Skruffy n Flea

bella ALWAYS sleeps in the bed with us; she has absolutely no shame! bob [the cat] occasionally makes her way upstairs too and doesn't mind sharing the same space...

byron won't because he likes his *space*

if the OH tho is making too much 'noise' and i've kicked him out, byron will nestle on the bed [but not if bob's there] so he'll curl up in the 'nest' [an old queen-size comforter that i've fashioned into a dog bed]. if i had the floorspace, i'd have the nest it in the bedroom, but i don't, so it's in the hallway just outside the bedroom.

they are a pet trimmer, not a pro one, so that might be why none here can help with this. have you asked the store you got it from?

thanks becks for your post. it was purchased online from clipperworld so i'm not entirely sure they could tell me anything useful. thanks tho :)

Skruffy n Flea, if you email Colin Butt (DOL Nicestman) http://www.dolforums...66-nicestman77/ with your question as well as leaving your phone number, he will phone you back (he has skype) and you can chat to him.

he is very helpful.

He really is a nice man!

ha! 'nicestman' --- i get it. thanks boronia, i'll do that likely this coming week. this past week i'd approached a local groomer to get their advice and having then taken the clippers in to them, they left me none the wiser

let's hope colin can be of some help to me :)

a very interesting and informative read during another sleepless night...

i decided to do some research on the topic and came across this! --- a bit of light reading that supports the case that the APBT and AST are more that just closely related.

i don't care for BSL because there is too much room for error: PickThePitty!

just out of interest, the APBT [or PBT] is a prohibited import and that prohibition extends also to advertising them.

i'd be cautious about the amount you use given that it's high in iodine.

The iodine controversy

yeah, i've looked at youtube but i've not found any vids that actually describe the type of combs used; just how to use them on a dog!

thanks tho :)

i have another question about feeding:

do you feed at the exact same time each day? are you strict about the time between the feeds? do you provide a late-night snack for your dog/s?

if you can't feed them on time, do you provide a snack to tide them over?

thank you all so much for the info you've provided --- it also clarified for me that exercising and walking are two entirely different things even tho both are necessary for the health of our dogs.

i wish my dogs participated in agility but sadly they don't so 'walks' is the most [and then there are zoomies] exercise they get.

for the most part, i'm satisfied with at least a half hour before and after --- on a hot day tho, i might extend the 'after' time even if they've had a cool bath.

thanks again, :)

do you walk your dog before or after a walk?

if you walk your dog in the morning, when did you last feed it?

if your dog hasn't eaten since say 8pm the night before, is it okay to take it on say a 45 minute walk at say 9am the next morning?

i feed my dogs twice a day and i'm grappling with whether i can [or should] walk them before or after they eat [if i walk them in the morning and before they eat, it'd likely be about 12 hours since they ate anything].

thanks for your help :)

i have a battery operated wahl 'trimmer'; a tool that i am most impressed with [because it does so much more!]. the trouble is, i don't know how to use the acculock [what?] and what i should expect when using the 3 different lengths of the close cut trimmers.

i've used all the attachments: the acculock has me absolutly befuddled and the three 'close cut trimmers' [while they are different lengths] appear to achieve a similar result!

i would be grateful if someone could please explain to me how to use the acculock and close cut trimmers and the effect each has when clipping.

tia :)

a dog's digestive system is designed to consume raw meat and if i had the chance, i'd certainly be weening a pup onto a raw diet.

i feed both my dogs and one cat predominantly raw, supplemented with some dry and every 4 or 5 days, i serve a portion or 2 of nature's gift [adopting a balance over time routine because i can't provide a true prey model diet].

i learned once that a raw recipe should comprise 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% muscle/offal [1:1 or 5% muscle, 5% offal].

since then, i've learned that at best 12% of that should include pulped greens [this while researching feeding raw to cats]!

lately, i've read that a raw chicken neck is the absolute BEST 'bone to meat [including fat] ratio' you can provide your dog.

over time, i've put together what i consider to be a pretty good, well balanced raw diet that accommodates cats [obligate carnivores] and dogs [because i have both] and to that basic raw mix i incorporate additional pulpled veg [roughly 1:1 raw:veg] to keep my dogs' condition in good order.

