Erny

Oh Star ..... that's crap news and I really felt a pit at the bottom of my stomach when I read your OP. For all the great work you did with Monster (RIP fella) and the very careful training and upbringing of your mal girl, you (nor she) deserves to have to deal with these issues. Not that any dog should. I have nothing to offer in the way of knowledge or experience, as I don't have any in this respect. For what it is worth, I googled, though, and came up with a link entitled New Surgical Treatments for Osteochondritis Dissecans ... Veterinary Clinics of North America . It's one of those science extracts though and I don't have an account to be able to source it, but you might be able to, given your resources? I don't know if it would come up with anything that you don't know about already, and perhaps the treatments prescribed in the article aren't so "new" anymore (I don't know how old the article is). It seems it relates to "Equine" rather than dogs, but you never know .... the info might be useful to some degree? My first thought though was of that person/Vet who registered with DOL and reported about new stem cell therapy that could help dogs with HD and OCD. It was ages ago and I can't recall which clinic it was nor the DOL (or real) name of the author. I'm pretty sure they were based in Sydney AUS, and were pretty excited by their new treatments, with I believe some successes under their belt. I'm not sure if they still do it ..... I have a vague recollection that for some reason or other (don't know if it was a bureaucratic reason or some other) this form of treatment might have been temporarily halted. I don't know if this treatment would be relevant to your girl, but for you to perhaps look into it maybe there are other DOLers here with a better memory than mine (I'm astounded at times at how far reaching some people can recall to, and the details that they can remember) would be able to point in the right direction so that the relevant DOL thread can be found. I really hope that nurture might help to see your girl through this and that it having been detected at her young age that there might be something that can be done to see her to the best she can be. My thoughts are with you and your girl and I do wish you both all the best and hoping the condition she has might at least only serve to be a mild case that does not prevent her from working with you in your SAR work and all the other activities you have planned for her. :D ETA: Ooh ooh!! I found at least the second thread this person I speak of, wrote : Regeneus Stem Cell Therapy for Arthritis Sorry, Star .... The treatment seems to relate to arthritis so probably not relevant to you :p.

Hi Sonic. I don't work off just "one bad" or if I do I make it very clear it was my experience. I've also volunteered the fact that he has a huge following and there's got to be something in that. I only related my experience with him and felt he was more rough than was necessary for my girl who was also very very tense and nervous at the time (before she arrived there) which wouldn't have helped. I do not subtract his expertise from him and I am not saying he is not a nice person or that he isn't a good practitioner, nor that he caused my girl any damage beyond the problems she already had (other than it wouldn't have helped with her being very tense/nervous). I'm really glad that you have had the good results you have achieved with your 13yo, and I suspect there are many others who have also obtained good results from his practice. I hope your dog gets to live out the rest of his years with the freedom of movement his treatment with Barry Haywood obviously has provided :p. Yes - that's a very good saying and one that would do well to be observed. Many people comment to their experiences and this does help some people in the choices they make on behalf of their dogs. I found for my girl that the gentler approach was far better for her and as it turned out, the manipulation was more effective - perhaps because she became more and more relaxed about that person :D . I am not completely alone with my experience, but obviously am in the minority.

The thing is, JB, there will never be any one school that is "perfect" for every dog that lives and breaths. Nor for every person. No matter how well run the school is. Some schools come close, for sure, but the only way to tailor so that every person and dog is accommodated for precisely to their needs is for every person and their dog to engage in private lessons, rather than classes. In that way, it is possible to tailor exactly to what dog/owner combo need. To run that way in class format? It is not possible to be quite that precise. Again, some come close. In my lifetime I have experienced disappointments and let-downs. Sure - it would be nice if they didn't occur, but they do. That's life. The world isn't perfect. And I guess I have enough back-bone (doesn't really take that much, tbh) to understand that "one" doesn't equate to "all" and so I will try someone else - and this is regardless of what service (dog-related or not) that I might seek. I'm glad there are different dog-training schools with different agendas. It's a good thing, for the reasons mentioned in the start of this post. We try to format our classes so that it covers a wider range of needs for both dogs and their handlers, as far as learning is concerned. It's a bigger task than some might recognise. But we (myself and my instructors) enjoy the challenge and I do believe meet expectations well. There are others like me who do exist and do already, I think, tailor training as well as they can, given the always unknown entity component of classes - ie .... what people are going to be in the class and what their specific individual needs are. And yes, it does help when all methods of training are open to you for use as appropriate.

