dididog

Just some phone snaps from a nice winter's morning I took a week or so ago :) Making her stop for some annoying poses on the way to the park... Grumpy pants waiting for me to catch up. At the top of the hill

I agree, after my experience I don't think I'd get a puppy from rescue again. Honestly if you are wanting to add kids to the family in the near future and thus wanting a stable temperament I would avoid a puppy from rescue, they are normally in rescue because no care has been taken with their breeding and the end result might reflect this with poor genetic health or temperament. I'm sure most pups from rescue coast through to adulthood with no problems but it's really playing the genetics lottery with all the same problems as buying a petshop puppy except that you are using an ethical source and pups are kept with their mother/litter for the right amount of time. If you are still set on a cross breed/rescue then I think an adult that has been fostered long enough to get an understanding of their temperament would probably be better. Probably less of a concern for you since you are wanting something smaller but I also don't like the fact rescue pups come desexed, my Dane cross girl definitely shouldn't have been desexed at 8 weeks and her structure reflects this but I wasn't aware at the time the negative impacts of desexing so early. Also, the size of your yard does not necessarily mean you are limited to small dogs... my 45kg dog leads a very good life with only a small deck and patch of grass for toileting, I definitely wouldn't consider it cruel!

If it covered Training in Drive then definitely. I was just thinking the other day about shooting K9Pro a message about whether Steve would be coming to Melbourne to do consults anytime soon(which he happens to be right now woops) since I can't get up to NSW with the dog but a workshop would still be really good!

Yeah same Hankdog- I'm the only one who walks Didi on lead or handles her outside of the house. My Dad drives her to a big offlead park a lot by himself which I'm fine with because she's got good recall and her reactivity is leash-based but there's no way I'd let anyone else walk her around the block. She's a lot better now reactivity wise but that's only because I manage her and am cautious and can read her body language really well, things my brother or father just wouldn't pick up on or think about. Better Late- don't worry it is hard to make absolutely no mistakes when managing a reactive dog, I know I've made a few stuff ups. It may not have set her back as much as you think though, I know Didi has often picked up where we left off after having a bad moment instead of regressing. But yeah probably best to go the muzzle and long line only route so if you do get caught off guard again you are in the clear. Hopefully your consult with Steve is helpful, I wish I could swing a road trip up there! Jemmy- sounds like Luna has come a long way, really great stuff that you were able to take her to such a big dog event with little drama!

Glad to hear you got some answers Snook and a plan on how to approach his phobia, hopefully the medication works to lower his anxiety. Those pictures at Gruflife's property looked great... I really need to befriend somebody who owns acerage, I'm sure Didi would love it.

To be honest if you have your puppy on a good quality kibble with the correct calcium and phosphate ratio then she'll be getting a complete diet and the right amounts of different nutrition, the occasional egg or organ meat wouldn't go astray as a treat but there's no need to supplement with them I'd definitely advise sticking to diet advice from the great dane rescue site as they know what they're talking about and it's important to get their growth right, especially since she might not have been getting an ideal diet prior to you getting her. If you're not sure exactly what to be feeding her it might be best to stick to a giant/large breed appropriate kibble, at least until she's out of the rapid growth stage so that you know she's getting the right amounts of everything and grows at a nice rate. I'm no expert though, just going from my own experience raising my girl and what I learnt from that. eta. posted at the same time but sas knows what they're talking about

What would you recommend ? Are you able to add some bones to the diet? Sorry I forgot to say I feed him chicken necks with the food and then chicken caucuses (not sure if the caucuses are ok for puppies though) My Dane cross girl devoured chicken carcasses from a few months old with ease, didn't like feeding necks or wings as she was big enough to try and swallow them whole. Freeze the carcass so pup takes its time with it.

