Erny

There are some people on DOL who may be able to recommend a Behaviourist in WA for you. But when it comes to aggression, there's no mucking around with it. You'll be a lot more comfortable and confident with some sound one-on-one direction from someone who is experienced and who you know has met your dog and yourself. And you're doing great to get on to it as quickly as you are. The degree of success is much higher when problematic behaviours are not left to fester and become ingrained.

Because the onset to this has been so sudden, my first and foremost advice would be for you to get him to a Vet for a thorough check up, including a full body blood work-up. I'd also include a thyroid test BUT for this I'd have that component of the test sent to Dr Jean Dodds in the USA for testing (far more thorough and ID's thyroid issues earlier than our tests are capable of). Also include an eye sight check. Let the Vet know the reason for the health check and allow him to muzzle him. This is primarily for the Vet's safety but also for the sake of your dog - by preventing an unexpected bite you are stopping your dog learning it any more than he already might. After this, then a behaviourist consult. Because you've not written it, I am presuming there have been no events that your dog might have perceived as threatening or traumatic that has occurred from people passing by ??? I am also assuming there has been absolutely no earlier signs of this behaviour building from something that might at first appear benign but has been misread? That's how I read your post. ETA: Is your dog familiar with bicycles/wheels?

F - N - I think that would be great fun and an awesome skill to teach and moreover, utilise. Great work. Great idea.

That's right... could potentially be 'masking' a very serious issue. My late rotty girl was prescribed pain killers by the local idiotic vet three times. All it did was mask what the real problem was. Bone cancer. By the time i said enough is enough and took her to another vet and a cancer specialist, it was too late. Diagnosis for my girl was arthritis and lameness, but in fact it was bone cancer. I'm lost now. Are we talking pain killers or are we talking cartrophen/pentosan ?? If we're talking pain killers, I agree. No point killing the pain and not having a clue what is causing it in the first place. But I don't think that's what the OP's Vet prescribed.

This.

That's right... could potentially be 'masking' a very serious issue. Do you think that cartrophen/pentosan "masks" lameness issues? I didn't think it did.

Sorry - I goofed something and posted when I didn't mean to.

Hey Andisa - just sent you back a PM. Glad the Calendula worked so well for you .

Perhaps also make a note as to whether your dog is drinking more than usual (which in turn of course would increase urine output). Increased thirst beyond what would be normal for your dog in the current climate could be an indicator that things need to be checked.

I agree with getting the thorough health check. In addition to that, try getting up earlier to take him out and see if that helps. If nothing else, it will give you an idea of how long it is that he can hold for since the last toilet. And of course, make sure he toilets before bed (regardless of what time "bed" is). Out of interest, how long is it from bed-time to when you let him out the next morning?

Don't forget that what you are doing by using these things is trying to sooth the skin and ease the itch. For example, the Calendula can assist in many cases but it doesn't "cure" the problem. If your dog keeps developing thickish flaky skin then I'd suggest that's coming from within and not necessarily from without. So whilst you are finding a wash that will assist in soothing and not irritating, you need to be looking for the actual cause of the problem. Washing too frequently (ETA : with chemical/soap based washes) can also exacerbate the problem as, although it might remove the flaky skin build up, can send the skin into a pH spin and this can cause the body to over-compensate when trying to restore balance. Also think of your environment (did I already mention this?). Heaters and air-conditioners can upset the natural pH balance as well, especially when there is too much of it (ie the heating/cooling) Perhaps this has been said before. I've followed your thread but may have missed or forgotten some posts. But I'd possibly look at getting a full body blood work-up done. Also look at diet.

