Erny

That's a very fair and impartially narrated comparison, Willow. The other thing is that unless you understand and experience all four quadrants ("understanding & experience" being the key and operative words) then it is pretty difficult to make a decision on "preferred training philosophy".

Did the Vet and/or Specialist Vet take any xrays to determine diagnosis before treatment? How long ago since the visit to the Specialist?

Then I personally wouldn't subject the dog to either GA or the affects of surgery itself ..... regardless of age and even less so, an older dog. This is subject to knowing exactly what you're doing to her and for what reason though - otherwise all I can go on is the face value of what you are saying. My brother had his 5yo labrador desexed and he (the dog) died of a heart attack coming out of GA. IMO there's no point "risk taking" if there's no real good (read : beneficial to life/well-being) reason for it - especially when you chose it not for yourself but for another being.

Try not bathing her quite so often. Perhaps the cold weather (and maybe coupled with frequent washing) is impacting her skin. Groom her regularly (but no more than is necessary) with a style of brush that will help to loosen and shed the dead skin from her coat. Just my thoughts - not necessarily professional ones.

KL - I hear you. And given the judicious concern and vigilent attention you give to your dog I suspected that you would not have administered the antibiotics willy nilly. As I mentioned in my post, I'm more alarmed at how often people/others have been prescribed antibiotics and it makes me wonder if all of the cases written about here on DOL actually warranted it. I'm not a Vet and I'm not those dogs' Vet, so I don't really know. But in some instances (not yours) either the posts have been written without the full explanation or some have been administered antibiotics without some fairly basic tests being done to confirm the problem first. I guess I just took opportunity to use your post to bring attention to the fact that it concerns me. I really hope Sasha gets over and past her current bout of illness quickly. Wonder how much of the "sell out" is to doggy people .

Agree - I think that counts for most foods (save for the known 'toxic to dogs' foods) that are not meat.

To my knowledge - yes. I've fed them to my boy (who loves them) although I only give him a bit of it, rather than the whole thing and from what I've read of others' opinions, they do the same. A couple of bites rather than a whole mass of them or you risk upsetting their tummies.

KL - I am becoming increasing concerned with how frequently and easily antibiotics are being administered to our dogs. I'm not suggesting you or any of the "everyone else" doesn't have good reason for it, but the more I am reading on DOL as time goes on, the more I see that antibiotics seem to be being prescribed at the drop of a hat. It is your judgment call of course, but sometimes I think we need to give our dogs a chance to let their systems work through some lesser ailments. Use of homeopathic/natural things to help the dog's system (which is of course what you are trying to seek out) can assist a lot, and that includes good diet, and of course we need to keep a good watch on the symptoms to ensure they are not worsening (which is always a worry to us - which makes me wonder if Vets are sometimes prescribing antibiotics for the dog's sake or for ours). The Active Manuka Honey (UMF 20+ and higher) is always good. Remembering it is not so much the honey content that's doing the great work, it is the Active component in it. Sorry that I don't have any specific advice to offer, but I am concerned at the rapid dispensing of antibiotics. I don't wish it to go the other way - where people categorically refuse to give their dogs antibiotics when indeed they need them, but I think we need to find some middle ground and sensibility with them. Note that I'm making a general comment and not one specifically aimed at you. I can't see your dog and therefore would not be in any position to make a judgment call in that regard and it might prove that there is very good reason for the administration of antibiotics in your case. ETA: Try using a very weak salt solution in tepid water to wipe Sasha's eyes with.

Were tests conducted to determine UTI, or were antibiotics prescribed 'on the off chance' ? :rolleyes: ETA: And if the antibiotics "improved [the urinating] a bit", did you actually get her checked to ensure that the UTI (if indeed that's what she had) had been cleared up? And what are you using to clean up with? She's not a "brat" - it's just that somewhere down the line the messages you are trying to send her are not being understood properly and/or she does still have a medical reason as to why she is unable to 'hang on'.

NDTF has expanded considerably to include practical experience at other places - all the more to provide students with a concept of different styles of training views and methods of teaching and also for the convenience of the students depending on where they lived.

ADT was not NDTF's only "practical experience" source.

You haven't done anything wrong - what you describe is quite a normal occurrence. It is only that you have been concentrating and repeating the stand so much (and of course rewarding them) that your dog has figured out the "stand" gets him the good stuff. So all you need to do is randomise the sit and the stand for him to get the idea that if he complies with the respective commands he'll receive his rewards. Randomising also helps your dog to understand there is a difference between the two commands. You might need to take a step back in your training for the "sit" (for example, guide him into the sit) and then give a reward, for the first one, but he should after that catch on .