I have used Petzlife oral care for about 8 years, first used it on my old girl who would not let me

clean her teeth and they were very badly covered in plaque. It was amazing in about 4 months most

of the plaque had gone. I know use it on any of my dogs who wont let me clean their teeth especially

the oldies. It comes in a spray or gel and all you do is spray it on or wipe it over teeth once a day.

Will be interested to see if Proden works as it sounds very easy to us.

Ive just ordered the petzlife one, its been recommended to me by people who have Cavs.

Its exxy but I was able to source it here in Australia.(its manufactured in America)

Hopefully it works as brushing their teeth regularly with dog toothpaste had not been effective, neither was the green additive stuff which the vets suggested we use in their water ( we don't trust it to be honest)

I cant wait to get it and try it !

good luck jules and let us know what you think :) be careful too if it contains that sugar substitute zylitol.

It seems that most places in Australia source the ascophyllum nodosum (seaweed) powder for cosmetic purposes. I've just found a store in WA that sells 500g for $8:

Aromatherapy Supplies -- they're all listed alphabetically so you need to scroll down to 'S' for Seaweed Powder.

Here's a link to their PDF info about the powder stocked: Ascophyllum Nodosum PDF

woah! so cheap! and that pdf file provided some excellent info. great find :)

i really doubt a practitioner providing herbal products to humans can give a qualified reply. i'd be inclined to contact a holistic vet.

i'm content continuing with the amount i'm providing [within reason and based upon the plaqueoff dosage].

For those that have used the canadian organic kelp in powder form, do you use the same amount? I'm going to order some of this given it's so much cheaper, and was thinking of using the little scoop that came with the plaque off.

I am using about 1/4 more than the Plaque Off per-kilo dosage as it is a powder and the plaque Off was sort-of concentrated in hard tiny lumps. I looked at the bag it came in and there are no dosage recommendations, I think I will write have just written to them to find out.

Thanks Boronia, that's what made me wonder about dosage with it being a powder.

i try to use the same amount [but with it being a powder much like talc, it lacks density and therefore weight]! in my view the powdered product is exactly the same; with the branded product however, they've used a binding agent to form granules, and if in one scoop of that you account for the air surrounding each granule, one scoop of the powder [if compacted] would likely equate to the same or perhaps a little more. just my take on it :)

I found a place in Sydney that sells it! New Directions

thanks for the link and WOAH, what's with that disclaimer!

hi dyzney, thanks and sorry for late reply!

i'd be going for size one, but i have 3 animals and i'd prefer each to have one available for use while another is in use --- at this point, i can't see my way clear...

thanks very much for the info; they're at the top of my 2013 wish list :)

dips in cool water and wet towels from the fridge will have to do in the meantime...

A wash with Calendula Tea. Don't rinse off - leave on. Apply as and as often as necessary. Results should be fairly quick. Soothes the skin from itchiness and irritation. Doesn't cure whatever is the cause of the problem, but eases the discomfort for the dog and buys some time whilst you're finding out what the root of the problem is.

calendula tea is really beneficial; really calming and soothing. about 4 tbsn [in the foot of a nylon stocking] steeped in a litre of boiling water and allow it to cool to a comfortable temperature [fridge/freezer to speed that up] but for your boy i'd go about 4 cups of tea in a bucket [by the looks of him, i can just feel he'd appreciate that] --- if you don't have any, get some at your earliest possible opportunity. in the meantime, run cool water over him and gently swish it thru the coat, patting it on his chest and his belly. this will cool him down at least --- he'd be under an amount of stress and that will increase his temperature. get some organic coconut oil [woolies has it for about $6 a jar: 375ml i think]; 'massage' it over his entire body and start adding it to his meals [i've only recently begun to admire the benefits of coconut oil realising results within 2 weeks of use].

if you use OTC antihistamines, be aware of any contraindications as to how it metabolises with whatever drug/s his vet has prescribed --- all i'm saying is be careful.

do your best to figure out what it is your dog is reacting to and have it dealt with --- i've heard [read] that dogs do develop alergy/skin issues in the 2nd year of their life; your vet should advise in that regard.

