Little Gifts

I owned a dog that I believe was harshly corrected during that second fear period as a pup. She was forever changed by it. Went from being independant and normal inquisitive puppy to being terrified of strangers, people she'd met but didn't live with and of leaving the house (the incident happened away from my home). A pup that would sleep on car rides became a leash chewer, crier and a vomiter if she went somewhere she'd never been to before. The change was extreme and life long. I believe the incident happened because she was scared/outside her comfort zone and being submissive and vocal. Instead of being comforted she was verbally chastised and threatened with punishment. That's all it took for her world to be changed. Also my current girl Stussy was fine with getting her nails done until one incident. I wasn't with her and came back and she was panting and very stressed. She is a pretty easy going dog so they did something to scare her. Perhaps they clipped too close and when she struggled she was restrained rather than comforted and calmed down? I don't know but 10 years on and she remains terrified of having her nails cut. I don't even understand the need for harsh punishment in an adult dog. What will that change after the event? The dog wont connect the dots. But why not set a dog up for success in the first place rather than punish for wrongs? Dogs love to please us but they are not mind readers. I think it is perfectly fine for a dog to express how they are feeling and since they don't speak words we have to interpret it through their barks, cries and behaviours. Why does a dog have to love everything we want them to? As long as there are no safety issues does it really matter if your dog hates say going to large dog friendly events? And why do we have to quash some of their natural instincts? You can't get a terrier breed and get upset if it wants to eat your free ranging chooks. Many of us make sacrifices to achieve a happy dog human life balance without having to resort to anything super restrictive or harsh.

Funny isn't it - some vets would consider us neurotic while others are thankful that we are vigilant and compliant with everything they suggest. Stussy (now 13) is at the vet tomorrow because she has started some behaviours that are not normal. She is a dog that doesn't show pain so my concern is her dragging all the mats and dog beds around the house and trying to lie in very weird spots with them could simply be that she is in pain and finding it difficult to find a comfortable spot to lie. If it is not and her brain is getting fuzzier then at least I will know that too. My 2 main vets will think it is perfectly normal for me to take her in there on this evidence!

My oldest ever dog was just short of 17 when we let her go. She still thought she was head of the pack and even though she had lots of old age issues she was still incredibly active and involved. No lying around and sleeping for her! But she was getting unpredictable - that is what made me make my decision - the risk of her hurting herself on an adventure with reduced mobility, sight, hearing and brain functioning got too high for me to feel comfortable with. It took me a long time to feel ok about the timing but I know had she hurt herself I would be kicking myself for leaving it too late. She went out on a good day rather than a bad one. I know I am facing it again now. Stussy is now 13 and her brain is not what it used to be. She's already started doing some repetitive and non-sensical things. It is going to break me to lose her brain before her body. I am planning a vet visit soon to see if there are some supplements we could give her to boost that capacity and maybe even a behaviourist to help us understand how to better manage some of the strange stuff she's recently started doing. I'm not ready to lose any of her but I know it's happening.

I am on quite a few shar pei pages on FB (worldwide membership) and common posts for the past 6 months are about first time ownership issues. The ages of some of these puppies going to their homes (in the US in particular) is very concerning. That has also resulted in issues for new owners too with crying pups, pups not toilet trained, pups who haven't learnt the skills from mum they need (like aggression and biting). These people are asking very basic questions like what to feed their pup and how often to bathe them. Obviously they are coming from backyard breeders or puppy farmers as any quality breeder would provide a puppy pack with the relevant care information (plus there wouldn't be the unbelievable stories about why the pups had to go to their new homes 'early'). About the last month the posts have started about returning to work and how to manage their dog crying all day or toileting all through their house while they are gone. There's also been an increase in rehome call outs for young pei - changed circumstances and all that. And even though there is no selling on FB the number of people (including where I live) just casually adding photos of their new litter to attract sales is becoming very difficult to ignore. One page I am on has just had a very intense discussion about puppy photos in general because some money hungry people cannot help themselves and are ruining it for everyone. And there have been more posts about scam sales here (mainly in Vic) and OS. And this is all just one breed which I don't even think is super popular or common. The next couple of years for pounds, shelters and rescue could be quite difficult.

Apollo's face is so expressive!!!! I'm in love!

