becks

I can just see you at the chemist, asking for some lube for the dog! lol

The point of the clicker is not to lure the dog into position, you are using 2 different training methods at once.

When clicker training you can just drop or throw the food, to make it part of the training process eg drop the reward to one side so the dog moves away from you so you can then have space between you to practise the next recall. Are you luring and using the clicker at the same time? Best to stick to just the one method for training a particular thing. With training, it is down to timing, if you are giving the arr as she is jumping at your hand, that is what she will interpret as being told no about. If she is doing this because she is getting over excited, then take a break

I should think icewater is hitting the stomach while still icey, whereas icecubes tend to get crunched up and warm a lbit in the mouth first?

I can't answer the poll as my dogs are washed every 3 or 4 months (apart from the show dogs, who just have legs and face washed before a show or trimming)

The lower jaw takes longer to grow then the upper jaw, as the pup gets older you may find this gap closes up and the pup has a much better bite.

do you use an ear powder? That gives good grip, keeps the ear dry. don't pull out much in one go, just a few hairs and use a slight twisting motion. When bathing you dog, you shouldn't need cotton balls in the ears. Wet the dog from tail to head, when doing the face make sure the water is always aimed awayfrom the ears/nose/eyes.

Very well done Zig, you've been training Sal up a treat! Hope she gave you a decent treat for all your hardwork?

He's still getting the hang of things, just make sure you are there to give him the praise when he gets it right. Minis don't all like the rain, so try going outside with a big umbrella.

Then don't tell him!

mmmm chocolate and vanilla! I use wait for 'wait until the next command' and stay for 'don't move until I come back to you' Makes sense to me!

maybe if you post photos we can help you with your grooming?

Groomers Evening Primrose Oil shampoo - yes it works even on oily coats, removes the oils without stimulating the skin to go overboard in replacing them.

The black spot is just ppigment, nothing to worry about.

A friend bought some flashing arm bands that were on sale at Aldi last winter, she uses these on the dogs (2 joined together for a retriever size dog) and they lasted all winter for morning and night time walks.

Just go for a chat, be yourself. You don't need to take anything with you. just be prepared for that door to open and all their dogs to run in to see who is here!

I've had a 14 years old mini aneasthetised to have a toe removed (due to cancer) on 2 occasions within 4 months of each other. I would say she recovered from it well

is there any brands you could recommend, or ones that should be avoided Only use DOG toothpaste. It doesnt foam like human toothpaste and doesnt need to be rinsed. a baby toothbrush is fine for starting out with. Propper dog brushes can make it a little easier but aren't as soft on the gums whenyou are teaching a pupp to accept it.

it doesn't really matter what brush, it is the paste that does the work, the brush just helps to spread it around the teeth.

teach your dog to bark from a hand cue - then in class you can get him to bark the answer to maths questions! jumping (low level) through a childs hula hoop to spin

I use a seaweed and parsley additive that helps to keep the teeth clean - 'Plaque off' does the same job.

I'd do it all in one day but don't worry if there are a few hairs left in, the idea is to allow the air to get in there. That's Grace my youngster on the beach the other week. Bigger version of it in the breed thread.

try Groomers Evening Primrose oil shampoo, I would use the higher vet strength version on her. It is great for flaky skins and leaves a lovely soft coat after the bath. It can take a few treatments but you should see an improvement from the first wash. There was a lot of sucess last year with a westie on this forum, so try a search to see the results.

yes, I was just going to mention lungworm, it is something that is getting more common in UK dogs now who eat snails.

Some minis get bad teeth, it's in the genes with some lines and the teeth go bad from a year or 2 of age. so keep checking them and don't relie on bones alone to do the job. It is worth getting your dog used to having his teeth cleaned with brush and paste or you can add 'plaque off' to the diet.