Erny

I'd not heard of the "rinse with ACV" before, so found it an interesting idea. JulesP .... did you dilute it first before you used it on yourself?

Car sickness and anxiety from traveling in a car can be a catch 22. Being sick isn't pleasant, therefore can increase anxiety. Anxiety can promote the nausia. Try having all doors open and just having pup sit in the car. Keep the sessions very short, lengthening the time according to the pup's comfort levels. Make it a 'nice' time, perhaps encouraging your pup to chew on a favorite toy. Make it really short, and almost 'game' like. Eg. In one door, straight through and out the other door - just until pup is happy to approach and enter the car. This works best if you have someone to help as each can then be at either door. Eventuate to doors shut (one by one). When all is good, repeat but with the car engine going. Then a VERY short drive (to end of street and back, for example). You can try giving pup some ginger tablets/drops before a car trip - I've momentarily forgotten what they're called but they are designed for travel sickness and you can get them from your health food store. Also, it might help to try having a window open in the back (I assume that's where pup travels) and cover the crate (is this what you use?) over so pup doesn't see things whizzing by as you travel. Secure the crate with a seat belt - not only is it safer, it steadies it and helps to keep it still.

Yeah - I think some orgs need to play 'catch up'. Like boarding kennels, for instance. None of the ones I've spoken with seem the least bit interested in contacting their kennel authority with a view to seeking a change to the insistence on a 'current' C5 vaccination (and accepting a titre test instead). Perhaps they are busy enough to not be bothered by those who won't kennel because of following a different vaccination regime??? And it would actually benefit the insurance companies, as they would know that there might be some clients who otherwise would claim, but cannot???

Haven't heard from you Musik. Still needing help for this fella and his dogs?

In regard to your question about Pet Insurance companies accepting titre testing, I think you'll find generally that it is not a case of your Pet Insurance not covering you at all because you titre test instead of vaccinate, but that if your pet should ever succumb to one of the diseases vaccinations cover, the Insurance won't cover you for the cost of care in that respect. If your dog has an unrelated health issue, your Pet Plan should cover that. I know that's the case for the insurance I have, but double check the fine print in your own policy to make sure it is not different.

Thanks Kavik. :cool:

That's interesting. Wonder if it is still a current rule. I'm so used to holding my lead with my right hand - it is my 'strength' arm after all. Anyone know if there is or was a reason behind that rule?

How do you report "my dog doesn't seem to like it"? I don't know if the substance causes a stinging on the skin or whether the dogs sometimes just end up 'knowing'. When I first adopted my avatar girl we found she had giardia. Normally she was a very biddable dog and would agree to allow me to administer whatever I needed to. But the liquid medication I had to give her caused a huge issue. Massive struggling/fighting it. It ended up causing her to vomit. We switched medication and although the second lot was still liquid, she allowed me to administer it with very little trouble. With the Revolution, she was fine for quite a long time .... then she began to object to it, slinking away, reluctant to come over to me etc. There was never any redness on her skin to suggest irritation and I didn't necessarily put it in the same place every time. I didn't try other spot-ons - I just eventually stopped using them altogether - so I don't know if her reaction to other brands would have been the same or different.

I'd use the Aloveen Oatmeal shampoo and conditioner (with thorough rinse off after). I don't like using the doggy perfume that many groomers put on the dogs. I agree it smells nice and many dogs seem to be ok with it (although I really wonder what THEY think of the smell) but IMO a clean dog doesn't need the extra smelly stuff on their coat. The perfume is to please the owners, not the dog.

The "monthly" heartworm tabs actually last for 45 days. Thing is, if you forget beyond that you may need to have your dog tested for heartworm before re-administering. I understand the daily tabs are the 'safest' in so far as chemical make-up is concerned, but again .... you shouldn't forget to give it each day. Whether you actually give meds for heartworm preventative is a personal decision to make (weighing up the pro's/cons) and is very dependant on whether you are in an area which is likely to have mozzies that transfer the insidious heartworm. Just my opinion though. I know there are many who give the meds regardless.

