noisymina

I think we over-did the relax bit. Ours can't stay standing when we pat her now - if we keep going , she ends up lying on the ground with all four paws in the air. Oh well - she isn't a show dog so I guess we can live with that.

Yes and yes. Brilliant!. Got 4 year old Dobe - that had "issues" about being groomed/washed around the rear end. She's a gem now. Sure, time and trust building would probably have helped anyway - but I give T-Touch considerable credit. She is the one in the avatar. Also used it to relax/stimulate etc. Very good.

In the past, I have started with the flat collar and moved to the check chain later. I only use it as additional security when going out as she is a big dog and I feel it would help in situations that get her overly excited etc - eg another dog having a go at her or in the vets waiting room where I need to be sure I have control. It has seldom been needed. My present dog is an expert collar slipper and a check chain is essential should she decide she wants to shoot through for some reason. Better a bit of temporary discomfort as opposed to her getting loose and....who knows what?

I got an adaptor piece from Bunnings - and hook the hose up to the laundry tap to supply warm water and wash her that way just outside the laundry in the courtyard. She went form being a petrified-of-the-hose, snappy chappy - to a dog that now needs no restraint and a happy chappy. She stands there in the spot where she is washed - watching me getting out all the gear as if to say "Hurry up Mum! I'm waiting!" No matter how they are washed, drying is a separate exercise. I'm lucky mine has short coat - I just choose a good day and give her a good towel off and a big run afterwards. I take a little stool out there and use it for drying - but I do lean over to do the washing. She always gets her treats when we are finished, tho. When we started, it was treats all the way through.

Lamb can be pretty fatty too. All doges need SOME fat for a balanced diet, but some need more or less than others - depending on breed, age, level of activity etc. Mine gets a pork trotter occasionally - about once a month, I would guess. Doesn't seem to have done her any harm. Sometimes I pick up some pork off cuts - but I don't get them unless there is a good amount of meat in them and not too much fat. I feed them as I would the lamb - as part of her diet.

Yeh - I think she goes into "prey dive". :D We get it over carrots, too, these days. Can't say she has taken to the cats, tho. She lives with two of them and she actually tends to be the peacekeeper when they have "disagreements". They all scoobie together of an afternoon - the cats run out and ambush her - and she just ignores them. ;) I agree - a well adjusted dog will have fun at lure coursing and it won't change their behaviour in any significant way. I have friends who take their dog lure coursing and it has been wonderful for that dog-it was a rescue and is not good at socialising with other dogs and is very wary of people. It gives it an outing and the exercise it needs.

Only took mine lure coursing a couple of times to try out. All it did was make her turn into an idiot every time I put the rubbish out - in the plastic bag. She still does it. Sometimes it is so bad the boys come out asking what is wrong with her. I thing it is quite funny.

I actually managed to pick up some cheap Tripe at the butcher the other day. I believe it is pretty well fat free - and, amazingly, my dog loves it. If I give her a mixture of meaty bones and pieces, the Tripe is what she goes for first. Takes her a while to chew it too.

I think you need to listen to the dog. Either the man is evil - or the diet is. Either way - Save your money and work out your own eating regime. Something you can stick to forever - not just while you are paying Lite & whatever.

We has a Wei who lived to about 16 - in the days before I ever heard of BARF or bloat or the sins of feeding cooked bones. She was fed on -- I know a terrible diet -- of Pal Meaty Bites (about a cup a day, unsoaked), tinned Pal, table scraps and left-overs including cooked bones, numerous fruit varieties she used to graze from our trees, Macadamia nuts that she would crack for herself (another no-no) and one Christmas she even stole a box of chocolates from under the tree and consumed the lot with no obvious ill effect. We were, it seems, exceedingly lucky. Or, rather, she was exceptionally lucky. :rolleyes: I think if she were pre-disposed to bloat, she would have got it regardless of what we did. And since she was obviously not pre-disposed to it, she did not get it - regardless of what we did. It seems to me that it is just one more thing that breeders need to keep track of, if at all possible. BARF, or a modified version of it, can be fed without going to too much expense - and if one is flexible and ready to pick up bargains around the shops etc. eg this morning I got half price chicken legs at the supermarket - they were going cheap as today was the use-by date - home and straight in the freezer, no problem.

We don't feed mince. Meaty bones is what BARF calls for.

