aussielover

I've finally moved to a flatish area and I've been thinking about getting a bike and exercising Mindy with it. However, she's not great on lead. She is better when I take her for a jog though, apart from occasionally jumping up at me, she doesn't pull or stop to sniff if we are running. Walking is another story though. I am worried she would pull me over on my bike. I saw the springer bike attachment and it says the low centre of gravity or something prevents the dog from pulling you over? Is that right? Obviously some training will be involved but if the dog suddenly saw a cat or wanted to stop to sniff would this attachment prevent you from falling over or at leats make it harder for them to pull you over.

In response to Lilli: there are very few people who can offer a dog 24/7 company. Even people who are retired or work from home will occasionally need to go shopping, go out with friends, go on holidays etc. I get where Lilli is coming from though- we do have very high/different expectations of dogs today but plenty of dogs are expected to and do cope very well with being left for 8 hours a day. The OP has tried having other dogs around but apparently that hasn't helped. A dog showing a high level of separation anxiety will panic if left for even just an hour or so. It is questionable whether it is ethical to rehome such a dog, unless the new owner is experienced and prepared to pretty much revolve their life around the dog. People that are capable of looking after this type of dog are few and far between. I think the idea of leaving Roo with someone else for the day could work, if such a person can be found. Perhaps try putting signs up in local vets or just letting your local vets in the area know that you're looking for someone to dog sit Roo during weekdays. I know where I work there are quite a few suitable people that would probably be interested in babysitting during weekdays, providing your dog gets along well with other dogs. Unfortunately I am in NSW, but hopefully the vet clinics in your area could help. Doggy daycare could also work. If she's going to be there 5 days a week, most daycare centers will offer discounted/reduced rates. Perhaps you could try explaining your situation to them and offering to pay as much as you are able. I hope you can find a solution, it is obvious how much you care for Roo and that she means the world to you. Good luck

Huh? Canberra is only 3 hrs from Sydney... I'd say around Albury would be halfway- that's where we stayed when driving from melbourne to Sydney. We found a dog friendly b&b, was ages ago tho can't remember the name sorry.

Puppies at puppy preschool should all have had their first vaccination at least. You can take your pupy out and about with you to socialise it before 12 weeks, just carry it

How terrible, I am so sorry for your loss. RIP Buddy

Fostering for service dog programs is actually a lot of work. Often there are restrictions such as not leaving the dog for more than 3 hours without human company, attending regular training session, not playing with them in a certain way, certian sleeping arrangements etc. So you may not have much say in how the pup is raised. Fostering for a good rescue group may be more suitable. Then at least you have the option to keep the dog if you fall in love.

Well I am a basd owner and rarely bath my dog. She swims in saltwater frequently though, which helps. I would use Mediderm shampoo and nutriderm conditioner if I did bath her- she is atopic. Apparently frequent bathing can help some atopic dogs, but this isn't the case for mine, she seems to do better with swimming in the sea each day rather than bathing.

The amount of time indoors may be flexible. I told them that if they wanted a lab they would have to allow it to be indoors at least in the family room, with them whenever they are home, which they seemed ok with. But would defintiely be outside if they are not home. My aunt doesn't work at the moment, although may go back to part time work this year, but the dog would have a reasonable amount of company each day. Cavaliers are always my pick for most young families as they are so versatile without being hugely demanding exercise and training wise.

Over the xmas- new year holiday period I have been asked for breed suggestions by my relatives. They have 3 kids, aged between 10-14. They really liked my labrador but may also be open to other breed suggestions. They have a regular sized fenced backyard. The dog will receive at least 30 mins walking each day but ideally should be flexible with amount of exercise required. They aren't fussed about coat type, but I think low maintenance would be preferred The dog will be mainly outdoor with restricted access indoors (allowed in certain rooms at certain times only) They would like a friendly, intercactive, easy to train dog. My aunt had farm dogs as a kid but other family members haven't had a dog before so they're not that experienced. They are looking to get a puppy at around easter this year. They seem very keen on a labrador but I'm not sure they realise that labs generally need a lot of exercise and training. I think with the right training a lab could work for them though. My other thoughts are a cocker spaniel, golden retriever, nova scotia duck tolling retriever or cavalier. any other suggestions?

Generally I like tan/blonde dogs but sometimes it depends on the breed. Labs- I like the very pale almost white colour, or deep fox red. A fit field bred, black lab is also stunning as well. GRs- Again I like either very pale or very dark shades of gold GSD- I love the look of black (short coat) GSDs Aussie Shepherds- Red Tri GSP- solid liver Kelpies-brown/red and tan

If BB people want to save their breeds reputation- health wise at least, they need to get out there and prove their breeding stock are fit and healthy. Things like getting titles such as endurance, agility, obedience etc would go a long way to reassure people that bulldogs are fit and functional. The endurance test is not demanding and IMO, any healthy fit dog should be able to complete it without issue. In Australia we are lucky that you can get agility titles without necessarily having a super fast dog. Although obedience is not as strenous as some other sports, it does require a reasonable level of fitness.

There are more working long coat border collies in the UK and Europe. The countries in which they originated and were initially bred to work in. Having a longer coat makes sense in Scotland or northern England but obviously not so much in Australia.

Well i think the issue is whether she wants a potential world champion, in which case get a border collie Or whether she just wants a dog that can do agility and go through the levels with her- which is most healthy dogs of many breeds.