the very best of good luck simmy :)

i've lately been using on both my itchy [for no obvious reason] dogs organic coconut oil and they are now less itchy! and this only after 2 weeks of intermittent topical application and ad hoc [settling into routine] dosing in their evening meals.

two nights ago, bella for the first time since at least mid-2010, got into bed and straight away [read: immediately] settled --- prior to that she would lick herself 'til i was silly with angst. the same i will say for byron, who has, up until recently, been the most beleaguered with 'the itchies'.

benefits above and beyond: they smell absolutely wonderful :)

for all my efforts and research over the past several years, using all manner of [natural] products, speaking with their vets, undergoing clinical tests and altering diets...

all is going well with coconut oil --- and woolies has it, at normal price, for about $2 per 100ml [that's organic, extra virgin, nothing else added] so right here right now, that's priceless!

dyzney hi :) i've looked at your site and i can see the sizing and the postage, but i'm really interested in the cost of the product [all sizes]. i'm not committing to or promising anything but do you have a return policy?

pm me if you'd prefer!

thanks :)

I'm learning! Fortunately, most mistakes do grow out! :)

The dog is still in one piece, I'm glad to report.

i'm with noisy on this ['allo miss mina :D]

i got from santa last year a wahl kit quite like this! and even tho it's taken me, well 12 months to become comfortable using it, it's much more than just a trimmer.

i have 2 x-breed swfs: bella, a wire coated JR/xMalt and byron [rescue], malt/x-?-but vet thinks a tibby! both are single coated breeds and both have long growth, with bella suffering bad hair days every day of her wee life. just in the last week/10 days and with my wee wahl trimmer, i took about 2 to 3 inches of length off each. it's compact and precise to handle feet, eyes and butt BUT it also handled the expanse of their 7 or so kg bods and not once [read: NOT ONCE] did i need to stop to allow this wee battery-operated gizmo to cool down [i did check however periodically]. i started at about 2:30 pm and [including grinding their nails] i'd finished both by a little after 5 with not a drop of blood spilt [of course i've heard the horror stories so i am mindful and awfully cautious].

my tool and it's brilliant btw, appears to be exactly the same as that in my link; it's a wahl so reputation precedes it. my pack didn't come with that comb tho and i did have to buy my own batteries.

the poodle coat is not all that different to my dogs' coat so essentially [and we're not talking show class jobs here], the application wouldn't be all that different. my stumbling block was learning how to properly use the tool and getting comfortable clipping my dogs. happy days and 45 bucks a pop saved :D *woohoo*

i don't use shampoo anymore; i just run tepid to warm water over their bodies for several minutes, swish with my hands as i go. i then towel dry and massage in resisoothe.

now that it's summer, they get a cool bath say every 2 or 3 days after their walk, and once or twice a week, i'll massage in the resisoothe. feeding them a good, clean diet, neither dog is smelly at the worst of times, so this routine works well and they seem very comfortable and happy :)

Dominance hierarchies in dogs have not exactly been debunked. It's complicated. There was definitely a backlash against it because it was being used to explain behaviours that were not actually related to dominance, which does not help dogs. Now it's kind of going back the other way a little bit. There are circumstances where dominance is in play, but it doesn't describe all interactions. Most of them can be explained by learning theory and resource holding potential. In my house, my smaller dog will regularly take Kongs and the likes from my bigger dog, because he gets away with it. Possession is 9/10ths of the law when it predicts success and/or failure to obtain a resource. My smaller dog is an excellent judge of this and seems to know when he can be safely obnoxious and steal and when he should be more cautious. This offers a clue as to what these interactions are all about. They are about living in harmony while maximising access to good things. This means there is not a law set in stone for all dogs. Dogs in groups will figure out how they stand with other dogs in different contexts, and that is why hierarchies often appear fluid. The exception is those dogs who very badly want priority access to everything. I know one in particular who certainly does not believe possession is 9/10ths of the law. He's very well socialised and gets on well with other dogs, but they must understand that he gets whatever he wants whenever he wants it. He seems to go out of his way to teach them this. Dogs that have lived with him have learnt that he's very serious about his right to anything that takes his fancy and usually come to believe it's better to just let him have it. So he learnt to be a little turd and claim possession to anything at all because it worked, and they learnt to let him because it worked for them. They would rather avoid the inevitable confrontation of trying to keep possession of their stuff. These days he is not allowed access to dogs that have good things. You can see that in this dog's case, possession does not predict his ability to access a resource. He takes whatever he wants from whoever he likes (as long as they are dogs). Thus, he doesn't respect any kind of possession is 9/10ths of the law rule.

