Scrappi&Monty

How much?

Yep of course That sounds great thanks PK & Jumabaar, will have to look into it further Where are you based @Jumabaar ? I'm not sure if it's something we can do at the moment though... Do either of you use supplements for arthritis? I'd like to put him on something but I know a few of them don't do much and are a bit of a waste of money.

Yeah, no idea how they'd police it... Freezing isn't necessary but if you're worried about worms it's a good idea to freeze. Google the temp and time needed, I'm sure it will tell you some handy info. Offal can be a bit "icky" haha but you get used to it. I chopped up lamb kidney for the first time in ages yesterday... it wasn't as smelly as last time (first time it smelled like wee and seaweed haha) Personally I use food prep gloves when doing the dogs meal prep (in bulk). Just prevents the feeling that you need to wash your hands a billion times and still feel like they're meaty haha.

Oh I thought you meant the disinfectant they use in vet clinics, the stuff I was thinking of smells sort of like metho. Makes you a bit dizzy the smell haha. Must be a completely different thing. And ugh yes, that fake meat smell is revolting haha The worming chews we use smell so horrid that even Scrappi won't touch them haha. (We have to disguise them to ridiculous extents bahaha)

Good luck with your little Spud! Our Corgi x Jack Russell (Scrappi) tore both his cruciate ligaments in his younger years. Our vet recommended "bed rest" & meds for our boy, but surgery is probably the better option for most dogs. We were lucky! He recovered really well and still manages to zip around just as fast.

We adopted Monty (who was a 6mth old) when Scrappi was 6 years old, and they are the best of friends. They are actually a little bit too bonded as they sometimes get distressed when the other is away. So even though there is a big age gap they are still like peas in a pod!

Ahh ok good stuff then! I've probably seen it before but didn't know the name. Is that the stuff that smells reaaallly strong? Like it should be toxic?

No I hadn't thought of that actually, thanks PK I'm not sure if that would be too helpful with preventing arthritis though would it? But we really should've taken him to do something like that or some sort of physio following the ligament damage. Our vet never recommended it though so we didn't think of it. Doesn't cause him any grief anymore thankfully, but I recall the risk of arthritis goes up a lot in dogs who have damaged the Cruciate ligaments.

As Karen said, get an older dog from a breeder, or get a rescue!

I've been thinking of getting some joint supplements for Scrappi, and wanted to ask for some opinions on which type are the best value. Scrappi is turning 8, and he's a rescue corgi x Terrier with pretty bad turned out front feet. In his younger years he tore both hind cruciate ligaments but he didn't have surgery. Our vet reccomended that we just give him meds & bed rest and he recovered well from that with no issues. He still runs around like crazy doing zoomies with our younger dog, and runs up the back to bark at/sniff passing by dog walkers. He wrestles with Monty (younger dog) a lot too, they play like puppies. He's still very very fast and he really enjoys playing so I feel like now might be a good time to start on supplements before things actually do get sore. He pulls up sore occasionally and if he does we will give him half an aspirin as the vet suggested. Photo is of his feet

I love having two dogs, but I do really miss having one. If you want to save your sanity, I would definitely not get another puppy until your dog is mature (maybe min 2yo) and well trained. I'd wait until current dog can settle inside, walks with a loose lead, tolerates being home alone (not digging, chewing etc, puppy will copy.) Personally I'd be focussing on getting the current dog's training to be really good first, since once you get another puppy there won't be a lot of one on one time. Pros: - They have a friend to play with - They are absolutely best friends (after an initial few grumbles) - I love both of my dogs. With 2 dogs you have two buddies to cuddle and love. - They tire each other out (but still need to excercise them of course) Cons: - Obviously costs a bit more. The initial purchases are less though (you might not need more poo bags, another brush/nail clipper/shampoo and little things like that) - They get attached to each other so my dogs generally play with one another, and don't play as much with me as we used to. - My two are so attached that it is unnecessarily difficult to take them for walks. We can't walk them together as they get over excited and silly, so we walk them one by one. One has to be left at home while the other comes with me, so they get a bit of separation anxiety. - Due to this I can't take them to the dog park or out on adventures because the dog left out gets too sad. - More shedding haha So I'd highly recommend that you don't have the dogs together all the time, take them out on their own often. And give one a long lasting treat locked up in one area while you train the other. I love both my boys, and having two dogs is great, but having an only dog is also really nice. My heart wants another though... hehehe. (I wonder if it gets easier with three... Can walk one while the others are together so no-one gets lonely... hmmm)

What does chlorhexidine do?

