Erny

Starting off with the left foot in earlier days of training/teaching helps the dog. It isn't a rule but I think it has been assumed that over the course of time and from one person repeating to another and another. Using either foot later on breaks down the visual cue and proofs the verbal command.

I have done pet minding for others. IMO it is ok if an owner's absence is only short. For longer absences I would definitely recommend a good kennel over someone popping in for an hour or so daily. Twenty three hours a day x 30 is a lot of hours the dog is by itself completely.

In their defence, though, they sent their product to me for trialling purposes, without cost. If they didn't think or know they have successes in some instances, why would they bother? It's a shame they don't seem to be as reliable as we need a product for this purpose to be. It would be great to guard against parasites that harm our dogs without us having to ply our dogs with chemicals as much as people do.

I sent a pair to a DOLer (for free) to trial, but I didn't really hear what the conclusion was. I don't think there was much joy.

Wonder if it was something like a spider bite. Thoughts are with you and your girl. I hope the Vets can see her right.

Thanks Emilee. That was informative.

Your 2nd photo froze on me for some reason Sway, so can't see the comparison. I didn't realise the initial link was to your business, so I didn't mean anything by setting up competition. In fairness though, I must admit that I got 3 antlers. One was quite large (perhaps not quite as large as the large one of yours, plus 2 x of the (what I would call) the medium sized ones (about 2.5cm diameter, without measuring). As I said - I can't see your second photo (tried twice, even shut down DOL and re-started) to be able to compare. I wasn't thinking about size beforehand. Lol .... my boy hasn't even made a visual dint on any of his antlers. My gosh, they are hard aren't they? Amazing that they are hair converted.

When you're scraping, can you actually see where you've been? I mean, can you see it making a difference as you go?

I've not ever used scrapers myself. Is there a skill, or is it just a matter of scraping away? My dog's rear molers are badly affected. I could get to the outside of them .... getting all around them would be awkward. With the bicarb .... use it dry? Sorry to be asking my own questions on this, but obviously I have reason to be interested. Can I damage the enamel of the tooth if I do my own scraping and use bicarb?

I completely agree, although sometimes it is not a choice. What I mean is that sometimes dogs can't eat the diets we'd rather for teeth cleaning benefits.

Thanks Boronia. I get what they say, but I don't trust what they say. I'd like to know more on *how* it "eliminates" plaque. Not suggesting you have to tell me or prove it, but just voicing my scepticism. And the fact that I don't like the thought of dogs having to imbibe the stuff into their system.

Does it remove the plaque, or just whiten it so it doesn't look as bad? My boy needs a dental clean and I'd love something like this if it was about cleaning his teeth with it (and if it actually was proven to remove plaque). But I don't agree with tainting water to have them drink chemicals and I'll go the Veterinary path with GA to have his teeth cleaned properly, in preference to that.

More to it than this, but just to point out that there is a difference between keeping your dog away from other dogs and working away from but in the proximity of other dogs. There is much good that can come out of the latter.

Thanks cavNrott. That's helpful. Can't say I have a "trusted" Vet. Not that they've all not been good, but I have Vets whom I have seen for specific reasons, but not one who has looked after the over-all general care of my dog. I don't think I'd be the easiest client in the world to have either - I have too many of my own thoughts/opinions (even though I'm aware they are layperson opinions and do allow leeway for that fact) and I question things and I don't know that many Vets like/appreciate/understand that. I was thinking about Dr Bob Cavey and meaning to contact him. I understand he's got a pretty good reputation too, although to my knowledge, not a Dental Specialist as such.

Enna - I have nothing to say to help you and can think of nothing other than what you've already been informed. My previous (avatar) girl "Kal" (bhcs) had bloody spots on her bedding that took me a little bit to pick up on too. It turned out to be from her nose. I initially deduced this by making a mental note of where and how she was sleeping (ie what position) and matching it to where the blood spot was. Might not be her nose, but it is one other orifice to keep a check on. Also perhaps check her mouth (teeth; lips) in case she might have a tooth problem or nicked her lip. Unlikely as these things may be, it's just other places to be mindful of. It might just be a small nick from a foot pad, or end of her tail or something - sometimes these things, once the bleed stops, are really hard to pick up on and may well be nothing.

