darlingdog

I am involved in pointer rescue ( the english kind )and friend of mine recently adopted a pointer pup from an RSPCA shelter in the country ... this pup is not papered but purebred as we know the lines the backyard breeder is using ( a whole other story !). Right up to when the pup left the shelter kept telling my friend...'no love not purebred, something else in there maybe a great dane cross !! I STILL tease my friend about her cross bred dane LOL!!! The upside was he was cheap ... not being a purebred. :)

Hey guys

We have a Lab x Malamute who is 8 this year and getting old (eek, didn't realise how old he was getting!)

Until now he's just been on a diet of "commercial" foods - Supercoat or some such dry biscuits, and some tinned wet food.

His poos are quite big, he poos quite often and they're often runny-ish as well. This, combined with the fact that he's getting older and perhaps more delicate, and I'd like to look into some better food for him.

He's currently fed once a day - half a tin of the wet food and a cup of dry biscuits. He enjoys it enough - hell, he'll enjoy anything edible :)

I've briefly looked into the whole BARF thing, but am not sure I want to go completely hardcore into the BARF diet, but if you guys could suggest a different way of feeding him or some "better" brands of food or something?

Thanks :)

Hi....I too have an 8 year old. He is not a great eater and I struggle to keep weight on him. His coat was looking terrible, really awful and I started to look at better food for him. The past 5 months he has been getting Black Hawk Holistic kibble which he loves, fresh chicken wings or lamb flaps, a little yoghurt and sometimes some tinned food in with his kibble. He now looks great and his coat is wonderful. I highly recommend the Black Hawk combined with the fresh food. He also has great poo and a lot less of it !

I read with interest of the comments here...having just picked up an absolutely lovely rescue foster and have her test positive to heartworm and caring for her through her treatment...all I can say is I don't care what type of heartworm preventative people use so long as they use SOMETHING and do it regularly.

Good luck DD.

I am sure you will have a much happier dog after treatment. I hope it all goes smoothly

Thanks so much Jumabaar....after being quite a sick girl for the first week after starting her treatment we are now into the second week and she is feeling very much better now...I now see her smiling face more than the sad one though not so sure I'm smiling that much....keeping an active gun dog quiet for a month is no picnic !! ;)

I read with interest of the comments here...having just picked up an absolutely lovely rescue foster and have her test positive to heartworm and caring for her through her treatment...all I can say is I don't care what type of heartworm preventative people use so long as they use SOMETHING and do it regularly.

I just wanted to pipe in with an example of what happened when we left my dogs inside the house once and went to work. My dogs don't have separation anxiety...

They are usually confined to the backyard when we go to work, but the previous night had been very stormy and was predicted to continue. Our older boy is storm phobic so we thought we'd leave both of them indoors for a day. I left them with Kongs and toys and both were exercised for an hour before we left.

I came home after 8 hours and I found...

Some serious furniture rearrangement, both dog beds, a beanbag, the rug, all been strategically moved to opposite ends of the house.

A bunch of magnets from the fridge on the floor, plus a few magnetic takeaway menus in a million tiny pieces all over the house.

Two wees on the carpet.

One of them had managed to pull an 8 pack of mini Coke bottles from the kitchen bench, still in the packaging... well, they were in the packaging until the dogs got to them. So I found 8 mini Coke bottles strewn over the house in various stages of chewedness... and the corresponding Coke all over the floor and carpet. I found 3 in our bedroom (one under the bed), 3 in the lounge room and 2 in the living room.

....

Over a year later they are finally getting back left-alone-in-house privileges for a few hours at a time.

I hope you are able to get some help as it sounds very stressful.

I am very sorry, I know this was serious BUT :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Your Cocker spaniel is gorgeous I had my lemon and wht pointer at a cafe the other day and the waiter asked me if he was a boxer...WHAT THE !!!! :p

Tell her she is the human, the dog is the dog. The human made the choice to take the dog, not the other way around.

The human is the one who makes the calls, not the dog. It is up to the human to make an effort to bond with the dog. The human must show affection and like for the dog, and allow the dog to return that.

This is done by speaking to the dog, stroking the dog, playing with the dog, grooming the dog, training the dog - even if it is just teaching the dog to shake hands whilst watching TV.

I presume the dog is inside? So the dog should be in the area with the human as much as possible.

The human is responsible for bonding. The dog may have a few issues about being rehomed/dumped the first time, and may be missing its first family

If they throw this dog away, it will have even more problems in the future than it has now ... if it actually does have problems now.

A dog is for life, not just for christmas or until the someone gets sick of it.

It hasn't bonded because they haven't tried hard enough.If they didn't like the dog, they should have left it wherever they got it from, so someone who would like it could take it. If they did like it, now they have to make the effort to bond.

Jed...here here :cheer:

LOL oops...

ROLMAO ...I have seen this before..and do wonder if Fenton is STILL running ! ;)

Have either of your dogs been crate trained at all? Do you think they may take to a crate well?