Evolutionarily speaking, behaviours become stable in populations when they are beneficial. Dominance is widespread in the animal world because it is often a way for animals to contest resources relatively safely. But if there's a way to cheat the system, there will be an individual out there who does. The dog I just described who has done just that is not terribly social with the other dogs. They don't like to play with him because he has poisoned so many of their interactions that they are a little bit scared of him. That's unsurprising, and I guess the price he pays. But this does not seem to bother him. I expect if he was the kind of dog that valued social bonding with other dogs he would not be the kind of dog that demands priority access to everything.

okay, hierarchy and dominance exists but is not mutually exclusive. my boy's possession [of the bones] is not an example of his dominance or bella's submission; it's likely due to bella not being brought up to chew bones [my ignorance], and byron [perhaps] was in his previous life and even tho i get the distinction [thank you :)], 9/10ths possession i don't believe applies here either.

so, with the bone chewing, i'm comfortable knowing it's not dominance/hierachical so thank you for clarifying that for me :)

the 9/10ths possession however does apply when it comes to toys and this is where i'll need further clarity: bella is strong-willed, a bitch of the highest order with massive personality and when i encourage 'play', she seems to demand first and sole access to every toy i make available.

wobbly wrote: The thing that's debunked is people's erroneous notion that they need to enforce their own alpha status with stuff like alpha rolling and excessive correction. As O'Connell says - hierarchical status is there to STOP conflict, but so many people misunderstood "dominance theory" and bullied their dogs in the name of it. The theory was misunserstood and put people in conflict with their dogs when they didn't need to be. In that way it's maybe good the theory has been taken off it's pedestal, you see so many softer dogs who have had their drive and joy in life taken from them due to over-corrections in the name of misinterpreted dominance/submission theory.

i fell into the *alpha roll* trap way back in the beginning; then i realised that i didn't have dogs considered *red zone* ha! i worry tho that i excessivly correct and ignorantly!

my ideal play time is both dogs having a good time; tugging, running and retrieving, responding to commands and receiving treats for desired results. whatever toy byron has, bella goes for his front legs [not nipping, just a gapping mouth with *arhg-ing*], he'll then drop the toy and she'll immediately take possession of it. i don't consider this conducive with 'fun' for byron. i make efforts to suppress bella's *leg going* behaviour but i fear i'm interrupting the natural order of things between the two dogs and that's the last thing i want to do! that in and of itself is a conflicting message! i'm also concerned that bella is receiving conflicting information from me because on the one hand i'm allowing play and then on the other, i'm preventing an aspect of her play mentality. she commonly grabs up a toy and taunts byron with it to engage him and then bolts off outside with it [in the hope i believe that byron will follow her lead; he rarely does!].

byron [to me and my OH] appears delicate; he's certainly no where near as strong as bella in a number of ways, much more so he lacks her exuberance and confidence. she bounces at him barking continuously, another behaviour that i make effort to inhibit only wanting to stop her barking. again, i believe i'm sending her conflicting messages.

whatever it is, it's not an extreme situation by any means and i'm damned sure i can work it out with the right instruction.

wobbly, i use NILIF and ToT daily whether i'm just running them thru their basic training or feeding or grooming, and the results, from my perspective, are excellent every time.

TheLBD's post goes to the same BUT there is never any injury nor does there appear to be any shift in hierachy or dominance, if it actually exists here between the animals.

both dogs [and one cat] appear to co-exist equally and reasonably with no vying for attention or demanding position, except when it comes to toys and the dogs, with bella seemingly at the top of the tree and if anyone can help me understand or solve that riddle, i would be forever grateful.

thank you all again for your time and knowledge. i hope there is more to come :)

wow! thanks for the invaluable input corvus, theLBD [weasels] and wobbly! so damned informative i'm almost tripping over my tongue...

bbs :)

hello :) sorry for not coming in sooner to let you all know how the canadian [locally imported] product has handled in place of the branded product.

