dogmatic

Are you serious? I've a mind to report you all to the NRMA!

I'd look for books that are specific to the breed. It's hard to know what's on the shelves of booksellers these days - I have a "for Dummies" book which is not too bad, but prefer a few of the older books from the 1950s and 60s. They are very good on basic care in the days when you couldn't run off to the vet at the drop of a hanky. You just need to be aware that some of the old remedies are no longer recommended. They're also very good at the basics of training if your not looking for anything too fancy. Local libraries usually have a good selection of books on dogs. Online auction sites and book-sellers have a good selection of second-hand and collectable-type books. I don't know any general dog books.

If the vet pulls out that glove that goes up to his armpit, I'm running! LOL JRG, I'm sure a sprinkle of bran wouldn't hurt. Don't know why I didn't think of that? We use it. Thanks.

The other night I forgot the pumpkin, and it was back to same old struggle. From what I have observed, the small proportion of pumpkin softens the stools and gives a bit of colour. :) I have also been feeding the same dish to the younger one, but didn't notice much difference. She is still getting lots of meaty bones though. Yesterday, the older one was lagging behind for the entire walk - first time in her life. Ordinarily, I'd think it was the heat which she doesn't tolerate, but I felt it was something more. So, it's off to the vet for a checkup in a day or two. Still worried about that "bit of a probe" though. :laugh:

Every dog I've owned has developed a quirk or "phobia" at some stage, usually when young. An enduring memory of our first GSD is her irrational response to a squeaky floor-board (and the stupid encouragement of this behaviour from us kids, I'm rather ashamed to say). More recently, on night walks, my younger one would go nuts at a piece of rubbish that had blown into someone's yard and wasn't there the night before. She'd be spooked at meter boxes, garden gnomes, shapes behind trees, everything! Her reaction would sometimes have me ducking for cover - "What is it!?" My older one had a phobia after my MIL moved a small figurine in the garden. Remembering the behaviour of our first GSD and her eventual fate, I approach these phobias with caution - certainly no encouragement of an irrational response. More like leadership. I go up to the meter box and put my foot on it and urge her to have the same approach "It's OK. Nothing to be afraid of", etc. Hope I'm not sounding like a BYB, but that's what I do.

Oh! Dear! What can I say? Thanks for the intelligent response? I'm not looking for advice, but I can understand how easy it is for everyone to give it. My comment there was actually tongue-in-cheek, in case you didn't notice. And thank you, we're doing fine, without interference from Back-Yard-Behaviourists.

I thought of another highly reactive dog that I knew. She was a GSD who suffered terribly from Elbow Dysplasia - severe pain followed by a costly surgery. I met her when she was about two-and-a-half to three years old. I spoke to her owner at about twenty paces. The dog was firmly restrained and the owner told me to come no closer. The dog's surgery had been successful, but not long afterward the owner had her euthanaised (I'm not exactly sure of the reason). BlackJaq, I'm not sure you understand the problem, which is understandable if you've never had a highly reactive dog. From the age of four months - from the moment she could step outside the yard - you could crack a whip over her head (not that I ever did), but nothing would deter her from her destructive intent. It was shocking. If you are looking for causation as to why she would ignore me, you need to look a lot lot deeper.

Yeah. I'm no behaviourist either. :) I only know one highly reactive dog and she's mine. I've heard of, and seen one other who is constantly on the leash where we walk. In both cases, distance matters not. In my case, she would run a hundred metres or more to attack another dog or farm animal. The story I'm told about the other dog is that she/he slipped her lead and ran hundreds of meters through a forest to attack another dog which she/he seriously injured. I'd be interested to hear of your experience, raineth. Sounds like you have a different type of "reactivity" to deal with.