I also think losing attention can be caused by not rewarding frequently enough. We train in agility at a club or other lesson at least once a week. Usually for an hour and up to 3hrs. Obviously there are short breaks in between exercises as well. We've started doing some stregthing and awareness exercises but otherwise I don't do formal training at home

Absolutely if she wants a top level agility dog then it's hard to go past the herding breeds- border collies,, kelpies, Aussies etc. She can still do very well with other breeds especially if it's her first agility dog (that she trains). There is a young girl in nsw that does very well with a staffy. Many times in local comps it's the slower, steadier dogs that actually win. A very fast, driver dog may not be ideal for a junior handler unless she's very experienced and dedicated. I guess it depends whAt her aims are... A GSP may also suit, with many of the females being smallish (around 23kg). They are a biddable and athletic breed and could withstand the dobes pretty well. Whippets do well in agility and lure coursing so could be ideal. Not sure how they would go with the dobes? Labs ate very easy to train, but may not take her to the top levels of agility (although there are certainly successful masters labs around, that do very well locally ) Surely the dobes could be taught to play gentle? my lab is always more gentle with smaller dogs, and adapts her play style according to the individual dog.

She probably has intradermal/subcuticular sutures. They are dissolvable and hence do not require removal. However, I would NOT be taking the pup swimming or getting her wet for at least 10-14 days after surgery (which is around the time normal sutures are removed). There will still be suture material in a fairly superficial location which could get infected if allowed to get wet and dirty.

Are you after a leather collar only? I really like the k9pro ones- really nice leather, very soft and looks very smart too! Unfortunately as my dog is a bit of a water dog, its not practical for everyday use, and we only use it on special occasions. I just use the Rogz dog collars- I've never had a problem with one breaking and they have a lock thingy on them that can lock them shut. I actually thought the buckle was broken until I realised it was only locked. They come in heaps of different colours as well.

Personally I don't see a problem with it. As Lablover said, it was only for under 4 minutes. Sometimes I think that lab breeders in particular are very precious about how much exercise their puppies can tolerate with some advising extreme exercise restriction which can be detrimental in the long term. Often these dogs end up overweight and hyperactive and end up doing more damage to their joints due to their weight and the fact they are always jumping around like crazy things because they don't get enough exercise. I've met some clients at work who still lift their 2 year old 30-40kg "puppies" in and out of the car and carry them up and down stairs on advice from the breeder! In some ways its actually a pleasant surprise to see that some lab breeders are obviously reasonable and sensible about letting pups exercise.

which vet was this- PM if you like? I know of one in canberra that is VERY expensive. I've no doubt their quality of care is pretty good, however I do believe the prices can be a bit excessive. $550 for a scale and polish (no extractions) in a small dog sounds a little pricey to me. Also check and see if bloods and fluids are included. I'd be tempted to ring around but also consider that some prices include bloods and fluids and some don't. For an 11 year old dog I would suggest fluids at a minimum, as it helps with organ perfusion and makes for a nicer recovery. If you're happy with the level of care you receive at your current vet, perhaps it would be better to stick with them as they will know your pet best. Hills T/D is ok, but there are plenty of other options for dental care out there. Does your dog get bones and other chewies regularly? There are also plaque removers available and brushing his teeth is also an option. Personally i'm not a huge fan of T/D- its quite fatty and oily and some dogs have difficulty with the larger biscuits, especially if the are sore after a dental. I prefer Royal Canin dental if I were to use a dental food.

The course time for novice is usually very generous. Recently I got a pass in snooker even though my dog ran out of the ring, and missed her weave entry several times! Because it is points that count and it was a very small class, she even managed to come 1st with this poor performance! I'm going to have trouble should we ever get into excellent or masters though. She is getting much better at actually listening to me and not running off and donig whatever obstacles she feels like though so perhaps there is hope... I think the thing with weaves is that novice dogs are generally not that great with them- sure there are some amazing weavers in novice out there but they are the exception. My dog is fine once she gets in, its just getting the correct entry which is our issue. Although happily for us, that doesn't really matter in games!

I agree it is very common and not really worrying at all. I'd rather my dog hump a toy or its bed than a person or another dog. My female dog used to hump her big duck toy when she got excited. I never did anything about it and she's stopped doing it now (though she doesn't have the toy anymore as she destroyed it!). She is very frequently the humpee though- lots of male dogs seem attracted to her despite her being desexed! She is very pretty :D

I think 12 weave poles in the closing sequence for novice snooker is a bit mean! But i've seen it done a few times. At least there's no refusals in games so it doesn't matter if you miss the entry (multiple times!)

I have this one which I quite like. It is fairly light weight but it does get a bit hot in summer, although I have a black dog who gets hot anyway. I use this one now mainly for the car. One good thing is that its really easy to put on, unlike some of the harnesses around where you practically need a degree in engineering to figure out and god help you if the dog actually starts moving when you put it on!

No way would I let her meet an aggressive dog. She has met with some "fearful" dogs, but they weren't actually aggressive just scared. She is quite steady and indifferent but there is no way I'd put her in a situation with a fear biter or outright DA dog. When pushed, she is submissive to other dogs, so probably isn't the best demo dog herself as she can sometimes react in a fearful/submissive way if she doesn't like the look of the dog. Sometimes she is even submissive to puppies and tiny fluffy dogs.

I've been feeding Hills Science Diet active, because we got given heaps of free bags. It is not my favourite brand but Mindy seems to do well on it anyway. She gets 1-3 cups in training treats (depending on what training we do) or in a kong or bob a lot. If we do agility training she gets about 2 cups of the 4legs meat balls (varying flavours), but she'll get less of the dry food later to make up for it. She also gets a small meal of chicken and rice for her breakfast each day, so she can have her medication in it. She also gets any dinner scraps (usually veges etc) that are leftover. She also gets a rawhide, pigs ear or roo chew daily. And she gets a greenies regular size toothbrush just before bed. Unfortunately she cannot have bones anymore as she doesn't chew them properly. Once all her science diet is finished I will change her to a raw style diet and perhaps introduce some lamb flaps as bones.