Had a super great walk today! We walked down our busy shopping strip in the after school rush and along lots of main roads and you would never know that several months ago that sort of walk would've resulted in a blow up and her growling/lunging at something. My heart nearly stopped when we got caught off guard by a lady with a pram, small child AND a dog coming round a blind corner and nearly colliding with us. Didi did jump out of her skin in shock but instead of reacting and freaking out she just waited for me to make the next move. Of course what you can't see is all the micro-managing and risk calculations going on in my head but still I'm super happy with the progress :) We also had 3 bicycles ride past us on the narrow path today, one of which came out of nowhere and did not ring their bell but Didi didn't show even the slightest inclination to lunge after the bike or growl which again even a month or so ago would have been the case. Good thing she isn't reactive to other dogs though as I purposely went to an ON LEAD oval to do some obed work and we'd been there for 5 minutes when an offlead Samoyed with 0 recall charged over enthusiastically wanting to play. Didi didn't care but was trapped on the lead trying to play with this dog and got her neck yanked around a lot. Lady finally ran over and got her dog laughing and saying sorry. Told her it wasn't an offlead park (there are literally 2 huge offlead reserves a 5 minute walk either way from this oval!) and she said it was fine, lots of people let their dogs off here. I told her it wasn't and she should at least have a reliable recall if she's going to break the rules. She looked a bit stunned and left thank god... thinking of getting my cranky pants on and emailing the council about these two ovals I regularly try to use to do obed work since I don't have a yard. They are on lead only but so many people just let their dogs off and run up to us while we're training and I can imagine must make it really hard for people with reactive dogs to find anywhere to walk in our suburb. But anyway how's everyone else doing?

Thanks for the info on dallies guys - they're lovely looking dogs and the ones I've met have been pretty sweet but I don't see myself owning one! Plus the urinary blockage issue would worry me a bit. Thanks for all that info, I think after this thread the Boxer and the Pointer are probably the two that would suit me best. I have no problems with shedding, Didi does enough of that already! With the skipping a walk I more mean if I'm sick or the weather's horrid as opposed to not wanting to walk the dog everyday but I'm also used to a dog that could happily live on house arrest for a week so knowing I don't have that luxury might be something I'll have to adapt to. The recall thing would also be a challenge but not a deal breaker, I prefer on lead walks and have a lot of quiet parks nearby to give a dog a big romp on a long line. I don't mind putting the time in to train a really reliable recall, I'd probably just need some help and guidance to do that properly. I've met a really lovely teenage phase pointer who unfortunately wasn't in the best of hands and I could see how easily all that energy could be channeled into bad behaviour. Didi has been a bit of a handful behaviour wise from 10mths onward and we are starting to come out the otherside so going through a few months of hair-pulling isn't too off putting! As for the bolded I will be sure to keep that in mind. Having a solid, confident dog is pretty much my main priority which is why I want to give myself enough time to find a breeder whose dogs I really like and to make sure without a doubt they produce dogs with solid temperaments.

Tor- I remember reading your thread, glad to see you've met some lovely Boxers :) I don't think the issue of play style would weigh too much on me, Didi is a fan of it and even though we share off lead spaces with lots of other dogs I generally don't seek out strange dogs to play with. The Boxer I spent a fair bit of my childhood with also really disliked water. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal but I'd be pretty bummed if I ended up with a dog that actively disliked water and swimming! I went on a bit of a Pointer photo spree and remembered how much I like the look of them (though I'm not a huge fan of some of the really dramatic dishy muzzles). They remind me a bit of Didi, every pointer owner I've met has asked if Didi has some in her (I think she probably does). They're definitely the biggest I'd be willing to go though. How are they offlead? My friend has one and I remember him saying he doesn't like letting her offlead because she is very birdy and will stop listening if she sees one. Obviously training will help but I'd prefer not to be fighting an uphill battle on the recall front.