That's tough... I would usually definitely recommend Raw Feeding to anyone with dogs with skin allergies (cured Scrappi's completely!) But you said the dog is supposedly allergic to meat, so my advice is probably terrible haha. I suppose it's worth a shot though. Would highly highly recommend coconut oil though! Scrap used to have skin allergies, vet said it was environmental (like pollen/grass etc) so prescribed prednisol. First spring/summer it seemed to work. Then we took him off it for winter. Then next spring he got itchy again so we put him back on it but he reacted badly to it. It made him all out of sorts, hungry all the time, grumpy, sad and tired. So we had to wean him back off it. Then we researched other options, and long story short changed him over to Black Hawk kibble (not necessarily recommended for your friend though if she can't afford it. But it is a hell of a lot cheaper than Science Diet.) And also half raw fed. Coconut oil, 1tsp daily with food, and sometimes topically as well. Coconut oil worked wonders!

I feel like it's a personal decision to weigh up the pros and cons. I was raw feeding before I ever read about hyditids, so I thought about it for a bit but I just kept raw feeding because it was doing my dogs a lot of good. There is a little bit of a risk, but if you take actions to prevent it it should be fine. I freeze my dogs meals for a week at least (most of the time), because A) that's how I store it, and B) the cold temp should kill off any worms. I also worm my dogs monthly with a wormer that covers hyditids (Sentinel or Interceptor Spectrum, I get them mixed up. One kills flea larvae and the one I use doesn't.) Also I buy my meat from the supermarket as unfortunately we can't order bulk around here, so the risk of hyditids should be minimal because it is intended for human consumption. So hopefully all of that keeps the hyditids away! If you're in Tasmania though, I've heard it is illegal to feed dogs offal. I'm not sure how they enforce this though, are humans not able to buy it either? And if you're still worried, perhaps just cook your offal. Cooked offal is better than no offal in a raw diet.

I know you can't adopt yet, but just to show you they have some on Petrescue. This fella has been in foster care for a while, I've seen him pop up before: https://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/488157 And this girl, not sure if you have little kids though. https://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/551262 https://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/546209

Glad you found DOL! Ok, you'll have some reading to do about backyard breeders, puppy mills/puppy farms, and designer dogs. Most "breeders" on Gumtree are BYBs (backyard breeders) so it seems this Pomeranian x Chi pup is probably not coming from the best place. If you are set on a Pomeranian x chihuahua or similar mix, have a look at Petrescue and check it regularly Also read about choosing a good breeder and ethics etc, and have a look at the Pomeranian and Chihuahua breeders on DogzOnline. Maybe have a look at some other similar small breed dogs too, and speak to the breeders about what you're looking for in a dog and they could help you out! I'll see if I can find some articles in particular on BYB and puppy farming, but if you google it it'll come up with loads. You REALLY want to steer clear of dodgy breeders http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564373/The-hidden-suffering-dogs-bred-cute-Adorable-looks-Cuddly-names-like-Labradoodle-But-trend-cross-breed-dogs-raises-disturbing-questions.html https://www.rspcansw.org.au/the-issues/help-us-close-puppy-factories http://www.animalsaustralia.org/puppies

Good spotting PK! @persephone on Petrescue it generally says "not available for adoption" or "on hold" or "adopted" or something like that once they are unavailable. This little girl must have just been in foster care for a little while (Or they forgot to mark her as unavailable)

Maybe also sit next to the crate with him and chuck a treat in, let him go get it and practice him going in and out with treats so he isn't scared of that? Also try not to put him in it physically, you have to get him to like walking in on command. Neither of my dogs have a crate, but I practiced crate training on my cousin's spare crate one day with my 7 year old dog just for fun/in case.

My 12kg dog has ripped both his back cruciates in his younger years, he partially tore one, then fully tore it, and then partially tore the other. I didn't know about DOL (to get a second opinion) or much about the options available so I just went with what the vet said. She was right, he recovered well! She gave us an assortment of meds, and said he had to be on "bed rest" for a month or so. (Same happened on the other occasions) Luckily we have family who have a small backyard and are home pretty much all day. So we'd drop him at their place every morning for about a month. He couldn't run around there because they only have a small backyard (but if it was big we would've just put him on lead), and since they are home he was supervised and couldn't do anything silly. He went fine, loved the attention and was happy to snooze in the sunshine despite being an active bouncy young dog (that's how he ripped them!) He recovered fully without surgery, but he is a smaller dog. We will start giving him arthritis prevention joint supplements soon since he's turning 8 and that's something to keep an eye on. So I know we are really lucky to have family who could mind him, but I would highly recommend that as an option if you can find a friend or family member who can mind him most of the day. Otherwise look into doggy daycare or maybe a pet sitter? Or if you have any retired/stay-at-home parents as neighbours you could perhaps ask them to watch him? If that isn't an option, perhaps you could set up a little room for him if you have a small room, or a tall puppy pen, or a crate or something. And give him puzzles or long lasting chews and things to keep him entertained and using his brain. If you can squeeze in a little bit of training every day with your shift work that would also be excellent. I'm sure you can find videos on YouTube or blog posts about games and training for dogs on bed rest. I think I've watched some before. If you're too busy with work perhaps you could see if there is a dog trainer (that you trust) that could either mind him at their house or drop into your house while you're working to give him a bit of training or games to keep his brain thinking. Tire him out that way rather than physically Good luck!!

