dogmatic

Thanks everyone. I plan on keeping her for at least another five years. :) Looking for long-term solutions. I think that some consistency in the diet she has had all her life would be beneficial. I'm not ready to switch brands entirely, but will have a look around for the suggestions and maybe add them gradually. I saw that harder chicken bones were causing her problems at times, so reduced the quantity to smaller softer bones like wing-tips, etc Even though the pumpkin soften the stools, I detected that there might be a slight muscular (reflex?) problem. Very slight. The last GSD I had at this age was incontinent, so I'm in uncharted territory now. Her walking improved and we missed seeing the vet the other day.

mixeduppup, Having a bit of a scratch and a sniff are we?

on the other hand, if i was deliberately putting myself in harm's way for the benefit of the community, i'd like to be able to look at my dog as a loaded gun, and i was taught to treat every gun as if it was loaded. at the same time, i'd hope that any handler of such a weapon was very well trained and cool-headed. i don't know how much onus should be placed on a dog to discern by itself. some, i assume. i admit to knowing very little of pp dogs. Enough discernment that you aren't going to be hit on the back of the head while your not looking 'cos you didn't give a command, and kids are given a "puppy license". At least here. Enough discernment that my dog trusts me to handle most things myself, and only acts when I can't/don't, and only while there is an active threat.Not just a bunch of people goofing around. Using a gun comparison, yes you would hope the handler is well trained and cool headed.In that case, he doesn't carry his gun around half cocked. Sorry for the tedious distraction. SMH. Be good for someone to actually start a topic on PP, and try to hold it on course. :) moosmum, Thanks for the reply. I understand what you say, but didn't understand what was meant by "puppy license". Kids?

And? I can't think of anything further. If you have something to add to the topic - by all means - go ahead. :)

I was just going through my post history as suggested by the "guru". Sounds very good. How often did you need to command them not to bite people? And how often did you let them go ahead and bite people?

It's OK. I understand. Your dogs have no command to bite people, but they will bite people if you're not there to tell them "leave" and you believe this has made them a lot safer and not a liability and everyone else agrees. No I did not say they would bite unless I was there, They are a guardian breed, they were taught to leave it. Do you think I should have taught them no cmmands to leave it? Would that have made them safer in your eyes? If someone came into my property and got bitten that would be their fault. My dogs were well socialised to all sorts of people in an effort to try and instill which people were nice so that they would not try and bite those. Should someone coming flying over my fence and get bitten by the dog, well tough. Nice people generally walk through open doors not jump fences or climb through forced or broken windows or doors. I cannot say what my dogs would do exactly when I wasn't there as well I wasn't there! They may do nothing for all I knew. Why try and make something of nothing? Are you trying to have a go becasue you think I ma against PP training? As i am not I have no experience, never trained it adn would think it irresponsible to trya nd have a go Why try and make something of nothing? I saw your statements appear three times - once by you then repeated twice by others. That's all. :)

It's OK. I understand. Your dogs have no command to bite people, but they will bite people if you're not there to tell them "leave" and you believe this has made them a lot safer and not a liability and everyone else agrees.

Sounds very good. How often did you need to command them not to bite people? And how often did you let them go ahead and bite people? They were never commanded to bite anyone, they were given a command to guard which meant put your hackles up and growl. If off lead to run the perimeter of their area whilst having hackles up and voicing off. The leave it stopped two people being bitten - or I believed had they continued to do what they were, and the dog not told to leave them then they would have been bitten. Leave was taught in a general term, ie leave it - do not go near whatever it was they were interested in, snake, rabbit, sheep, person dog etc. The leave it stopped quite a few annoying dogs being bitten as even though they were in her face and she had gone to bite she listening and didn't. Still voiced her displeasure but enable me to get her back and the otehr dog not get bitten. Generally I stayed out of circumstances that would have potentially required my dog to bite. With the WHippets I have got buckly's of them getting off the lounge. OK. I'm not so impressed now. You didn't say how often you've let them go ahead and bite people.

Sounds very good. How often did you need to command them not to bite people? And how often did you let them go ahead and bite people?

i had friend who had to re-locate a possum. they're a protected species. put an ad in the paper; 'wanted, one possum.' :D i don't know how the professionals do it. they must have some stimulus. a recording of a cat, maybe.

look, i totally agree. as long as your point of view is not the same as the op, everything's fine and dandy. :p i think i see the op's point of view. i've been mugged a few times. my gsd has been ineffectual as deterrent and as defender. disappointed, but, in hindsight, probably the better outcome. i'm the pack leader and i was bloody ineffectual too, and my training emphasis has been at the opposite end of the spectrum. what should i expect. on the other hand, if i was deliberately putting myself in harm's way for the benefit of the community, i'd like to be able to look at my dog as a loaded gun, and i was taught to treat every gun as if it was loaded. at the same time, i'd hope that any handler of such a weapon was very well trained and cool-headed. i don't know how much onus should be placed on a dog to discern by itself. some, i assume. i admit to knowing very little of pp dogs. as an aside, the only time i've had problems with my gsd biting me or other family members is when they try to grab us by the arms and drag us out of the surf - they think it's far too dangerous for us. probly right. :)

that makes two of us. same reasons. i was a bit confused about that video. 'this is normal' meaning 'the kind of behaviour seen at dog parks a lot'... or 'normal behaviour'. i think the article is guilty of over-analysis, especially since the author admits 'I don’t go to these parks with my own dogs. I forget what goes on in places like this.' maybe she should get out a bit more.

