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Oh no! I'm so sorry, Fifi. May Navarre provide you with many happy memories as you reflect on your time together and may the liquidamber grow strong and true upon those memories.

Thanks again, everyone. Ellie will need to stay at the vets for a bit longer, I will know more by mid morning tomorrow.

Thankyou everyone.

Very sadly, I had Cleo pts this morning following a very serious and totally unprovoked attack on Ellie. I gave her every chance but after what I witnessed this morning I could not have done anything otherwise. Such is the pain of being a responsible dog owner. Ellie is in hospital having sutures put into some quite deep facial wounds. Sorry, Cleo. I tried.

Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Annedal. I'm glad that you and Claude got to share your lives together but so sad that he is no longer with you. Geez, what a week :cool:

Your photography would have a lot to do with that, Tess. At least, it does for me. I have always admired your skills but none more than when you photographed Max and that is how I first come to know him, through your photos. I have the portrait of Max you sent me sitting in my lounge room and it will remain there, always. It is very appropriate that you have posted a photo of Max. Thankyou. :D

I still can't believe this, Springy. My thoughts are with you, Mr Springy and Cassie. Max was always my favourite DOL pooch and if it wasn't for him we would never have met and become such great friends. There just aren't enough words to express the saddness I feel.

The 'Critical Period' for a pup's socialisation begins at about 2 weeks and extends through to about 14 weeks. If the pup is not socialised with it's litter mates until at least 8 weeks of age and continually to many different situations and environments during this stage it may lose the potential to learn about these things for life. Many behaviourists may probably recommend that socilisation take precedence over any health concerns (within reason, of course) The wider and varied encounters that the pup receives within the 'critical period' can extend the ability to learn about those concepts beyond 14 weeks and that learning will stay with the dog for life. Hence the term 'Critical Period'.

I'm currently treating one of my bitches (10 year old) for incontinence with Propalin and find it doesn't work 100% of the time, she will have bouts of incontinence while on Propalin. With the vets guidance we have tried various daily dosages and split that dose into smaller but more frequent rates throughout the day with varying degrees of success but still no real 100% effective solution. I was using the 100ml bottle (which I pay $70 for btw) but have changed to using the 30 ml bottles ($25) as it seemed that the incontinece reoccured towards the end of the bottle (low shelf life perhaps?). So, I'm interested in reading other's comments on solutions, too. I started a thread on Propalin a little while ago and Molasseslass posted a link to herbal remedies that I looked at but never tried. I'll see if I can find the link. Link in this thread: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...amp;hl=propalin Link to product: http://www.herbal-treatments.com.au/caninecondition.html#2

Cooking not only alters enzymes, but protein, amino acids, fat etc. The changes in these nutritional requirements can lead to deficiencies in diet. Feeding raw food (ie meaty bones) also satisfies behavioural requirements with regards to feeding ie ripping, tearing, crushing of bones etc (apart from hunting). These behavioural requirements stimulate internal functions of the digestive tract to process food, which may not occur with cooked or processed food, again leading to nutritional deficiencies and associated health problems.

Oh, shit. I'm so sorry for you, Pix. ;) We all know how much Kaeleigh meant to you and all that you have done to make her life as complete as you possibly ever could. No one could have loved more than you did. :D

Sit and wait should be part of the same command ie when she is commanded to 'sit' she should stay there until given another command. Teach her this by rewarding her after she sits and does stay in the same postion. Start off by rewarding miniscule 'stays' and then progreesively increase the time between the sit and the next command, which might be something like 'Free' if you want to release her from the previous command.

Yes, you are expecting too much of her too soon ;) . She is only 4 months so would have the attention span of a gnat ;) Teach her to sit and have her obeying at all times before introducing the distration of her food and then do so at a distance with her obeying the 'sit' command before slowly decreasing the distance between her and the food. Her desire to eat far outweighs her desire to sit or obey you All of her training should be done progressively, in small increments of success, and if she 'fails' at some point go back to where she was succeeding and try again. Good luck ;)

Definitely Once we get set up and sorted out, another definitely.

Who is interested in a get together, with your dogs, to discuss, practice and implement techniques learnt so far in the course? (perhaps on a regular basis). Perhaps those of us who are a little further advanced in the course can provide support for those just starting and we can all provide motivation and a class environment for each other.

I'm so sorry that Robbie is no longer with you, Kamuzz. I really feel for you both and for Robbie.

I'm so sorry to hear that Jess is no longer with you, Kaz. You gave her the absolute best home she could ever have hoped for and I am sure that Jess and her previous owner will be eternally grateful for the time you spent with her and for being with her at the end.

I think that the main problem affecting owners training their dogs is anthromorphism. These days, because of social change, dogs can be seen as replacement children, rather than what they really are ie dogs. And, as Vickie has stated, a little bit of knowledge (rather than a lot) can be dangerous.

Thankyou so much for your replies, everyone, they are very much appreciated.

Today my sister had her dog, Ben pts. He turned 17 last March and his time with us was up. For the first 5 years of his life Ben was my dog, but he went to stay with my sister when I moved, made himself at home and that is where he stayed for past 12 years. Ben was the perfect dog and companion and we now have a huge hole in our lives, that no other can fill. Goodbye Ben, thankyou for being a good mate and companion. Run free.

I'm not sure on the protocol, kenDOL, except that the driver who hit the dog should have stopped to render assistance. Otherwise I would have done just as you did. Sorry the dog didn't make it, but good on you for stopping and helping out.

I initially treat mine differently. I am currently feeding Ellie and Toby in front of and before Cleo as Cleo has only been here since June and needs to be shown where her place is in the pack. I did the same when Toby first came here ie I fed Ellie first and then Toby. I now feed Ellie and Toby together and may do the same for Cleo in time. I make all three sit and wait before entering a door or gate and Ellie and Toby enter before I release Cleo, she is always last in whatever we do.

Oh no!!! I was thinking yesterday that I didn't pay her the attention that I did to the pup, Apollo and Jed when I was at your place the other day and I felt bad. You gave her a loving home for the last months of her life when no one else could. She could ask for no more than that. I'm so sorry, Juice.

Dip stick test was also done, I recall discussing that with the vet at the time, as those tests were clear, she suggested sending a sample off to the lab in case there was something else, just to be safe. I know that it is only early into this thread but 3 of us are now saying that Propalin may become ineffective? That is interesting.

Ellie has had urine tests done a couple of times, all was clear. Last test was in May this year. Ellie is now 9 and incontinence has been suggested as being due to desexing, as can sometimes happen. Should add that urine samples were sent away and tested in a lab, not exactly sure what they were looking for, but I assume everything possible, as it was quite expensive on both occassions. Ellie has no other health problems. Ellie was initially on 1/2 ml per day and now is up to 3/4 ml twice a day, ie 1.5 ml per day. Vet advised today that increasing the dose above 1.5 ml may have side affects, so we are now going to try 1/2 ml 3 times a day ie still 1.5 ml per day. Thank you very much for your replies.