We got a $10 large or x-large "weather resistant" coat for Monty from Kmart a few months ago. All sold out in most kmarts now unfortunately. It fits well though for a 22kg boofy (but slim) mixed breed. Cant find many to fit Scrappi, his corgi-like body is too long for most standard sizes. But his chest is too little for the longer backs in the big sizes. Scored a jumper on special for $10 a few years ago, fits perfectly but he hates it because of the leg holes.

As long as there hasn't been parvo or something in your yard then yes pup is allowed there. The decision you have to make is to weigh up the pros and cons of taking the pup off your property. Socialisation vs risk of getting sick. Personally I feel that the minute risk of disease is worth it for the crucial socialisation in a young pup. Having a dog who was not socialised as a puppy until we got him as a 6mth old, and dealing with his dog reactivity and anxiousness/excitement on walks is difficult. In my opinion it's absolutely crucial to socialise lots! I wouldn't let pup walk on the ground off your property until it is fully vaccinated though. Just carry her until she is immunised, and don't let her meet strange dogs or sniff dog poo of course. Introduce her to all sorts of things in a positive non-scary way. https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/~/media/files/animal training fact sheets/puppy specific/socialisation_checklist_10_v2_13992.ashx?la=en Also if kennel cough or parvo or any other bad diseases are going around in your area I would be especially cautious with where you take her. Off topic but, What breed is she? Good luck

Why would someone even want their dog to be like that?! Poor thing is a bag of bones! As melzawelza said, it is great to have lean and fit dogs, there is an epidemic of overweight dogs, but that dog is absolutely emaciated!

Welcome to DOL A great place to ask Q's for new dog owners. 8 weeks is the youngest you can legally get a puppy. It's like bringing a new baby home! I'm assuming you're about to be a first time puppy owner? Do you have a breeder & pup lined up or are you just curious and starting to look into the idea? Yes, you would have to pay for the 10 week vaccines if you get a pup before then. And potentially more vaccines after that depending on which schedule the pup gets. The price depends on your vet clinic. I can't remember how much our's cost. It's always a good idea to take pup to the vet soon after you get them. Firstly to double check they are healthy (they might pick something up when you get them that the breeder didn't notice, or the breeder might not have told you about an issue...) and Secondly, it's good to do a bit of socialisation, get pup comfortable and happy with going to the vets. Treats and cuddles and meeting your new vet are all a bonus! The vet can give you some advice (but it's always best to get the advice from as many people as possible, ask Questions here on DOL, and any dog trainers or pet supply shop workers etc.)

YES!! Do the training ASAP! Sooo much easier to train it correctly in the first place rather than to teach them once they've developed bad habits! YouTube (I think Perse gave you some already) - Kikopup - Zak George (and perhaps -Grisha Stewart.) So helpful! I taught mine using these methods. But both of my dogs were older puppies by the time they learned and that was a bit of a nightmare! Would recommend what Tassie said, the training is more important at this stage than the excercise. Speaking of exercise, a tired dog is usually better at obedience on walks (less excitement to deal with). So go check out those trainers, make sure the harness doesn't impare her walking & good luck!

I'm sort of on both sides. Definitely not wanting to bash vets!! It's a profession I'm really interested in. As RMS was saying, that "vets do it all for money", well I suppose some do. They don't typically get paid a whole lot... (vets are 26th on the list of how much they earn, they get paid less than social workers etc. Even though they are typically just as qualified as dentists & doctors.) As Juice said, yes some unfortunately do try to push their views... even if they're outdated. My vet still does annual vaccines (unless asked not to), and she sells Royal Canin Vet & Science Diet. I disagree with all that. I only go to her because she's local and lovely and I've been to her since we adopted Scrappi. As PC said, trainers & behaviourists & breeders etc are all as much as a business as vets. You just have to see if you trust them or not, if they're just trying to make $$$. IMO, if you were a newbie, I'd reccomend asking a WIDE RANGE of different professionals & dog lovers, and do a load of your own research. That way you get many different perspectives and can make up your own mind.