Stressmagnet

Ahh yes I think you've pointed out a main difference well! I like my dogs a bit idiotic at times and overly cuddly Take my Lab pup. He fits your criteria nicely. He got a pot plant container stuck on his head and isn't even fussed. He's just stumbling around happily, blind as a bat, smashing into things. I think I'll take it off now.

Lol. WINNER!

Just saw a post on a fb page I frequent about one of the members labs being attacked. Lots of 'poor thing' and one lone comment pointing out that the attacked dog had been known to start fights in the past. Damn. I had avoided dog parks (the fenced in ones) for this reason but I thought this particular group was safe since they are all labs and the owners seemed cluey. It meets once a fortnight and I reckoned Ernie could have a fortnightly vacation from his uptight owner to just run around. Now I'm going to have to rethink this too. Why oh why don't they teach reading your dog in puppy/canine classes instead of all the focus on sit/stay/drop etc? I think it would be far more useful.

I just had the instructor at my puppy class tell me this about check/choke collars: 1. They cause spinal and neck injuries 2.. They cause reactive aggression because if you use them to stop a young dog from lunging toward people or other dogs, your dog associates the pain (?) of the check correction with people/other dogs and will then become reactive. I use a check collar. I don't yank or jerk harshly - it barely tightens - and my dog is heeling well. I'm now worried.

Looks like I'll have to practice my 'Bitchy Resting Face' (Google it!). I'm going to find some less popular parks. As I do chemo, I've got limited energy and it gets used up pretty fast as the day wears on - so after I drop the girls at school is MY best time. Not ideal for Ernie. We just got back from Puppy Class which was a great reminder of how exhausting I find people lately. And I know it's my age; my treatment and my pleasant personality. Five pups. Two had what I would already classify as aggressive/reactive issues at six months - barking and snarling and actively lunging at all the other pups. A third was a staffy (bless!) who wanted to play and spent the hour trying to strangle himself at the end of the lead. Ignored everything. A fourth was a Maltese whose owner snatched her up protectively every time a dog came near. Ernie looked like a star even though by the end he was fed up and bored and didn't do a thing I asked, I think he'll be getting enough exposure to folks and their dogs over the next 2 months. Time for quiet training and bonding and sniffing without distractions. I'll find other places to go.

*red face* sexist generalisation. Sorry. On topic (sort of) My biggest fear IS the off/on lead fluffies. But when I had Georgia (AmStaff) - all everyone saw was the breed, not the polite well behaved dog. She got savaged by an assmonkey who let his amstaff pup loose on her and she went from a confident dog to a fearful dog on lead. I COULD be lazy and say 'breed bad' but it was that pup's idiot owner. Telling me 'all amstaffs play rough'. Fact: bully breeds take dedication and commitment. Maybe more so than 'softer' breeds like say, my Labrador. Doesn't make them bad dogs, does make lazy owners BAD owners.

Ps. I will ppint out, I had my AmStaff in a pink diamanté collar and I have no penis, hence no interest in perpetuating the myth she was a tough dog. I fell in love with her face, it was only later I realised the prejudice around Her breed,

OWNER not breed. Unfortunately, the types of dogs that appeal to boghead morons are big powerful dogs. Having owned an AmStaff, and had people snatch their yappy aggressive dogs away in fear - this is something I feel strongly about. Such dogs like a Pitties, amstaffs, presa canarios - all appeal to a certain type of person whose self esteem is established by how big and tough their dog looks. I don't know what the answer is. Somehow make these dogs, their ridiculously spiked collars and YouTube videos of them hanging off tyres, less appealing? How? Because as long as these idiots get these dogs, and then fail to train them adequately, we will get these knee jerk reactions to the breed.

^this. I'm so fed up with yappy agressive ilittle dogs whose owners think it's cute - "she thinks she's a BIG dog", "he doesn't know his own size haha". They charge my dog every time I walk him. One day, your little dog is going to get its head snapped off by a bigger dog and the news will be 'Savage dog attack'. Feh. Train your damn dog.

Poo bag!! Lol! I live in the Gosford area. It's pretty doggy. I will see if I can find some smaller less popular parks but a lot of the smaller ones have the 'no dogs' signs up. Taking Ernie to his first Puppy Class tonight so I'll ask the trainer if she knows of any less popular parks. I'd rather NOT Drive for 1/2 hour though - pity the ones all 5-10 minutes away are so crowded. And maybe I should be less grumpy. The thing is, my last AmStaff pup was attacked by another AnStaff puppy (owner; "that's just how they PLAY' said with a giggle) and she turned dog aggressive and I can't go through that again, she was never comfortable on a leash after that, despite loads of training - she never recovered. And that alone may be MY issue - I'm letting past exoerience affect THIS dog. GAH. Should have stuck to raising teenage girls - at least they aren't shy about telling you where you've screwed up.