Thank you Sandgrubber. I wasn't sure about the micro-wave, good to know I can use it, provided I do so very gently, of course. I'll try the hot water to bone approach first and see whether the major issue is getting him "into" it. Perhaps once he starts having a good gnaw the rest will just spike instinct (so to speak and if you know what I mean). Very much appreciate the input. Cheers Erny

.... nice that there are some who can empathise, although I strongly suspect that you are in the 'over-lap' generation, Star. We had typewriters at school too (certainly not computers ...... to have a computer you had to be a multi-millionaire and you also had to have a whole room dedicated to just the computer engine !! ) .. Oh - and the typewriters we had at school were manual, not electric. But we thought we were the bees knees because we had them . I also remember the transitional period - I was working by that stage. It was a type-writer, but with a computer screen. You could type up your docs and proof them before you printed. It was just a step up from the normal electric typewriter though. Then along came computers and boy, we've ventured a long way with them since then. But Facebook? It continues to puzzle me. As so many other computer-techno/internet things do. Never mind ..... I'll muddle along as I do and learn piecemeal, ever so slowly .

Great idea, Staranais . I have done this in the past to speed up thawing process when I've forgotten to remove food from the freezer (this was back when he would eat the meat raw). Never thought to do the same to warm up a bone. Cheers for that .

Thanks, Sandgrubber - excellent info. I will try doing that. Would be nice to get him back to chewing bones again. I offered him a chicken wing again the other day, but he wouldn't touch it. I might try warming that up (gently) and see if that makes a difference. PS .... off topic to this thread, but he's been tonnes better with allowing me to administer ear drops this time around.

Dogs can teach us so much, can't they? In our human world that is filled with so many responsibilities, chores, commitments, pressures etc. we tend to forget about the "each day to its fullest", yet so simply can dogs remind us of the beauty in life that surrounds us if only we would take notice of the 'small' things. Take time to smell the roses, in other words and enjoy the simple things in life, like a leaf blowing, and just rejoice in good company. Good on you Charlie. You sound like you are a dog that was sent to this world with a mission to accomplish and it seems to me that you are doing just that, and doing it well . May miracles be on your side and prove all the scientific stats wrong. For a long time to come .

I've got a couple of facebook accounts. Facebook, I find, is really confusing and I tend to get very lost. One moment I'm in my facebook, the next I find myself in someone else's and any hint of conversation is disjointed and/or non-existent. Obviously I'm doing something really wrong. <sigh> I need a teenage daughter or son, I think. I'm not of the "computer era" generation.

Corvus .... you are being somewhat melodramatic . Be careful not to hyperventilate. I responded to someone else's post within the thread. Not yours. I'll read the blog when I can. But not because you told me to or because you decide that you find frustration in people not doing what you say.

gsdog2 - I can't assist much either way but I will say that Furunculosis is/was something I've been concerned about with my boy. I learnt of this through google searching in regards to my boy's inter-digital cysts. I see by the website I've linked below that another name for "Perianal Fistulas" is "Anal Furunculosis". I am unable to help with a recommendation for a referral, other than to suggest that a second opinion from a specialist, rather than a GP Vet, be sought. If it were me, I'd also be inclined to consult with a very good Naturopath who may be able to assist/support any veterinary treatment by adjusting the dog's diet and supporting his system so that it can be the best it can be. Perianal Fistulas (Anal Furunculosis)

What about "learnt dominance" or "relational dominance" or "learnt relational dominance" ? :p ETA: I have known a good number of dogs that I would not regard as dominant no matter which way you look at it, yet could be described with the words you have used above.

Amen to that, Kelpie-i, and thank you. It's been so nice when people I've spoken to recently and who have asked after him, and I've been able to say he's looking well. It's not over yet, but things are getting better. But yes, always hanging over me is the very real possibility (if I reflect on his historical patterns) that it might not last. I need to keep that reality check in mind so that if things do go backwards I will be geared to bring it back forwards again, rather than to be too disappointed. It's ear drops night (first of the second week of it). I'm looking forward to that ...... not.

