Oscar (AmBull)

I'd say anything you don't want to happen again, address it. I would expect marking is self-rewarding (as opposed to attention seeking behaviour) so addressing ("No!") or redirection (taking him outside to a friendly tree) should work better than ignoring. Teaching him where/when to pee and where not to might be the best option rather than trying to stamp out a natural instinct. Boys will be boys.... Great advice thanks so much- how exactly do I teach him where and when to pee?

He is an only dog he pee'd on my dads dog bed at my dads house. BUT I do not want him to mark if we get another dog. He has never pee'd on a person and if he pee'd on me I think I would die I think he has just learnt to do it and it has now become habit. I don't mind the outside marking, but not inside or on belongings.

Thanks for the replies, his marking is definitely a learned behaviour, but from what I have read about marking it is a dominance thing (not saying he is being dominant but in general I have read marking=dominance). I am glad it isn't a dominance thing. I will just ignore the behaviour, should I address it if he is peeing on things, ie another dogs bed?

I don't mind him marking plants etc but I think marking another dogs bed is taking it too far and I am just unsure if this is considered ok? I just wanted to gauge if I am being too worried about this or if I should be doing something to stop him. I did growl at him when he marked the other dogs bed?

Ok so back story: Oscar has become a huge marker, weeing on everything he can. This is a learned behaviour, my dads dog is a HUGE marker and Oscar has picked up this bad habit from him. The lab is not desexed and has always done it. Oscar is desexed and has been since 6 months. He wants to wee on everything on walks, which I do not let him, he gets one wee and then that's it. It is not a meedical thing, he only does it outside of our yard. Boiling point was a few weekends ago he wee'd on the labs bed and today he wee'd on our bin out the front. I just want to know how to stop this and how should I be addressing it. I understand it is a dominance thing from what I have read? Just looking for some steps that I should take?

I have pet insurance with pet plan, have had for 2 years now and we do have one exclusion due to a small cancer which I did disclose to them prior to cover, I will be getting them to review it soon though. We pay $41.50/month for the standard dog cover for an Amstaff. I was just looking through the policy etc again and went to do a quote for our next dog. We want to add a Dogue de Bordeaux next (which is in their selected breeds ie cover goes up after 7 years) however I was shocked when I did a quote it would cost $56/month. I never thought that the cost for other breeds would increase so dramatically. Has anyone else found this with their insurer?

I WISH this advice was given to me. We did exactly that over socialised Oscar with other dogs, we did not put nearly as much effort into appropriate play and gaining focus. We were told to death to socialise him with other dogs due to his breed so that he would not become aggressive, well months later we didn't have an aggressive dog... but a very overexcited, dog focused dog who was very hard to control and impossible to gain focus from when other dogs were around. We will do it VERY differently when we get another puppy as it has taken us literally months to reverse this and it still isn't 100% there, it has improved dramatically, however the lack of focus and self control are still issues. I think the main aim of socialisation should be lots of new positive experiences/environments with the intention for the dog to look at you for their cue. Play and dog social skills are very important, as is knowing when to play, how to control the play and what levels of excitement a dog should display around other dogs, so is knowing when to ignore dogs and having the ability to do so.

I have been very firm with Oscar. I don't mind him coming in for nanna naps in the day time, or coming in for a while, while I am reading etc but he sleeps in the lounge, he has the lounge made up every night plus he is crate trained and will sleep in their sometimes. I could not get a full nights sleep if he was in the bedroom, he snores and loves to lay on my legs and steals the blanket and pushes me out the way to stretch out. Like I said I like napping with him but I need my sleep

Oscar seems to have a sixth sense for illness in people, I had a relative who had severe brain cancer and actually died within 6 months of diagnoses and he was only in his 40's. Oscar is a social butterfly who does not ever stick to one person, not even to us. However he stuck to this person like glue, sat with him and generally just let the person do what they wanted to him, which is unlike him. He usually doesn't like to be patted on the head. I also have an Auntie (my nanna's sister) who has had several strokes and is generally very unwell but they cannot diagnose a specific problem. He is absolutely in love with her, sits up right next to her and generally behaves very different around her for some unknown reason. I also have a cousin who we often look after, she can't walk, talk, feed herself, he really likes her, I often find him pacing up the hallway just to check on her and have found him to have pushed open the door (which he shouldn't) and be lying on the bed next to her, both sound asleep. I now put a chair at the door so he doesn't get it. He is a dog that is very set in his ways, what he likes and doesn't like, however he is completely different around people who are ill. He is not a very GENTLE dog, as most staffies aren't, however if someone is ill his behaviour changes and he is the most gentle dog on the earth. I can't put my finger on it and have never seen anything like it before, all I can put it down to is he has a sixth sense. Bit long winded but I am stumped by his behaviour.

