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Go see your Vet and if you can't get it cleared up get a referral to a Dermatologist. The earlier you deal with it the better.

Put the fly screen fabric on the other side?

I'd take longer than the weekend, mostly because I live in surburia and noise from my dog pen can be heard by the neighbours so if I just chucked a pup in the day pen and went off to work at 5:30am then I know that puppy would make a bunch of noise that my neighbours would not appreciate.

Sure, I already do this for Great Dane Rescue NSW, it's interesting to say the least.

I know a brilliant obedience Kelpie called Trip-pod.....he has 3 legs....how each dog handles it is such an individual thing. I'd whack the leg off but be prepared to PTS if that doesn't go well.

Pacing is a gait which is most comfortable for a dog longer distance, some lazy dogs pace short distance. If a Dog is pacing it would be a good idea to have it to the Chiro/Muscle Man to see if there is a reason for it. My Dane started pacing a short time before we found out he had Osteoarthritis.

They can be good to give the owner a jump start but the owner has to be committed to changing their behaviour otherwise the dog will revert. Also you need to be very well aware of training methods used. There is one here in Sydney that is known for very harsh treatment of dogs and they also do not let you go and look at the facility or a training session before hand - those kinds of things should be red flags.

1. Exercise the dog before hand. 2. Be calm no matter what happens, you don't need to say anything, sometimes not saying anything is better. 3. Consider Clicker Training the dog to accept handling with the Gotcha game: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=6jaxuTuH2ow 4. Consider Clicker Training the dog to accept nail clipping http://www.youtube.c...h?v=LHgBvnQ71ss 5. Consider densenitising the dog to a Dremmel, many seem to like it much better than having their nails clipped. http://homepages.uda...mel/dremel.html

It's never a 'Brand' that is a problem. You have to know what ratios are suitable for your puppy and Breeders should be giving this information to their puppy buyers. For instance here's diet information including Phos/Calc ratios which are one of the most important aspects of a Great Dane diet in terms of avoiding growth problems: http://www.greatdane...com.au/diet.pdf I would suggest you go back to your Breeder or go into your Breed thread here on DOL and speak to those who are very experienced raising puppies of your breed. Your breed thread is here: http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/104098-rhodesian-ridgeback-thread/page__st__2055

I think it's important to realise that just because a puppy can go on and on doesn't mean we should let them, so often their bodies aren't ready for that, they're growing.

Do you? Because the ones I've heard of have been unsuccessful because quite simply the person has paid money for the dog and therefore they own the dog.

You own her, you can do as you wish with her, the contract cannot be enforced. Hopefully you'll rehome the dog desexed to the very best of homes if you're not going to return her to the breeder.

Age old debate huh.

For me personaly, I would Decide on a method and sick to it ie. Method 1: Re-direct the dog (i.e. gruffly push the dog in the other direction or away) 3 times, on the 4th time, take the dog firmly but not harshly by the collar and put them in a boring room for a time out for a very short time i.e. 30 seconds, open the door and ignore the dog for 5 minutes, if they start again repeat repeat repeat. When taking the dog away you don't look at them, speak to them or anything, just very calmly remove them from the current environment. Method 2: Do not react at all, don't look at the dog, don't say anything, just stand there like a tree. Method 3: Verbal / Physical correction - you don't seem to be having any luck with this so I wouldn't keep persisting. All else fails have a session with a Behaviourist to help you through it. The NILIF program should be implemented immediately. Bribing isn't suitable, it's not teaching the dog anything. If she spazzes out, take her by the collar and hold the collar against you body, not saying anything and wait the dog out....i.e. wait for the dog to settle and then continue and repeat repeat repeat, the dog learns that life continues. If you want to use food and grooming you can hold the food in your right hand and let the dog nibble on it and brush the dog with your left hand....conditioning the dog to like grooming because it's getting something pleasant.

Young dog was probably being taught the ropes by the older one. Given we don't know the owner or the dogs we can't really comment on them, for all we know the older dog has never put a foot wrong in its' life and is a good teacher for the pup.....would we have that arrangement with ours dogs....maybe not.

The company I work with deals with childrens charities, their policy is to show 'happy' pictures....this is where your money goes and what the end result is. I can tell you I haven't watched any of the recent cow export videos because I don't need to see it to understand it. People don't need to be shocked by images to act.

So sorry Horus, another Angel you know...

My partner made our Great Dane doggy door (not for security obviously....a person could get through it but as you know whenyou have big dogs security isn't really a problem LOL). It is perspex with hinges and holds up well. It took a while to teach the old girl how to use it, but the younger ones just bash it open. The sticker you see on it was to teach the puppy to target it to open the door.

If you're on Cortisone now you can't have the Intra Dermal testing for I think a month,

I hear you, I have one of those dogs too, luckily Cortisone keeps him managable.

thank you what food was that? do you know the name? I can't remember sorry but it was by Royal Canin, perhaps give them a buzz?

Best to get a referral from your Vet to a Dermatologist. If your dog has allergic skin disease there isn't a cure, you can only manage it. Some dogs so bad have no choice but to live on Cortisone, others less extreme have been able to manage their dogs in other ways - each dog is individual so what works for one won't for another. With all due respect this isn't about what you like, you can bet your bottom dollar people who have their dogs on cortisone and denstising injections wish they didn't have to but it's abotu quality of life and it's cruel to not give a dog treatment because you don't personaly like it....fair enough if you can manage it another way however considering you have a Labrador who seems to be an affected breed and you have been battling this for years it looks like you're just going to keep getting worse because that's what happens with allergic dogs unless you find something that gives quality of life to your dog. If you don't like Cortisone you can try Atopica, it has side effects still and is bloody expensive but you may like it better than Cortisone. You may like to use Hydro Theraphy which is a fancy way of say rinse your dog down even every day if that is what helps your dog, use items like QV Bath oil to create a barrier. You really need to do allergy testing to see what you're dealing with and how to help it. You also need to do a food elimination diet (probably first) to rule out food issues.

I had my allergic dog on a Royal Canin Veggie Protein diet a few years back.

Not I. I personaly don't follow the over emotional statement people plow out about dogs being for life....sometimes things don't work out. I think this lady should be supported in making this decision that is in the dogs best interest.

I'm not sure you can be on the fence, all animals (we already know in humans) can be born with mental instability.