I'm very sorry for your unexpected loss. I guess it depends on what kind of breeder you purchased from as they are not all created equal. Did you have a contract? What terms are in that? Document everything while it is still fresh in your mind. I am in QLD and I know there are law groups who you can call for a free consult. If they have the same in your state they can advise where you stand legally. Animals are considered property and property needs to be fit for purpose. Usually if your product 'breaks' you contact the seller and can claim under the warranty on the item. But obviously when a living creature 'breaks' the seller will be wanting to know if it is a fault in their product they are responsible for or whether it happened from 'misuse'. I would think an ethical breeder would try to assist you through this very difficult time even if they weren't at fault but I think you will have a difficult time proving where the water bead was ingested (unless autopsy was able to provide evidence of how long it had been in the puppies system?). A back yard breeder or puppy farmer who is only in it for the money will likely not give a toss about your tragic situation. Again, I'm sorry you are going through this.

I second the vet. Their stools are not normal and given their age the risk of them all getting very ill very quickly is quite high. You risk losing the litter without proper diagnosis and relevant treatment. Some pups suffer horribly from these infections and just aren't strong enough to survive. Both coccidia and giardia are highly infectious and difficult to eradicate from your environment too. I don't think 2 months is long enough for the same environment to be considered safe from potential new infection (someone else might be able to shed some light on that though) regardless of what strategies you are using.

Instead of an umbrella consider an actual walking or hiking pole as it is easier to wield than an umbrella and easier to walk with in general. I got mine from Anaconda. Around the corner from my old house there was a stafford who was always loose and who always rushed us. So I simply had to stop going around that part of our street. The couple of times it did start coming for us I would yell and get crazy at it as soon as I saw it come out and that usually made it change its mind. It remains a fear of mine to experience a random dog attack so I am always on the lookout and will immediately detour/cross roads if I see anything potentially concerning (don't even like dogs rushing at fences in case they manage to get out). I suspect my 2 strong dogs would defend both themselves and me if they felt that threatened so breaking up a fight with at least 3 dogs makes me anxious to even ponder.

I house/puppy/dog sat for Sandra Smid and her hubby from Blackshot. They are out near Ipswich in Brissie. Very well raised and bred dogs. Their details are here on DOL. Also Best Friends Rescue in Brissie started out as a stafford rescue so get a lot come through and have a soft spot for them.

Now I know what to feel and how to 'attempt' to do it myself I will give it a try as soon as I see signs of her obsessing with her bottom again. I've been giving her more vegies at present and will get some psyllium husk with my next grocery order. It's a new issue for us and I certainly don't want her feeling uncomfortable or developing additional problems from it. As it is she will scoot on the coarsest things she can find outside (our carpet doesn't cut it) so I do wipe her bottom and have had to put some neocourt on a scratch as I was very worried about an infected wound developing in that area from it. Anyway, everything is good at present since it was expressed again earlier in the week and I can keep on top of it now. Thank you for all the advice.

I've had one for donkeys that has endured a lot. Pretty sure I bought it online from Horseland but I just googled and they don't seem to stock them now. Looked all over the crate and bag and no brand name so can't help. Soz.

Thank you jemapelle!

In the words of Meatloaf "I will do anything for love...but I wont do that!". Nope! Happy to pay my vet to stick his fingers into Stussy's anus (I did apologise to him)! This is a new issue for her and it seems to be mostly on one side. I'll source some psyllium husk and hopefully that helps lengthen the time she needs it done. I just found a useful link about how much to use too. And thank you Powerlegs for that advice too!

Thank you PK!

My stafford Stussy has developed anal gland issues. She is almost 13 and it has just started happening over the last 3 to 4 months. She's needed them expressed twice now with one side always being very bad (and obviously uncomfortable for her). I was talking to the vet today and he said we could increase her fibre intake as it sometimes helps - bigger poos push against the gland and help it secrete more naturally apparently. Despite her desire to eat anything and everything she still only does quite delicate poos so I think it might be worth a try. Has anyone else added fibre to their doggos diet to assist anal gland impaction and if yes what food products would you suggest we try? She is not a fussy eater and likes her vegies, rice and pasta and her weight has dropped with age so the type of fibre I feed her can be managed weight wise too. Thank you!