'If anyone feels a need to question the validity of a thread in this forum, please hit the 'Report Post' button to let us decide. It is not your job to be the forum/rescue police (at least not here).' http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/14291-guidelines-for-posting-in-the-rescue-forum/ Haredown Whippets tsk tsk i agree with the observations in alpha bet's post

thanks for the footage. certainly raises a few questions about the dog's involvement. plan 1, 'a bit of a spray', might have been more appropriate.

:laugh: she looks healthy enough. you've got the wrong bones tho.

Thanks. Please keep us informed if any more news comes to hand. By the sounds of it, a very brave dog and handler.

Amazing how the story can be approached from totally different angles: Police jump into surf to make dramatic arrest of man at Schoolies week beach Queensland police dog bites officer in surf Seems there was quite a struggle to arrest the man.

Quite a few years ago, I read a book by the Monks of New Skete Monastery. If you think Barbara Woodhouse is controversial, have a read about the "Alpha Wolf Roll" popularised by the Monks. Their earlier books were mainly geared toward GSDs. I haven't read their latest, but see that there are plenty of reviews and good ratings at the online book stores. They've removed the "Alpha Roll" and, from what I can see, the book seems to be fairly general even though it still uses GSDs as the reference point. "The Art of Raising a Puppy" has a preview.

Thanks for the update. A big test, further on down the track, will be the dog-park - if you're that way inclined. I have seen three different Mini Dachshunds in our well-populated dog parks. One was very bold and often on a leash when entering the park - usually the tricky time. It's owner would scoop it up if there was any threat and taken away to play with other smaller dogs. Another was similarly bold, and its owner would sometimes turn away as if to think, "I can't bear to watch!" It also got along fine, and held its own despite some massive size differentials. The third was very young and was desperate to be picked up, and shivering with fear. Only saw that one once, which was probably a good thing.

pepe001, Thanks. They sound great. I like the idea of the second one. A fist to get the dog's attention, then "WOOF!"

Tried a lot of things, including scented powders, with a dog who seemed naturally stinky - GSD with a fine dense plush undercoat that sheds almost all year round. SMH. She would smell OK for the first day, then worse. Poor thing shunned by the relatives at X-mas time. Found an excellent and convenient rake that's suitable for a good daily groom. No more washing and no more stinky! The younger one has a slightly coarser coat and much less of it. Never washed in her life and only a very light groom every day. One time, treated with a good rub down with Pure Lavender Oil when she caught mange. Smelled amazing for an hour or so. She swims in the dams and creeks, which at the moment are getting quite slimy. She always smells like a dog - absolutely beautiful!

I've often wondered what hand-signal the nightwatchman used. He certainly made no sound before his dog scared the daylights out of us. Is there a standard signal? That would be really cool.

When I was younger, late one night, a friend and I were having a leak in some bushes behind a business-house. Suddenly, in the silence, there was an enormous "WOOF!" less than a metre away, and we turned around startled, desperately trying to do up our flies. It was the nightwatchman with an enormous grin, and his dog. I thought "Wow! I want a dog that can do that." When my older dog was a puppy, we lived in a house with a possum up the tree directly outside the back door, about six or seven meters away. At an early age, she had learned the command, "Enough!" to stop barking and settle down, although the possum still bothered her and she would get agitated and bark every time we'd open the backdoor. She'd still be restrained by the fly-screen door. I knew when she was about to bark, and started to use the command "Speak!" the moment before she would bark, then "Enough!" Sometimes I'd walk away from the backdoor, and she quickly learned to associate the command "Speak!" with a bark at the backdoor. I tried it in other situations, and found that there needed to be some sort of stimulus that she would naturally bark at, otherwise she would turn and bark at me. :) Unfortunately, there were never many situations where I found it safe to encourage her to bark. More the opposite where I would discourage her from barking. We never really perfected the speak command, and, on the command "Speak!" without something real to bark at, she invariably turns to me with an excited but slightly muffled "Woof!" She will let fly if I say "Speak!" and there is really something there. What have I done wrong? :)

Return to handler of their own accord should always be a pleasant experience for the dog regardless of what the dog did previously as they live in the moment. Punishment applied is at the wrong end, if they are going to apply punishment is when the dog attempts to bolt with a leash correction then reward for not bolting. A dog is not willingly going to recall to face a good thumping although plenty do it, it's a stupid practice for attempt at training recall. Thanks for getting this topic back on track. IMHO, you have stated what all dog-owners ought to know.

Thank goodness! So they're guaranteed not to break down within a week. I'll take two in any condition as long as it's safe to tow them along behind the ute. Blue is so passe. Haven't you heard - green is the new blue!