Cosmolo

Thank you for the replies- thats great to hear taters. Nekhbet- thats exactly how i feel- with all of those things floating around in my head. Will now have a look at that link- thankyou anna.

Are there any articles on the benefits of Ester C- i mentioned it to my vet today and he was interested in reading any factual information thats available? Thanks in advance :D

Well we went to the vet again today for a re check of Dexter's hips. The vet is concerned about the apparent soreness in his shoulders which we need to monitor to make sure he doesn't have OCD as well.. He has good and bad days but we certainly notice his strange gait/ limp more than we used to. He seems to have no muscle tone in his hindquarters too. Has been on carprophen and a joint formula until now We are getting referrals for both the surgical specialist and Dogs in Motion physio, he had a cartrophen injection today and we are keeping him on a low dose of carprophen. Will also get some fish oil tablets and ester c in the next week. Is there anything else we can be doing? While we are talking to the specialist, we are not keen on the idea of surgery and recovery and seriously have no idea how we would keep him as still as he needs to be post op. Has anyone read a document called Dog Owners Speak out on hip dysplasia? I downloaded it and have read through- lots of stories about people whose dogs were diagnosed and did the different types of surgery or did not surgery at all. There is so much conflicting info out there- wait till he's finished growing/ don't wait till he's finished growing, do surgery/ don't do surgery etc Very confused about what to do from here. Hoping talking to the physio and the surgical specialist will answer a few questions. Any DOLers perspectives welcome

I would not have him sleep in bed to start with otherwise it will be harder to put him in the crate. Have the crate in the bedroom to begin with and then move it wherever you wish once he is sleeping through the night.

I would look at a well run puppy school run by a qualified and suitably experienced trainer (preferably one that is recommended to you by someone) as soon as you get your puppy. 6-16 weeks is a vital time for learning and socialisation (do a search for critical period and that should bring up some info) I would crate train any dog of my own and often suggest that new puppy owners do so- there are lots of benefits and it does not mean the dog has to sleep in their forever. I find it gives owners lots of flexibility- for example, i have a clients dog staying with me tonight who has never been away from home but he is quite relaxed because he has his crate. Also means within your own house the pup/ dog can sleep in a variety of areas with no undue stress. My dogs (all crate trained) sleep on their own bed or our bed but also have no problems being crated when we take them to friends houses or on holidays with us. Will also assist your toilet training with your new pup. I would bath your pup on an as needed basis- no hard and fast rules. I bath my guys when they get filthy or smelly! I also find that a good diet keeps the doggy smell away.

Hey jaybeece. I don't know if you will be able to get what you need from a normal club? You're welcome to come down and watch one of our group classes but i don't now if the structure is the same as what you're after? Best of luck- hope you find somewhere great, email me if we can help at all.

Just wanted to add that dogs do not necessarily grow out of mouthing- many dogs learn that it is so much fun that they continue well after the developmental phases (learning bit inhibition, teething etc) and into adulthood. Dogs do not need to mouth people to learn bite inhibition. The dog with the softest mouth in my house mouthed me twice and never again.

Thanks guys- wheres the cheapest place for joint guard?

Where can i buy ester c in Melbourne? Happy to buy online too. And where is the cheapest place to get joint guard?

We do service that area

Just emailed you some notes- sorry for delay!!

Congrats on your new dog- yes it is early days but best to seek advice now as you have done. Agree with tonymc- i would consider doing a one on one session before entering a group class, particularly so that the trainer can provide some advice on building the dogs confidence with the children. Perhaps if you give an approximate location, DOLers can recommend someone.

It depends on how you use it- i for one don't use the e collar stimulus as a command/ attention getter as such. In the early training stages, i give the dog a command and use the lowest level possible stimulation when the dog does not comply. I teach the dog that their behaviour controls the stimulation- for example, Fido- come.. Fido doesn't come.. Stimulation on.. Fido turns towards handler.. Stimulation off.. dog completes recall. We use high value rewards whenever we are using an e collar as well. I went to a great seminar with a European guy Bart Bellon and found his methods for e collar use exceptional- until then i had used the e collar differently as instructed by other trainers.

I like it and would join depending on who was behind it/ how it was run. Seems a very sensible and balanced approach

Second the rec for Four Paws

Good on you for putting in the effort- hoping everything works out well for you, the family and Samantha. While ignoring mouthing in some cases can work, more often than not (particularly with larger more persistent pups) it can increase the intensity of the mouthing before it lessens which i would not recommend for this (and many other) situation due to your wife and children's apprehension. I would instead consider some kind of immediate correction, either using her collar, water spray, loud noise, lead correction etc and then hold her in a sitting position until she settles. You are likely to get a few tantrums but better to work through those now than when she is fully grown. Set up the mouthing rather than waiting for her to do it so you can ensure you are in the best position possible to deal with it. When you set up the situations where she would normally mouth and she doesn't, she then needs to get a jackpot reward- multiple treats, verbal praise etc!!

Agree with Erny but also just wanted to add that there are times when what an owner sees as a simple problem (eg digging holes) is much more complex. I have gone to see dogs where the owner had told me over the phone that the dog just pulls on the lead but when i get there i find a dog who is highly anxious or behaves aggressively- while pulling on the lead!

Is there a floating instructor that can assist these people one on one within the class? Sounds like thats what they need. Its one thing to get the dog out and about alot- but if the dog is just practicing the bad behaviour, it will spiral and get worse- even though the effort is being made. Given its a positive club (as to be honest, from the sounds of things- i would likely give some kind of correction in combination with the rewards) i think clicker training would be a good idea and a focus command so that they can be taught at home and reinforced in class.

She is the best positive trainer i know and the best trainer in Perth i know- would highly recommend her. A lovely lady too!

Do you have a link to some info Rusky? Genuinely interested What about some of the additives and preservatives in processed foods contributing in a similar manner?

I have never heard of a raw diet creating or contributing to anxiety issues

Hey BigDaz- i would definitely look at getting x rays to see what's going on, especially after 2 weeks rest hasn't cleared it up. Chiros, physios etc are great- but only once you know what you are dealing with. Our 7 month old was recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia after just pulling up sore a few times and not responding to 2 weeks of rest and non steroidal meds. Hope she is okay and you can rule out anything serious :cool:

I had a client quoted $470 for a male castration- adult dog. They had just had a baby and decided against the desexing for that reason alone- till i pointed them in the direction of a clinic in the same area who would charge $170 for the same thing. Both newer clinics with an excellent staff and equipment. It pays to shop around within reason, provided you're not compromising your pets health and well being. I wouldn't consider going elsewhere for the sake of $50 or so- but for $300 i would.

Bigdogs- yes this is normal- dogs learn very quickly what they can and can't do for different family members/ handlers and respond accordingly! :D

denis c- does how one person responds to the club really influence how you will respond to your other members and clients? :D Why would what someone says on an online forum influence your committment to those who show up every week to seek help to train their dog? If you feel the feedback is incorrect, i can understand you being annoyed frustrated etc. But i think its sad that the members will now get less of your efforts There is no reality, only perception, and i would be looking into why a negative perception is there rather than attacking the person providing it.