firstly, i purchased it as powder [much like talc] so it is harder to distribute and i find i need to mix it slightly in with their food [next time i will purchase the flakes]. secondly, none of my pets baulked at the change. thirdly, my pets continue to have pleasant breath. fourthly, last month at my two dogs' scheduled checkup, their vet remarked at the health of their teeth and gums [but recommended that i ocassionally brush bella's canines].

lastly, it would be dangerous for me to promote the use of the canadian [locally imported] product. i will say however that i've been using it since 24/25 sept 2012, the same quantity once a day and their good oral health has continued.

note, the canadian [locally imported] product is certified organic kelp (norwegian/atlantic) derived from the exact same kelp [ascophyllum nodosum] as the branded product. it cost $7.60 for 250g.

i hope that helps :)

thanks for your replies :D

Possession is 9/10ths of the law when it comes to dogs and possession of bones, IMO, regardless of hierarchy. In polite dog society, a dog has a bone, the other should give respectful space. If the dog with the bone gets up and leaves, finishes interest in bone and turns its back on the said bone, it is up for grabs.

hi erny :)

thank you! that describes exactly what happens here! byron loves his bones and bella does keep a very respectful and quiet distance while she waits for him to finish, so when he gets up for a drink, or he's had his fill, she will quietly move in and start to gnaw at the bone. when or if byron returns, he keeps his quiet and respectful distance as he waits for bella to finish and so on and so forth until they both retire.

funny thing too; they both play this 'alarm-type' game where the one WITHOUT the bone [the 1st dog] will bark and make some find of fuss that distracts the one WITH the bone [the 2nd dog] and so when the 1st dog sounds an alarm, the 2nd dog will leave the bone to answer the alert while the 1st dog quietly moves in on the bone :PreciousPupLaugh: --- curiously tho lately, byron [who my OH says is a few bricks short] now answers the alert with the bone still firmly between his teeth :MorePreciousPupLaugh:

The alpha dog theory has been seriously debunked.

Some dogs will know the best place to sleep, other will know where the best food is and others will know how to avoid detection etc.

Dogs also assume diffent roles in different situations.

With my dogs they never have bones or food unsupervised.

Any bones or food left uneaten is quickly removed.

Even my big girl who is totally non-violent will play politics with food and bury whole chicken legs just so she can chase the other dogs out of the yard. :laugh:

But food and bones are no laughing matter at our house.

hi tralee :)

thanks for your input! i too supervise my dogs' mealtimes as i do when i provide bones and with byron at mealtimes, i *must* remain in his general area or he will come looking for me [abandonment issues].

i'm not so sure about politics tho! i just don't see that with my two...

your post confuses me tho! on the one hand you say the alpha dog theory has been seriously debunked but then you go on about how some dogs know the best place to sleep, where to find the best food and how to avoid detection! chasing other dogs out of the yard to protect buried treasures!?!? that food and bones at your place are no laughing matter!?!?

alpha fo shizzle!

None of mine like to share. Carl (our 'alpha') will sometimes go and finish off a bone if someone walks away from theirs (he rarely touches his own), but Jag and Mischa stay until the bone is totally devoured most times. That said, they do lick each other's bowls and happily eat off the same place.

hello htw :) what you describe seems pretty normal given the posts in this thread!

The alpha dog theory has been seriously debunked.

As the blanket statement that the above seems to be ...... I disagree and I don't think it has been "seriously debunked". I think both sides are taken to extremes and middle ground needs to be reached to become closer to the truth. Just IMO. :D.

i'm inclined to agree erny! by the same token, different dogs, different environments, might mean the difference?!?

like i said earlier, i could talk about this for HOURS! soooo much more to say...

thanks again for your input :)

oh, and if you don't mind terribly, some of you made me positively laugh out loud --- indicitive of the level of comfort i now have following your respective experience :D

thank you all so very very much for your replies. it seems that i have very little to be concerned about and curiously, you have each separately yet collectively described the very situation in which i exist!

with courage i accept, after reading your replies, that my dogs are co-existing naturally :)

i admit however that i could easily talk about this for hours...

thank you again for your time and input --- graciously accepted :)