Erny

Danelady - that is a really lovely thought on the part of the previous dog's owner. Really sorry for her loss. Also a lovely thought on your part to try to find a worthy new recipient. If you don't get any takers from here, what about contacting the Lort Smith Hospital and also the Melbourne University Animal Hospital? Perhaps they might know of someone's dog who would do well with something like that but where their owner might be struggling financially?

Jake-K9 .... apparently the people left the dog in the care of a teenager.

"Disease Watchdog Database" .... good idea. Is that just new?

From the very little that I know of it, Staranais, I think it is based more on relaxation (and hence certain nerve rich areas to promote/achieve this) than muscle massage. Could be wrong though - others here who are more familiar with it will be best to clarify. I use a couple of things that I think are similar to TTouch 'moves' for calming dogs (fear dogs, for example). Ears/forehead and sides of shoulders mainly.

To me though, there is and/or can be a difference between "being on a high" and "in drive". This is not to argue, but perhaps to clarify. I got the impression from the OP that she is talking about her dog not switching out of "drive" (going by her post in another thread in 'health' where she says : "... finished up a wild game of tug with some TTouch ... went from very high arousal to collapsed on his side in under a minute.") I think it is very important that if we are training our dogs "in drive" that we also train them to be able to flick out of drive. With my boy there is an obvious change of 'state' once I've given him his "off" cue, but he still finishes very happy. This wasn't always the case (ie in his early days of learning) but it was a very short time before he cottoned on. I think Kivi is further on in training than that, though??? I otherwise agree with you, BB .... I always seek to finish before my boy is ready to. I wonder if the OP meant "in drive" when speaking of "arousal"? That's what I initially thought she meant, but Corvus uses different language at times so perhaps I have misunderstood what she really means by "aroused" - now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not sure. Corvus didn't question my response, so I presume she is agreeing that by "arousal" she meant "in drive". Do you mind clarifying, Corvus?

Apart from the fact that regardless of the "big dog/small dog" thing, all require mental stimulation .

Huh?? What rock are they hiding under?

Thank you Staranais. Yes, that's what I meant. The OP expressed that her dog was quite sick after the last vacc.

I second the Titre Test option. If it doesn't show up antibodies it doesn't mean your dog does not carry immunity to parvo, but if it shows up antibodies it will confirm for you that your boy has cover and give you peace of mind. I had my boy Titre Tested 12 months after his last puppy shot and it revealed sufficient antibodies to parvo. If the titre test doesn't show up the antibodies then you need to make a choice. I think if it were me I would opt to no more vaccinations. Basically, I'd weigh up the balance : Re-Vaccinate = dog becomes very sick. Don't re-vaccinate = dog won't become sick from vaccinations but might contract parvo.

I was actually looking to see where I could source "Dog News" January, February and March 2010 editions. I went to google (which didn't help me) and saw this : Seattle dog number law Limit of 50 dogs under 6 months of age? Would that REALLY make a difference to puppy millers and would it really stop disreputable breeding practices? BTW .... Does anyone have a copy of "Dog News" in the editions that I'm after, as per above? Is "Dog News" a magazine that one can purchase, or is it a dog organisation print? Same link will show you this : How very, very sad . Poor dog.

Yes - ONLY illegal in Victoria. No where else. Signed, Erny (Location : Nanny State)

I've taught my boy a verbal "on" switch and an "off" switch. That's part of "drive training". No - I don't leave the dog 'hanging'. That would not be good in different environments where the aroused dog is still looking for drive satisfaction that you haven't supplied. I control the game from the beginning to the end. Do you leave your dogs "hanging" (as you put it) in "drive", Corvus? You would do really well to learn about the basic steps to "drive" training and I'm sure you would enjoy it. Why not attend a workshop or two on it - visual accounts for so much of learning.

I was cooking up his chicken leg fillets tonight (I steam them) and popped a beef bone on top for a couple of minutes - just enough for the outside of the bone to appear as a cooked colour and for the exterior fat to become greasy. The rest of the bone was raw. It worked!! He has just enjoyed a good munch on it and I can imagine the teeth clean it would have provided him - much better than I possibly could .

Any news APBT?

APDT - I'm still thinking Furunculosis. Or Pemphigus Disorder. It might be neither, as there are so many things that can share symptoms that are alike. Have you had a Vet look at it?

