Erny

Sorry - double post. Don't know how that happened. :D

:D Sorry Elfin - I forgot you are in the canine-eye specialist field. I should have referred the OP to you. I use Calendula Tea to help reduce skin allergy symptoms on my dog. I have found it very very effective. I had no idea that you could use it as an eye wash as well, but that is great to know. Does it matter what strength? IOW, I use a couple of teaspoons' worth of the calendula to a cup of boiling water (and allow to cool). Should it have to be weaker for eye baths? Interested in the above comment. I dare ask (in case it ends up being obvious once the answer is given), but why is "breed" the "key to ophthalmology"?

You referring to the nail polish, Sas? To my knowledge (I'm not a breeder) it is only dabbed on a bit of the coat. Not on skin.

Oooooh ..... that'd be great for those who might be on diets but miss the taste sensations of those 'bad for diets' foods!! :D That does sound like a cool exercise in exploratory science .

Aaaaahhh .... thank you Allerzeit. If that is correct then it clears up my confusion about what I was told and would also, I expect, be the answer as to why spot-ons absorb through the skin. Ta. :D

Are the dogs healthy in all other respects? I find conjunctivitis has a tendancy to kick in when the immune system is deplected or in some way stressed. I would suggest your friend consults with a holistic Vet or naturopath who might be able to cover things that don't only target the symptom but might also address the cause of the infection. In the meantime, perhaps try bathing their eyes with some lightly salted water (use boiled water but of course allow it to cool).

I was told that these sorts of things don't really do much for dogs because they don't have sweat glands as we do and as horses do, over their bodies. Consequently the 'goodness' of the ointments doesn't absorb. Made sense to me at the time but I confess to being uncertain of the validity of it. Have thought that perhaps it is the actual act of rubbing (which you do when applying) that helps rather than the product itself ?? I don't know either way - just something I was informed by a dog chiro. Would be interesting to know, though. ETA: Come to think of it, if the chiro was right then the 'spot-on' applications that so many use on their dogs shouldn't be able to absorb to the dog's blood stream. So I am thinking the chiro is wrong?

I know what you mean, Aziah. Sometimes it is a case of people lamenting because their young dog destroys things such as socks, only to find out that nothing has ever been done to discourage this or prevent it when no-one is around to supervise, right through its early puppy days. I didn't think you were being "rude" .... I only felt that what you said deserved to be expanded upon .

Thanks for the explanation .

Because, Aziah, sometimes 'life' happens and yes I agree that for the most part, especially when pup is going through those early times of "anything is very exciting and interesting" stages of life, prevention is good and often pups grow into unwanted habits when we don't practice prevention or control. But all the same, some people just need that extra help/guidance as to what to do when these things occur, whether they are occurring due to the pup having lots of opportunities to practice or not.

Hi Pam I've responded to your post in "The Lead!" thread in the training forum. Then I spotted the other of your posts/threads and see from that you are having a variety of problems and by the sounds, finding it difficult to cope with the trickery your pup is getting up to. Scared of the harness. You being told by your dog school instructor to drag her by the check chain when she refuses to walk . Her choking to the point of vomiting when being walked on a check chain :D. Being told head collars aren't great for (specifically) beagles. Stealing clothes. By my calculations your dog is rising 6 months old now and whilst I agree with PF that in the sense of picking up your clothing articles it is likely to be in play, practising good leadership is a good thing to have in place by now as it would be from this age on that your pup is likely to begin to view relationships a bit different to how he/she did when she was only a baby puppy. It is good to have your leadership (which really is about setting boundaries and being calm and assertive) intact before your pup decides that you don't. If I drop a sock on the way down to the laundry wash, my dog will pick it up. He's rising 15 months and he thinks he's really scored when I drop a sock . But I'd already well and truly taught him to relinquish and I use that skill to have him return my sock to me. I have never engaged in the game of chasey with him and I've always been vigilant with him as a young pup to ensure that he doesn't manage to get hold of things that he shouldn't when I can't be there to stop him or use it as a training exercise. That doesn't mean I had to put everything up on the top shelf. What it did mean though was that I watched and noted the things he would show more interest in than I cared for him to. THOSE were the things I then prevented him from getting. For example my shoes (which I chuck into a corner of my walk-in robe (which I normally leave open - won't bother with the explanation of the 'why's' of that) .... I put a foot stool in front. That was enough to stop him and now he doesn't much bother with them whether the stool is there or not. If I dropped a sock and he got it, I never made a big deal of it. No fuss. No calling out to him. No chasey. No yelling or scolding. Just calm from the outset - almost indifferent. I'd ask him for it and when he gave it up I gave him a pat. No big deal. Consequently, he never learnt to take a lot of value from it. Therefore, he doesn't go seeking them. Given the problems you are having and at the risk of sounding as though I'm only trying to sell the services of a trainer/behaviourist (whether that's me or not), I again recommend you arrange for someone with training/behaviour knowledge and expertise to come to see you and your dog. It sounds to me that you just need some expert guidance so that you can learn to steer your pup's otherwise 'normal for dogs' behaviour, down the right track.

