Ben and Jerry

Interesting reads, thanks guys :). I also had a look at Dr Kate's site and have kept it bookmarked as something to look into once we get results back .

My boy is going to the vets tomorrow for a Biopsy so we can get a better idea at what is causing his skin irritations. We thought it may have been an allergy of some kind to start with but after trying a few things my vet thinks it may now be an auto immune disease (I think that's what she said ). I didn't ask much about it at the time but I did a little reading online and some of the symptons I read seemed to match what he is experiencing. He is scratching for a good 20-30seconds every 10-15minutes around his front legs, rubs his mouth along the carpet which has caused it to become bloody and scabbing, over the last week he has lost a little fur around his eyes and has been scratching at his right eye so much he is now getting scabby there as well, he licks his front paws and his belly far more then any dog I've ever met and his belly seems to be quite pink in colour. It was first thought a toy could be causing the issues since the only area at the time causing him problems was around the mouth. He was then put on some medication to help prevent further infection and relieve the itching, this worked and he returned to normal for awhile. Then the mouth issues came back but this time there was also body scratching and body licking, at this stage it was thought to be an allergy of some kind. We tried change in diets from Holostic Select to Vets all Natural with roo mince, and went back on the meds to help with infections again. Again this helped but then it came back a month or two later so we went on the Hills perscription, ZD Ultra, we stayed on this diet for about two months with nothing else and found it to do absolutly nothing for him. We then yet again returned to the vets on Saturday and she reccomended doing a Biopsy to give us a better idea of what we are dealing with so we can try more specific treatments. I guess once the vet has a look at the biopsy results and it rules out possible autto immune disease we will start to look into the environment and see if anything there is casuing him issues. This is his belly. http://imgur.com/SWnjE,zdxEU And this is his face, well the worst side of his face apart from his mouth. http://imgur.com/SWnjE,zdxEU#1 This was his mouth a couple months ago, but it's pretty much how it looks now. http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x139/Clevland_2007/11122011182.jpg Here's hoping the Biopsy can bring back some kind of results so we can start working on getting him better as at the moment I can't stand seeing him this uncomfortable . I realised photos didn't come out to clear as they were taken with an ipod .

I have a 60cm WeatherBeeta.

I'm not an expert by any means but I went through a similar thing with my guy when I was trying to reteach him drops during a heel to straighten up his positioning. I found as soon as I treated him for being straight he got straight up. When he kept doing this I tried clicking when he dropped and holding the treat infront of him for a few moments before he got it. We're still working on positioning but he is now staying stable with his done so we're half way there :p.

Sounds like what the behaviourist I saw told me except I had the added let my dog reach the end of his lead then yank him back. I was told he has fear aggression without the behaviourist even seeing how he interacted with other dogs (is that even possible to say just from talking with the dog ). I reakon I paid my money just to hear about wild dogs and how there packs work, and was then given a training plan that really seemed to do nothing even when I did what I was told.

When growing up I never liked the idea of owning a male as I assumed all males would mark there territory around the house. These days now that I've learnt a little something I'm not really fussed as to what gender I own.

Hey guys couple quick things. Firstly, I've got some items I'm giving away if anyone has a use for anything and can pick up from the Tuggeranong area PM me or reply here. Items. Secondly, Abit short notice but we are having a BBQ at work on the 19th and 20th of this month. We normally have a group come out each year for this event to raise money but they are unable to attend this year. Can't go into to much details on here about the weekend but basically were just some people from another group who can host the BBQ for most of the day Saturday and Sunday, usually it's a gold coin donation for a sausage and the rescue group can set up out front of the shop showing dogs/cats they have up for adoption, let people know about adoption and better yet make some money for your rescue group. Sausages and bread have been provided by us in the past aswell as a BBQ and gas bottle. If any rescue group might be able to help with this PM me tonight or before 8am tomorrow morning so I can speak with my manager tomorrow and let her make the final call and she can get in contact. Thanks :) ETA; Everything is all sorted :).