With 2017 as your puppy acquisition date, you have time to explore a rarer breed and get on a wait list!! Option B - see if you do go overseas and obtain a rare (or not in Oz) breed there!! Those are both good points! I would talk to breeders and see what they say, and meet their dogs too. I tend to find a lot of the dogs like Viszlas, Boxers, GSPs etc often don't have heaps of drive but are 'busy' dogs who enjoy running around and being active. IMO any dog can learn to enjoy their own company, and every dog no matter the breed should get used to having some time alone. Re-reading your posts I missed the part where you said you didn't want a dog that may be territorial etc. If that's one of the stronger criteria I think gundogs are the better fit temperament wise as opposed to herding breeds, or even terriers who can be a bit more fiery. Yeah I'm more after something that's energetic and active and likes doing physical things rather than something that has a burning desire to have something to do all the time. I also wonder sometimes when people say certain breeds don't like being left alone whether that is something that's actually inherent or if it just requires the right management. Didi is such a clingy and tactile dog (head currently tucked under my arm as I type) but she is fine being left alone by herself. Most of my dog acquaintances all live in the city with small yards and busy lives but still manage to make it work with their dogs, even the more high maintenance ones. At the end of the day though I don't mind having to put a fair bit of work into stimulation and training if the breed I get is friendly and good with strangers because its what I put a higher value on in terms of desired traits.

Thought I worded my dislike for labs pretty nicely tbh! I literally just said that they were lovely but I didn't get their appeal.... And yeah I did feel the need to clarify because I knew that they fit what I wanted perfectly and that there's a lot of people who recommend them in these threads and I didn't want to get 10 suggestions for a lab or try and convince me to work around the hair when I know I definitely don't want to own one!

I really like these guys as well as! There's one at the park and I've always thought he was pretty cool, plays nicely with Didi too. He's pretty big though? And I'm not sure how much I love their coat but I might look into them a bit more. Huski- My first dog was either going to be a Viszla or a Wheaten but I somehow ended with Didi instead! I still really love them but I'm under the impression they're more or less as high key as the GSP? And that they can be prone to not coping well being left alone?

Yeah I've noticed Boxer's put a lot of other dogs off and that their play style is rarely appreciated. Didi loves them though. We do spend a lot of time offlead with other dogs at the moment so might need to think about that although most working breeds don't really like Didi either. HW- I absolutely love Braccos! There's one at my obed club who is stunning. I've never considered them seriously though since there's so few of them around. Maybe I'll have a chat to the lady that owns him next time I see them. With the ESS and WSS- I like both of these breeds a lot too, might be a little small though if the Brittany was? The WSS is a bit low to the ground too, I like leggy dogs! Dalmation- you know I've come to appreciate them a bit more recently, I'd have to look into them a bit more. Didi has played with a couple and liked them. With the amstaff- I do actually really like them but with there being a possibility of me moving overseas I don't want a dog that might be banned somewhere I have to move to or have to be worried about DA problems.

Anyway thanks for the insight guys, I've knocked a few off my list and have a few I'll need to consider a bit more carefully. It seems like the Boxer has fared the best so far in that nobody has warned me off them. Are they particularly keen water dogs? Didi is pretty susceptible to the heat so working around that wouldn't be an issue. Didi also snores and drools a lot so I can handle that. I guess they're also probably the most outgoing and friendly of all the breeds I like which is the main thing I'm after.

I may also be one of those awful people who doesn't really like labs... Every one I've met has been lovely but I just don't get them! God me too! I don't know what it is about them but I don't get the hype I find the goldens way more attractive if I was looking into that sort of dog. Why turn this thread into a Lab hating thread I don't get people that don't get Labs and I probably don't get some of the breeds these people like either, but I don't feel the need to hate on their breeds just because I don't get them/like them. It gives me the sh*ts when these type of threads turn into a particular breed hating/disparaging exercise. The OP specified up front "I don't need lab-style exuberance" and it should have been left there. Sorry, obviously not my intention. I was clarifying that I just don't like labs as a breed because I could tell that a lot of people would probably think they're the ideal fit for what I want and keep suggesting them. Nothing wrong with saying I don't like a breed, I dislike a lot of breeds. It doesn't mean labs aren't great dogs, just means I don't want to own one.

