Cosmolo

I think the pup is anticipating you getting up and perhaps going out to him. Ignore, ignore, ignore and let the neighbours know you are working on it, it wil get worse before it gets better but it will get better. He is 12 weeks old- a baby, and i would not be using a bark collar of any kind.

Qualified trainer is definitely the go- but please find one who is open to a variety of techniques and methods. You have a high drive pup who is likely to need a correction of some kind, at some point and its best for a qualified person to show you exactly what needs to be done. He also needs to spend time away from you- independence training and crate training if you haven't already would be a good idea.

Our Level One classes have a maximum of 10 per trainer and average 6-7. Level Two classes have a maximum of 6. Puppy classes have a maximum of 10 and average would be 8. I like these numbers but it can vary. There are times where i may only have 6 dogs but they have issues which make it more difficult to run the class whereas other times 10 can be fabulous and not 'feel' like a big class if you know what i mean! No plans to change numbers any time soon as for the most part things work really well ETA Oops forgot to answer question properly! We came to that decision based on experience with varying class sizes as we have run classes for other orgs that have been massive and didn't feel they worked as well.

Puppy-ratzi is gorgeous- sounds like something i would sing

I am just so very sorry- heartbreaking

From a breeders perspective, what do you recommend to puppy buyers with regards to dog to dog socialisation, both as puppies and as adults? Do breeders prefer single dog homes? Would you ever rehome littermates together?

I have been told before that it is difficult to find a 'good flatcoat' as there are many who are anxious and hyper and their puppies then have similar traits. Can anyone confirm or deny that this is the case?

Do most groomers know how to groom a rough coat properly? Do you get a groomer to do them or is it easy to do yourself? Do you ahve any pics of a rough not stripped and a rough stripped? Thanks weisnjac

Not a silly question. Yes i encourage tug of war with toys as an appropriate outlet provided we also teach the pup to give when asked. Dogs can differentiate between playing tug with a toy and grabbing person skin or clothing.

I think puppies need to mouth too. I just don't think they need to mouth people

Not always Huski, although they may have other problems. Its like single litter pups- i've known some with bite inhibition or socialisation issues, others without.

I'm a big believer that the vast majority of bite inhibition is learned with Mum and littermates with a genetic component coming into play as well.

I am just repeating what we were told- as i said, the FHO was never an option so was dismissed and not discussed. I understand what a hip replacement is, i was just told that arthritis could still be an issue AND that it was a salvage operation, hence why the vet wanted to do a TPO at that time.

What Staranais and Nekhbet said. Testing bite inhibition is not as simple as seeing whether a dog bites hard when they do. Bite inhibition is about ability to modify, not inclination to bite soft. A dog can have a soft mouth and still bite hard- when it wants to.

I am simply repeating what i was told. I am not a vet so no, i probably don't have a good understanding of anatomy. Your second paragraph is a good explanation, thank you.

I'm so sorry deelee :D

I understand that- i am not suggesting arthritis will develop in metal.. But what about the surrounding area where arthritis is already there? ETA We were given hip replacement and TPO as the options as my boy was under 12 months and could have the TPO. (although i then spoke to a different specialist who said the presence of arthritis doesn't always preclude the dog from having the TPO- so many opinions, so much conflicting information.

Just another opinion, I have seen soft crates ripped to bits by puppies (of varying breeds but including labs) so generally don't recommend them for the initial stages of crate training- just in case!

Perhaps a good chiro or bowen therapist might be a good start if it doesn't seem to be causing pain? I'm not sure if its just the angle of the photo but is there a chance she could be a little overweight and thats making the issue more obvious?

Interesting. Thats definitely not what my vet said- we weren't talking about FHO as that wasn't an option for my boy at all. He described it as a salvage operation because there would already be arthritis there which would not be fixed by the hip replacement.

Tears here too I am so so sorry for your loss.

Have you considered taking the pups to puppy pre school? Independence training is very important at this early stage and crate training may be one tool that can assist you with this. Doing short separate training sessions and simply pairing the pups name with a food reward will help them to learn their names as well.

Matthew, where do you want your pup to toilet in the long run? Crate training would mean getting up during the night to take the pup to where you want them to toilet. Be careful using paper products for toilet training- remember your pup will develop a preference for surface and you may end up with a pup who toilets on any paper, anywhere in the house.

Good post Vickie. none of my dogs like having their nails done but they all stand quietly while it occurs- makes the whole process much easier!

Kayla, i think the work you've done so far is great- just the right starting point. But think now that you're at the point you are with the dog, it might be time to introduce some compulsion and block the birds completely as an option (by using some kind of appropriate correction)