Kavik, that would have to be my biggest criticism as well. If an org wants to follow an agenda then that's the org's business and privilege to do so (although should still stand for comment if/when compared to another). I've heard on more than one occasion from more than one or two or three people that they have been denied the right to even discuss these things. It's not the only organisation that does that either. There is another well known dog org who has told me on an occasion that I must not talk about PPCollars.

;) ..... gosh you're behind the times!! We mastered ironing yonks ago. He is presently in training as my personal website designer. Who the heck do you think put his head in as part of the Pro-K9 logo? I thought my face would have looked great there, but nooooooooooooooooooo ....... Apologies for the guys. And Kelpie-i ..... don't you be laughing.. Hhhmfffrhmph ... having a jab at my dog's ironing skills. Like, he wishes ............ . My dog prefers steamed pressed clothes . He sets it up himself too, although getting the ironing board back into the broom cupboard is something he finds a bit tricky, but only because he forgets to move his water bowl out of the way first. ETA: Jeff .... could you send that dog down to me after you're done though? An extra double-pair of hands paws wouldn't go astray here .

Hi Jeff. Good to see you. 'bout time you were visiting Melbourne again, isn't it? . Your dog doing your ironing yet?

Is he crate trained? Has he always slept confined to a crate? If he's not comfortable about/accustomed to being in a crate it could be that he is stressing over it. Another thing to consider (in combination with the above, should it prove a possible element) is when is he fed? If it is only one meal a day and that's given at night-time, then try feeding him in the morning instead. If he then gets the runs earlier in the day it will strongly indicate he's got a digestive issue (be that in the form of a tummy bug or something else). If he is already fed (the same thing?) twice a day, with no signs of runny poo during the day at all, then perhaps try feeding him his evening meal earlier than you do, or try missing it (add the volume to his morning meal) for a day or two and see if that helps make a difference. ETA: Re-reading your OP, I am presuming you are saying that you feed dry in the morning and raw at night? Try reversing it.

And we appreciate that you were given expectations that weren't met, JB. And that's not a good feeling, nor is it right. And no - it's hard for "joe public" to know any different unless they have it explained to them and unfortunately we aren't often privileged to have the opportunity to do so. I apologise if you might have felt 'hounded' with all our posts. I noted on one or two of mine that submitted only thereafter seeing that someone else had posted same or similar in the meantime. But thanks for realising the point we were endeavouring to make and explain . As a course in itself though, I do agree that Delta limits itself in accordance with its belief.

And perhaps I've been a bit too busy to do that, just yet, Corvus? Are you saying that anyone who hasn't read the blog entry yet is not to post here, even if the post does appear to have some relevance? Why do you have to sound rude/arrogant when it's not even called for? ETA: Or perhaps it's just the way I've read it, sporting as I am a stinking headache ?????

I can't answer for Delta, as I've not done their course. But if we were to trade "NDTF" for "Delta" in your sentence above, I couldn't agree with you, Jaxx'sBuddy. For the sheer reason that a course such as NDTF's teaches you not just one way to skin a cat (so to speak). Methodology can be the same, but you can have different techniques within that methodology to achieve the result you're after. To my knowledge, that is not what is taught behind some of the "franchises" that you speak of - their course duration alone would not permit that. As I've mentioned, the basis for my early learning was NDTF. But since then I've done lots of seminar/workshops. So, am I an NDTF trainer? Or am I a Suzanne Clothier trainer? Or am I a Karen Wild trainer? Or perhaps an Uta Bindle trainer? No ..... wait, maybe I'm a Brenda Aloff trainer? Hypothesise with me, if you will? For all you might otherwise know, I might have even decided to follow the "positive only" route. But on the basis of what you are saying above, you'd be suggesting that because I have done the NDTF course then I must use positive punishment and negative reinforcement as well as positive reinforcement and negative punishment. But that isn't necessarily truthful. There are some schools that have been reported as not producing very good results in their pupils. Do you then hear of a pupil who has come from that school and automatically label that person as less intelligent than someone who has perhaps gone to a school that generally produces good results in their pupils? I don't have much faith in the franchises that we know of. But some of those people might actually have a background in, say, NDTF, but chose to purchase the franchise for the exposure it might already have and the advertising support the franchise supplies. So, you judge that person because of the franchise name and not give consideration to the NDTF (or for that matter, Delta) accreditations the person might have? Whilst as I said, I don't have much faith in the franchises as we know them, I am aware there can be some who might be quite good, simply because of other knowledge and experience that person might have been armed with before taking on a franchise operation.