It goes without saying that all dogs need to be raised, socialised and trained to and for the things in life we want them to be comfortable and steady around. With that, then my answer is yes, a Ridgeback can be an excellent dog around children. However, remember they are large dogs and when they are young, until they mature some (around 3 or 4 years old) they can be a bit exuberant and their body size alone could prove to be a child hazard. So training and supervision around children (and who of us would not recommend this regardless) would be required. If you were to come to my place, a huge danger is the bruising you might cop from my boy's 'whippy' boney tail. My sister's poor geriatric Bearded Collie dog whom I am minding at the moment, copped it in the face for being too close behind and let out a yelp with a hurt look - so it's definitely a weapon to be respected when you're at that end, lol. They are dogs who bond closely with the 'pack' and are generally speaking aloof towards people outside of the pack. I would not expect them to seek to escape nor leave home territory or pack unless they had good reason to do so (eg boredom) but it also goes without saying that tall fencing the dog was unlikely to be able to escape from is a requirement - at the very least to keep your dog safe from others. They do love exercise - physical and mental. And in fact they need it. But their greatest love of all is simply being around their pack members. They tend to be the sort of dogs who, if you are sitting, they are glad to sit with you. But just as eager to go with you for a run and a jaunt. To be doing what you're doing. In my experience, they can be excellent around other dogs, but a good solid foundation of positive associations around other dogs from early age (critical period and forward of that) is a must, otherwise you may find yourself with a RR who is scared of other dogs and that can lead to fear aggro. RR's can be 'nervous nellies' and therefore a good, sound socialisation program towards the things in this world they are likely to experience in their lifetime (eg. fireworks; traffic; crowds; meeting unfamiliar people; and so on and so on) will stand the RR in good stead. S/he might still be a bit of a nervous nellie at heart but far more confident with things than s/he might otherwise have been. Check the breed line too - there are lines that are more weak on nerves but then others that can potentially be a bit too strong (for want of better words) in their nature than what you might prefer. I think with the right owner/s they are great dogs. But I don't think they are as resilient as (for example) Labradors, so it does take a bit of extra understanding of the nature of these dogs to help with their training. They are sensitive dogs, yet can be quite wilful. They definitely need a leader, so a calm but assertive/firm yet fun attitude by their people does well for this breed . But yet again, the latter would count for just about every breed. They can be sooky lala's and you'll certainly know about it by the volume of their vocalisation if you so much as nearly go to step on their paw, lol. Yet when they are on a mission they can be amazingly stoic. Dedicated and loyal to their owner family. Generally only bark when there is something to bark at, so they are often wonderful watch-dogs. My general opinion to anyone with young toddlers, no matter what dog breed they are looking at getting, is to factor in that they will need to be constantly teaching the toddlers and teaching their puppy, all at once and consistently. And there's training and walking the pup/young dog/dog no matter what. Do they have the time and the energy for that? If even just one of their children were a bit older, they'd have a little person who could help them with some things in the care of the dog or some basic/minor responsibilities such as keeping younger sister/brother away/still for a moment and so on. This last part is not an opinion. It is food for thought. It is not through my own direct experience (other than when I was once that younger sister and my brother was that bit older to be able to look after me and help with our new first dog) but through me, in my work, seeing the difficulties some people have when they take on what they need to consider as another 'baby' (so to speak - not intended as literal). IME price ranged from $900 - $1500

Me too! Love it. Me three. How cool is that. I hope the mystery of it remains alive . Kudos to the person/s responsible for it.

I don't know, but I guess it could be possible. Maybe that combined with the plastic bowl ??? (I think you said something about that in your first post.) It needn't be just one thing. But one way to find out will be to take note how her nose goes the next time around you use the AC for a stretch. But of course you need to get her nose back to normal first anyway.

Yeah - I think it is a conservative but not an unreasonable senseless approach. Care in the meantime, while you're watching and waiting, of course, for the mere fact that we don't really know what is going on at this point.

You're right, in away (this just my opinion) however I don't think Cartrophen/Pentosan does any harm to try, even if it doesn't prove to target the problem. But the thing is, if it does and the lameness is resolved as a result, then it at least gives you an idea you are on the right track without having to have taken your dog down the GA & Xray exposure path for potentially nothing. As I mentioned, this is just my opinion but it is not a 'blanket' opinion for all cases.

