Clyde

He is still only a baby. All pups will get it at different ages. My 12week old is no where near getting it, whereas previously I've had pups house trained at around 10 weeks. Give him time, be consistent (as you are by the sounds of it) and he will get there. I know people who have had pups at 6 months who still wee inside. My 2 yr old will still do the odd indoor wee overnight.

I think if you are offering to pay anything then you are conceding guilt. It's a tricky one. If you do contribute towards the vet then you should make it very clear that the dog was on your property and legally, you don't have to pay a cent. Emphasise that morally you want to help. Tricky one. If a dog ended in my yard I wouldn't pay, I have however paid a vet bill in the past where my dog hurt another outside of my property.

I don't know but the second I opened the photo one of my dogs fluffed. It was like a Click & Sniff - bizarre and not too pleasant Could he have impacted anal glands but can only reach that spot to lick? Looks more likely a bite or something though doesn't it. Maybe he sat on an ant or something and the licking has exacerbated it. Ingrown hair?

Urge that they crate train now, if not already. I have a 12 week old pup here along with my other dogs, plus also a foster Shih Tzu. The foster and the pup do not stop playing so the crate is once again, being a doG send in order to give me time out. Make sure the Dane is wormed and on flea preventative. Find out their wishes on vet care, if they are going to an area where they won't be easily reached get a budget in mind for how far they would go in case of a vet emergency $$. To be honest, I wouldn't do it. Your pup will be at such an impressionable age and you only get that window once. My pup has already learned to howl when I leave the house as the foster dog barks, it's not worth the bad habits your pup will pick up. Just explain you think it will be too much this time, but you will be happy to do it when your boy is 6 moths or older.

I came across a few breeders when I was doing rescue who couldn't give a stuff that a dog they bred was in danger of being pts. One of them in particular has their prefix burned across my brain. I also remember once when a breeder did take a dog I had back once but she euthanased him as he was no longer in full coat (wtf??). I think it's understandable to not always be in a position to take a dog back but to at least offer a helping hand goes a long way. efs

Buy some Aloveen and take it with you to the groomers. Have them use it and as mentioned let them know you dont want any conditioners, mousses or deodorizers used. As a groomer myself who also has a Shih Tzu with allergies there is no way washing every 6 weeks is too often. Shih Tzu's are prone to dodgy skin. First you need to rule out fleas. Whether you see them or not get yourself some Advantage. Rule out anything in the garden, get yourself some sensitive skin washing detergents for their bedding etc etc. I tried all manner of diets and the best for my Shih Tzu has been Eukanbua sensitive skin fish based kibble. She doesn't eat anything else at all, is bathed in Aloveen weekly and has Advantage applied fortnightly and we finally have it under wraps. You will need Opticin or something medicated from your vet for the ears.

Your son is a child and shouldn't be relied upon for breaking up fights. Personally I would rehome one pup now while it is still a cute little pup, then think about another when you have the first one trained.

If it's a grooming newb Sags, they might find a Mini easier to work with.

Some dogs just don't do well on some bones. My dogs don't get hard bones. I almost lost my bitch twice due to bowel blockages from bones. My dogs only get chicken bones as they are more digestable. They have great teeth and aren't lacking the way some people would lead you to believe.

Poor dogs. Sounds like an awful accident. I'm sure the officer has been punished enough just by knowing that his dogs died slowly. I hope the law doesn't get too wound up over it when there are far more heinous crimes towards animals which are overlooked.

To be honest I would look in to the work and research for at least 6 months before rushing out and getting your dog. Go along to training sessions, watch and learn. A working line Rotti is going to need an experienced hand and as you also have your kids and I think (?) other dogs, it's best you gain more knowledge first. Through this experience and research I am sure you will then gain more knowledge of breeders and the type of Rott you are after.

Quite a few years back I offered discount cards in winter. It gave clients the opportunity to see how lovely a dog can look with coat left long and styled. Explain to clients that dogs really need more grooming in winter than in summer as their coat is longer. You can also have a loyal client system where people who rebook within say, 6 weeks, get $5 off their groom. I find winter is actually busier as the coats are left longer and more styling is involved. My days are longer. It took a couple of winters to train my clients in this area that they still need upkeep in winter but we are there now.

Pet Biz have stores in Brookvale, Belrose and Mona Vale. The Belrose stor is only about 5 mins from where you train (in the Supa Centre)

Yes it's normal

How do you make any money on only 6-9 dogs a day plus all that rent? Do you sell product as well? I admire anyone who can do a career change midlife, I wish I had the balls to do it I agree with JeroJath to get some hands on experience for a while first to see if you like it Westie Girl.

I am surrounded by 3 JRTS in seperate homes and the little ***'ers all bark too much for my liking. Great little dogs but I too think they tend to bark more than some other breeds. When I book them in I always make sure the owner is to come back within one hour as I don't want them here longer than necessary.

I agree with Miranda. Have him close to you, he is a baby and has only ever known his Mum and litter mates. All my pups/dogs have slept close to me, none have had issues at a later date when it comes to easing them to another sleeping area.

I've had customer service issues with Clipperworld and will no longer use them. A waste of a hundred or so dollars. Feather Edge also stuffed up my one and only order from them, even though it was rectified and stressful I didn't ever receive an apology. The SS combs look nice on a Cocker The #30 is best to use the combs with but I guess that's personal opinion. I always get a smooth finish but rule of thumb with the combs is to comb back and go over. I also let the coat rest for 5-10 minutes and do other things (nail, feet etc) and quickly go over the coat again. You will find it gives a really nice finish. From memory The Barf Shop has a good price on SS combs.

Tears flow and my heart aches for you. You truly had something special. Take care of yourself. Dru,

Not necessarily. Best not to work yourself up and wait until you see the vet. I hope he is okay.

I agree!! It only makes the new owner look like an ignoramus too when they tell people that they have a pure bred Shih Tzu for example, and the dog is ten feet tall with a 4 inch nose I can't tell you how many rescues I groom where the group/pound has told the owner they have a pure bred when it's clear that they don't. People then get offended when you tell them that their "Shih Tzu" is more likely a JRT X Malt.

Just awful

So jaw droppingly sad. I'm crying for the big guy and his doting owner. He was an icon and much loved by hundreds of people through photos. Big hugs from us, take your time to grieve . xo.

At least they take their dogs to the groomers unlike a lot of tight fisted, lazy, ignorant Aussies.

I don't like Fidos stuff at all. The fumes make my eyes burn but it also gives me terrible eczema on my hands. In the past their flea rinses had made me feel a little congested in the lungs even with a mask on. I can't stand the smell of any of the products. I had run out of Permoxin a few weeks back to give a dog a flea rinse and found some Fidos in the back of the cupboard. I used it and had my first ever asthma attack. It was awful. They also did themselves a disservice at Pet Expo a few years back when their reps were telling people how much better it is than Aloveen as Aloveen has soooo much soap in it. ;) Aloveen is soap free, I thought it was very sneaky and underhanded of them, probably illegal too.