But if that's the case, what would you make of a statement saying "the dog comes from a lineage of dominant dogs" ?? ;) ..... Her opinion (although I was unaware of it) is the same as what I have always upheld.

It would be something I'd know if I applied - they'd need to take it up with me, if that caused them a problem. But it does remain a thought and something I'm not sure of but because of the experiences of others and what they've said, would expect as a possibility. ;)

I don't think the course is being "rubbished" for the fact that people are pointing out what Delta doesn't do (ie what it doesn't prescribe to and what it doesn't permit). Fact is is what fact does. I agree with this. It is good to know what education/experience a professional person has had and what their views towards training are. In my case, I quite often get asked "what method of training do you use?" My answer to that is that "it depends on the dog, the person and the circumstances." I don't prescribe to nor am I against any "one" way. I did the NDTF course (it was the 'base' course that started me off and my education has been on a continuous upward curve from that date). I wouldn't mind doing the Delta Course as well, but for the cost involved compounded by its teachings not being, from what I have heard from many, as open-minded/unbiased as I would prefer (I like to make my own mind up) there are other educational goals I think I'd prefer to seek first. I'm not even sure if DELTA would accept me. I use all correctional and non-correctional training tools/restraints (*cough* except the one that is banned here in Victoria) depending on what works best for all concerned and I think (correct me if I'm wrong, please) DELTA don't permit its people to use check chains (nor PPCollars, if they had been legal here in Victoria .... only place in the world they are banned), nor e-collars. They permit head-collars, I think? And Martingales? And I'm pretty sure, correctional harnesses.

A friend of a friend's dog had swallowed half of what we think might have been a ball .... perhaps a cricket ball or something really hard rubber. Over a period of a good two months or so the dog threw vague symptoms of something not quite being right, but because the dog was such an 'out there' dog, the symptoms appeared pretty insignificant. And they were intermittent, so they got shrugged off. It wasn't until further down the track that the dog went off its food for a couple of days and then went into a state of collapse. That's when the Vets found this ball (we're still a bit unsure as to whether that's what it was). Hi Megan ;) .... I'm not sure what I would do if I were in your shoes. As you'd be aware, I'm not one for easily subjecting our dogs to drugs (including GA) if I can help it, but I would be concerned as to whether something might still be in her tummy. Hard thing is, IF she has CC, I would presume it wouldn't be a great time to be giving GA anyway. But as you say ..... how to know whether she is symptomatic of CC or whether she is being affected by having any more of the foreign object in her tummy. Sorry - I can appreciate the dilemma but I think it is going to have to be a judgement call on your part. If she doesn't bounce back in the next 24 hours - 48 hours absolute maximum, I think I'd be taking her in with a view to arranging an xray. I have another friend who adopted a rescue dog. He'd had her for at least 2 weeks and we were on our way to the beach (convoy - with our respective dogs in our respective cars) when I got a phone call from my friend, asking me to pull over at the nearest suitable spot because his dog had vomited. We pulled over where there was a vacant allotment and got his dog out of the car. She'd vomited up a lead, snaphook and all. It was the lead that came with her from the pound. My friend had wondered where that'd gone, but thought he'd simply misplaced it. I hope all is well, Megan. Feel free to call me if you're feeling a bit frantic about what to do, if only for the benefit of talking things through out loud.

You'll find more guys into Western Riding - especially the "cutting" events. In Western Riding, they don't have to wear those little velvet covered 'crash' caps. I'm sure, from a general 'blokes' pov, this would in itself put some off. (Not that I'm suggesting they are a bad idea .... although mine was the full head-safety helmet, it saved me big time, when my horse lost his footing during a cross-country run, and my head crashed to the ground. Lost consciousness and came to, staggering to my feet. Partially and temporarily lost my memory as a result of the concussion.) The clothing style for Western Riding is more cowboyish as well, which I'm sure would appeal to many guys who are a bit sensitive/self-conscious about their image.