Erny

Regardless of whether it is aggression, severe aggression or based in play, I think you'd do well to engage a behaviourist. Your story has changed dramatically from one thing to another and you've expressed frustration has been a component of that. It sounds to me that you're not really sure what behaviour your pup is exhibiting and even if you were, to have posted to the other extreme because you were frustrated is enough for me to suggest you could do with a bit of professional guidance. I also would recommend Mark Singer. He'll set you on the right path and give you lots of tips/instruction/demonstration - even if it is not aggression that you're seeing. And if it is aggression that you're seeing, all the better that you see him urgently. Act now. Don't try to guess it out and hope that fiddling around from internet tips is going to fix whatever it is that is frustrating you so. A week in a pup's life at this 'critical' period is a long time.

And I'm not surprised. If the lead is tense, you need to 'yield' the lead (either put your arm forward or if it already is, lean your body in a little bit) so that there is a split moment's slack, to be able to correct properly.

Don't. And don't beat yourself up about it. It is incredibly hard to 'play God' and that's what I felt I was doing when I had to make the decision for my girl. Point is, you cared enough to help him.

The meat and VAN are fed proportional to each other, so if you cut down on meat, you need to cut down on the VAN as well. Without knowing how much you feed -vs- how much you exercise with him, I can't tell you which is better to cut or increase. Seeing as it is winter you could cut down on the food just a little bit AND increase his exercise (a good strong walk for an hour a day, followed by a good play/run around where he can stretch his legs, would be good). You don't need fast weight loss - I prefer steady fat loss coupled with steady muscle tone. The oil is good for their coats I believe. I think the whole can + oil once a week is fine. But I'd rather leave this one up for the opinion of others who have fed mackerel to their dogs regularly and for a while, so they can give you the benefit of their experiences.

He doesn't look as though he needs more weight. He doesn't look too bad ..... if anything, perhaps a kilogram or two over the optimum - but that's hard to tell by a photo. You should be able to run your hand lightly over the ribs and feel all of them (without needing to press down on them too hard). So I certainly wouldn't be concerned about pandering to his hunger. Sure - he might be looking for some more because it is colder weather, but he doesn't need it. He seems to me to be your loyal companion and I strongly suspect that you regard him as your best buddy and that you care for him very much .

Are you sure it's not her just making the suckling motion and noises in her sleep?

It's not unusual for dogs to want to protect their food, even though for whatever reason they don't feel they can or want to eat it right away. It's a valuable resource, something to look after for either now or for later on. Your dog could be feeling a bit 'off'. A normally healthy and enthusiastic eater who goes off his food is an 'alert' sign. Not to suggest it is time to panic about it assuming that in all other ways she appeared 'normal' health wise. Just keep your eye on it and if it continues, then consult your Vet. One of the most important thing to watch for is that your dog is still drinking. Dehydration is a bigger problem than a dog not eating for a couple of days. You did right to remove the food so there would be no scuffles over it while you're at work. Hope your dog has returned to normal by the time you get back home from work.

A couple of times a year would be about all that is needed for my breed of choice (Rhodesian Ridgeback). They are a breed to be known for 'low smell' and like the greys, they have a fine, single coat. I don't like the thought of bathing dogs more than once every 2 months for the mere fact of stripping oils from their coats. Obviously there are 'special' times when a bath in less than that time might be needed. I use a rubber mit for mine - these are the only grooming tools that I find are soft enough for them but which also removes moulting hair and dander. What horse brush do you use, Anniek? Just an ordinary 'body brush' ? Or the softer kind (that I would use to 'polish off' a horse's coat)? Not sure that would get to the skin sufficiently.

I used to think "C5 minimum" was the "law" for kennels. But talking around, I don't actually think that is actually the case. I believe C3 is the minimum lawful vaccination level even though the majority of kennels ask for the C5. Can anyone validate that? I do agree that kennels need to look at becoming more dog friendly in the sense of vaccinations. However I do agree that as they run a business they need to do what they need to do to look after the integrity of their enterprise. Titre tests aren't only worthwhile "2 weeks after puppy vaccinations". But the best time to titre test is 2 weeks after a vaccination (whether that be puppy or not). A titre test might show up anti-bodies outside this period but just because it does not does not mean the dog doesn't not have the desired antibodies.