I have 2 girls here - a Lab and a Rotti cross - who have had a few fights where the Lab was definitely trying to kill the Rotti cross. I have one of them crated or confined to a room whenever the other is loose. Both dogs had never seen or been in a crate until just after the last fight about 18 months ago. They both had to have cage rest to let their wounds heal, and they coped brilliantly.

Both of them get on with my other dog just fine, so there is always a playmate for the one that isn't confined. Not to mention that I also foster pups for rescue, so there is always something or someone for them to play with... lol! They are fine sniffing and licking each other through the crate too. They would most likely go a while just fine together and then something would trigger another fight - and quite frankly I don't need to have my dogs hurting each other, or the hefty vet bills two 30kg dogs can rack up when they try to kill each other.

It's a total PITA to keep 2 dogs separated at all times, but we have gotten totally used to the routine, and it's second nature for us all now. The upside is that both dogs get equal one-on-one time with me - and they really love that part of it. I also feed all 3 dogs separately - in different rooms.

T.

Hi - both dogs are crate trained, yes. This was a great suggestion, thank you. We've crated them for various reasons previously but it hadn't been a thought to use this as a management method. We are just looking now for a crate big enough for the dog - as we live in a remote area we will have to buy online. Know anywhere good?

Thanks again

Hi Sharna, I'm no expert but just wanted to give you some hope...I have 3 boys who all get on relatively well...the odd grumble here and there but nothing that cannot be managed and all was well...UNTIL WE MOVED......Big problems within the first few weeks. Long story short...crates were used, new routines established and within a 4 month period they all settled down and life is once again sweet. Take heart, it may be that if you can manage them until they feel settled and secure again that things will settle. Best of luck to you.

Here we go I have an idea for you

Tonight on your way home go to the shop and get the following.

1 Packet of 3 min noodles

1 Packet of Tim Tams

1 Bucket of KFC

1 6 pack of Bundy and Coke

1 Bottle of water

1 Packet of Jaffas

1 Piece of 4X2

Call and say you have made dinner so just come home

Set table as follows

Plate with KFC in centre

Tim Tams on plate at edge

Open Bundy can on other edge

Soften noodles (no seasoning) then put in a bowl on the table when cold.

Put water in a dirty glass

Get a treat pouch and put the Jaffas in it and stand out of sight with the 4X2

When he comes in and grabs anything but the noodles yell at him in a language he doesn't understand hit him with the 4X2 and take a piece of chicken or a tim tam for yourself.

It is very important at this point not to explain why or to speak in english. If he trys to defend himself you know what to do.

When he goes for a bundy again yell in Swahili hit with 4X2 and drink some bundy yourself.

Repeat until he goes for the noodles (no fork) and when he does throw a jaffa at him and say "YES" good boy.

Same goes for the water

Repeat until he gets the message or you break the 4X2.

Then give the left over's to the dog (but take the bones out of the chicken)

This is very similar to the method my OH employed to get me to pick up towels and put socks in the washing basket!!!!

A live peacock....well..not so alive after they caught it.....

Unfortunately I had to drop my pet insurance...the premiums more than DOUBLED in one year Fingers firmly crossed I don't live to regret that decision ;)

We've been suitably matched with a rescue dog of the breed we are seeking, the dog sounds great and truly what we are looking for. With any "older" (non-pup) canine addition to our home, it would help for them to be sociable due to our livestock, kids etc and this dog sounds promising on that front also. This dog is also of a similar age to our resident boy.

However... of late we have also been considering a pedigree pup (of same breed) and had become pretty excited about it. The pup in question has not even been born yet and no deposit has been made although we have already become emotionally attached to the idea. But puppies are so much work! However; pedigree means a better window into the future, health & temperament wise.

Due to the rescue dog being located interstate and needing vet work the costs for each are similar.

What would you do?

I was in this position a couple of years ago....we went the rescue in the end. Costs actually worked out a bit more than if we got a pup from a breeder but we have never regretted it. We still got our breed of choice and every time I look at him I feel really good about what we did. He has been challenging at times as we got him at about 9 months of age and he was terrified of life but when I look at his now confident and cheeky face I have no regrets whatsoever....we will still get a pup at some point in life but at that time it seemed we were chosen for that particular dog.Good luck with your decision.

if he's trying to get to the rabbits... it may need a bit more than a varnish!

Can you move either the dog or the hutch?

Seems that it is his entertainment .... and as said- the pepper /bitter sprays or constant vigilance/correcting/redirecting may help - BUT if it is prey drive causing it..that's a whole 'nother story

I would fence it off from him... I have pointers and if it were mine it would be the rabbit they are after ;) !! If you think it's just the wood and not the rabbit he's trying to get then you can try a horse product called cribstop..it's a thick ointment like stuff that stays on and tastes horrible.

