Salukifan

What breed is the puppy? My first suggestion would be that you agree on an independent third vet to assess the pup. If the pup is in the ACT, Dr Sandra Hassett would be my recommendation if she hasn't already seen it.

What issues is your friend looking to address with her dog? The odds of finding a boarding trainer who'll use purely positive methods to get results in a week, I would rate as zero and none. Clicker training isn't really a training "method" IMO - just reward based training with use of a non-verbal reinforcer. I found novice owners struggled to handle clicker, dog and treats.

Like any dog pursuit there are politics. Put 3 dog people in a room, get 5 opinions, and all that. Someone in show world said to me a while back that each relationship you have in dog world is your own, not someone else's. So whether they are friend or foe when it comes to each other shouldn't matter, particularly if you are careful to keep it professional. I think the politics would drop back a lot if everyone just concentrated on making what is close to their heart work in their corner of the world and stopped worrying about what others were doing. Amen to that. It's not Highlander ("there can be only ONE") and people who seem to think there is only enough room for one "right" way to do things have limited vision. If you don't like what a group is doing, do your own thing - there's room. Just don't get into "us and them" turf wars that profit no one and confuse the hell out of a lot of dog owners. Just recognise and respect that different people have different goals with their dogs and different motivations and move on. Even the idea of a "fastest" dog has a range of possible outcomes. My Whippets would probably do very well over 100m. Over longer distances, they'd be overtaken by the big sight hounds fast enough!!

It is also (from the one person I know who had it done on their dog) incredibly painful for the dog.

No but the first thing I'd suggest is that you get the dog to a decent canine chiropractor and have his/her hips checked before contemplating this move. You can also learn to express the sacs yourself. It's usually not that difficult.

I hope they also mentioned the increased risk of spey incontinence but I doubt it.

I havent' heard a whisper about this for NSW/ACT. Over that distance, I'd expect the Whippets to do well. The bigger sighthounds would probably run them down at about the 300m mark.

What is your vet's advice? What diet is he on and is anyone other than you feeding him anything?

Not so. You do not require a breeder's permit to keep an dog aged over six months undesexed. What you require is a permit to keep a sexually entire dog. They are not one and the same. The registrar must issue a permit for a breeding dog, a show dog, a racing greyhound or if it would be detrimental to the health of the dog to desex it but they may issue one for other reasons. You also require a keeper's license to keep more than three dogs, entire or not. Breeder licensing is in the next legislation changes to be introduced.

Theft? Perfectly normal canine behaviour. :) Your job is to prevent it happening or smack yourself in the head if you fail. Seeking the most comfortable spot to sleep? Are you sure she's not a Whippet? :laugh: I prefer to call a dog from where I dont' want it and reward it than tip it off. That way they learn that compliance brings benefit. What papers do you need to start obedience training? Vaccination papers?

Pretty soft target for the RSPCA here. Where are the greyhound trainers with kennels and the private slipping/training tracks in the ACT??? *insert cricket sounds here* About as meaningful as banning puppy farming in the ACT but certain death to more greyhounds. What a win for animals. New RSPCA CEO has virtually no animal background and it shows. Its all about the PR mileage. They put their hand out for government funding pretty damn readily.

My guess is that a lot of that wouild be costs.

Get a CCrates Securapen. Lighter than a big metal crate but still very secure. :)

Can I just say that you're doing an awesome job with this girl and deserve to be commended for taking on a less than easy dog and sticking with her. To say that I am disappointed with the "rescue" that rehomed her to you is an understatement. She was clearly offloaded before they knew much about her, put down as another dog not killed and therefore a "rescue success" and that was it. Good on you for doing the hard yards with her. I hope you continue to see improvement in her. She certainly lucked in finding her home with you.

Thanks Haredown. There is rarely bile in his throw ups and I can tell you I am kicking myself from here to there for not realising the affects of a late night meal. I am really going to try harder to give him the small meals more often. I know now that when he did eat with any show of enthusiasm, I would get carried away. Having battled though with two aging dogs with flagging appetites, believe me when I say I feel your pain. Perhaps try the more easily digested foods like meat or canned last thing at night? I swear Big Ted survived his last months only due to the attractions of My Dog Puppy

I suggest feeding in a crate and clamping the bowl to the side of the crate.

This was why I asked about liver function. Some dogs, it seems, don't deal well carrying a largish meal overnight - they throw up the next morning before they get more food. It relates to how much bile the liver is producing. I was going to suggest feeding earlier/more often to see if it helped. I don't know how many times a day he is fed but suggest moving the more substantial meals to earlier in the day if he will accept them.

How is his bloodwork for liver function?

I strongly recommend you enrol in, and keep attending obedience classes until he's at least a year old. That gets you through the most challenging period - adolesence. This is a breed that needs a job. Either you give him one to occupy his mind or he'll find one for himself - and a bored Labrador is the fastest method of garden rennovation/irrigation system removal I've ever seen!

My thoughts also. If you don't want the pup toileting on your deck then keep him off it. I'd expect the deck to take a hit from chewing too. If you have padlocked gates then its time to relax, enjoy him and stop worrying about theft. While we hear a lot about thefts, most don't pan out. ETA: Owner behaviour tends to be a significant component of separation anxiety. Start as you mean to continue. I favour a return home in the middle of the day to feed baby puppies but if he gets plenty of attention before and after work he should be fine. You need to treat coming and going as simply part of his life.

Deals Direct often have crates at great prices.

I always have BWs in the car and in my show bag. They seem to get the pee off without leaving any stain too. :)

Baby wipes are wonderful things. Check legs and belly and wipe off any pee!

Have you actually seen one in the flesh? The flap looks almost material like? The security barrier for lock it, does it just click into place? That is what the Dogmate one is like and Nova pulls it off and opens the door I will tell you in a week. The flap is PVC.

My only advice would be to make the training an ongoing thing from here on in. Bonds with people require constant reinforcement. You have a young pup (short attention span) who will hit the terrible teens shortly. Obedience training in group classes can only reinforce the idea that the presence of other dogs doesn't mean all attention on you ceases.