espinay2

Agree - feed less, exercise more. It really is that simple ;) Some other tips that may help if you are really struggling with simply reducing the ration: - cut out treats (if you do feed treats, reduce the rest of the meal accordingly and only feed low fat treats like lean meat or dried liver or even carrot sticks - not commerical ones or biscuits etc (which are generally high in fat and often sugar/salt). -If your dog is acting ravenous after eating, add low fat/salt broth to the meal - it will make the dog feel fuller without adding many extra calories. - and/or replace some of the meal with an equal amount of white tripe. It is low fat. Only do this short term though. - or replace some of the meal with pureed vegetables. Green leafy ones are better than things like carrots etc which have a higher sugar content.

The best website out there for info on epilepsy and seizures (note not all seizures are 'epilepsy') : http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/ The site has lots of info on it on holistic approaches.

Excuse the errors. Typing on a phone at the airport!!!!

Crates, baby gates, pens are all useful. I use them all! Baby gates are handy for separation but less useful for toilet training (though you could use them across a laundry door I guess to confine in there etc). Crates are probably more multi purpose as you can move them aroud more places including in the car or somewhere else if you are travelling. Wire collapsible. Is better than soft as more airflow and puppies are less likely to break out so reached good habits ( you can always get a soft crate later once the pup is used to being in a crate). They are heavier than a pen but take up less space. Pens are great as give more room and are lighter to carry. But even though they are flatter they take more space across their length and width to transport and take up double or more the space in your home so not as good for a longer term option inside. You also can't use them to secure a dog in the car and as they have no bottom some dogs can tip them over (I secure with pegs on grass for some dogs so they learn that they can't move it. As said each have their positives and negatives ans I use all three for different things. Personally I would recommend a wire collapsible crate as the most versatile for someone starting out with a pet pup who wants to only invest in one thing.

1. As mentioned, work from the inside out. A good diet is essential. Make sure you have adequate essential fatty acids, in particular Omega 3's in the diet. Adding things like fish oil capsules and Vit E can help. 2. If you need to wash your dog in anything, use a soapless shampoo or rinse. Fidos Herbal Rinse (NOT shampoo) for instance is my favourite. PP Also has a hydrobath wash which is soapless. 3. You need to replace the oils on the coat. Use a 'leave in' rinse such as PP seabreeze oil or Alpha Keri oil from the chemist. You only need a few drops in a bucket of water and sponge on. 4. If he is scratching, be careful of broken skin which can develop secondary bacterial or fungal infection. This is where the vinegar is useful. It can soothe (though can sting a little on broken skin so be careful and perhps water it down a bit at first) and will help stop bacterial and fungal growth.

It annoys and worries me greatly that he got so much of even the basics about the LGD breeds wrong. Even his basic research on LGD breeds was so way off to scream that he has no clue about them. And that is before you start of the rest of his misconceptions. The problem with misconceptions about breeds spouted by public figures that dont have a clue is it tends to snowball. The average person listens to them as they are a 'celebrity' and he is presenting the information in a way that tells people that he knows what he is talking about. The information he writes simplified is basically 'LGD are vicious and shouldnt be in family homes'. Start spreading that misconception and down the track we end up getting LGD breeds added to restricted breeds lists and import bans imposed. I would rather that sort of thinking be nipped in the bud from the outset. While LGD are not for everyone, this guy does the breeds and breeders of LGD breeds here in Australia no favours at all. Note that breeders are all for correcting misconceptions either way. The Purina website info on the breed until recently had the Pyrenean listed as barking = low!!! We worked to get them to change that (which unfortunately wasnt easy) as there were people coming to breeders about puppies who took their word as gospel. Luckily breeders here are pretty good at making puppy enquirers aware of breed traits like their tendency to bark and could clear up that misconception before it caused any damage.

The guy is an idiot. Plain and simple. A lot of the LGD breeds he mention arent even in this country (and some of them are not common outside of their homeland) and he doesnt even know that the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is only called a Great Pyrenees in the US and Canada. So much for 'personal experience' - he shows his lack of it with every word. If he is going to claim to be such an 'expert' he should at least have the courtesy to get even the basics right

I think we originally posted around the same time. This above is different though as I am betting you knew the personality of the pup would suit them anyway and you encouraged them to choose this particular pup when they had something different in mind . A little different from the puppy purchaser who insists that the one that races up to it first must be the one regardless of what the breeder thinks.