I have a 7 year old highly storm phobic pointer....thundershirt did not work for him and I have gone the medication route...xanax a couple of hours before the storm...fine in theory for obvious reasons LOL!! When I get the timing right it works great...now if I could just predict the exact time the storms will hit..... ;)

It IS mainly storm related and heavy rain - showers are ok.

My vet is also a Behaviourist vet and Molly is generally "hyper-active" and when she came to me, has been attacked by a Beagle and therefore very "anxious" when she sees another dog UNLESS they are dogs she has socilaised with - we walk with a few dogs and she is fine with them BUT any new dogs are not ok ....but haveing said that, she is fine at the dog park.

I did ask the Vet about a "knock-out" pill I could give her when a storm happens but she seems to think that as she is hurting herslef a lot, she shd be on Prozac!

I have got the drug BUT have not started it as I want others opinion on this ....don't want to "wean" her off so to sepak and I understand about her "quality of life" and it doesn't help we live in Brisbane and we are now going into our "storm season"..

I also live in Brisbane area with a terribly storm phobic dog.....after trying lots of things I now give him xanax prescribed by my vet.This is given on the day a storm is expected. It works if I get the timing right...the problem is they need it at least an hour before a storm comes so some days I get it right and others I don't but when I get it right it works for us. He is able to lay down in a safe spot and endure the storm quietly. Good luck with your dog, storm phobia is a real pain.

We all tend to post when we are grumpy about something so I thought I would post about a positive council experience I just had.

I called my council (Yarra Ranges) about multiple dog permits. I explained about Amber being sick and after a little think they decided that they would waive the need for me to get a 3rd dog permit if I get a puppy.

I thought that was pretty good of them and thought I would share. It is nice to see some compassion and sense rather then 'you must follow the law' thinking.

I had a somewhat similiar experience...terminally ill dog at home and wanting to get the third dog so he was in place to be with my other younger dog when my sick girl passed as my younger dog had never lived alone....went to the council office and explained the situation , was told that I would need the expensive 3rd dog permit to be legal ...then the staff member leaned over the counter, gave me the application form and said 'take this home and put it in your drawer, if you get inspected before your old dog dies then whip this out and say you had just picked it up to apply for the permit' ;) .....I was so appreciative of that...saved me almost $200 at the time.

We used to live on Tamborine Mountain where there are LOTS of scrub turkeys....and I have pointers...sigh ;) The turkeys never did get the message to stop coming into our yard even after one or 2 of them were..errr...'pointed' at !! ( coughing into hand as they are protected)

Dumbest birds ever though now we have peacocks in our new neighbourhood who are running a close second !!

my brother has put me onto a movie/documentary called Earthlings http://www.earthlings.com/ (you can watch the trailer there). its about the things humans do to animals, the trailer made me want to cry i'm actually not sure i can watch the whole movie, i just can't believe these sort of things happen

I personally think every human on the plantet should watch the documentary ' Earthlings'...makes me hang my head in shame to be human at times...

I doubt that it will do any good but I've just emailed my thoughts to the prime minister. http://www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm

Gretel thank you for the link... I too have emailed my thoughts.

Another waste of time,they wheeled out the blonde DR again, and when he had the chance, when asked what we could do, he said the RSPCA should put ticks on good puppy farms.

Right after the segment where the RSPCA said they didn't have time to inspect them.

Good idea chris

Simple answer would have been "don't buy from petshops to fuel the puppy farms".

That was exactly what I thought too....I was actually thinking to myself as he was speaking...'go on bit the bullet and say what REALLY needs to be said' !

argghh that would be 'bite' !!

Another waste of time,they wheeled out the blonde DR again, and when he had the chance, when asked what we could do, he said the RSPCA should put ticks on good puppy farms.

Right after the segment where the RSPCA said they didn't have time to inspect them.

Good idea chris

Simple answer would have been "don't buy from petshops to fuel the puppy farms".

That was exactly what I thought too....I was actually thinking to myself as he was speaking...'go on bit the bullet and say what REALLY needs to be said' !

I have three pointers....all pets only. One is bird crazy, will even try to climb the trees to get to them and so far hasn't eaten any but also won't give then up to me either. My oldest is birdy and good at catching them too...he used to give them to me but I guess he figures that as I'm going to take them away he'll get in first and he now he eats them if I approach him :D ! My other one is not so birdy much prefering the couch LOL!!! I'm thinking they might all be failures in the field LOL!!

Up until 2 years ago we had a german shepherd and her friend was a pointer. It worked really well, pointers are up for lots of games and had no problem playing with the shepherd.Pointers are high energy and playful but with soft temperments usually. Big lap dogs in the house.

We used an electric fence at our last place when we had fence running issues, worked brilliantly.Stand it off the bottom fence line as much as you need ( you can get different sized fittings for it) and make sure at some point it will get in the way of the running. Not nice for the dogs the first time they touch it but it's effective and they learn very quickly to stay away from the white tape. Mine never got zapped a second time and the fence running stopped. Sorry you are having issues with the neighbour.