sas

distempter?! Goodness! I hope your boy will be ok!

OK - I thought training and exercise was pretty much the same thing. What sort of activities can I do to train them and help get their brains going, to hopefully tire them out? They are fine when we are home, no barking (unless someone knocks at the door) and are quite content. Thanks for your great feedback. Clicker training is great - trick training relaly mentaly stimulates them.

Yes very true SAS but just wanted to offer some hope that it can be done with help! lol and a LOT of work Absolutely!

Oh poo, I'm so sorry! Are you guy on Cortisone? If so can you give a higher but still safe dose on trial days? No, he's been totally weaned off cortisone. He hasn't had, or needed steroids in months. He is on pulse therapy antibiotics (most of his itching now comes directly from his folliculitis) so I have modified the days he gets his pulse so that it coincides better for our trials. I have come to the realisation that Jed will never be itch-free and these things will happen every now and then, and we just have to keep on trucking! Have you tried White Vinegar rinses to help with the Folliculitis? I found it helped us a bit. No? Do you have any information on that, Sas? Just a 50:50 ratio with water in a bottle and then pour over after bath, scrap off excess water and then dry. We haven't had Folliculitis for years thank heavens, however this did help last time we had it. The same ratio in a Spray Bottle too for day to day use. Obviously not to be used on open wounds etc.

Oh poo, I'm so sorry! Are you guy on Cortisone? If so can you give a higher but still safe dose on trial days? No, he's been totally weaned off cortisone. He hasn't had, or needed steroids in months. He is on pulse therapy antibiotics (most of his itching now comes directly from his folliculitis) so I have modified the days he gets his pulse so that it coincides better for our trials. I have come to the realisation that Jed will never be itch-free and these things will happen every now and then, and we just have to keep on trucking! Have you tried White Vinegar rinses to help with the Folliculitis? I found it helped us a bit.

I think my prob is an expectation of a pass and I'll be guttered if I don't get one. I'm sure a few NQ's will help me settle down LOL Because this anxiety isn't going to help the dog! LOL

LOL I'm not a stressy person but now I'm having a little freak! *paper bag* I only do short sessions every 2 days to try not to do his head in, the session might only be 2 minutes or less if he did something great. My Trainer wants me to change my drop training now and I think that is what I'm freaking about as I don't want to change things this close to trial but if it's not working then I should change?

No, sorry I don't know Bob. I personaly don't reccomend Franchises such as Dog Tech or Bark Busters as many of them don't have any qualifications and aren't able to think outside their franchise manuals for training theories. Someone here could probably give you a good reccomendation for a Trainer in QLD though.

Pups can miss their socialisation period and not be mental, I would suggest that this dog prob has more of a genetic fear issue and that they need to work with a Behaviourist or at least get assessed by a Behaviourist so they know what they're working with. Wazzat - I think your situation is a bit different because the pups were actually isolated.

Next one is Sept 5th I think? Afghan Club.

Update: Sit close on recalls are going great now! Thanks to everyone for their help! Each week though he seems to be forgetting how to do something he's always known how to do! Last night whenever I said Drop, he'd sit and then look at me *bangs head* must try not to get frustrated. So close to trial date now and I'm not sure why this is happening, maybe because I'm putting more pressure on him without realising it?

Oh poo, I'm so sorry! Are you guy on Cortisone? If so can you give a higher but still safe dose on trial days?

I get mine from ebay.

If they don't have seperation anxiety I wouldn't worry too much about forcing them outside. I do force mine outside when I'm doing the Housework.

MSM is gentle on the stomach, you can work from lower doses up and watch how they react. The thing with giving MSM is that different doses work for different individuals so you really have to do a bit of trial and error. You'd want to look at at least 99% pure powder/crystal and you mix it in with their food.

I can only think you've misunderstood, Sas. My boy takes the tablets the same way as anyone who puts the tablets down their dog's throat - difference being that I don't have to force, he opens his mouth for me and comes running to me for the purpose. Gotta be better for the relationship than NOT training for it and using force to put the pills there in the first place, particularly if the administration of medication to the dog is long-term and frequent. And even if the latter doesn't compromise the relationship, the former is a darn sight easier all round. Where, in the description of what anyone (myself? Staranais?) has posted here could you possibly get the idea that the dog's relationship with owner is or would be compromised? I wasn't actually addressing it to you, I was responding to the OP. It's my opinion, you don't have to agree with it I think you've interpreted something as if I attacked you. I stated i.m.o in my response. My opinion isn't nececssarily right or wrong - it's an opinion. My opinion was based around meds that don't taste nice such as Anti-biotics and many powder coated tablets. Fish Oils, EPO a different story. I don't force pills down dogs throats and I have a dog I medicate daily. I put pills in food or in the corner of the mouth with a technique that they swallow straight away so there is no forcing. I'm not sure why you chose to give attitude in your last paragraph, it really wasn't neccessary - maybe I didn't valiadate your experience as a trainer, I apologise if that's why you felt attacked however as stated I wasn't replying to you.

I'm not sure why you just don't put the dogs pills down its' throat, loads of pills don't taste nice so expecting the dog to eat something it doesn't like on command isn't doing anything beneficial to your relationship i.m.o.

Our Family dog which was a Lab x was fat and went till 16.

This is the one advertised on one of those cheap websites like Crazy Sales.

Great to hear about the Syd shows! Na, I'm not looking at traveling to Newcastle for a Neuter class, he already has his Aust Ch. - it's reasonable to expect that Sydney should have enough shows with Neuter classes!

A couple of suggestions... 1) Don't leave the radio on if this is the only time it is on, because dogs are smart, they realise the turning on of the radio signifies you leaving. 2) Don't leave heaps of toys out, give the pup 2 or 3 and rotate them everyday otherwise they loose their value. Start implementing NILIF. Dap could help, I personaly found the units heat up alot and I got worried about them.

I think the point is that you bred the dog and so therefore are responsible for it, even if you tried your best not to bred from affected stock, something still happened that was not the owners fault so you should reimburse the owner in my opinion or assist them with vet treatment.

Oh, what's that? A paddle moving backwards? Please stop, my stomach hurts.

I didn't say Daisy is just the cutest! She loves to work for you by the looks of it.