Just remember that pup that 'walks up to you' may be the pushy dominant hard to control one in the litter wheras the one that hangs out in the middle may be a better pick from a personality/temperament point of view for many people. IMO 'letting the puppy pick' could be a recipe for disaster or see people overlook a pup much better suited to their needs and I really hate it when I hear people are making choices purely based on this method. I would definitely be guided by the breeder on what pups in the litter would potentially suit a home best. They have been observing them every day for 8 weeks after all and know a LOT more about how their personalities are developing than can be told from one or two short meetings. From my point of view - as a breeder it is my job to match pups up with the homes most suitable. And that means not placing a particular pup in a particular home if I dont beleive it will be suited personality-wise. Some potential purchasers may get a choice between a few pups in the litter (though not likely the whole litter), but others may not. It would depend on a lot of factors, including both the people and the pups.

My suggestion is do your own research and decide what you want to feed your dog. FWIW I do feed a raw diet. I personally would be feeding something bigger than chicken necks (maybe carcasses or wings as a minimum) to a 12 week old staffy. As long as there is no medical problem - it really just sounds like he is not hungry. A lot of people do have a habit of overestimating just how much their pup needs to eat. Your pup really does have a small stomach. No bigger than your fist really (and maybe just your palm if you are a bloke). Yep, sounds like he is not hungry. Be careful too doing this sort of thing and stressing over mealtimes etc as you can in fact create a picky eater out of a pup that simply didnt have the need to eat more. As suggested. Food down for 10 minutes, walk away and leave the pup to it, if it is not eaten pick it up until next mealtime. Also dont try adding/changing etc to try and 'tempt' the dog to eat. Just put the food in the bowl that you want the dog to eat. Make sure that you are feeding smaller amounts of what he needs to eat so he gets the nutrients he needs when he is eating. You can start by just putting a small amount in the bowl then adding a little more if he eats it and still looks to you for more food. This saves on waste too as you wont be throwing out heaps of uneaten food. The most important thing to remember is that a 'Reward' is something the DOG actually finds rewarding. not what YOU think the dog should find rewarding. This may mean that the treats you are using are not 'high value' enough for your dog and you need to try different ones eg roast chicken, cabanossi, cheese, sausage, mild salami sticks, roast beef or steak, cat treats, mcdonalds cheeseburgers, ice cream etc etc etc (think laterally - you may need to be a detective with some dogs to find out what pushes the buttons) - personally I find that a lot of the dryer commecial dog treats dont always make the grade for a lot of dogs. Or it may be that your dog find something else more rewarding. A ball, a sqeaky toy, a fluffy toy, a game of fetch, a game of tug, a scratch in that special spot etc etc etc. As I said - a reward is what the DOG finds rewarding - not what you think should be rewarding. Also note that if your dog is not hungry - as the above suggests might be the case (a healthy dog does not starve itself) - then it will be less likley to respond to food rewards anyway. Cutting down the food and taking the treats/rewards into account when working out food intake can help.

Mine tend to prefer tiles when inside though do tend to move around at different times from bedding to the tiles etc. Main concern with sleeping on harder surfaces is development of bursa/pressure sores on the elbow. Provide alternatives if you can (the sand in a cool spot is a good idea for outside for example) but in the end it may just be a case of just monitoring and encouraging the dog to use the bed if possible. Dont stress too much though if that is not where he feels most comfortable. In the end they have their own mind

I don't think we ever saw a ranger where we were. It was also a case of you take responsibility for your dogs actions. I remember clearly when we were kids (over 30 years ago) we were at my grandparents for a BBQ with family and friends. We were playing a game of backyard cricket and in the excitement my grandparents dog bit a family friend on the leg (I recall one bite but it did break the skin). As a result my grandparents made the decision fairly quickly to put the dog to sleep. No one blamed anyone (it was always considered an accident due to the high excitement of the game and person and dog getting tangled up going for the ball) but my grandparents decided with lots of grandkids around that was not a risk they wanted to take. As Steve said, in those days if a dog was going to progress past the nip stage (i.e. limited bite inhibition), the dog was gone.

I sincerely doubt that you will need to worry about any socialisation or training affecting that. In fact, the more you do, the better your dog will likely be at protecting you. Natural instinct is just that - natural instinct, but the better you train your dog, the closer its bond with you will be and the more you socialise your dog the better it is able to discriminate between who you see as a friend and who you don't and in what situations these things occur. Beleive me, a dog may look and act like a marshmallow when all is good, but when things are 'not right' that instinct to protect its 'pack'[ comes out. I have been in a situation when the seemingly biggest, softest and well socialised and trained dog protected me when I really needed to be protected so I know what it feels like to trust your dogs natural instincts 100% in these types of situations. The other person was surprised as they had actually met the dog before in other circumstances, but I wasn't ;) .