Muckypup ..... first I applaud you for doing all those activities with your Shih Tzu (x Maltese?). So many of the SWF's I am in contact with are given not much more to do than to look cute and sit on laps. So well done for engaging in the activity of obedience, doggy dancing and agility . As for your dog being reactive to other dogs - that's a more complex matter and it is the 'cause' that needs to be addressed. In addition to the cause being addressed, the symptom (which is the reactivity itself) needs to be managed. I would strongly suggest that you contact a trainer/behaviourist to assist you in this. That person should be able to assess, address and evaluate any pack issues (between yourself and your dog) and adjust them where necessary and possible. He/she should also be able to instruct you in strategies of what to do and when so that you can help your dog learn a new coping mechanism that is more acceptable and amenable in the presence of other dogs. I don't think you caused any offence in your OP. You weren't blaming the breed. And any breed (or breed cross) has the capacity to be aggressive. I did not read your post as though you were assuming that trait on the breed, but only that you were asking for help to solve that behaviour in your dog. Another step in the right direction .

Is this a good idea? Those hospital ID bands are very strong and don't break easily and I can well imagine puppies getting caught in each others bands and coming to grief. Is this just me that imagines this potential? I know of some breeders who use different coloured nail polish to paint a splotch on the pup's coat. Yes, they need to refresh it periodically so it doesn't come off with any shedding. And then there's others who use coloured wool. If you really wanted you could use a combination of both. I'm just really worried about the hospital band thingies and the natural tendancy pups have of putting their mouths around things and the potential for getting stuck. Worried for both the pup who does this and the pup who is wearing the band.

PCarr (Pam) .... from the words you have used to describe how you have used or been instructed to use the check chain, either you have not understood the proper use of that training tool (along with the other of the rewarding things to encourage and show your dog the 'right' way) or the instruction you have received is completely beyond poor. As for the harness - perhaps your introduction of it to your pup has inadvertently given an negative impression to your pup. To straighten these things out and to work out which training aid is best for your dog and for yourself, I would recommend a private lesson from a reputable trainer - preferably one who is versed with and experienced in the use of numerous training tools. I expect this would have you quickly and more clearly on the right path to having both yourself and importantly your pup, enjoying your walks together. Your comment pertaining to "head collars not being great for beagles" .... well, I don't agree with that statement as written. But head collars need to be well understood just as any other training tool needs to be understood, so that it can be introduced and used properly. They aren't up there at the top of my 'favourite' list, but this is not to say that I have not employed the use of a head collar in certain circumstances. BUT I do encourage you to get some good and right advice and instruction for you and your young dog first so that you can both be set up to win as it sounds to me like you may have either taken or been given the wrong instruction.

Beautiful words, Ninoid12, especially the ones I've highlighted. You got it right. All the way through. I am sure that my avatar girl "Kal" (bless her cotton socks) will be honoured and blessed to share Miss Molly's company until each of us respectively make our way to them in due time. Take care. Erny

Thanks for taking the time to explain, Molasseslass. I'll have a look at the link later (in the midst of bookwork at the moment .... I hate paperwork). It was just a curiousity but it would have bugged me not to know .

I think we wash our dogs too much and too quickly jump to even more washes when we see skin complaints. Not suggesting none of them are justified, but I think in some and perhaps even many incidents we should avoid upsetting PH balances in the skin. I agree with the angle of looking as to why the skin is flaky (eg diet) rather than to addressing the outside symptom itself. Sometimes it can just be the affect of the cold/winter that can cause flaky skin/dandruff and quite often rights itself. A regular brush helps to remove the dead skin and reduce the itch. Just my (unqualified) opinion .

Congratulations, Agility Dogs. I bet you are more than just chuffed . Sounds like a big achievement so and well done. I have a question given that I've never trained for frisbee jumping/catching. If it is not too difficult to give a brief overview, are you able to explain how you structure "foundation work" to teach the pups how to jump and land?

Oh gosh . I was so hoping for you that this would be 'nothing'. No words will erase what you are feeling nor ease what you are facing at the moment. I am only pleased that by the sounds Molly has lived a healthy, happy and full life (at least since her adoption by you) right up to the end of her time on this earth with us and that's something any of us would be grateful for. Take care Ninoid12 and know there are all of us who either know what you are going through or know that we will too sometime unfortunately and sadly have to address the same moment in time as you are, at some stage ..... and that therefore we are all behind you in support and in empathy. Bless for Molly and yourself. Erny

DEFINITELY agree with this. The dremmel is so fast that it would catch the hair and you won't be able to stop fast enough for it to not hurt/cause damage. Prepare well beforehand.

You shouldn't have to press barely at all - let the dremmel do the work. If you press you increase the heat that the friction causes - this will hurt your dog and you might find that all of a sudden you have ground down too far. I would suggest you may be using the wrong attachment. You need the course sandpaper attachment.

Settrlvr .... As I and others have mentioned, we have seen quite a number of them, but I never for a moment thought of it as a 'breed' issue. Perhaps these people, because the dog is small in size, are treating them more like children (and babying them) rather than treating them like dogs. This is such a common thing amongst the owners of 'little' dogs. Each of the ones I have worked with, leadership was way out of whack - no boundaries etc. etc. They each improved extremely (and in fact quite remarkably) well.

I don't mind webbing leads for the smaller dogs - provided it is good quality and there are no signs of wear and tear and for training, if it is long enough. But for the stronger dogs and dogs of medium size upwards, I prefer a good quality leather lead (of course, also with good quality fittings). I've been scarred by some nylon leads. Hate them.

I think Underdog (DOL member) runs classes close to your area. ETA: Oops! I obviously took too long to hit the 'submit' button. Cosmolo's (ie Underdog) post wasn't there before.

I have a feeling Megan is talking about collars (ie plastic clip types -vs- buckle fittings). Pro-K9 does not approve of the plastic clip type collars for training and/or restraint purposes either. I've seen too many of them 'give'. Again, it is a safety issue and not one that many people give credence to because, in the absence of instruction, they assume a collar is a collar is a collar.