I have that picture, except in mine it is a Boxer - it is the front of Pro-K9's post card !!! Tried to upload but it wouldn't let me. Postcard (which I love) designed with much help from a special friend . She knows who she is .

Oh dear :D. Has he been for a Vet check? I would do that first and would think hard and fast before I'd consider applying aversives on a dog that has begun the behaviour due to old age. This could be a hearing impairment or it could be onset dementia. Please have him medically checked over and then consult a trainer/behaviourist before you begin (if you begin at all) using ANY aversives for his barking.

It's ok. Because my other PC threw a hissy, I was concerned that perhaps you had tried to reach me by email - there was a short interval where everything was 'down' and not sure that all emails in that period made it through. Responded to your PM . Talk to you soon :D. Erny

One where dog is fervently puzzling over a black-board filled with physics and/or algebraic type equations? Or is that more effort to put together than you'd rather?

Hi Elfin. Ditto here . Call me when you're ready. Cheers! Erny (Pro-K9)

I was going to ask that too, Teebs. Either there are lots of secondary infections from CC occurring, or Vets are jumping to the anti-biotic cabinet very quickly. Is it that they don't think the dogs' owners will be likely to pick up on the onset of secondary infection if there was to be one and so they prescribe anti-biotics as a "just in case" measure perhaps? Not that I like that idea either. Claireybell - the Active Manuka Honey is great, provided you have one that has a UMF of 20+ or higher. This number indicates the "Active" component of the honey and it is this that does all the really good stuff in boosting the immune system and helping to fight off bacteria etc. etc. Keep your dog quiet and in draft free areas. I'm not so sure that merely breathing in steam from hot water is going to assist. Not even sure the dampness of it is going to be good (I know that this remedy is something we did do when I was a kid, but that was for the sake of medicated vapours to help us breath - I wouldn't necessarily do that for a dog though). Canine Cough is very contageous and therefore you should keep both of your dogs confined to help stop the spread of the virus to others. Even though your other dog might not show signs, he/she could be incubating it without the symptoms being evident. It's a bad cold. With care they generally get over it. Just watch for signs of worsening (eg pneumonia) and contact your Vet in the event you think that could be a possibility.

Well done Staranais . I know you two are going to be a team that proves to be a force to reckon with :D.

Run free across the Benson, where you can see without hindrance, and hear the sounds of welcome from those others of ours who patiently await our arrival all in good time. Feel the soft breeze in your coat as you gallivant with canine friends, perhaps renewing acquaintance with some who you have not seen for a good while. I am sure that my avatar girl will be there to extend a friendly paw, accompanying you along your new journey. To the Lawrence Family - I'm very sorry for your loss but in your heart Benson will never leave you.

Thanks Oonga. Number 3 happened, but I've only just realised. This morning I did the usual routine .... shower, put in contact lenses etc. etc. But I was interrupted whilst putting in the contact lenses (telephone) and then forgot that I'd only put in one. On my way to a consult I thought things were a bit 'different' but I could see ok and so it slipped from my mind. Just heading off to bed and realised that one of the lenses was still in the cleaning case - unfortunately, it has been out of liquid all day so it has all dried up so it looks as though a new contact lense is going to be the order of the day tomorrow. Proving to be a somewhat expensive day today . Still - it all could be worse and I'm really glad that it isn't. If these '3 things' tide me over for a while as far as the 'bad luck' stakes go, then I'm very lucky . ETA: I was apologising earlier for putting you to the trouble of posting on my behalf when it turned out to be unnecessary .

I thought the same as Kuntooki. I'd get it checked fairly soon, as foreign bodies up the nose carry the potential to work themselves up backwards making the situation even worse or more difficult to resolve. ETA : Although what's thrown my original thoughts on re-reading the OP is that the discharge is from both nostrils rather than from only one.

Have you tried the VAN "Allerblend"?

If the only problem is that your dog is uncertain of what you want but is aiming in the right direction, a quiet encouraging word (I use "good") can help.

Are you able to provide links to at least a number of these experiments please? I'd be interested in reading them. That's interesting as it has not been my experience. True - the numbers that I have worked with would not even cause a burp on the richter scale, but I know that K9 Force has used both the spray anti-barks and also the static antibarks and the latter have proven the more successful. In fact, I think I quote correctly by saying that from his experience and studies on the use of the static anti-barks, success rate is around 95%. I'd definitely be interested in reading what "the facts" you refer to have been based on.