Brennan's Mum

My thoughts exactly. I had a FB former school friend who posted a status saying ''Must not get puppy''-- the puppy in question was a Pug x Cavalier from a well known pet store. All the other posts ( from other former school mates) were things like; ''Get it/ So cute''. I just said . She replied saying ''It's okay I am getting a cat from a breeder instead.

Because you know it is the right thing to do. It is not the dogs fault it has a crappy owner. It is not right to make the dog suffer in order to punish your auntie or teach her a lesson or even to make a point to her. I am a little suprised at your attitude- you seem to love Shelley a lot but can't seem to find any compassion for poor Lady. I always find it best to treat some one else's dog like you'd expect them to treat yours. Of course that does come with the expectation that you treat your own dogs kindly. Also, with the condition that you follow any rules the owner may have so not to unravel their training. Something needs to change, and some one whether it is you, your Mum or your Aunt needs to be proactive about making that change happen. It won't come by posting rants on a forum--not when you seem to be ignoring the advice and suggestions others have put forward. Making excuses for why things can't change won't help either.

Did you have a crate that the dog could have slept in? may help with the transition from inside to outside? or even just reduce the destructive behaviour (scratching) at night time. I'm sorry, I don't know if there have been other threads about your Aunt and her dog. Is you Aunt willing to consider hiring a behaviourist? may help in addressing some of the issues. Is it possible that your Aunt may have taken offence/ felt like it was an attack on her and her dog. I think if that is the case you may need to take a diplomatic approach....maybe say something like ''We know you love your dog, and she is a great dog, we are just concerned that she and you may not be happy. We wonder if maybe hiring a behaviourist may help in giving you some skills to work with your dog and make sure your dog and you are happy''.

Happy Birthday Kyojin He is such a lovely boy

I don't think it's that no one noticed him, I think they were left speechless by his beauty

Is there a reason why you are trying to avoid the Elizabethan collar? There are a few different styles available including ( I believe) softer ones. I had one for my girl when she was desexed and the peace of mind was fantastic. Was so nice to be able to hop in the shower for a quick one without worrying if the dog was scratching at her stitches .

I loved the book, had me crying though . The movie was good, but not as good as the book imo. I have read John Grogan's other adult novel- I do enjoy his writing style. I noticed on his website that in the 'Share your stories' section- the majority of comments are still in regards to Marley and Me or dog related LINK .

I'm really sorry for your loss RIP Brock

K9 Pro has written an article on Developmental stages which may be helpful LINK I hope you feel better soon

She's so pretty.

To be honest, for the first 2 years of my GSDs life I trained 'only' with Positive Reinforcement-- shunned all other methods and tools. Until, just after her 2nd Birthday in April this year I had to face the fact that I had a reactive dog who was not getting better, who I was having trouble controlling. I had to swallow my pride and accept that my dog needed help, that despite having the right Positive Reinforcement books, having seen Positive Reinforcement behaviourists-- I needed to be open to another method or risk failing my dog. So I did, I hired some one who mentored under Steve Courtney(K9 Pro) and who is highly respected for her work with reactive dogs ( Jane Harper, Dogs On Track). The change in my dog has been incredible. We use the Sporn Pack Leader head collar and it's been a wonderful addition to our tool box. It is the right tool for me and my dog at this moment. I guess what I am trying to say is don't limit yourself or your dog to one way only. I did so for 2 years, and am now seeing better results in 2 weeks from a behaviourist who many of my former Positive Reinforcement friends told me is 'a ''bad'' trainer' (based on method). I have also heard wonderful things from people on this forum who have trained with K9 Pro, Nehkbet (Inline K9) and Mark Singer-- all people who sought their help for a reactive dog.

The reason for recommending a behaviourist was because in your first post you had made no mention that you had consulted any professionals. A good dog behaviourist will be able to discuss what type of head collar is best for that dog. Ditto. Is there a reason why you would not consider an E-collar or Prong collar? The prong collar is generally seen as being kinder than the choke collar. Of course with all tools you want to ensure they are properly fitted and that you know how to use them properly.

I heard about it from other members, was already a member of a GSD forum which comprised 99% American and Canadian members. Whilst I loved the other forum, I wanted something which could hold more relevance to me being an Aussie. So I joined DOL. Has been wonderful especially not having to use online converter to understand the temperature and weight , and also love seeing and hearing about the Australian dog scene, things which are relevant to us, and finding out about great products. Also love learning from others.