My previous girl (Kal, bless her cotton socks) used to object to it too. I should have 'listened' to her. Not saying that it did cause her any health issues, but I wouldn't know. Another DOLer wrote the same about her dog objecting to it as well, in a thread some months ago. I used to use Revolution because it treated ear mites as well as fleas etc., but I won't use it anymore unless something ever crops up to suggest it is absolutely necessary. In fact, I'm not using any spot-ons. The less drugs entering my current dog's system the better, IMO. Depends on where you live though. I'm in Victoria so ticks aren't so much an issue (although from memory I don't think Revolution protects against ticks) as elsewhere and I don't have any flea issues.

I was about to suggest Paw Paw ointment as well, but see that puggy-puggy has beaten me to it. Either that or Ungvita. I wouldn't be applying antiseptic powder to the nose. An unprofessional opinion, but the nose is meant to be moist and I can imagine the powder would be too drying for it.

I would go for electric fence (ie as per what is used for livestock) and anti-bark stim collar. Definitely not two collars. I'd like to know if there is any affect by an electric fence current to an anti-bark stim collar first though. You might need to deal with one issue at a time, and IMO the containment issue is the most urgent. What is it that the dog is doing to be able to escape the run you made? However, it is your judgment as to whether these will be suitable for your dog - something I can't advise without observing the dog. If you go for the anti-bark stim collar, get one of good quality (rather than cheapest). As I've mentioned in another current thread on "barking", I prefer the styles where you can set the stim level to suit the dog, rather than the ones which escalate as the dog continues to bark. You should check and be aware of your State Laws for each of the above first. Also, before going for the anti-bark collar, I'd be wanting to know why the dog is barking so much in the first place so that the 'cause' can be removed. Not a lot of point using an aversive for barking if the reason for barking persists without address.

Not a figure of speech. I aim for just a soft loop in the lead without it also being in the way for either myself or the dog I'm handling to trip over.

Hhhhm .... don't know what your Council is like (ie dog friendly or not), but perhaps a call to them first, explaining the situation (including your dog's epilepsy and concerns for using an anti-bark collar) and the fact that under normal circumstances barking is not an issue, perhaps they'll stretch you some leeway? I'm assuming the building has not been on the 'go' for long? Spend some time on the weekend showing your dog the current activity is not a territory intrusion and settling him down. Regarding the static collar - when you have two dogs some additional care is required. If the barking dog receives a stim in the early stages of 'training' whilst the second dog is standing near, it is possible that the stim will be perceived as having come from the second dog. I'm not sure of the affect of anti-bark collars in cases of epilepsy so I cannot assist you there, but it would be something of a concern to me and something I would prefer to research thoroughly before any use. Finally, if you did go for a stim anti-bark collar, get a good quality one. It will cost more, but IMO worth it. My preference is for the style that do not escalate through levels, but that you can adjust the setting to suit the dog. I agree that in one shape or form it might be helpful to contact the offended neighbour and let them know you are aware of the disturbance, and explain your circumstance. Perhaps find out from the builders how long they envisage building to take. Is it the heavy hammering/noises that is causing the barking, or them simply being there? If it is the noise of the builders, it might not be too long before the best part of it is due to finish, as the worst, I find, is in the construction of the house frame.

I might be able to help. PM me your land-line number and I'll call you asap. Erny