Thanks everyone. Ok - with your help I've established that GA is definitely the way to go. I guess it will be one way to rid myself of this feeling that I've been harbouring in relation to GA and besides, it's just something that needs to be done regardless.

Avoid YOU moving her forward. Set up the pram. Have it in a room such as the lounge/family room. And leave it there. Ignore your dog's advances to or away from it. When you know your dog is looking, go over and pat the pram. Tell the pram it is a good pram, a nice pram. Don't make a huge drama about it all - just keep it low key. Don't look at your dog while you are doing this. If your dog approaches in any shape or form, ignore your dog. Let your dog investigate the pram at your dog's own pace. NB : It might be helpful if you leave the pram in its collapsed state to begin with - your dog might find that less threatening. At other times : play games in the lounge/family room, ignoring the existence of the pram. Eg. A game of tug; a small game of ball. Training for sit; tricks. All whilst ignoring the pram. But make it all positive stuff and initially start where you are between the pram and your dog. Just give your dog some time to work it out and become accustomed without feeling as though there is any focus or pressure. ETA: It might even be better for your dog if you do this outside, where there is more space, to begin with. ETA: Wasn't going to post the "next step" because I tend to find people push too far too fast and aren't happy at just working at the pace the dog sets. But once your dog is ok with the above (not necessarily to mean s/he loves the pram, just doesn't have an anal gland melt down at the sight and nearness of it), then toss some really tasty treats around and let your dog hunt for them. Gradually starting out from the pram but then over time making it so that most if not all the treats need closer approach to the pram. Edited for spelling

Thanks Karly101. I kick myself that I didn't get on to this sooner. I think with all the troubles I have had with him, it didn't enter my mind to start teeth cleaning regime as soon as I should have. That, and I didn't expect his teeth to become so bad so quickly. He's ok with teeth cleaning but what I'm doing doesn't make a dint towards getting them clean, so it will be the Veterinary dental clean and then maintenance on my part from there. I can't feed the T/D due to his digestive issues, nor can I use the paste (although was informed the paste is mainly for taste rather than it doing anything to assist cleaning). Appreciate the explanation as to why GA is necessary for dental work. I'm probably being paranoid - I just have an awful gut feeling on it for this boy. But what needs to be done, needs to be done.

My 2.5yo boy, who went off eating bones at least 1 year ago, has teeth that are going really skanky and need attention and I'd like to have this dealt with asap. I'm not sure what I should do. Go to my normal Vet or go to a dental specialist in case there is more work other than just a clean that needs to be done. Whilst I'm pondering on that one, I was wondering who would be a good dental specialist to go to. I'm in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne and have been to Hallam Vet Clinic for dental work on my previous (avatar) girl (bhcs) - that would be about 5 or more years ago - but couldn't really tell you if what was done was anything more or less than a general Vet might do. Also, I have a question as to whether it is completely necessary to use GA for a dental clean or whether a sedation would suffice? Is one better than the other? So I'm after some general thoughts and opinions if you would care to share .

I agree. I speak very generally but the advantage over an outdoor dog > inside is that the dog is less likely to have learnt to toilet indoors and also that the now more adult dog would likely to have developed a substrate preference for toileting outside. You will still need to be vigilant though because you'll need to 'learn' this new dog if you take him on, and understand that he may not initially know how to 'ask' to go outside. But if your Boxer dog doesn't have any toileting issues, there's a chance he'll learn off him. You might need to watch for marking though. I think the bigger thing will be how the dog behaves inside. If he's never been an indoor dog he might not understand about not chewing on your treasured items. But this does depend on the individual dog. Point being, he'll need to learn the 'rules' of the home and what acceptable indoor behaviour is. But your leadership, guidance and consistency should help this.