Our Dobe had been pulling like a locomotive for 4 years before we got her. She doesn't now. Lots of time and patience, no progress for pulling and sessions where I would simply stop and go the other way when she pulled - and often when she did not as well - seemed to help too. That way, she never knew when we were going to change direction and would stay closer to me. OK - so we are not going to win any comps on it even now, but a 32kg dog pulling a 55kg lady was just not on. At least I can comfortably take her out to the vets etc and feel quite confident doing so. There is little pulling and I have found she will often come with me if I use my voice to get her attention rather than a pull on the lead. I did stop using the check chain for a while - but a particular incident in a vets waiting room once (not her fault) has convinced me that it is wise to keep using it for safety reasons - as she is an expert collar slipper. She didn't actually slip it that time, but she could have - so it served as a lesson to me.

Any spiders in the bedroom? Also, botulism works very fast, too and is prevalent in drought conditions.

found it on amazon! this one? or this one? The second one is the one I have. I have not seen the first one, but do have another one for horses. If you just want one for dogs, go with the second one. It has a lot of training stuff in it apart from massage.

Hey - for 15 years I was feeding cooked bones without any problems. Stopped when I was told they were a problem. Then was told HAD to feed bones because of teeth. Then found we had a problem because the dog was digging up all around the fruit trees to bury the bones. So went to the smaller, meaty bones to avoid or. at least reduce, the garden digging. BARF fitted in well with that. The vet has commented on how wonderful the teeth are, we have no tress being dug up, but the cooked bones go in the bin. Now, as part of BARF, we feed chicken parts of all varieties. Have had no problems - but then, never had any with the so-called problematic cooked bones either. Then the lamb is recommended - the lamb, as with the chicken wings, is very fatty - one can only feed them so much fat in the diet. Some frames I've been sold had great chunks of fat attached, which I pulled off because there was so much of it. That leaves me with, Roo tail (which, conversely is supposed to be too lean and rich), Turkey necks (not always possible) and....... ?????????? not much else. Got to fed them something.

If you come across the T-Touch book - I recommend it. Linda Tellington-Jones - Is the author.

Tapeworm is flat, segmented, largely immobile, and can come in any length and not much at a time unless it comes out connected in a long string-like formation - which is obviously not a maggot. Maggots are round and shiny, short, all roughly the same size, very active and there are usually lots of them. I really find it hard to believe that one could confuse the two.

Apart from worming them, removing the droppings and assessing the diet, I would suggest you try adding some yoghurt or Acidophilus (Inner Health) powder or capsules to their diet for a little while and see if it helps.

I read about it here soon after we got Kaisie. I liked the sound of it and, knowing that profit dives companies, figured it made sense - and I know what is in the food. Kaise has been fine on it, but i've been getting lazy as it is sometimes a bit of trouble if I am busy, so I have started to use a bit of Nutro - but all the meaty bones stay and the other bits and soon I will make another veg mix. I really can't see me lugging home the tins again. It is no more trouble to pick up the meat and freeze it.

They will survive a little ice cream, I'm sure. BUT Ice cream is no good for humans, let alone dogs. Maybe some frozen yogurt?

He's pretty young, actually, jaybeece. But it's all relative.

yep but being a Samoyed I dont want that hair all over the laundry getting into everything especially when he drops his coat annually. I kid you not his hair gets in EVERYTHING. I wake up each morning and try to pick white hairs off my pillow in between insane bouts of sneezing I wash my clothes and theres still white hairs on them. However, I am not complaining. I knew this before I got him. I think its going to be done outside. :D Well, how about an outdoor table - try Bunnings etc - and put one or two of those non-slip rubber bath mats on it when grooming.

Grab some treats and feed as you go. After a while, the space between treats (rewards) can be increased. My Dobe who hated the bath, now goes the whole way without a problem. I'm sure she has her mind on the treats all the time. :D She still gets a good handful at the end. I reckon she earns it.

[quoteSorry mate - you now HAVE a canine and are responsible for it - you have no option. No cop out here. I'm afraid. Good training for the future - when that girlfriend you say you need wants human kids.

Don't worry, Sammy, you are safe - for now, anyway. Good dog, man, get down there and learn the nitty gritty. Get your groomer to show you. The sooner the better. The dog world is no place for whimps, man.