Cosmolo

What Corvus said The dog is not learning at that point if the fear is that strong anyway and there is a difference between confidently and calmly letting a dog know things are normal and okay, versus mollycoddling and behaving abnormally- which increases the fear not through reinforcement but through the strange change in owner behaviour. Encouraging a dog to train, play etc amonst other things during storms can be very helpful but extreme phobia usually requires management rather than complete resolution.

Yes you can teach the dog that the cats are not a prey object. But you need to do it asap before she gets too many rewards (internal not from you) for being predatory towards the cats.

I agree with you SBT123- a puppy free for all would not be benficial for this- or any other- puppy. My perception is coloured though because the pre schools i run couldn't be further from a free for all- i know they're not all like mine though. Getting started with a private lesson isn't a bad idea either- is that an option for you louieb?

Desexing DOES impact behaviour in many ways- its not a cure all for behaviour problems but that does not mean there is no impact- particularly when it pertains to interaction with other dogs. I assess dogs each week- some that are entire, and i re assess them after desexing with no other training carried out. There are differences in the dogs behaviour AND the way others respond to him/ her post desexing. Good on you OP for doing your research. ETA and clarify- the dogs are assessed at animal shelters where they are going to be desexed regardless of anything else, it is not MY recommendation that has them desexed, nor do i use desexing as the only behaviour modifcation tool at my disposal in ANY case.

A good puppy pre school will be helpful- just ensure the trainer is qualified. Desexing won't help with the mouthing so focus on the training for now.

Ricketts Point Beaumaris- off lead to the right of the cafe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Its a lovely beach.

Has anybody checked local pound, vets etc for Magnus?

Can anyone provide a video link for the channel 9 story? or was it on channel 10?

Thinking of you and your dogs Jed- we all hope you pull through okay. All our love, Tamara, Stuart and the crew- Dexter, Georgie, Cosmo, Jessie and Gilbert.

How on earth does the dog not get declared dangerous??? Especially for a second offence

A good behaviourist will be able to help you to develop strategies you can implement when you are there as well as management strategies for when you are not there. Whereabouts are you located? Is daycare an option for the meantime?

Thoughts with you at this time Jed.

;) Oh my god, thoughts with you Jed.

I missed that you had 3 boys as well- don't rehome the pup before trying some professional help. I think your concerns are well placed- would be awful to damage the relationship between the boys and your daughter over rehoming of the puppy. Wish i was in Sydney to assist but i'm sure there will be some good reccomendations from other DOL members. Just to give you an example of an exercise i have used before- i have had a few cases where the children have been frightened of the puppy/ dog in the home and once we have stopped some of the mouthing, jumping etc that is normally present we look to teach the dog to target (nose touch) an object. With fearful little girls, i have used the end of a fairy wand, initially taught by the parents with the child watching from a distance. The idea is firstly to spark curiousity about what the puppy is doing and eventually work toward the child holding the wand with the puppy nose touching the end of the wand (away from the child) I've used it with great success a number of times and in combination with some other things that a professional who can see the situation would suggest, it may be something to consider.

What have you tried so far to improve the situation?

There could be a number of reasons why the situation has escalated- the most important thing is to act without delay- these sorts of things tend to escalate over time. In the meantime, remove any resources that could create guarding- i would be feeding dogs separately, not leaving them unattended with toys etc and avoiding having the dogs in close proximity in times of high arousal- when they are very excited etc. The vet check is a good idea as well. We do consult in Melbourne's east- website in signature if you'd like to email us through there.

Nylabones are safe to ingest- it says on the package. My dogs love their nylabones and i have never had an issue with them. They particularly like the ones with the purple ball in the middle of the 2 nylabone ends.

Hi Kirty- Knowing the dog you're referring to, i think you'd be better off going to professional group training. I know $$ is a limiting factor but if you would like to, send me an email and perhaps we can try to work something out. I don't know first hand of any obedience clubs in your area that could competently deal with the issues. Perhaps head down and watch a class at Knox and see if there are any dogs there with similar issues and how they handle them? Otherwise any of the options mentioned would be good ones, our classes in Clayton are about the same distance wise as the others too.

I think yes Diva- that would certainly be possible.

What Cordelia said. I fear for the American Staffy too- acknowledgement of any breeds characteristics is so important. I know someone who has 2 am staff littermates (pedigree) with serious dog aggression issues. They wanted happy go lucky dog park social type dogs. They should have been directed towards another breed. Denial is not a helpful thing.

Hetzer- i agree. I have 2 x 35kg + dogs, 2 x 20kg+ dogs and 1 x 3kg puppy. They play really well and i love watching them interact. But unfortunately many of the dogs i encounter would not play appropriately with my puppy and he would get squished! So i am very careful about the strange dogs he plays with.

Could anyone give some approximate prices for all the different agility equipment? Looking to buy things, not make them. And good suppliers in Melbourne?

Blunt force trauma Dogs that are overly boisterous combined with a size imbalance ARE an issue, regardless of breed. Having our first small dog over the last few months has given me an even better understanding of how small dog owners feel- a dog bounces up to my 4 big dogs and they can at least physically stand while the other dog bounces at them while i quickly intervene. Bounce on my 3kg JRT puppy and he would get frightened, hurt or worse. Respect and common sense- seems to be sliding out of society in every respect, so no surprise that it hapens with dog owners too. Not referring to the OP- just a general comment.

Yes, i'd be happy for someone to buy me kennels in sunny Brisbane too! Although i am pretty excited about the kennels we use for our B+T, (ABBA boarding kennels) because although the current facilities are fabulous, they are re building brand new facilities soon- they are going to be amazing!