:) There was no way I was going to drag her straight back out of the dog park with those m@ngrels snapping at our heals. I simply let her off. I wasn't teaching her anything, she wasn't rewarded or praised, but she definitely had an air of confidence when she went off to play with her friends. That was the last time those dogs ever went back to that dog-park. I think the handler was disappointed that his dogs turned out to be chickens. :) As explained, she had been confronted by that same pack when she was four or five months old - within a metre, snapping and snarling with heads down low, stirring up the dust. Sometime later, I asked who owned the pack of dogs and a man stepped forward claiming to be an "animal behaviourist" from the university, defending the behaviour of his dogs with idiotic phrases that I couldn't repeat. (He's possibly a regular contributor to this forum.) Fortunately they disappeared from our dog park for a year or so. We persisted though, and we were there at the dog-park, every day - rain, hail or shine, and, as I said, she made friends with other puppies and dogs - most of the regulars in fact. However, she would react to any new-comers, so I was always watching the gates. The regulars knew us well. We miss them. Unfortunately there were one or two people who had no idea what I was attempting to achieve, and it was often a case of one step forward, two steps back. The final achievement was my dog skittling that pack of m@ngrels. It wasn't aggressive and it certainly wasn't out of fear. It was very satisfying, and she is all the better for it. Now come on "behaviourists"... any other advice?

I'd suggest you have another look at a pure-bred Lab. They're a type of dog you know well, and sound ideal for your situation. A pure-bred might be different enough that it doesn't always remind you of the dearly departed, and it will be a puppy, which is different in itself, for a long while. You might even find yourself saying "Wow! She's just like Missy!"

Thanks for the heads-up! Just to be clear, the "rush at, chase or attack any person or animal except vermin" reference is in the Offences and Penalties section. It describes an offence. It doesn't relate to the categories of "dangerous, menacing or restricted dogs" except to say that the penalties are higher in those cases. For the new "menacing dog" category, the key term is "unreasonable aggression" which is not defined. The test for "unreasonable aggression" is: See 9.4.2 of GUIDELINE ON THE EXERCISE OF FUNCTIONS UNDER THE COMPANION ANIMALS ACT Now! What's an "ordinary dog" again? :)

"I spent a huge amount of time and effort on my Weimaraner" That is why I would not recommend it for rural life in Australia. Just being a realist. :) A Weimaraner has barely any coat to protect itself from the environment. From appearances it's just not hardy enough for the Australian bush.

I recommended against a Weimaraner too. My recommendation was based purely on the physical characteristics of the dog. I would not recommend it for rural life in Australia at all.

LOL. Spoken like a real bushie. Spoken like a realist you mean. Yes. That too, I'm sure. :)

LOL. Spoken like a real bushie.

And many owners routinely check their dogs and don't run them too hard. mixeduppup, You can advocate running dogs alongside vehicles all you like. It won't alter my opposition to it. I find it hard to believe that you are actually giving advice about how to run dogs alongside vehicles. "routinely check"? "don't run them too hard"? What exactly does that mean?

I think the OP has rejected the idea of fencing: BlackJaq, How many Weimaraners have you actually owned? No offence, but your generalisations seemed to be based on your knowledge of just one dog. Off-topic again, my concern about running dogs alongside vehicles does not only relate to the risks of them getting run over. I've seen a dog desperately trying to keep up with its owner. When I was close enough, I could see one of its pads was raw and bleeding, unknown to the owner. Many dogs will just keep going and going regardless of injury.

Farm-life can be dangerous full-stop. I mentioned dogs on quads - but it's not much safer really. I've never heard of a dog being run over by a horse though. I've been run over a few times but managed to get up with a just a few bruises and scratches, so I suppose it can happen to a dog. I only know one Weimaraner, and was saying that their shortcomings can be managed with devotion from the owners. I have heard and read a bit about them, and really can't see their reported down-side in the one dog I know. She's still young though. I'll pass on the warnings to the owners when next I see them.

::thumbsdown:: Now that's a pet hate of mine! I'm sure you wouldn't give it several hours alongside the ute...? I agree that a Weimaraner may not be suitable in the OP's situation. However, one of my reactive dog's best friends at the dog-park was a beautiful pure-bred Weimaraner - in fact, the Weimaraner was a friend to all, dogs and people alike. It's owners were prepared to give up a lot of time to it. Still, the unfenced yard is the main concern. Maybe that's why the OP has gone silent. You obviously don't understand farm life. Many dogs living on large farmland properties spend most of the day following their owners on utes, horses or bikes. Some ride, some prefer to run. I know a kelpie cross that does that every day and he's a very happy, healthy and fit dog. Still gets a thumbsdown from me unless it's specifically stated that the dog is away from the vehicle and working. Running alongside a vehicle is dangerous in many respects. These days, most farmers I know have quads, and most working dogs I know are trained to ride on the quad which they seem to prefer. I have heard of some terrible accidents between working dogs and farm vehicles. EDIT: As an example - see above.