Hi Aussielover. I know what I do when one dog tries to stop me from paying attention to another (I don't let that happen) but what I do and the success of it IMO relates to what relationship you have with your dog. If your dog has a strong perception that you don't have the right to interact with other dogs but you insist on doing so on the basis of some internet advice, you might find yourself setting up a challenge that will end in tears. There could be other things happening also/instead - we can't tell from where we sit. So my best advice, although it might sound to you like a cop-out, would be to wait until you see Steve at K9 Pro. He'll have the advantage of being able to observe you, your dog, the relationship you share AND the intensity of your dog's belief in this undesirable behaviour and on the strength of that will be the better one to advise you. I don't know what 'other' behaviour you intend to see Steve about - perhaps it and the one you describe here are somehow inter-related. However I think you would be wise to let Steve know it too is a problem. Perhaps he will have time to help you with that as well, if not set a prioritisation that is the most sensible. In the meantime, because I don't know you nor your dog nor the intensity of the aggression, the only advice I feel I can responsibly give you is to avoid setting up the challenge that you do, by not interacting with other dogs directly in front of your own dog at the moment. It would not hurt (in fact, it would be helpful) if you began working the "Triangle of Temptation" program (pinned at the top of this forum) and observe the NILIF protocol. If you're unfamiliar with the latter, this is simply about having your dog do something for you first before you do something for him/her. A simple concept - the hardest part is remembering - humans are creatures of habit too and their downfall is often not remembering and therefore being seen by the dog as inconsistent and therefore unbelievable. ETA: Sorry - reread and notice your dog is not aggressive about this but is jumping up and trying to interrupt and redirect your attentions. As Aidan has said - yes, this could escalate. Even though I let my imagination run off track by thinking your dog had already shown aggression, my answer would remain the same. If your dog's antics were ignored or stopped, it is possible that they might escalate. Even if your dog's antics are not ignored or stopped, this could send the wrong message to your dog and your dog's confidence in being able to direct your activities could see the behaviour escalate to worse things. Or ..... it might not. We don't know your dog, is what it boils down to. So I'd still recommend you avoid the situation until you get to see Steve.

Is it possible that she started itching at the time you had your home treated? Or was she itching before that?

.... still gonna log it as "Pro-K9's Pill Popping Protocol" though even though I might not have been the 'first' to thunk it . In my books, I was ;). It is such a delight though, when a dog will easily take a tablet (for person and for dog). I'm minding my sister's geriatric dog for a few weeks and she needed to give him a tablet on the day she dropped him here. Once he decides a pill is in the food there is no amount of coaxing that will have him take it. Because he's not used to it, popping it to him manually is a drama and because of his frailty and his age, to push the issue is too traumatic. He's profoundly deaf too, so you can't talk him through it either. Fortunately it was only a wormer, being given just because "he was due one" and so I told my sister to not worry about it. I went to my boy and delivered him his daily thyroid tablet and it rammed it home at how easy and happy about it he is.

Check out "The Book Depository" as well. They don't always have the books that Amazon and Dogwise have, although they often do. I find them generally cheaper and there's no postage costs either.

That, and feed her dinner immediately after applying the Paw Paw. It doesn't always work, or only works in part, but it might assist at least a little bit.

Here's the link to the book I looked at. I don't have any info on it nor am I familiar with the author, so I can't endorse it, but it did look interesting which is why I mused about the possibility of purchasing it. Structure in Action

Use common sense and good reasoning, but don't look to keep your young pup in a bubble. Did you know that your pup's learning time up until the age of 16 weeks (and 'learning' means getting to know about the things in our world) has such a huge impact that it actually changes the shape of your pup's brain? When I brought my boy home at 8wo I was flat out busy trying to get in all and as much socialisation/habituation to our worldly things as I possibly could, for the entire 8 weeks. You need to begin gently and easily and gradually and carefully building up the intensity (eg. light traffic from a distance through and up to heavy traffic more close up). So it's not necessarily just about introducing things once and that's it. I tended to keep my boy in and away (but he did still have the yard to explore in) for 7-10 days after each puppy vacc. This was because after each vaccination his immune system would have been taxed by the vaccine and I wanted to not stress it unnecessarily. I even backed off training, sticking to really basic things that he found easy to perform. After that, it was out there and at'em again. I did avoid areas of high density and unknown dog traffic though (eg public parks). Don't forget that you walk in the outside world on the soles of your shoes; you car rolls in the outside world on the treads of its tires. We can use common sense and good reasoning, but it is counter productive and runs a high risk of psychological damage if we go to the extreme.

I saw a book on Amazon about one week ago, when I was ordering another book. I nearly purchased this other book - it was about structure and movement, I think. I'll pop back to Amazon and see if I can re-trace my steps to finding it.

Don't (feel bad, that is). You've taken two very important steps that many people might not. The first is that you've become aware enough and are honest enough to acknowledge that you've made some mistakes (haven't we all at some stage in our lives??). The second is that you've done something about helping to get things on track. And you make Boarding & Training sound bad (ie "Boot Camp") - describing it that way (it seems to come with negative connotations, perhaps because people who have given the thumbs down for the thought of B&T described B&T that way) only sets up negativities that, when you have a good B&T kennel and trainer, is quite the opposite. B&T can be so much fun for the dogs .... think of it as though you are sending/have sent him to a fun scout group holiday camp.