Does he like to sunbake and are the spots small? Jonah (shar pei) loves to sunbake in winter (too hot in summer) but it was causing skin changes that turned into like these blood blister things (which can also turn cancerous) so we've had to put the kybosh on it. His skin on his underside (and his nose) has spots of different colours as a result. If the spots are large or he doesn't sunbake then ignore all this, it will be something else!

Not really. I am not a breeder but know several breeders. It is quite common for good breeders or breeders of certain dogs to have a waiting list, including people who have already paid deposits and been waiting for specific litters (it could be certain colours or sexes or even matings they are waiting for). So while the breeder had multiple litters all the pups from those litters could well have been spoken for already. The litter born in July may have honestly been the only pups that weren't already spoken for and sadly there were no living pups from that litter. Perhaps they had no plans for any more litters or perhaps they have such a long waiting list that it seemed more reasonable to refund you the money. It sounds like if they refunded you quickly they really just felt they couldn't offer you another puppy and were trying to do the right thing so you could buy another elsewhere. I'm sorry you had a bad experience but the breeder can't give you something she doesn't have if the other puppies are already allocated to other waiting families. Keep looking and ask questions of breeders who offer the breed you want and find someone else you are comfortable doing business with.

Apologies @Belinda Wheeler - I only just realised you'd re-posted. Is she desexed? What age, sex and breed is your other dog and is it desexed? I am no expert but have some experience with pei behavioural issues. Your pei girl is maturing and it is possible she is trying to vie for a better pack position. For now you need to definately feed seperately as you already know that is a trigger. And by that I mean at different ends of the house and at least one dog behind a door. All bowls should be lifted before the dogs rejoin each other and don't let either dog go and sniff around where the food was down. I'd also be careful when feeding treats and I'd be careful of them sharing beds and toys until everything is resolved. Any resource guarding opportunities could spark a fight. We actually went through a heartbreaking period of something similar and had to get a series of behaviouralists in - they all helped but the last one really helped us fine tune things and the strategies weren't hard to implement. She provided ongoing support too. We had done training and NILIF with both dogs but once our pei got in that aggressive/dominant head space she wouldn't listen to us and our other dog (a desexed female stafford) would go into self-protection mode and it would be on. Terrifying stuff. Part of our solution also involved tiring her out mentally and one on one time with each dog seperately, as well as stopping grand standing and controlling behaviours by our pei (which we'd just thought of as quirky but she was really controlling all of us). We had to put all toys away too. So it was a lot of things once we started to dig but it wasn't hard. Have you talked to the breeder to see if they can recommend anyone? If not join this FB page and ask. They cost far less money than after hours vet fees for a dog fight and both your dogs (and you humans) deserve to live in a peaceful household. I know how stressful the waiting and watching can be, particularly if your pei is otherwise an amazingly, loving dog. Pei are an intelligent, stubborn and physically strong breed so you need to get to the root of this before it is totally out of control. It's not fair on either dog either to be living in conflict. Here is the page I would recommend - ask for behaviouralist recommendations on this page as I think it has gone beyond attending training when fights are already happening and risk of injury is already there. There are overseas based health and education groups too but if you go on there now you will be frozen with fear by the things people tell you! Also if you don't already have a pei savvy vet ask on the page for recommendations because you really do need one. They have health issues other breeds don't. Happy to talk more about my experiences if you need a listening ear. They are a very unique breed and I can't imagine my life without one. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1613287052088125/

Hi Belinda! I used to foster shar pei and have owned 2. Currently have a lovely boy called Jonah. @coogie also has 2 pei. Where are you based? We are both in QLD and we have pei meet ups fairly regularly. Fire away with questions. There are also a couple of good Facebook pages, particularly for health issues. If you are on FB I can send you some links.

I dealt with Jane Harper with Dogs On track. She is on the Sunshine Coast but travels. She provides ongoing assistance too and she checked in with us every 6 months to a year to see how things were going. The advice was very easy to implement and worked. From memory it was about $250 (about 4 or 5 years ago) including her travel time but to be honest that was money well spent given vet bills we had when our dogs behaviours went off the rails and caused injuries.

Please don't beat yourself up. She wasn't having a normal pregnancy by the sound of it. Nature did what it did with the pup but you still have your girl. She will be fine. Turn your attentions to her rather than thinking about any what ifs.