I voted" "Dog finds the crate a safe place and happily goes into it when requested, but does not seek it out, happy once in the crate" I think this definition fits with a dog being crate trained, while I voted that way Oscar does frequently go and seek his crate when he wants, however I do not think that element is necessary to consider your dog crate trained. Oscar still prefers the couch to sleep on at night, however does sleep in his crate during the day. He is more than happy to settle in his crate for long periods of time and will often go in their to seek his own space.

Thanks, yes I added in the bluryness I was unsure if I could make the circle bigger but will try to, I know that annoyed me as well but had no idea how to change it.

Last weekend we went to the beach, inspired by Rocco and Huga I took my camera. This is my first attempt at editing pictures. Oscar absolutely loves the beach. Hope you like them. Any and all comments on the editing are much appreciated

She isn't selling the Puppia stock anymore but will remain selling the Keepsafe Collars and ChillyDog stock. I thought she was closing all together but bought coats the other week and she said just downsizing to those two brands. ETA: These are the ones she sells: http://www.chillydogs.ca/index.php/product/index/41

Amazing photos, looks like they all had a ball. Just wondering how do you get that pastel/water colour look in your photos, is that the lenses you use or done in editing? If done in editing how do you do it, ie is it exposure related or something. I am new to SLR but both of you take absolutely amazing photos and have gorgeous dogs

Erin from Two Small Puppies sells the ChillyDog ones, she is a DOLER. Her website doesn't seem to be working at the moment but she other details below: FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-Small-Pu...25818645?ref=ts Email: [email protected] Website: www.twosmallpuppies.com From memory they are around $20. Can't recommend her highly enough.

Glad it helped Binx- great pic of Griff!

Also re auto funtions, the second pic I am pretty sure I was using the auto feature but the other pictures was the sports features.

Thanks, the first pic is the small lens I think it is 18-55mm and the rest are on the bigger lens, the 75-300mm. I am just using the standards lenses it came with that I assume you would have? It is good fun and so rewarding when you get some good pics. Hope that helps :D Also re resizing so it can be a sig, I used the program suggested by dogsports and it has a feature that you can resize it in the program before you save. If that doesn't work you can always use resizing programs, I personally use infranview.

Hi Jules, Just wondering where the training is? Also if you are still going and enjoying it?

Also a recent Chilly Dog fan We bought a Sweater and the Great North through Erin (Two Small Puppies), great service and price could not ask for any better. We are using the sweater nightly at the moment, not quite cold enough for the Great North yet. Plan to buy the soaker coat and another sweater in a different colour again soon. Pics below of the sweater. One reason I love the chilly dog range is on occasions, being a male dog, he had accidents on his PJS etc, these have a strap under the belly that can remain tight enough to allow no sag, hence no accidents, yet still comfortable enough to move and sleep in. I find the normal belly straps are too tight to sleep in, if not tight enough they fall off his backside. So they are a great product that suit our needs perfectly.

Thanks for the tip, what program did you make your sig with?

I have been having lots of fun playing around with my new camera. I particularly love the sports mode. Wondering what programs people use to edit their photos? Let me know your thoughts and any tips would really help. What other modes are good for different situations?

Why isn't Akira allowed at meets? Would she be okay if she stays on-lead? She likes to run, I got told she was too over the top. She gets upset if she's on lead and all the other dogs are off lead. So I can't bring her to any meets anymore to keep others happy. whiskedaway- I would be happy to have a small meet and greet with Akira, Oscar is also a rough player (reason why we stopped going, other dogs did not appreciate it) so maybe we could get a meet going for the bit rougher players/dogs that don't mind rough play? Let me know if you are interested or anyone else is.

Oh Yeah that was really cool that show, they rescued dogs from the pound and trained them as assistance dogs. There was also one called K-9 Boot camp about the military dogs. I think you are talking about pit bulls and parolees? Great show, I don't have pay tv (wish I did) but I have watched brief episodes on the national geographic website. Pit boss is entertaining, also seen parts of it on nat geo. I love the dog whisperer, I have had to buy the seasons on dvd because I don't have pay tv Great thread

Thanks guys, I have been taking lots of pics, but I am finding the hardest thing working out which lens to use at the right time. Snook, thanks heaps for the tips, it was a bit of info overload but once I get into it a bit more I am sure it will be clearer. Would love your notes from the WEA course, I actually got a booklet of their courses yesterday, just need to find time to squeeze it in between uni, plus it is booked out a lot?