Saffis

Thanks Nekhbet and corvus that was great It makes a lot of sense now and I will not be going to the dog park again, even though it looks fun there is obviously a lot of things going on some of us don't quite see. Can anyone recommend a good book to read on dog behaviour and communication etc as I am finding it quite interesting. I never owned dogs until two years ago and although I read tonnes of info about training etc I think I need to know more about the intricacies of dog behaviour

Thanks Nekhbet, I should of guessed it could be to do with his maturity. The example you gave makes sense as he has been dominated by other dogs but obviously this time he felt he was in charge of the park. I was worried he was getting dog agressive, what would be the difference between wanting to dominate and being generally agressive? No wonder so many people avoid dog parks, I can see how it could be a volatile situation.

I am curious about my dog's behaviour at the dog park this afternoon. We have only been there 4 or so times as I am not particularly fond of it and until today both my dogs (staffords) have behavied beautifully with the other dogs. For some reason my boy (2 yrs old & desexed) got a bit dominate today by growling and trying to put his paw up on a couple of dog's backs. I corrected him and put him straight on the lead after the first dog and only let him off again when that particular dog left. He then had a run in with another dog, which ran up to him with hackles up and was not particularly friendly either. He was on lead and at my side for the rest of the stay. He also growled at a pup who ran up to him while he was on lead and this is VERY unusual for him. He is very friendly to our friends dogs and when we meet another dog in the street he is excited, has a sniff if he is allowed to and then keeps going with me. He has never shown behaviour like this at the dog park before and was fine with a bunch of other dogs who were running around so I am wondering what made him 'dislike' these particular dogs? Is it just a male thing or do some dogs just not like each other? He has had other dogs behave like this towards him before. Any insight would be great, he is not an agressive dog, quite the opposite and I would like to know if there is anything I can do to prevent this. I will not be going back to the dog park in a hurry! Oh and my girl (1yr) was fine, had a ball and got lots of pats from random strangers so it was a successful trip for her

Aww so not stafford tough. Although they can even destroy the toughies I buy them :D

I really like the idea of these... but are they tough enough for two staffords? No point getting one if they will just destroy it to get at the fun squeaky egg and then destroy the fun squeaky egg :D

I feed lamb kidneys and liver. I believe that liver is a must as it has essential nutrients, about 5% of the diet should be liver. I feed a chunk of liver about the size of my fist to my two staffords about once a week as well as a couple of kidney if I can get them.

I give my two interceptor spectrum tablets as they are and they eat them like treats, much better than the chewables that they would move around their mouth and spit out

Yep, roo tails are GREAT and so is that price! I get roo mince too and a mix of beef, lamb and chicken so similar to yours. I do not feed the carcasses either for the same reason...no meat...but a lot of people feed them as a base for meals. I feed wings or chicken thighs with the bone in. About one bone meal a day is fine, so a roo tail with one meal but not the other, too many and she might get a bit constipated. Liver is a must. I forget what exactly it contains but im sure someone remembers! I give a handful sized chunk a week and maybe a kidney or two. Organs are really important for nutrients and vitamins like iron and all the B group etc. If she has not had offal before she may get runny stools, that is normal. If you feed it with a roo tail it might firm her up a bit. Start with small peices so she gets used to it without having it run right through her! That dinner sounds good, similar to what I feed all the time Feel free to PM if you want more info

I dont do the veggie slops like barf, just little chunks of what I dont need when I do my own vegies. I dont belive that it is as important as other things. Here is a link for some info I read when researching, the % is great isnt it, makes it easy http://www.rawfed.com/myths/ eta: this one is good too http://rawfed.com/myths/feedraw.html

I do two meals too, approx 2-3% of their adult weight a day, so about 600g for one dog and 450g for the other split into two meals. I dont weight everything now that I kinda know what that amount looks like, they get something meaty in the morning with the offal, egg or sardines and the meal with bone at night 'cos thats just how I do it! Offal should be about 10% of the diet, with at least half of that being liver so they get all the nutrients they dont get from the other food. Sounds complex but really isnt Just do whatever works for you and your dog!

If you liked the barf maybe you could try raw feeding. I feed fresh raw pet minces (from butcher, no preservatives), chunks of meat offcuts, bones like chicken wings, thighs and lamb necks along with liver, kidneys, sardines and eggs. Vegies only when I prepare my own and give them a few pieces. It is very easy and my dogs are in great condition. If you give 'raw feeding dogs' a google you find heaps of info. I am by no means an expert but did a lot of reading, hope it helps a bit.

Yay I am glad it worked for you. It worked so well for my staffords and they both look great as well, very shiny and healthy. Makes me feel better feeding them raw too

I have to agree with the suggestion of raw feeding. My staffy had tummy problems too (not eating poo though..yuck!) and switching to raw was the best thing I did for him. When I got my new pup she went straight on to raw as well and she has never had a problem

I would be interesting in lure coursing in Canberra too. I have a Staffy that LOVES to chase balls/toys etc but cannot catch on the full so flyball is out until he figures that out! He has no experience in any dog sports but I think lure coursing might be fun for him.