Asher

That all makes sense alpha bet :-)

I’d be interested to hear from other people who have had this issue in the past too, or are experienced with such behavioral issues. One of my dogs (not a terrier) has been aggressive to puppies and young submissive dogs since he himself was a few months old. He’s now three and I still don’t let him meet puppies plus avoid prolonged greetings with submissive dogs, even though he’s nearly always busting to say hi. He now mounts other dogs when he’s aroused/excited, particularly if they are unable to run and wrestle freely. After a lot of observation, thinking, reading and consulting (including a qualified behaviorist and trainer) I think it’s a combination of things, each of which might be the primary driver of any single incident depending on the situation. Several are closely related to each other and come from breed traits as well as training issues. These include: Frustration / lack of patience / lack of self control skills; wanting to control situations or make the first move if uncertain or anxious; a spoilt brat attitude that inherently feels ‘entitled’ and expects canines and humans to do what he wants including play NOW (and gets pissed off if they don’t); very high prey drive plus too much value for playing with other dogs resulting in over-arousal and threshold-crossing; and last but not least, resource-guarding/possessiveness (especially of me). Hopefully that gives you some ideas when thinking about potential drivers and training. I agree it’s very important that there’s no more opportunity to practice the behaviour.

Has anyone suggested looking into EPI? Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Apologies if this is old news, but worth considering. Symptoms include: Gradual wasting away despite a voracious appetite Eliminating much more frequently, sometimes every hour or two Stools are greasy voluminous yellowish cow-plops, but sometimes grayish Eating their own stools, or other inappropriate substances Increased rumbling sounds from the abdomen Increased passing amounts of flatulence Some dogs do not show any typical signs Some experience intermittent watery diarrhea or vomiting Some dogs even display personality changes such as fearfulness or sudden aggression

I use TOTW fish recipe for one of my dogs who has a beef allergy and grain intolerance - it’s been fabulous, very reliable and zero issues for him. I use Meals for Mutts for another dog and he has been doing really well on it. I find Ivory Coat is a too high in fat, particularly for the older dog.

I couldn’t see if they were including a sample of ‘control’ dogs of KNOWN breed or ancestry (I.e. they know for sure what the breed or combination is prior to genetic testing and surveying people) which would be necessary if they were to draw any scientifically valid conclusions... Plus I agree that the breed list is very limited and biased. All a bit pointless...

Have you considered Belgian Shepherds? Do some research on them and talk to some breeders and owners, they’re not easy but are highly rewarding and would love an active lifestyle like yours.

Excellent article. Should be given to every new GR owner!

Thanks everyone that's all helpful. I've decided not to go with it, too many potential drawbacks and hassles for the expense. They'll just have to keep training on dirt and weeds :-)

In case it helps - My dog is allergic to beef and intolerant of grains (including rice) and dairy too. His digestive issues didn't clear up until he'd been off all red meat, grains and dairy for several weeks - apparently it can take a while for the gut to settle down after being inflamed for so long. Probiotics (e.g. Protexin) didn't seem to help - in fact the opposite. You have to keep it simple, religiously stick to the one diet for at least a month and be patient. Like Taliecat I've found fish-based grain-free diets to be best (e.g. Taste of the Wild salmon, sardines). He can now also have poultry and lamb - but we took a long time to slowly reintroduce lamb. Any exposure to grains or beef causes upset - and nearly all of the cheaper commercial treats and dry foods contain both! Also keep in mind that testing for Giardia etc. can be difficult to get right. Good luck - it's so distressing when they're unwell for so long and we don't know what the problem is!

Thanks sheena. We wouldn't be training when it's hot anyway so I don't think heat's a big issue. I'm more concerned about whether they would rip it up or damage it with their claws or simply by running hard, turning hard etc.

Hello all - Has anyone had success at home with fake / artificial / synthetic grass as an agility training surface? My 'lawns' (weed and dirt patches with a few tufts of grass) receive quite a bit of punishment from my large active dogs racing around playing tag and wrestling as well as from agility training. Any experiences / suggestions that might help? I'm in Canberra, so freezing sub-zero temperatures in winter, hot in summer and water is expensive. Many thanks in advance!