Gillian

me too ;) :p

I completely understand where you're comming from.... sometimes OH's are not as big doggy lovers as us lot here!! All I can say start working on OH I want to do the course in the future too - so maybe by the time I'm ready to do it - you're OH would have given in and we can do it at the same time!!! :p

would love to do the course one day! It's on my to-do list Just dont tell my OH this is on the list - OH already thinks I take on far too many things keep the updates comming people

geezz got me worried there for a minute SwaY....

thanks for the info guys

Harley loves sardines too... I normally buy the no name brand tin with spring water but had a mix up last time and I bought the sardines in oil instead. I've been draining out the oil cause I wanst sure if oil was good or not for him - also with the sardines in tomato juice (?) - is that ok to feed??? ta Gillian

I'm sure he's in a better place Bea. RIP Gordie

Hi ya, We had massive troubles with our dog pulling on the lead (and I might mention here that we have a Great Dane). A really good trainer here on DOL recomended the prong collar and when we got one, we tried to walk our dog with it and well it didnt help much at all. We then took Harley for a couple of training classes (to another good trainer) and guess what - Harley is brilliant now on his lead. My point being - get a trainer to show you how to work the prong collar correctly - there's a good chance you're not using it correctly. - Gillian

Hi Carla, We have a Great Dane and he was a rescue too!!! Anyways getting down to business, we fed Harley Science Diet now with a little raw mince. It is best to feed a good quality kibble - Eagle pack and Science Diet and really good. The amount you feed depends on the dogs size. Keep in mind that when you start feeding any new diet the dogs tummy is going to go a bit crazy for a couple of days but then it will settle down. You will notice the difference when you feed a good quality kibble. Harley was on Supercoat when we got him and a lot of people recomended that we start him on a quality kibble - we didnt think much of it at the time but now that we've done it theres no way we will ever go back to feeding a supermarket brand. Also with a quality kibble there is no need to add a lot to it. We add about 50 grams of mince to it (and change between chicken and beef mince every now and then) only for extra flavour. If his tummy is a bit upset, we add a bit of yoghurt to his food - that alays seems to settle him. And we give him an egg every week. Look there is no exact science when it comes to feeding any dog - the main thing with Danes and their food is to make sure they dont run around before and after their meals. Also keep their food and water elevated. thats about it really.... - Gillian

Hey jaybeece, We had (love the fact that I can use the word "had" and not "have") the same problem with our fella not too long ago. The right tools and the right trainer make all the difference - where about are you? Suggestion to all those having trouble walking your dogs (and this is what we did before we met our trainer) is stop taking him out till you see a trainer. Every time your dog does something you tell it not to do and gets away with it, it diminishes your status to the dog and this will probably cause more issues. We thought it was horrible not to take our dog for a walk but sometimes it is the best thing till you get some help. Our trainer is fantastic :D and she got Harley walking nicely in the first session. Cheers Gillian

The greatest Dane - I hope King is alright - havent heard from you on how he's doing?

just saw this thread glad to hear that King is feeling better :D

Thanks for the responses everyone. Natashja would love to see a bigger picture of your poodle... The pup I'm talking about gets his face wiped down every time he eats and gets his other end wiped with baby wipes when ever he goes out to toilet!! Like I said they have a lot of time to spend with him - but I'll keep watching just in case the novelty wears off - Gillian

thanks poodlefan - a very helpful website.... will show it to them when I go over Cheers Gillian

wow - never knew they could grow that long!!!! Do you have any pictures poodle fan? Thanks for the replies guys - Gillian

it's not that they think it's cruel to clip or anything like that - they just like the shaggy dog look... like I said before, his coat is really well kept... do they change their minds after the the puppy looses its puppy coat? also guys, just so everyone know, this puppy is in no danger whatsoever.... I know these people really well and if they feel the puppy will be under stress because of his coat, they will not think twice about having him clipped. I'm just asking these questions because I personally have never seen or heard of a poodle with a long coat. Cheers Gillian

thanks for the responses guys... These people do care about the puppy a lot... He does go for walks and they take him to the groomers every second week... they trim around the face, always do the ears... not sure about his rear end ( ) His body though doesnt get clipped. He's still a puppy (about 4 months) so maybe his puppy coat is still managable. Probably when he's done with his puppy coat they will see that they will need to have him clipped. I see the puppy almost twice a week and his fur is always well kept.

the dog is an indoor dog - only goes out to toilet. Either way they will at some stage have to clip him correct?

Do poodles need to be clipped? I know someone with a poodle (still a puppy) and they brush him every day. But they said they have no intention of ever clipping him. I dont know a lot about this so was just wondering - does anyone have a poodle that has never been clipped? Cheers Gillian

oh Erny I am soo sorry to hear about Kal I'm sure you miss her terribly but know that Kal is in a better place now running free and well with all her new doggy friends. - Gillian

Harleys got a value of 10 on every dog he sees. In his mind all dogs are there for him to play with (even the ones that are growling at him) - I dont think he would have let any other dog stay focussed at obedience. I can imagine LL - at steves workshop I tried patting Yank and he couldnt give a rat $%% about who was where - all he was doing waas watching that ball ;)

how did you manage to keep your lawn myszka!?!?!?!! Harleys big paws have killed every bit of grass that formed part of our lawn Erny - sorry was off reading the neutralisation thread Sounds good - was just wondering thats all - theres a good few things we'll need to neutralise with my big boofa!!! I'm all excited about meeting up now. We've wanted to take Harley to obedience but we knew we'd get kicked out within the first 5 minutes ;)

ta myszka - will do

Just how do you neutralise a dog? My fella just might jump the fence or dig a million holes - all out of sheer boredom!!

ok call me stupid - but when would you need to use wax on your dogs paws? How do you know if you need to? Harleys paws are not as soft as they used to be but what do you look for - some pictures might help if anyone has any. Cheers Gillian ;)