Personally I don't believe any live animal should be sold in a pet store. Admittedly as a child I had plenty of Goldfish that I bought from either a pet store or a garden nursery store. The cats I had growing up were all from 'Oops litters' or were shelter animals/rescues. I can't speak for other people, but I do wonder if it has something to do with birds/fish/ rats/mice not being seen as needing as much care/ or support as dogs or cats do. With dogs we know they need training, to be registered with councils, there seems to be a general consensus that dogs are more of a responsibility. I don't really know much about the other animals sold in shops but having gotten so much more into dogs it has had me questioning my beliefs on other domesticated animals.

I recently came across these 2 sites- I live in Brisbane but due to not having a car I'm reduced to ordering online for food. http://www.fetchboy.com.au/dogs http://www.pookinuk.com.au/

Can you go to a Pet shop which doesn't sell animals? if they don't stock what you need you could ask them. That will mean you don't have to see animals for sale . If not you could always look at buying online.

Hi, Some of you already know that I recently switched from having trained with Positive Reinforcement (R+) only for first 2 years of my dogs life to a more balanced approach. Long story short is that R+ only was failing my dog and I needed to be open to a more balanced approach in order to give her the quality of life she deserves. Thanks to wonderful behaviourist, and many supportive people, we are now on our way to a better future. Anyway, as such, I would like to build on my bookshelf, and my bookmarked websites. I already have a large book collection(over $200). Titles are either German Shepherd breed specific, or training. The training and behavioural books are your usual R+ Book collections including; Pat Miller, Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson, Pamela Dennison, Emma Parsons, Leslie McDevitt etc. I will be keeping them, but would like to add some more 'balanced' authors to my collection as well. I'd love to have a nice collection so I can reference several authors, and keep my education balanced to be a better owner and trainer to my current dog, as well as future dogs. I currently have Steve Courtney's K9 Pro website bookmarked as I am using the TOT program, and have seen some good articles that he has written. I also have been reading this blog Dogs In Training which writes articles from a more balanced approach. I found it really useful having just looked into propaganda in dog training. Would really love the suggestions of DOLers, and to those who have been with me on the journey-- those on FB, who have sent messages, and on the GSD breed thread-- Thank you for your support and advice.

I've given frozen yoghurt, and a table spoon of vanilla ice cream. I've only given it 2 times though.

There IS a massive difference too!!! (My ex was a "yeah, I like dogs" sort, not the better sort ;) ) Love this

Hmm, I am looking at switching kibble now ( from Raw), and due to the fact I don't have a car or a job have been considering ordering online. Thankfully my Mum now knows better than to ask me why I can't just grab a cheap brand from the Supermarket. She did once suggest I paid the $20 ( or what ever it is) for the 20-30 kilogram Coles brand kibble . I'm no expert on dog food ( in fact there is a lot I need to learn)..but even I know not that much. What other crazy lengths? hmm...well, on MY birthday wish list there is a long leash, and a soft indoor crate--yep..that's what I want for my birthday. For Christmas I received a Nina Ottosson toy and it sent me into hysterics with happiness . Of course, all this pales in comparison to others. I know the Agility people get up pretty early, spend a fair amount of money for trials and have some long long days at trials. Think this will be an interesting post to read .

Watching them now...both dressed identically. Sad thing is-- all I can see is the fact they are wearing Pedigree dog food jackets .

Thanks for your replies. I may grab a 3kg bag and see how she goes )

Hi guys, I recently had a behaviourist out to assess my dog. When we got to talking about her diet I mentioned she was on pet mince from the butchers as well as chicken frame or chicken necks. I am currently considering switching to Kibble ( don't really have the space to store RAW food/ nor do I have the finances or means to make a daily trip to the butchers to collect fresh pet mince). The behaviourist suggested Advance as a good quality kibble. I know my house mates Border Collie does well on it, and I know a few others feed it. I have looked online at the Advance website and was a bit confused about the serving size too . Brennan averages at 28-30 kilos ( she is a 2 year old German Shepherd for those who may not know). However the weight ranges get me confused...these are the options; Advance Adult Dental Medium breed-25kg Large breed-35kg Then with the other options of Advance- Active, Advance All breed the weight ranges are; <5 kg 5-10kg 15-25kg 35-45kg. So; 3 questions in total; 1) What Advance range would be best for Brennan?-- she is moderately/highly active in her daily life between walks and play, although she is not a 'sport' dog ( as in we don't compete in dog sports). 2) With the weight guide do I round down or up? would it be best to feed her as per the 25kg range or try for some sort of happy medium? 3) Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how long a 3kg bag could last a 2 yr old, 28-30kg GSD? I only ask because I am on a tight budget, and don't have a car so would generally be getting the food from a nearby vet/ pet supply store and bringing home on public transport. Thanks guys

Something like this may be handy Scoop 'n' Store I know other people use the brightly coloured small 'garbage' bins that you get for under $20 from Cheap shops (the ones that look like smaller council bins).

Brennan's is April 25th...Anzac Day baby