He is so beautiful!

We had family cats and dogs (some purebred and some strays) ever since I was born but the first dog I got to choose for myself was an Old English Sheepdog I called Phobie (I thought that is how you said and spelt the name Phoebe). I was 16.

My favourite, long term vet is European and very abrupt. She has gone far above and beyond for me many, many times but she is just very to the point about what is wrong and what needs to be done. Not into any chitty chat or long explanations. She's an amazing vet who loves animals but she is not for everyone. I like her because I like a truthful and knowledgeable vet who also offers/chooses some homeopathic options. She also says what she says she is going to do and follows through and she remembers your pets and what's going on with them. That's all as important to me as it is having a good GP for me. It's bad that one disgruntled client can result in all this though. No winners here really as it wont have changed Ms Curtis's opinion and that's a long time for Dr O'Grady to find justice. I have to admit if I had a complaint (that I thought was legitimate, whether it was or not) I'd be miffed to get a letter saying I was no longer welcome at the practise at all. Their right to refuse service of course but it makes me wonder how unpleasant she was truly being when she first complained? So many people think the customer should always be right but you really do need to draw the line at some point.

I lost my girl Tempeh far too young in November 2018. I had to make the decision to euthanise a physically healthy dog that I'd had since a foster puppy because her brain had made her so unpredictable and dangerous. The decision broke me. DOL knew about her since I'd fostered her yet I couldn't post on here because I couldn't cope with the thread about it sitting here as a reminder. She'd left some of her breakfast in her dish (just kibble) and two days after she was gone my sister threw it and the dish out thinking she was doing me a favour. I had a total melt down and she rummaged through the bin getting it all out again but it wasn't the same (a part of me may not still have forgiven her). I wanted to turn back the clock and couldn't cope with anything else changing. Despite having a heart dog who is very comforting and in tune with my moods, I still sleep to right this day with one of Tempeh's coats on a big stuffed toy on my bed. I reach over and feel the straps and it gives me comfort. I still want what I always wanted for her - to be ok. We went from being a 3 dog family for forever down to being a 1 dog family in a very short period of time. I went from being an owner who was fully committed to this poor beautiful girl to the person who took her chance to overcome her struggles away from her because it was 'easier' (of course it was our last option by then). It was hard for all of us but because I made the final decision I was impossibly hard on myself and probably still haven't forgiven myself for it ending up like that. A couple of things helped me through it. First was Tempeh herself. I got signs from her that she was ok and knew it was coming and that it was the right thing for her because she really was struggling with this world. In my mind she is smiling and being silly (which makes me type this all through tears). I still look at photos of her on that last day and she'd had enough. It was there on her tortured face. I felt her around me a lot from the day she went over the bridge (still do even though we've moved house). I talk to her when she comes just like I did when she was alive. Then another shar pei owning friend known here on DOL passed away about 6 months later and his boy needed a new family. We weren't sure we needed another dog but our remaining dog was struggling being an only dog for the first time ever. There was lots of discussion, finger crossing and tears from all sides - it was a big decision for everyone. Surprisingly the two dogs have done well together from that first day and are actually very similar in the things they love and are always together. I kept the whole thing very quiet out of fear of more heartache and judgement too. We love our new boy so and it has taken him a while to accept we are his new forever home rather than just some nice people he is staying long term with (his dad was sick on and off for an extended period). We are nothing like his dad (they ordered each other) and the adventurous life he used to have but I think wounds have been healed on both sides by our union. If Jonah can overcome his loss and make the best of his new life we can do the same. I never would've gone out and got another dog to heal the pain from losing a beloved pet but you have to trust the universe sometimes. I don't feel I have disrespected Tempeh by having Jonah in our life so quickly either. She was gone physically but will never been forgotten. It is not a competition. Same for Jonah and how I am sure he would still feel if his dad suddenly walked through the door. But it helps to be needed and to share loss. It helps to have a positive distraction and to redirect your energies and focus. And it definately helps to be able to share your feelings with other crazy dog people who understand exactly how heartbreaking going through an experience like this is. And the funny thing is there is always more love in our broken little hearts - we just have to find somewhere new to direct what we have while the damaged part heals. Jonah taught me that!