Cosmolo

One of my dogs works 100 times better if her meals come as treats during training. The only problem i am having is trying to maintain a raw diet while doing this as everything raw i have tried as treats is really gross and messy. I am using four legs at the moment as i don't want her on dry and worry about devon and other meats as treats providing what she needs. Any ideas/ suggestions?

We have young dogs classes in Heidelberg, otherwise Four Paws K9 Training might have something around that area?

I just cleaned and mopped my floor.. And then i let the dogs back in Cmon Erny- teach me how to teach my dogs to clean and mop!

Where are you leaving to when you go out of sight, ie how far away?

Another non competitive brag from us I have started to teach Cosmo to heel walking backwards and doing tight backward circles etc and she is doing great! We might have to do some doggy dancing or something soon. She is actually starting to truly enjoy heeling too, while she has always been very good at it, she is now starting to prance and dance and literally throws herself into position when i ask. The only conflict i now have is whether to use food or toy- she has always had a high prey drive and loves tug but ever since i started using some of her meals as training (rather than training treats in addition to her meals) her food drive has spiked to the point that she doesn't seem to want a tug- sometimes. It seems to vary and i find it hard to choose what she really wants! Not a terrible dilemma to have i know One last brag- The Dexter man has learnt stand too!! He has learnt it in only 3 weeks and is getting better and better! He's starting to get a nice stand stay and can do it from heeling, sit or drop so far. We're going to join rotti club next week too so will make sure we keep allocating training time, nothing like the potential for sheer embarassment for motivation Congrats to everyone achieving passes and progress too!!

How is a vet supposed to tell you how much something will cost pre consult when they have no idea whats wrong with the dog??

I don't think a business choosing to mark up by an extra 20% to another business for example- is anything to do with fair trading?

How are the charges not transparent? I have a recent vet bill and a recent mechanic bill and they're both broken down the same way to me? And- i can tell you which one was more expensive too!!

I subsidise my own vet visits when my unfortunate animal is the one that does need medication. But to be honest- i rarely think about the cost of my vet as i know they are the best people to look after my animal and i know they are ethical- what i pay is worth it regardless of the breakdown.

I would rather pay less for a consult, more for meds as there have been many occassions where my dog has not needed medication.

How long has she been doing it for and how old is she? Cosmo's seemed to get worse during her second fear period and it probably took a good 6 months or so for her to be where she is now. I would crate her when i wasn't working her, away from other dogs and pushed the dog distractions with her obedience while i was close to her- dogs running past, leaping around etc. If she can't deal with a dog looking at her (and i am of the opinion all dogs should be proofed for this and more), i would not be doing any distance work at all. How do you respond when she is snappy?

JulesP, from what you're describing i think one of my girls used to do something similar. It improved dramatically when i actively 'took care of things for her'- ie, anticipating the reaction and removing her or the other dog before it happened and worked on her obedience around other dogs with big releases and rewards for focus.

Poor Mandela. Its awful to have a dog with such bad hives- Georgie used to get them until we changed her diet, obviously its not that simple for Mandela

A vet charged a sunday consult fee.. on a Sunday- OMG Why should the person's 'ability to pay' be considered? Sad as it may be- thats not the way the world works. Coles don't make my groceries cheaper because i don't earn as much as the businessman next door.

What PPS said. You cannot blame vets for owners choosing to dump their animals or have them pts- owners decide that, not vets.

I don't really see why vets should point you in the direction of something cheaper elsewhere? No other business would do that.

The charges aren't hidden in any way different to any other product or service!! When i go to coles- they sure don't tell me that the bottle of milk i am buying for $3 only cost them 0.70 cents! With your electrician example, if i felt the cost was unreasonable, the next time i needed an electrician i would try someone else- but thats because i don't particularly care who fixes a fuse in my house. I do care who is dealing with my animals medical needs. There seems to be this thinking with some people that those who work with animals should do certain things for 'the love of it' and not be focussed on making profit. Its possible to love animals and make a profit- they're not mutually exclusive.

Even if its true (which i don't think it is for most) that vets are earning millions of dollars a year- whats the problem? Why should a vet caring for your pet be less worthy of high salaries and profit than a business manager or CEO? Do some vets over charge? Sure they do. And no one forces you to continue to use the same vet. I am more concerned with the care of my pet than whether a vet is making a profit on some drugs dispensed. And my vet does countless things cheaply or at no charge for me for which i am extremely grateful. Have you ever considered that mark ups on certain medications are more to compensate for those meds/ services/products that have minimal or no mark ups?

I do hope you can work out whats wrong Kavik. I know how frustrating it can be to have an animal and know that there's something wrong but not able to find a decisive answer! Good luck

How did you start your out of sight stay?

Sorry to hear Kavik. Its hard when they can't do what you intended them to do- i haven't had the experience with a dog but certainly did with a horse and it was a nightmare- ended up rehoming- bit different with horses though. I would have loved to have done agility with Dexter, think he would have been super but his HD and ED won't let us :rolleyes: So we do other fun things instead. Does Diesel ever get excited about anything?

Yes Kelpie i- a little maltese x bichon recently in for B+T who was amazing and achieved in less than 2 weeks what some dogs struggle to get in 3! Small fluffy dogs aren't usually my favourites but she had the focus and intelligence of a kelpie!!! Actually we also have a lab at the moment who is much the same- divine!!

I can't suggest a club in the area but would suggest you look at any of the classes before attending with your dog so that you can determine whether the classes will suit you. Would Four Paws be too far?

Socialisation and training can be hand in hand- with my dogs i don't let them assign a high value to something and then start training- the two things may happen at the same time. For that reason i don't feel as though i am creating problems in need of fixing later on. One of my dogs who had fantastic socialisation- positive experiences- is my most laid back dog- cruisy and relaxed, sometimes very playful with dogs, yet high drive, focussed and attentive to me depending on what i require at the time. Thats what i want- i think its the ultimate in flexibility and i also enjoy watching my dogs play appropriately and safely with others as do they.

Quickasyoucan- i think you can get the well behaved dog at the cafe through training- even with a well socialised dog who really likes other dogs. Neutralisation is not the only way to achieve this.