The off lead area is not fenced and unmarked. You need ESP to know it's there - or study the map. I usually wirk with him on lead, off the footpath to avoid joggers and bikes and other dogs. If we are on the footpath, we are on lead and walking. In either case, with the exception of joggers and cyclists, folks bring their dog to us and want a bit of a natter and to offer advice (or compliments). The dogs are usually small or cattle dogs with no manners at all. Inside the imaginary posted off leash area, it's a free for all, which is why he's on his recall leash. Lots of seniors with advice to give, or blokes with boofy dogs who are getting some recreation before heading off to work. I think I'll just have to work in class and in the back yard and not be so uptight.

I've got something like this - collar and leash have 'training' on them. You are right. People use parks to relax and let their dogs have fun. I'll adjust my emotions accordingly.

Thank you. This IS a normal park - with a very small off leash area. It's one of three I can get to and the owners all seem to be the same. I really do think it's me. I'm too controlling or something. It can't be everyone else. I've met one guy (one!) who asked politely if it was ok for our dogs to meet - and he had a beaut 14 month Dobie girl. Everyone else just seems to assume I want Ernie to meet/wrestle/play with their dog - on or off lead. It's frustrating me, because sometimes I just want him to walk past politely. I think it's just been too long since I had a pup and I've forgotten dog culture. Which is why I asked for polite things to say yo folks who mean well.

I want your dog. :D

So, I take Ernie every morning for a 45-55 minute walk/training session at the local park. It's more of a socialisation/training thing - my kids wear him out on his second walk later in the day. The structure of the walk is: Start off 15 minutes: walk nicely to heel, practice some sits, drops, look at mes, ignore the bike/person/etc 20 minutes - offleash (with a recall leash on tho): sniff around, have some fun, greet other dogs politely (hence the recall leash), stay close, stay until release, look at me - but have fun! 20 minutes: back on short leash, heel, sits, look at me, drops etc. I don't know how to tell people to go away when I am in the midst of training. They walk right up when I am in the midst of a stay or a sit or a drop and SQUUEEEE or let their dog charge into his face, or start conversations about how well behaved he is and how their dog isn't, or how I should relax and let him off leash because he's 'just a puppy and let him have some fun'. Ernie just about yanked my arm out of my socket today, charging up to a dog who was charging at him. My fault, the incoming dog was behind me and i wasn't prepared. The woman today stood there yapping oblivious while her dog displayed very dominate behaviours - charging, head on top of Ernie's back, paw on head etc and even though i was patently trying to get Ernie under control and to focus - she only said 'oh ahahahaha he won't pay attention to a treat if there's a dog to play with'. Um, yeah, I know. Another old fella told me 'to let him be a dog and not worry so much, he will grow out of it. stop trying'. I know he is a puppy but he will be a big strong dog and I need to ensure he grows up politely. When I see another owner attempting to teach their dog some manners, I reel mine in, and get him to practice sits, or drops until the other dog owner is finished or moved on. Am I being unrealistic? I don't want to spend all training time in the back yard, Ernie needs to learn doggie manners, get out an about and see the world, and to focus on me when there are distractions but am I just a raging bitch? If so, I will confine his lessons back to the back yard until he's older. If not, what are some things I can say to gently and politely ask them to move on? Or get their dog under control? No where have I ever read that 'offleash' = 'out of control'. Ernie is really good offleash, sticks close, runs ahead but waits and looks back, races to catch up - but I have worked hard on this, and we aren't nowhere near where we need to be. He will still ignore me if there is another dog or a friendly squeally person within 10 metres. What can I do?

My Gripsoft Rake and Slicker Brush arrived today. Just waiting on my Zoom Groom although I see I mistakenly bought the one for small dogs. Anyone wanna swap? :D

My dogs have all done really well on Canidae Grain Free but I know some dogs don't. Well the Kelpie did best on Supercoat but she turned up her nose at the 'designer' foods. :D

Please stop posting or I may decide I love my dog that much. He's spoiled rotten already and DAMN YOU I CLICKED THE LINKS. :eek: :laugh:

Love Amstaffs, meh about Staffies. Have no idea why as they have the same lovable ugly faces.

I have lovely memories of Corniglia. Met some lovely locals and the town itself is right out of a movie.

Looks like a number of Australian online pet stores sell them.

$39 a box. I DONT love my dog that much. :D

Oh and as a transplanted Canaduan, I'm gonna have to buy the Gummi Justin Beaver toy. I won't care if he rips it to shreds.

GrufLife - thanks for the photos. What the heck is that second thing? :D

Hi - Anyone recommend a range of tougher plush toys suitable for a labrador? I'm racing through reject shop buys -- and Ernie is emphatically NOT interested in the hard Kong or Nylabone type toys. He loves his plush toys. While I am not too fussed about picking up stuffing, it wold be great to have one of his faves last more than 5 minutes. Rope based toys appear to hurt his mouth (big teeth coming in) Does any dog toy manufacturer make soft covered toys for larger dogs? It doesn't have to last forever, just a couple of months. Cheap online store suggestions gratefully received.