You'll know. Give her some time to recover from some of the additional soreness she has caused for herself by her activity. If you think she wants to keep going, let it be because she is showing you the signs that she does. But you will know when the time has come. Hasten slowly. .... because I know what having to make that decision is like. It is gut wrenching - one of the most difficult things you'll possibly ever do. Yet in your heart, you'll know it to be the right decision for the right reasons and those reasons will be completely selfless. In the meantime, revel in the little joys she gives to and takes from life, with her. Enjoy every moment .

Wow. That looks really big (considerably bigger than in the first piccy) and must have gone quite deep. Poor Moose . Hope it continues to heal well. Sorry - no thoughts regarding the bucket. I can understand your dilemma. I've not had to use one, so I'm not sure.

Perhaps he was but some missed the point? That's not always the fault of the speaker. I don't remember him saying anything about time-outs at all (and I haven't watched his DVD's) so I have based my comments on what was represented in the OP. Was context taken into account? That's why I have suggested it is possible he was referring to the more serious and ingrained issues. Which is pretty much exactly the topic of his seminar/workshops and other educational material. Don't really understand what you're getting at here. ;) Nor this .

Sorry Greg. I don't know anyone with those qualifications in Dubbo. For that matter, I don't know ANYONE who lives in Dubbo. Sorry I can't help. Hopefully someone can.

Perhaps he is referencing more to dogs with more serious and/or more ingrained behaviour issues (seeing as it is those ones he normally works with)?

Yes - I think it is normal too and would begin in the litter where his litter mates would be vying for the 'valuable resource'. My boy was particularly this way (VERY fretful about it) and would rush off and away from me when he was given a bone to gnaw on. The main thing that bothered me with this is that soft small bones would be gulped down for fear he'd lose them to me. Of course, I also wanted to know that I'd eventually be able to take a bone from him should the need ever arise, so I did work on it. But slowly and in a way that would have him realise there was nothing to worry about. So I would give him a bone and then go about my business gardening. I'd start away from him - taking the pressure off and showing I wasn't interested in it. I'd pass by him with a bit of distance and then bit by bit, closer to him. All the while busily weeding the lawn - not taking any notice of him. Over a bit of time he gradually became comfortable with the fact that I wasn't about to steal it from him. I can now take a bone from him if I want to. Although knowing this now, I generally leave him in peace to chew on his bones. But he has no qualms with me walking near him when he has one. In fact, he'll sometimes bring his bone to me for me to 'look at' .

Sorry to hear that, Sas. Try the Calendula 'tea' bath/wash next time you have a flair up of secondary skin infection. Worked for my boy (to rid infection - not a cure for the allergy itself) which meant I didn't need to resort to medication.

The thing is, Colliewood, where I might say (for example) that a halti's nose strap will fit further away from the dog's eyes than another, this might not be entirely true when you put it on a dog, as the dog's head & neck size and shape can influence that. Generally a halti brand will sit further away from a dog's eyes though. There are so many nuances and influences to speak of. I run the NDTF Head Collar workshop and quite often at the start, students can't comprehend how we could spend 3.5 hours JUST on head collars. Yet every time the session is information packed (we focus on 3 different head collar styles) and I'm usually finding myself running out of time.

Yes I did read that. I was just posting my concerns/doubts. The material might be antibacterial but it still would be entrapping scurf and scabs flaking off allergy skin, which would then rest there until the suit is removed. I'm not saying it wouldn't work. I don't know. Just not sure about it is all. As I also acknowledged, it is a useful tool to bear in mind if the licking/scratching cycle is a big enough component to the continuance of the problem. Must admit that for my boy, the thought of a suit on him holding in the constant shedding of scabs from hives that had erupted doesn't sit well for me. I already had to be careful about secondary skin infection and I think was able to treat it early enough to stop that in its tracks. The material may well be breathable but that doesn't mean the air-flow isn't reduced.

