dogs have beautiful natures, are well trained and have great social skills with both people and other dogs. In the past, when people mentioned to me that they were getting a x oodle, I always kept my mouth shut even though I really wanted to promote the benefits of getting a purebred. I felt a bit smug and superior getting my pup from a registered breeder, recommended by the breed society, home to many champions, doing health testing etc etc... I ended up with a highly strung pup, completely unsocialised and suffering from a very serious Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. 3 years down the track, after 2.5 years of consultations with a veterinary behaviourist, various medications, neurologist appointments, a brain scan, cognitive behaviour modification therapy and a very hefty bill, we all agreed that the kindest thing to do was to give the poor young dog his wings as he had no quality of life. The whole experience left me very bitter and disillusioned, and I can understand why some people who are looking for a family pet might turn to DDs. Don't get me wrong, I am still hoping that one day I'll be able to get the perfect representative of my breed of choice, but I think many breeders turn people off by their arrogance and focus on purely aesthetics features.

That sounds very interesting! However, considering how uncoordinated I am (and not that good at reading body language to top it up!) I'm not sure I'll get very far. I need to go back to Control Unleashed..

Thank you Aidan; unfortunately it's one of these situations where I can't always avoid the known trigger (except for never leaving the house). What worries me a bit if that this morning, Will spotted his arch enemy on the other side of a busy street, with traffic in between and still felt he had to react... I know it's "just" behaviour, but wish it didn't happen in public!

Sorry if that has been done to death already.... I tried to search for a similar topic but couldn't find it. I have had my little foster (Failure?) for two and a half months now. He was originally very skittish around people and extremely hand shy. We have progressed in leaps and bounds on that matter and he is now a generally well behaved dog, both at home and outside. He walks on a loose leash and generally ignores other dogs as we walk past them, although he also knows how to greet politely when I let him do so with known dogs. We have issues with one particular dog though; this man walks his 3 shaggy poodle crosses, 2 of which are standard poodle sized and these dogs have always been gentle and shown appropriate body language around other dogs. The first time they met with Will (all dogs on leash in the street), one of them bounded towards Will in a play bow and gave him a fright to which he reacted (growl and bark). We quickly moved away as I didn't want him to stay in a situation where he wasn't comfortable. However he seems to have been affected and his reaction has grown in intensity. I have started the look-at-that game with other dogs, which he seems to be picking up despite my poor timing and clumsiness. However, when it comes to that particular dog Will always spots him before me and I just cannot get his attention. I guess that I am probably tense about it too when it happens and contribute to the situation involuntarily. Should I just treat him generously after each encounter, even if he didn't react the way I would like, to try and counter-condition him, or do I run the risk of reinforcing the behaviour? What else should I be doing to make him more comfortable with this situation? I don't want him to become best friends with that dog, just to be able to walk past each other calmly.. I know in an ideal world I should avoid this particular dog, or at the very least work from a very long distance to start with. Unfortunately I live in an inner-city suburb and our walking is done on leash in the neighbourhood and despite me trying to vary our routes / time we always end up bumping into each other, or at least seeing each other from opposite sides of a street. Any tips / advice would be very welcome!

"Bill" is a Jack Russell Terrier...

I am in a similar situation and would love to hear other's suggestions.... I have been fostering for over a month now a little dog, around 2 years old. He had no idea about toys when I first got him and was extremely timid. His confidence has grown in leaps and bounds and henow plays with toys when I initiate play; he seems to be at his most playful every time he gets home from a walk. Over the past couple of days he has gone to the toy basket and pulled out a favourite on played on his own for a couple of minutes, so I guess there is hope. However, just like yours he is quite anxious on his own, and has very little food drive. He is on the lean side and can go for a couple of days without eating if there is only kibble on the menu. So my stash of kongs, bob-a-lot and other food dispensing toys is absolutely useless. The only thing that can get his interest when he is alone on his own are raw meaty bones (frozen chicken wings, lamb flaps etc...) but even these are a bit hit and miss and I came home yesterday to an intact brisket bone.

Nope, you aren't the only one...... I think Australia as a whole is not very dog-friendly (as in accepting dog in public places etc....) and that rubs off on the general public (or is that the other way around?) A lot of my friends don't understand why I would want to bring a dog along, or even have a dog living in the city (because you know, dogs are meant to live outside)... P.M. me if you need a baby sitter for Honey! (I am serious)

I am not a behaviourist, but I can tell you from experience that it is used as a general first step in behaviour modification at SABS (Sydney Animal Behaviourist Services - Dr K. Seksell)... Happy to give you more details through PM if you wish!

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematter...0401-1co01.html