After one whole weekend? Throwing out the method given so quickly may be akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I don't know what or all of what technique/s the trainer gave, but chucking it out as a failure only after it has been applied for a few days is somewhat hasty IMO. Perhaps the OP needs additional techniques (with my own pup I used several different things - based on what I could manage at the very moment and on exactly what it was the pup was doing) to add to her repertoire, but I disagree that one can claim in this instance that because pup is still mouthing/biting the technique should be chucked away. There is the extinction burst too ..... usually that's a sign that what you're doing IS working. Sometimes it is just a matter of continuing and sometimes it is a time when a little extra is required. But not something that I'd give advice on to cease what they've been doing. Stop that at the wrong time during the extinction burst and you make matters worse. To the OP - this is not something the pup necessarily "grows out of". Think of it more as a "phase the pup is going through". Keep working on it through the phase and you're more likely to come out of it the other end with improved behaviour from your pup. If your methods don't seem to even be diminishing the mouthing/biting, contact your trainer who should be able to adjust the 'program' he/she has given you to something more effective. Don't expect the behaviour to be perfect after just a couple of days, and don't lose hope. It is a very normal puppy phase but you do need to be able to show the pup each and every time that it is not something that it is going to achieve anything it desires from. Anthony ..... what happens later on when a child or person might make a noise that your dog perceives as a growl or a yelp/yip? Avoiding it doesn't right it and better to work with it when the pup is young rather than when it is older IMO.

I was a bit the same when I first got back on a bike :rolleyes:, so refreshed my skills before going out with my dog. I held on to the lead with one hand so I could use it to guide my dog in the early days of bike running, so preferred the foot brake anyway .

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I agree with m-j. Even aggression in dominance has a basis of fear - fear of loss of valuable resource; status within pack; etc. If there was absolutely no fear present, why indeed would a dog show any early warning signs pre-attack?

Wise decision - not only for safety, but if the weather is to be as rough as they predict, the dogs won't work well anyway. Not worth it for both reasons.

What I wrote about a pack member leaving to take up vacant territory and find a mate of his own was in response to your perception which is again shown in the above quote (rather than for making comparison of wolf to dog.) Pointing out that loss of control doesn't necessarily equate to the one who loses that control automatically becoming subordinate. It is not your perception that counts, it is the dog's. So if the dog doesn't perceive that him ignoring a command, but rather learning that he can follow something more entertaining, is controlling you, then it doesn't go to follow that the dog is or regards himself as dominant. Maybe. Or maybe not. Depends on the dog and the exact circumstances. Still could come down to a training issue coupled with level of distraction that enticed the dog to disobey in the first place. Point being that a dog who ignores your command might be doing so because it regards itself as the higher ranking animal to the person and therefore perceives no right by the handler to govern, but just because it ignores commands doesn't make it so. If the animal has a perception of its own dominance by comparison to the owner, there is usually much more going on in the day to day interactions that would comprise the whole picture. In addition, some dogs can perceive themselves as dominant/higher ranking, yet still obey commands. They can express their perceived position in the pack in other ways at other times.

From my perspective, nothing. But you've lost control of him which is the key. Relate to the wolf pack. Sometimes a young wolf will leave the pack to find a different territory and a mate. That has nothing to do with it being dominant over the Alpha of the pack from whence it originated. I don't think I agree with the above. I don't believe a dog who ignores a recall .... say, because (eg) he has the scent of a rabbit up his nose or due to some other distraction, is ignoring the recall as an act of domination. Because the dog doesn't comply to obedience commands does not necessarily go to follow that he controls you.

Depends. If I recalled and he ignored me, so I simply got in my car as I was going to do anyway and drove away ....... what "control" has the dog gained over me? Revert back to the child/parent analogy. Say you ignore your parents request to tidy your bedroom (in reality I hope you don't ) and instead you leave the house and go visit a friend. Your parents continue to watch TV as they were doing before. Do you think you have dominated your parents? Or just defied them? But then you come back and demand your Mum make you some dinner and serve it up to you. And she does (silly Mum ). Then I would consider that you have claimed dominance over your Mum .... or at least that might be your perception. But if instead you came back and demanded dinner but your Mum did not comply (clever mum ), you might still be a defiant child, but not dominant.

Yes - I agree .... "can" is the operative word. Again, I agree. The dog might not listen because he is dominant, but not listening doesn't have to mean that he is dominant. "Not listening" can also merely be a training issue .... the dog has learnt that it doesn't have to listen.