::thumbsdown:: Now that's a pet hate of mine! I'm sure you wouldn't give it several hours alongside the ute...? I agree that a Weimaraner may not be suitable in the OP's situation. However, one of my reactive dog's best friends at the dog-park was a beautiful pure-bred Weimaraner - in fact, the Weimaraner was a friend to all, dogs and people alike. It's owners were prepared to give up a lot of time to it. Still, the unfenced yard is the main concern. Maybe that's why the OP has gone silent.

Of course, you can't kick a dog with parents who both had amazing tempraments and expect it to never react. Makes perfect sense to me that external stimulus plays a huge part in mental development, the same way it can physically affect development too. But why though? Surely this wasn't enjoyable for either of you, nor anyone else at the park? And I have to disagree with this too, sadly. Confidence building is not allowing your dog to skittle other dogs, no matter how poorly they've behaved in the past. I wouldn't be happy to see that at all. And you never know what the other dogs are capable of. I'll get back on topic....sorry everyone! Steph M Sorry we disagree on so many aspects. I can see how easy it is for an onlooker with no experience to criticise. With a reactive dog, you soon learn that everyone else who has (or had) a dog suddenly becomes an expert on dog behaviour. Firstly, I explained that a dog with perfect temperament came from one without. You're the only one who mentioned kicking a dog to bring out bad temperament. As I said, my younger one was highly reactive to everything with four legs from the moment she could go outside. I recognised that as a fear reaction that I could relate to an incident she had as a baby puppy. hankdog asked earlier if their was hope of changing a dog's personality, and I tried to explain that I didn't think it was entirely hereditary. I didn't realise how obnoxious dog-parks can be until it was too late. I unfortunately listened to too many "socialisation" experts extolling the benefits of dog-parks. Once I was in there, I had to see it through. I couldn't walk away with a dog who was even more fearful because of her experience at the dog-park than when we started.

We I was younger we had a very protective German Shepherd. She could be in a room with people, but she was extremely alert and watchful - it was intimidating to friends and visitors. I recall seeing her overtly aggressive toward a visitor on only one occasion - even then it was just a warning shot, but enough to make the knees turn to jelly. In later life she had a traumatic experience - we sent her away, which to an extremely loyal faithful and protective dog can be heartbreaking. When she return after almost a year, she had gone right over the edge and became a danger. Her daughter who we kept was the complete opposite with pretty much the same upbringing as her mother. She was the type of dog that people would cross the street to come over and pat. I only saw her snap once - in later life when a strange child thought she could ride her like a horse. Her snap surprised me but still didn't deter the child! So, I don't believe that temperament is entirely hereditary. A lot of people do. I do believe that a dog's personality is shaped very early in life. At least I'm working on that idea. My younger one had a very unfortunate experience almost her first step into the outside world away from her birth kennel. Later, as soon as I could take her for walks - after vaccinations - I discovered that she had an intense attack-first-ask-questions-later approach to everything with four legs. At just four months, it was frightening and relentless - hackles up, fast as lightening, snapping around the hooves of horses, pinning little dogs down with snarling teeth, taking on everything. Almost a year of weekly obedience classes did little to improve the situation except she learnt the commands. She became a highly-reactive obedient dog?! At the same time we were taking her to the well-populated dog-park on a daily basis. It was my first experience at the dog park. In the beginning, while I'm trying to keep her calm on the lead so that she wouldn't attack, she was attacked by other dogs. Anyway, we persisted, and under my very watchful eye she made friends with other puppies, and she was easily distracted with her ball when a newcomer arrived at the park. It's amazing, though, how she remembered those attackers from her first times at the dog park. They disappeared for a long time, but returned when she was almost eighteen-months old. When they tried their confrontational antics again with her on the lead as soon as I had walk in the dog-park, I let her off. She was no longer a little puppy. It's the only time I have felt overjoyed at seeing her skittle a pack of dogs - m@ngrels! A confidence-building exercise. :) Our main activity is our long daily walks out to the fields and forests. The older dog has been on the walk almost every day for thirteen years. For her sake, it's something I won't give up. And it's basically the only exercise I get too. The older dog has only ever had one serious incident - even then it was only serious because the other dog over-reacted by locking its jaw onto her cheek. After we managed to unlock the jaw she was still up for some playful argie-bargie, and the other dog was happy to join in. That's always been her approach even under the most threatening circumstances. It quickly becomes a game of "let's see who can mount who". It's the younger dog's initial reaction that is the problem. I believe it is a fear that came very early in life that will eventually be overcome with her increasing confidence.