I am a fan of the ezycoat dryers. I would suggest though whatever you get make sure you have variable speeds as with a Bichon you may want to dial it down onto low at times.

Welcome!! you have recieved some great advice so far! One thing I would mention about you wanting your dog to be a guardian when at home. There should really be no need to actually 'train' your dog for this. Instead train your dog to be well socialised in ALL situations INCLUDING in your home. Once your dog is mature, it will be able to discriminate between friend and foe (and will do this a lot better if it knows who is welcome and who is not) even if they don't seem like they will. And it will be a good thing if it never has to be tested. 99.9% of the time just the presence of the dog - no matter how it acts - will be all you need and in these days of dengerous dog legislation it is important to do everything possible not to put your dog at risk. Have fun with your puppy!! I have friends who breed Bullmastiffs and I love hanging out with their beautiful big well mannered and well socialised Booeys :D

Best laid plans can go awry. I know personally of a case where the breeder was taken for a ride well and truly by a 'happy family' (child included) and recieved regular updates on the pup in it's new home .... Even though the pup had been shipped to a Singapore pet shop as soon as they got it! Was only through a lucky set of coincidences that the breeder found out and traced the pup. While this is not common I will admit it does go to show that the best screening in the world does not always work if someone really wants to decieve. An interesting thought about TL/V is that as it doesn't replace desexing for the owner and if all it does is prevent breeding then as an expense it really is something that should not be passed on through increased purchase price. The breeder wears the extra cost as it is being done really for their benefit alone. As someone mentioned it is then the owners choice to desex or not or desexing can be recommended for later based on other benefits desexing brings. While both do prevent breeding that seems to be the only thing they have in common so as The two operations do not achieve the same outcomes they should be considered two different things. FWIW and not sure if I am making sense

Apologies posting from my phone in an airport so funcionality limited! How much food should I be giving him daily?....... Approx 2% of bodyweight Should he still be drinking pet milk?........not necessary and I wouldn't bother Should he still be on puppy food at his age or should I ween him off?.....he is an adolescent now and I would be feeding him adult food. Is he too young to be eating 1/2 marrow bones?.....personally I would only give marrow bones whole if you are going to give them at all. Artificial hard edges are setting your dog up for broken teeth. Non weightbearing bones that can be totally eaten are better. If he is getting raw meat daily, does he need to be getting canned food?.....on my website I have a page on feeding our dogs which has lots of links to learn about raw diets. Is feeding him meal scraps OK for his health?...... The odd heathy table scraps are fine (see my webpage) but don't go overboard, never feed cooked bones and limit cooked fats, high salt foods and gravys, fried foods and high sugar foods. Cody apparently tips his water dish over, within minutes of it getting filled. Repeatedly. Does anyone have any ideas of how to stop this?....... Go to a garden centre and get a smaller glazed water pot. When full he won't be tipping it. You can also get no spill travel bowls. I use one inside as with the insert in it also helps limit slobber and wet floors. Thank you!

Weight is more about the amount rather than the type. Chances are if you parents dogs are chubby they would be so no matter what type of diet they fed so don't let it put you off a raw diet.

Pyrenean Mountain Dogs and an old GSDx

Something that some may find of interest for cases of dogs with severe HD in particular is this article on Exercise and the Dysplastic Pup. I don't have access to the original work by Phaffenberger, so if anyone finds a copy please let me know as I would be interested to read it! Fynesse, you can up the dose of Vit C as quickly as your dog tolerates it. If things get a bit 'loose' coming out the other end back up for a while and go a bit slower. IF all is good, what you are doing is fine. With a dog that weight I would start with one fish oil cap a day and probably wouldn't go more than two. If you give two regularly I would be adding a bit of Vit E every now and again (either a capsule or add a spoon of something like wheatgerm oil every so often.) Agree - glucosamine is the 'end product'. Green lipped mussel is one source of glucosamine. Glad what I wrote was useful. As mentioned, every dog will be different. I have found though that setting it out this way allows me to consider each step as I go along in a logical fashion so I can better assess what the individual dog needs and when it needs it.

Monash Vet.

I too have used Cryogenes and found them very good.

