noisymina

Oh dear! That would have been terribly stressful. I was really lucky that the first vet I took Kaisie to was a really good Dobe person. He sold out and the new vet was NOT at all what I wanted as I feel it is important for them to have a good bedside manner and plenty of treats! It took quite awhile before I found another vet that both the dog and I were happy with. There are other options that you may like to consider for use before that sort of visit. eg a thing called Troy Behave Paste. http://www.troylab.com.au/petproducts.php?tid=4&iid=18&pid=64 I've not used it, but I certainly would try it in that sort of situation.

Hope it helps BC Crazy! I like being able to do something to help calm a dog - it comes in VERY handy at times. :) And it makes ME more calm knowing what I can do - which helps in itself. Ksisie used to end up lying down on her back in the Vet's waiting room of all places. How many get THAT chilled out? So next thing the vet wants to know how I did it because she had another client with an OTT Dobe! :laugh: It does not always happen overnight, tho. Be patient. I never really took it further than that - I was happy with what we did achieve. But the possibilities are interesting.

Damn - I can't find my T-Touch book - must have a search! But this link is the latest version, it seems. http://www.ttouch.com/shop/index.php?productID=171

Suggest you look into T-Touch for dogs. It did wonders to calm my Dobe. And it only took one book - not all the fancy training sessions etc that are advertised these days. Just zero in on the chapter most suited to your immediate needs. I've used it a bit on my new dog and she has a thunder-shirt as well which I'm sure has also helped her settle.

Upload to Photobucket, edit/re-size there and link to them there. :)

We had Dobermanns for many years. One at a time, that is. I always felt safe with a Dobe out there. The reputation goes before them. Their breeding means no training is needed to guard/protect. BUT they do need strong leadership and other training to make them sociable. BUT we have 5 acres and, IMHO, they need space to run and exercise. How laid back your Dobe is depends on you. We got Kaisie as a 4 year old and totally OTT madness at first. So bad she used to run full speed into things. Totally laid back sook by the time I'd finished with her. :laugh: So much so, the vet was asking how I did it! From pup to laid back adult, most large breeds take at least 2 years. Do you have the time for this? I'm a fan of getting older dogs myself. :)

Dobermann.

He's beautiful! :)

When my son and his wife bought a house, DH was there quite a bit working on it. One night the wife called to say she couldn't find the cat. She was very pregnant and had spent all afternoon searching the neighbourhood for cat. After a while, DH rang back and suggested they look in the roof space. Yep - cat had climbed ladder and joined him up there while he was busy working and he had not noticed.

Possible mis-communication. But then there ARE vets around who over-service and overcharge. I've had experience with one and it was part of a chain - so no doubt not the only one. Present vet is awesome. They often give me a "discount" at the end of the bill. :laugh: And yes, cartrophen injections after the first one. She only charged for the injection, no consult fee. Although we did often get talking and I did sort of expect to pay a consult 'cos I used to ask lots of questions and it would only be fair IMHO. But then she used to ask me about Kaisie and how I got her so calm and relaxed because she had another client with a totally OTT Dobe and was wanting to know if I could give her some idea how we did it! All credit to her for trying to help that other client, I think.

I got a packet once. Ended up throwing most of it out. I can't believe that much garlic can possibly be good for a dog, specially over the long term. Maybe there is not as much in it these days.

The fact is many dogs, regardless of "temperament" do freak out at storms/fireworks. I do agree that measures need to be taken to minimise the chances. Depending on breed, some will find their way home in normal circumstances (if they don't get hit by cars etc) but if they do escape in panic, they may not be able to. Make sure your dog has collar and ID tag and is microchipped. If he is registered with council, he will also have his rego tag. Some can be trained not to go out the gate if left open, but you cannot rely on that as some temptations may prove too much.

You can get special nail files - curved ones - to file any sharp edges off the nails. No more hurties. :)

Whose the boss? Just come a little closer..............

What a sweet, innocent little thing she is too! Are her eyes different colours - or is that just the lighting in the photo?

If I remember correctly, it has something to do with the way they treat/handle raw eggs in America. They are prone to a poison entering the shell. This does not happen in Australia. I fed my dog raw eggs too quite frequently. In fact, a a kid, I was fed raw eggs in Egg Nogs myself. My dog did chuck Kangaroo meat so I had to discontinue feeding that. And sardines were a bit dubious too, so I avoided them. She also took to trying to swallow the Turkey necks whole and chucking them back. :rolleyes: For the most part, tho she did well on raw and her teeth were excellent.

I would be getting the professionals in. I would not touch the "professionals". I had one guy here recently to do the termite thing - that had to be done - but when he offered to do the other I said no way - never had it done in 30 years! He said maybe he could just throw the white powder around. I'm like "You've got to be joking?" I noticed a grin on his face then. Water works too. Just put the pet bowel in another larger one with a little water in the bottom. They will not navigate over water. As for surface spray, I do use it, but very sparingly and in out of the way places. The one with the little tube you attach to the nozzle is great. With that you can poke it into small corners and just let loose a dab where the animals could not possibly come in contact with it. Our Daddy Longlegs are given a bit of leeway too. Redbacks don't last long. I still have to track one down around my kitchen window - he keeps building the web but I don't see him. .

I also don't agree with barbed wire - for any animal. Agree with smaller house yard and then runs out in the paddocks. Saves having to take them for walks if you don't want to etc. Running wears them out more than walking and you do need to control their dam adventures to times when you are free to wash them down after. We do use electric fencing. It can be set at different levels etc so we use what we need to keep other dogs out and from annoying livestock/our dog. We did have to raise the level because the Rotty from down the road had no respect for it at the lower setting. Our own dogs soon learned not to try the fences and it was all good. The foxes seem immune, however.

Have you made provision for more than one dog in a household? Are there any items you would like to purchase that we don't presently stock? Do you groom your dog yourself or do you take him/her to a groomer?

Latest laugh here recently. Two tough tradies afraid to go near their timber pile because of.... One 25cn Green Tree snake. And my DH trying to save them with a half brick in hand. Dunno what he thought he was going to do. He knows that if we just go away for a while, the snake will move out. We've had some awesome tree snakes around here. Kasie was eventually trained to leave them alone and would just bark at them to tell us they were there.

Kids cap gun. Acceptable in the burbs and makes a big bang. I armed my kid with one when he was being hassled by dogs when he was catching the school bus. Worked on those particular dogs. May not work on all of them.

An it all happened only a few doors from my place. Who'd have thunk, hey? Been pretty quiet up there since then.

My vet would crack up laughing at the idea of brushing my dog's teeth. Really - raw meaty bones - and when I lost her last week, she was nearly 12 years old and perfect teeth. Vet always commented on how good her teeth were. Never a clean. Never lost one tooth. Ok - so there is a slight risk of a dog choking or getting a bone stuck. We have had dogs here for 30 years. And I had another one before that. A lot of that time I was even feeding cooked bones - in ignorance - and not once have we had a problem. So the risk is actually rather small if you take that limited sample. And feed appropriate bones.

Your Dad might be happy to try this one. It had Kaisie's coat gleaming. No washing, but grooms them well and they smell lovely. http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/Veterinary-Formula-Anti-Allergen-Mousse-for-Dogs-177mL

Sometimes you can get Turkey necks at a reasonable price. They make good eating too. I do prefer to feed chicken necks rather then wings because of the fat issue. They do need some fat - but not THAT much. The legs would be good for the teeth.