I agree with your posts, both in this and also that muzzling Chopper is not only not the answer, but is dangerous in itself and bears a propensity to increasing his anxiety, not lower it. Either way though (ie whether one wants to call it a 'tantrum' or not) Chopper needs someone to try to work out WHY he is behaving this way/having a "tantrum".

Crate. Not Create. Your dog creates if left in the crate. Sorry ..... seeing this spelling error a fair bit from numerous posters and it bugs me (to a very mild degree ..... I don't lose any sleep over it ).

Basically, it is dried marigold flowers. Purchase from a health food shop. About $8.00 for a packet (which will last a while). I used it for Mandela when his hives erupted and also on some red spots which came up on the inside of his hind legs. Dr. Bruce Syme suggested it to me if I thought the scabs from his hives were looking as though they might be infected rather than healing. The difference inside 24 hours was quite amazing. I have used the tea on other rashy type spots and it does seem to take the redness away and provide him with relief. I just brewed it as a tea (used a stocking that I put a teaspoon full in the bottom of and let it brew like you would if making a cuppa), let it cool then poured the liquid into a spray bottle and sprayed his coat with it (and rubbed it in with my hand so that it reached his skin). If he had only a few select areas that I thought could do with it, I just used a cotton ball that I dipped in the tea and rubbed over. If it doesn't work, it is good for humans so you can always drink it yourself . ETA: If you try it Kavik, would you let me know how it goes? It worked so well for Mandela but I'm not sure if it was just coincidental or perhaps only works for a minority, so I'm interested to know.

Why, thank you Frenzied .

That's ok. I getcha. You're feeling down-hearted at the moment. It will pass, and the more so if you look at your leadership activities as 'fun'. Take what they do (ie observation of the 'rules' and 'boundaries') and rejoice in the fact that they observe them. I mean, how clever are THEY !! And how clever are YOU that you can send signals in a manner they can understand!! . Use "TOT" (if you don't already) and turn it into a full-blown training regime (as each of them get better at it). I love meal times. I'm now at a point where the meal is in one room but I call my boy out and we do a short training regime (whether that be responsive sits, drops, heel, recall or whatever) before I release him with his release command to his meal. Gosh - if I was still doing the "you must look at me to get released to your meal" it would be very boring by now. Yet when he was a pup, I rejoiced at the fact he would do this one small thing. Expand on what your dogs know. Get them to do more. As I said - make it so that it is interesting for you and I bet you'll find your dogs will find it interesting and mind expanding too. Ok - back to the "Chopper problem". See if you can check out if he has a stronger attachment to one or other of the dogs and let's see if we can work from there. Over the net, this will be limited, but maybe we can help you to a certain at least part way manageable degree, even if it isn't the whole solution.

Glad he seems to be ok. I think what I'd do is first check out if the attachment is stronger to one dog in particular. That may actually be to one (or both .... we don't know yet) of the dogs that he perceives are lower ranking. Try setting up a web-cam, where you can observe his behaviour after returning. Although it'd be great to have all the mod-con techno instruments where you could watch him as though on TV whilst you were out, perhaps a more modest albeit dreconian way of knowing if he was getting himself into trouble would be something along the lines of a baby monitor, where you could at least hear whether the behaviour was so traumatic as to be self-harming. Obviously, the easiest is going to be if you can determine which dog he becomes the most frantic when he/she leaves and work it so that you walk that dog with Chopper. If the problem continues to be extreme without resolution though, it might be necessary to consult with a Vet/behaviourist and to use suitable drugs to compliment behaviour rehabilitation training. I don't want or like to jump to 'drug use' too quickly and I always try to obtain resolution without them as might still be able to be done here. But I am very concerned at the self-harm element to Chopper's behaviour and that might be where drugs, at least initially, might be helpful. Anyway .... that's a bit further off at the moment, until you are able to determine whether there is a stronger attachment level to one or other of the dogs. I'd also be doing a check on your leadership. Is there any room where you think Chopper might not perceive you as a strong but calm, assertive and consistent leader?

It's not Ruthless that Chopper worries about. It's when (any of?) the other dogs leave.