I know about 4 GSP's that live in my area, they are all young dogs as well. I know 2 of them very well and see them all the time as they like playing with Didi, they are very full on energy wise but their owners have trained them very well and take care of their exercise needs and don't seem to have any problems with them living in the city. They are probably a bit more full on then what I'm after energy wise but they tick all the other boxes so I will have to spend a bit more time with them and ask the owners I know some more questions. I know quite a few pointers who also live in my area, one is owned by a pretty good friend of mine and she's a very sweet dog. I don't mind a dog that's a bit of hard work just to clarify! Didi might be a dream around the house but she has a lot of issues going outside the door which make her hard work. I do like Rotties, they are very good allrounders but probably a bit big and then again the double coat issue. Plus I want to avoid breeds that may have a tendency to guard/be protective.

The plan to move overseas is very vague, I will be an urban planner once I graduate which has a lot of opportunity to work in North America in Europe so I am keeping in mind what I buy in a few years might need to come with me so that's why I'm wanting something smaller to be more flexible. Yeah I got the impression that the Std's were very different from the Minis and a lot more work, the Std was the original size wasn't it? I still really like them but I think there's too big a possibility of it not working well. I also love Gordon Setters but you're right - too big and I get the impression not very well suited to my situation at the moment. Didi is active and fit, she is capable of doing a lot of exercise and playing with breeds a lot more intense than her, it's just she doesn't have the body type to support a lot of athletic activities and she prefers to sleep a lot. I think that's the first time I've seen someone say on DOL that breed isn't important! This is a dog for me! That I have to live with and want to train and compete with and will probably own for many more years after Didi has passed on.Yes I want it to be somewhat compatible with my current dog which is why I'm sticking with breeds I know she plays well with but it isn't a top priority.

Britts are pretty full on in my experience, the ones I have met are true working dogs and Pointers can be the same, lots end up in pounds for that same reason. They need a lot of stimulation, a lot of exercise and a job to do. Guess I was just trying to more nicely phrase that I'm not a huge fan of working dog types but when I say working dog I'm more referring to the ANKC group which is predominately herding breeds like the Aussie which tend to have different ways of operating to gun dogs not just in terms of energy/stimulation but with the way they interact with strangers and play with other dogs as well. I'm fairly sure 2hrs of exercise and regular training for obedience/whatever else I decide to try out should be fine for a Britt or GSP or an Aussie for that matter but I'm definitely conscious of the fact anything's a step up from Didi energy wise... but that's kind of what I want!

Thanks kirty and SM. While I think Aussies are beautiful I don't quite want to make a jump from laziest dog in the world to a working breed! Plus I'm not too keen on the coat type. SM, don't get me wrong I think labs are awesome (I live near the Guide Dog training center in Melbourne, see so many lovely working dogs around) but still don't see myself wanting to own one aussielover- think you have a point with the size difference. While the second dog is mainly for me, Didi loves to play so it'd be good if they could let loose every now and then without her having to be careful all the time so I might have to save a Cocker for later down the line! Std Schnauzers are a fair bit bigger though and quite robust for their size, Didi has one that's a really good match for her and they get pretty into it with no dramas. Though they do seem the most likely of the lot to be temperamental/be reserved with strangers. I would say the poodle, brittany, boxer and GSP are the ones that I lean toward the most. With the poodle I'd be worried about coat upkeep and whether one would gel with Didi. The boxer I'd be worried about health problems (cancer and heart problems seem fairly prevalent?) and the fact they are REALLY boisterous (which is part of their charm I suppose). The GSP I'd be worried about being able to meet their energy needs, the ones I know could go all day but they've all been really well behaved and attentive for adolescents. The Brittany I think would be pretty perfect if it was a tad bigger, has the energy and friendly gundog demeanor I'm after. Purdie- I actually quite like Curly Coats but the one I know is pretty much as big as Didi so not much of a downsize! He's also a bit of a turd so I'd have to meet a few more to see what they're like.