Agree with SK. I can't imagine a RR being outside during the cold night-time winter months. My current RR boy doesn't feel the cold half as much as my previous RR girl (bless her cotton socks) did, but he still does notice it at night-time. With the wearing of coats, dogs need to be 'trained' to them to a degree, just as we train them to crates. When the coats are foreign to them it would feel weird and some dogs are likely (chewers or not) to pull at them, and so develops a learnt behaviour. I remember when my boy was a pup and he wore PJ's, he grabbed the rear leg sleeve but would only succeed in pulling himself over . He doesn't generally wear a coat now, only in that I've noticed that sometimes he'd prefer to not even be blanketed. I don't want him to feel overly warm in something he can't escape from. Provided he is in a draft free spot and has the comfort and warmth of a blanket around the back of his body (rather than over) he is happy. When it is really really cold though, he'll appreciate the blanket over him. If you do try 'coat-training' your dog, try giving it a good spray with one of the commercial "stop-chews" (non-scented). But don't leave him to it at the beginning. Be around him and maybe a nice cuddle/snooze with you; a bit of a walk out on the lead; etc. to get him used to it first, until you feel you can trust him to not chew on it. Kal looooooooved her coat. In fact, she just loooooooooved anything warm.

That's the word, thanks. All I could think of at the time of posting was "lesions" but I knew it wasn't that. I expect you're right. In Kal's case the adhesions would have been more adhoc.

When my avatar girl (Kal, RIP and bless her cotton socks) had open stomach surgery to remove a large bone that had lodged in the lower end of her oesophagus, there was a period of 12 months where she showed considerable discomfort. After dotting from Vet to Vet thinking something was still very wrong (and being treated as though I was some sort of hypochondriac by proxy) I finally found a Vet who was able to explain the likelihood of the discomfort - ie scar tissue (there's another word for it but can't recall it just now) occurring from the surgery site and attaching itself to other parts of the body. This eventually disappeared (as I was told by this Vet that they would) but until they did, Kal did appear to be in considerable discomfort. If the stomach is tacked to the abdominal wall by sutures, could not this cause the dog some discomfort with movement?

Agree with PF. This is why socialisation (to all worldly things, not just other dogs and people) should ideally be done on a gradual basis. That way you can guage pup's reaction and if there is any sign of concern, you can work at that (lower) level of intensity to get the pup comfortable about it before you move on. By example : I went to the railway station 4 times before I actually took my boy (when he was a wee pup) on a train ride. Perhaps I took it too carefully - maybe 4 visits weren't required. But if I'd taken him and gone straight onto the platform and on to a train (I worked up to this point gradually), it might have served as a traumatic experience for him. I don't have a crystal ball, so I erred on the side of caution and took my time. This is also why I'm surprised with people who suggest 2 weeks (assuming vaccinations are completed by 14 weeks) is plenty of time for socialisation. IMO it is not - not to accomplish a broad socialisation program and not to be able to afford to fit it all in amongst the other things we need to do on a day to day basis (such as work).

I agree with you there, Angelsun. I see that quite frequently. I think the difference between the foundation courses (NDTF and Delta) is that NDTF "embraces" (read : takes into account; recognises benefits and non-benefits) whereas Delta "rejects" (read : would prefer not to discuss; prohibits). Isn't Delta's Cert IV an accredited "Companion Animal" Course rather than an accredited "Dog Training" Course?

;) because this relates to me rather than dog, but I too have had a fair amount of chiropractic assistance over the years. The very first time I went to a chiro for neck issues. He 'cracked' my neck when I didn't expect it and whilst I was 'cold' and tense. It brought tears to my eyes, but I was scoffed at for my response. For a period of at least a week, whenever I held my head/neck in a certain position (upright, as you would when driving), I lost control of it and my head/neck would flop to one side. It was pretty scary (especially for driving control). I didn't go near chiropractors for years afterwards but was then persuaded to see the guy that I now go to and he has helped me a lot. I won't go to anyone else other than him.

Nope - only stainless steel bowls used here. Ok. Theory 'shot'. Hope the OP (and everyone else) manages to sort it without too much trouble

I have been reading up on Furunculosis of late and I remember one of the articles I was reading recommending that plastic bowls not be used due to them scratching up, becoming rough and harbouring bacteria, which in turn can cause skin infections. This wouldn't be news to many as this aspect of plastic food bowls has been written about on DOL several times over the years. This is a long shot, but are any of the dogs who have had this 'condition' fed via plastic bowl? Funny how they've all occurred on the dogs' noses, almost in identical positions. I'm not saying it is furunculosis either - I'm only just beginning to understand the condition myself. But those lumps could be what they refer to as 'cysts' although maybe not 'true' cysts. I'm only guessing and a Vet visit would have to be the way to go for a diagnosis.

Would that have been Australian Dog Training (ADT) ? If it was, they are no longer operating, Zola's Mum.

That's a lovely piece. Although "just a dog" should not be confused with "it is a dog"