Red/Tan kelpie and a full red Kelpie. I know colors aren't to be all of dogs but I have a real soft spot for them. I know I'll own at least one more Kelpie in the future :). Both my neighbors own borders so I've taken a liking to them as well.

Poor little pup, can't imagine how much pain 2.2kg worth of spines would cause.

I was scrolling through the channels and saw him on the screen and started watching the show. I know it's only a tv show but I hope it doesnt give the wrong message to viewers. The dog was adopted and given as a birthday present and the reciever didn't seem a dog person and stated they werent even a pet person so they got reassurred that it's okay all dogs are a breeze to care for. Back OT, he is a gorgeous little pup though :).

Every site I've looked at seems to list 12cm, it mentions 12cm as being the width so perhaps thats for the padded sides .

What about a small portable heater set on a timer to come on midnight to early morningish just to take the chill out of the air?

The donut shape ones aren't overly big, more suited for smaller dogs. Some people have bought the heated mats and cut the bed to a smaller size to fit into a kennel or basket shaped bed.

Tail Waggers Is a new range of heating beds we stock at work aswell. No personal experience with them myself but they are selling quite well and no one has tried to return one or called to make a complaint so they might be worth a look at too :).

I can't speak for other stores but if you have a local Petbarn store they sell them around $79.

Our next attempt will be at CDC next month Aslong as I get my forms off in the next few days :).

Aww Ava looked to be doing so well during the parts I managed too see with my inexperienced eyes :p. Wish I could of stayed to watch some Rally O, if only I hadn't made other plans that day . Good stuff on the Rally results though .

Have you previously rented? If you have you could also use them as a reference. They would also give the new owners a good idea of how you maintained the property, even if there wasn't a pet at the time.

Where I work, it's not a common question people ask. Those that have are normally rescuers or multi dog house holds. If the breeder recommended Advocate you can still use it, just use to correct weight range. Another fairly popular one is Interceptor, that covers your intestinal and heartworm, Sentinal does the same except also covers fleas. If you just want to cover your intestinal worms for now you can use something such as Drontal or Endogard.

If that is something you wish to do your vet the breeder would be the best person to ask about dosage advice. Would it really work out more economical when using for just one dog? I'd be curious as to how you would store the rest of the pipette until next application. Wether or not the product will diminish over time sitting in the pipette, would it dry out, or if just placing tape over the opening would be enough to keep it all good until next use.

I would personally let the owners know your intentions of one day wanting to add a dog to your family. Let them know how you plan to deal with toilet training, what's the dog going to be doing whilst no one is home. If I were a property owner I would feel at ease knowing someone has plans in place to prevent yard/house damage. Wouldn't someone from your work place be a better reference then the breeder, someone from work I would assume knows you a lot better then the breeder does. They can vouch for what kind of person you are, i'm sure a breeder could do this to some extent aswell I guess it depends how well you know the breeder. Hopefully this makes some kind of sense. I can't be as helpful as others can as I'm currently still at home :p.

I use a Blackdog treat bag. When I first started training I used a Drizabone but found the pocket to sit to tightly against my waist and I couldn't get a treat out in time. I attempted using pockets for everything but having quite a slim waist I had trouble keeping my pants up :p. Who would of thought, phone, keys, treats, poo bags and occassionally a wallet could weigh so much. I find the Blackdog does the job for me, the springs allow me to keep the bag open for easy and fast treat access and they close in a second when I do a faster pace (I tend to walk a bit fast so my fast pace can quite often be a slow jog and a slow jog with a slightly lose fitting pouch can lead to treats all in the grass :p).

Wow thats amazing. There's a very very long term goal I could aim for with my dog :p. It would only be single rope of course :D.

My dog damaged one of his nails a couple of weeks ago. When I took him to the vet they pulled the hanging nail out and gave us some meds to help avoid infection. The nail is currently growing back.

Yay glad to hear he is home safe and sound .