First thing - if you have been reading the threads here you will understand the importance of a correct diagnosis when it comes to suspecting HD. Make sure you get the x-rays sent to a specialist radiologist before making any major decisions for the dog. Note that when it comes to symptoms, every dog is different and may require a different regime of treatment. that said, there are a wide range of treatments and products available and that can certainly be confusing for an owner. The way I have always approached it is to use a 'stepped' approach to management, using the different steps as the dogs condition dictates. In this manner I have managed, for example, a dog with a hip score of 65 who remained mobile and happy until 10 years of age (when she passed from a totally unrelated condition). Note this is only one example, but as you say, shows that a diagnosis of HD isnt necessarily a death sentence. The 'steps' I used were as follows: Step 1 - Basic Management. Keep the dog lean throughout its life as this puts less stress on the joints. Also keep the dog active within its limitations. Remember that good muscle helps support the joints and keep them functioning. Good muscle helps to keep them in the socket. Swimming is a great exercise for a dog with HD. Step 2 - Dietary Support. A good dies will assist. Personally I believe in a raw diet to provide excellent nutrition to any dog. Raw meaty bones which include cartilage which is useful in supporting joints. Whatever your views, feed the best diet you can nutritionally. Step 3 - Basic Supplementary Support. In the early stages this is the first 'extra' thing I add to the regime of a dog with HD. Vit C (esther-C is most recommended but any Vit C will get you there if you can't get it), Fish oil and Glucosamine. Vit C is given 'to tolerance' (ok, so that is the theory. In practice I simply add about a teaspoon once the dog is used to it!) - start with a small dose and increase until bowel motions go a bit soft, then back off a little. Tolerance for more does develop over time. Fish oil would depend on the size of the dog. For my large dogs about 2 capsules a day. If you give more (I have given upto 4 a day), add Vit E as well (Vit E deficiency as a result of high doses of fish oil can mimic HD symptoms). Supplements containing Glucosamine vary greatly - go with whatever one suits you and your budget. I always used the powdered supplement for humans or straight Glucosamine capsules (red bottle - can't remember brand). Step 4 - if your dog is showing pain and needs more than the above, the next step I take is Cartrophen injections. After the initial 4 injections you give another at whatever interval suits your dog. It can be 12 months, 6 months, 3 months etc. 6 months is average. Step 5 - If the dog needs a bit extra after being on the cartropen injections, I have then added buffered asprin (AS DISCUSSED WITH AND DOSAGE PROVIDED BY MY VET - ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VET BEFORE ADMINISTERING ASPRIN TO YOUR DOG). This assists in pain relief, but allows you to save the 'bigger guns' for later when they are really needed. Note buffered asprin can be a bit harder to get these days and generally comes only in small doses (designed for human heart patients). Makes giving to a large dog more difficult as you need more tablets per dose, but not impossible. Buffered is preferred as it reduces irritation to the stomach lining. Step 6 - Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatories (NSAID's). There is a wide range of types of these available. Previcox, Metacam, Rymadil, CU-algesic (not really given for dogs any more) etc etc. Make sure you are fully informed of the pros and cons of the type your vet is recommending and prescribing. I tend to save these for last when the dog is not responding as well to the previous steps any more. They may be needed sooner or later depending on the dog. I try to save these 'big guns' for last when they are needed the most rather than using them early and building 'tolerance'. OVer time you may need to increase dosage with the advice and assistance of your vet. As mentioned, different dogs may go to different steps at different times. But these are the basic steps I have personally used in the cases I have dealt with and I find it has been a useful protocol. As always discuss and consult with your vet on what is suitable for your dog.

I think it is about the closest recommended. Otherwise Sydney (Zammit) or Central Coast (Rocky Ridge) I think. I wish someone would establish something decent hereabouts. I drive to Melbourne when I need anything done repro-wise......

As mentioned, the opposite of boldness is not timidity. You may get similar results from certain groups of working livestock guardians if what you are looking at is a reserved, aloof or 'uninterested' response to humans in some situations. I can vouch for that one!! Something seen in many working LGD too. For example, Two Pyreneans recently bringing a flock of sheep down the mountain in the French Pyrenees, ignoring cars and people taking photos and cyclists, and even ignoring the bread held out by one cyclist to tempt them to come closer. The dogs were focussed on what they were doing, and the people were just 'there' - to be noted and assessed, but basically assessed as unimportant to them so are then ignored. By your scale they would likely be rated as 'timid' when they were really far from it. Photos of the dogs here so you can see context: https://picasaweb.google.com/JanetandJoan/WorkingDogsInFrance?authkey=Gv1sRgCOD2kYqL5P3A8AE&feat=email