I may also be one of those awful people who doesn't really like labs... Every one I've met has been lovely but I just don't get them!

I've been playing around with the idea of getting a 2nd dog by the end of 2017 so may as well start narrowing down potential breeds now so I can research further and start doing some looking around for a breeder I really like! Currently have a 43-45kg Dane mix but would like to downsize to something about 13-30kg. I'm after something more athletic than Didi, would be getting at the very least an hour of off lead exercise with a second on lead walk/jog if needed, lots of playing (the dog and human kind) and in summer we spend a lot of time swimming so I'd like something fairly water inclined. Living in the city I need something fairly good offlead as it won't be able to stretch its legs other wise! Didi is pretty cool about missing walks so I'd like a dog that can make do with no walk every now and then. Training wise, I'd like to trial in rally o at the very least but try our hand at most things (not that interested in agility though) so having a biddable and keen dog would be nice but I get pretty good results with Didi who can be tricky so I don't mind a bit of a challenge. Honestly the most important thing is that it has a solid temperament and is quite people friendly, I need a dog I can confidently take anywhere (with proper training and socialisation of course). I don't need lab-style exuberance but something that is normally good with strangers. Didi is more than dog-social enough for me so I don't mind if 2nd dog is just happy to interact/ignore rather than be everyone's best friend. Didi also has the whole bodyguard role covered so don't need a watchdog breed. I love how easy Didi is to live with, she isn't destructive, calm around the house and doesn't care about being left alone. I'm not 100% on what my work/home balance will be like that far in the future but worst case scenario I'll be gone 8 hours a day during the week, I'm a pretty big homebody and spend my down time doing stuff with the dog. Barking drives me nuts so nothing that likes the sound of its own voice. Not sure where I'll be living in 2017 or from then on but will probably only have a small yard. My future career may require me to move overseas at some point so something good with cold climates is a plus. Grooming doesn't really matter to me if everything else suits I'm willing to do what's required, I'm somewhat allergic to dogs but Didi's smooth coat doesn't set me off unless I get really slack with the vacuuming. Really not a fan of double coats like labs/gsd's/huskies and they tend to make me react more. Some breeds I really love and from my research would probably suit are: Standard Poodle, Standard Schnauzer, Brittany, Boxer, Cocker Spaniel, Pointer, GSP(these are Didi's personal favourite too). So any insight on these would be great! Or any other breeds you think would suit? Aesthetically I like square/leggy breeds and prefer if it comes in some variation of black!

Oh wow that little puppy destroyed my self-esteem Thanks for the video Huski, I will get back onto the REA train, got a bit slack with it after we got our pivots while in heel position down that I forgot that she kind of needs to know how to pivot into it to begin with!

How have you taught heel work? My dogs are always taught heelwork via a pivot or perch work - so they swing their butt around into heel - like this: Because they are taught to 'find' heel this way - teaching a finish left is just an extension of this. so instead of having her find heel from my side, I would ask her from sitting in front of me to find heel. I find they catch on easily. I would toss food infront of me and then they come into heel - C&T.... clear as mud?? Our heelwork started off a bit of a mess, mainly just luring and hoping for the best(I've never trained a dog before in case that wasn't clear ) but I have since moved on to teaching her rear end awareness/pivoting like in the video. Her pivoting around me for turning while in heel position is really good but pivoting to find heel is not very good/she doesn't really understand how to do it without the target so I guess I should probably work on getting that up to scratch first! But yes I understand how finish left would just be an extension of that rather than a separate command, thanks! I kind of blanked on the fact we've been doing pivot work and how that would be helpful

So Didi and I are slowly clunking our way through the Rally O exercises and we have the call front - finish right down really well so I've decided to move onto the the finish left but... I don't really know how to go about it? Does anyone know of a good video they could link me to explain it or break down the command? When I watch videos of dogs doing it they all seem to spring back into place and face forward but Didi is big and awkward and has more of a 'slow and steady' approach to commands so I don't know if she can manage that sort of movement. Thanks!