How to control an "over-obedient" dog? :) I have no idea, but it seems the balance can be tipped too far in either direction. It made me think of overly submissive dogs. Quite often the owners get just as annoyed as the owners of overly dominant dogs. Yesterday on our off-leash walk we had a tricky situation. While I said earlier that my stop command is less formal than the formal obedience commands, I discovered that it does need to be resolute. A moment's hesitation and all could be lost. There are a pair of medium-sized dogs that we sometimes see. One of them, I have never seen off the leash, but I know of one case were it was off-leash and was a serious problem with another dog. Up ahead, I saw one of the pair and assumed it was the friendlier of the two. I didn't see the owners, but knew they couldn't be too far away. I issued the stop command, and both my dogs responded well. I always leash my younger dog when there is another dog on a leash, as a courtesy and just to ensure there is no interaction with a leashed dog. As I was about to leash her up, I saw the approaching dog lower its head and speed up. It was almost upon my older dog who was less than ten metres from me. I still didn't see the owners of the other dogs, and a terrible thought came into my mind, and I hesitated putting the leash on the younger one. In a flash she was racing at the other dog and there was a skirmish between my younger and the other dog - grappling on hind legs, flashing teeth and growling. Fortunately I was close enough to quickly step in, get the attention of my younger one with a yell, and command her sit. Everything was instantly calm, except for the owners of the other dogs, restraining their problem dog and calling the other who was by now standing calmly by my side sniffing my older dog. In the brief minute between my younger dog taking off and making contact with the other dog, I think I yelled every command I knew, and probably a few other words as well. :) My stop command is casual in the sense that I don't care what the dog does so long as it stops - it can freeze, turn to me, come to me or roll over, whatever the dog feels is appropriate. The problem yesterday was that my younger dog knew that the stop command was issued so that I could put her on the leash, and she's happy with that. But I hesitated - rightly or wrongly - and lost control of the situation in an instant. Incidences like those - even though harmless in the end in this case - make me wonder if off-leash exercise is all worth it. At the end of the walk, we encountered a pair of robust dogs who regularly accompany their owner on a jog. They have never been a problem - happy to come up and say hello, but much more intent to keep up with their owner. I've rarely heard the owner speak except to say "come on" to his dogs who would then turn and follow him. Nevertheless, my younger one is still reactive toward them. When I saw her start to react, I calmly said "stop" and was so pleased to see her freeze, turn her head to me and even wag her tail. Of course, lots and lots of praise. I'm hoping in the end that she will learn to judge the circumstances on her own.

:) Everything sounds good. Be on the look out for anything that might be hazardous. Power cords, swallowing hazards, etc. I imagine a lot of new puppies get there first reprimands chewing phone cables and the like.

It's hard to imagine the size difference between the older dog and puppy. A pic would be nice. :) Ideally, play should be a game of tit-for-tat with both puppy and older being comfortable to give and take. It sounds like the puppy is responding well by propping on front legs as a tease, darting under the older one, etc. You be the referee. If it looks too one-sided, step in and send them both to their respective corners for a break. Be firm but fair. No favouritism. Is the harness being used as a security device to grab hold of when necessary? I imagine it would be cumbersome to have hold of a restraint all the time. The licking all over sounds like a maternal thing. It may sound like a cliche, but if the older one stares at the puppy, licking her lips, I'd be reading her mind and distracting her with a firm "NO!" Do that until the it stops. I've done that with a kitten and dog, and it doesn't take long to sort through. It sounds like you're well clear of that though. As a general rule: the age of the dog in months equals the number of hours between toileting - 2 months = 2 hours, etc.