You need to email her, not PM her.

Should a kennel be held responsible for the off chance of not picking up on a tick, even if they have checked them by hand daily? I've not had to experience tick attack, living as I do in Victoria (although with our unseasonable humidity I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually become more prolific down here), but I have read of occasional cases where even vigilant owners have missed a tick on their dog. Should a kennel be held responsible for an injury that is accidental? Dogs are animals. They are going to play, bounce around. Assuming a kennel has demonstrated reasonable care and not been overtly negligent or stupid, should they be responsible for how different people's dogs behave that might cause such an injury? And if they are to be responsible, should they be entitled to request a Vet health clearance before every kennel stay so they can't be held responsible for existing injuries that might not be evident at the time of boarding? If the owner was home and an event occurred, how would they have afforded the Vet bills then? Am I being too harsh to think that if someone is so tight as to not to be able to afford at least some Vet bills, what are they doing going away on holiday? (Admittedly, there can be less fortunate reasons to board a dog.) Why should a kennel owner be the one who should shoulder the burden of the dog-owners' Vet bills until the owner can afford to pay? After all, they aren't banks. I think there may be many kennels who would show compassion for extreme circumstances and potentially help people out, but I don't think it should be written in stone that this becomes the kennel's obligation. I think that sometimes we need to accept that the written word cannot cover everything and lead to a perfect outcome for everyone. It's not to say that I condone kennels who are neglectful and don't exhibit care to duty, but to bind all kennels up with responsibilities that could lend themselves to the impossibly ridiculous would be unfair and not helpful to the industry itself. Yes, kennels book up far in advance for the popular holiday times like Christmas, Easter, long weekends etc. But making the industry shoulder responsibilities that might be excessively onerous won't make this better, it is more possible that it will make it worse. I'm playing devil's advocate here. Laws and more laws become suffocating and not necessarily advantageous to the majority.

My preference is for the chain loop on a martingale collar. I think the main reason being that I can feel and hear the progress of my check. It is probably just a case of being used to it and therefore the reason why it is the most comfortable for me.

That's interesting, JulesP. We teach a trick ('touch') in our first level and use that almost like a sorbe between obedience tasks. I find most people really enjoy it probably because it is something most dogs catch on to really quickly. Everyone (dogs inclusive) feel very clever. It is something we will/can use later on in amongst training issues and/or higher level training. I wonder why people would not appreciate trick training. Perhaps it is something that people would appreciate more in a slightly higher level other than beginners ..... once they have mastered/improved on the art of loose lead walking. This is something that is really important to most if not everyone and if they don't have that going very well they might be considering the time spent on tricks a waste of time until the important things are under control ???? Perhaps? We did a bit of play with the tunnel with our obedience group last week - everyone loved it. Always does seem to be a popular activity. I think this is very important. In our Foundation group, training is predominantly positive - very much emphasis placed on motivation and teaching people how to structure motivation to suit training enhancement. I like everyone to start on flat collars for a couple of reasons : The first of which is so that people have a chance to develop at least some co-ordination in their lead handling instead of trying to learn that and handle a training collar well at the same time. The other is so that we (instructors) have a chance to see what each dog is like - its behaviour/training issues and give us an idea of what training tool would be the most suitable, if it is at that stage needed. Some people have thought that we are opposed to training collars and were working their dog in a flat collar at training and going home to use their training collar. Generally it wouldn't be very long before we'd find this out and are then able to explain what we're doing, so no harm done. But the point being that people will use their training tools if they find these make handling/holding easier, regardless of what their weekly lessons teach. Schools that shun these tools only really preclude people from learning how to use them properly.

Not enough description but I was thinking Ibis. What was the beak like (length and colour) and how big was the bird? It was prob about 20-30cm long, short black beak almost like a magpies beak totally black with midnight blue feathers and longish legs with big long toes! Very cute! Crow?