Kaz

Swfs are just dogs like any other. An aggressive swf doesn't make me hate the breed but the owner who doesn't acknowledge the problem or thinks it's 'just so cute' makes me see red every time.

So glad to see someone prepared to address the aggression of the dreaded SWF! You say he will never be perfect, however with your obvious dedication and the right behavioural modification, I see absolutely no reason why your dog can't become a model citizen despite his age. Good luck with it.... and of course another plug here for k9 Pro. (although I would certainly try your local behaviourist and see if his methods work)

Flat collars all round here My three know that if they pull they won't be going anywhere in a hurry. If 'slow' or 'Oi!' doesn't get their attention, we just stop until they are ready to behave themselves. In the past I have used a check chain and a prong collar where appropriate. As Staranais said, anything that gets a dog out and about is good.

Yep, I have a bully x - he is high drive and had a tendancy toward aggression as a pup. Constant socialisation and firm leadership has turned him into a lovely boy. He was my main concern when staffies moved in next door

I have just reread the original post and I don't see any sign of breed bashing. The op has had a bad experience and a lingering if somewhat exaggerated fear. Hey - she's human Her concerns about staffies being escape artists are quite reasonable. Very glad she has put herself out there and asked for advice.

At my last houses, my dogs used to fence fight with the neighbours dogs. It was a mixed breed small fluffy. The neighbours had only a few words of English so it really was to difficult to sort the matter out. Instead I ran a temporary fence with wire and star pickets along that side of the garden. It was about two feet away from the boundary fence having just that little distance immediately calmed things down. Hopefully your dogs will be friends and you won't have to try this

I once tried one that was supposed to keep mice away. Didn't bother the dogs one little bit. Didn't bother the mice either

Talk to the neighbours as soon as possible. Maybe you could have some walks together to get the dogs comfortable with each other. Remember that dogs behind a fence often act totally differently to those off their respective properties. I'm not at all scared of staffies but when my neighbour moved in with his two, I was nervous as hell as the adjoining fence was wire and not in the best nick. And the neighbour has no fences at all! So I had the neighbour and his dogs come round for playtime the day after they arrived. Better to bite the bullet and get it over with. Now my three and his two are the best of mates

Just say how sorry you are for their loss. It can be a crushing blow and I have been through it several times. However when the grief is so all consuming that you no longer function properly, I believe that there is some other deep and profound problem, possibly psychological. Grief counselling or a trip to the psychologist sounds what this lady needs. Not so easy to tell her though

saradale, I love the spalding high bounce balls too. For some reason the dogs seem able to see the yellow ones best against the sand and they much prefer the texture to tennis balls. They also seem to prefer the particularly satisfying crack they make as they get punctured by a tooth. Yesterday my dane cracked open one belonging to a couple of goldies. Shortly after, a swf ripped my foam rubber ball into microscopic bits probably inspired by the toothmarks left by my dogs. :D So only one ball left to last me till I get to the shops.

So what are they actually doing between catching and returning the ball? I'm intrigued! Are they coming straight back to you, or sitting down and having a gnaw? My GSD has a very hard mouth, but I don't have this problem. I'm wondering if maybe there is a training angle you could take, rather than having to buy special balls? They are coming straight back with the ball.....but wedge it into the side of their mouths and give it as many good chomps as they can fit in during the retrieval time. I think they really love the sound and feel of the 'pop' if they can get a tooth through the surface of the ball. Then if there are are several other dogs and owners in the group, it is impossible to keep track of who has what.... and I really don't want to. It's literally a pack of dogs having a ball (or three or 4 ) Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I will be ordering at least one Huck, an Orbit, a Rogz atom and see which works best. Rusky, thanks for the link to Aussie Dog - I think I may find something suitable there too. If the chuck it ball is the same as the one that comes with the chuck it stick, then that one bit the dust on the first retrieve.

I guess that's why they call retrievers 'retrievers' not destroyers Soft mouths and all that. Haven't yet found a tennis sized ball that will survive a bullterrierx, a rottyx and a great dane

Thanks Ness but the foam balls get mangled in the time between the dogs catching and returning the ball so they only last a session or so. I'll check out the Kong - sounds like a possibility

My dogs are costing me a fortune in balls. I have one of those ball thrower things and we have a play session every morning on the beach which the dogs love. I have tried all sorts of balls but the dogs invariably manage to crack them open in a matter of minutes. The solid rubber balls end up chewed and mangled. I usually go through around 10 to 12 balls a week. Can anyone recommend a product please

Way to go Kuges! Luvya heaps :p

I've told them that if they are really really good, they won't get taken to the pound this year :D

How common is it for vets to do this procedure? I have been dreading the day I am going to have to assess the benefits of a hip replacement for one of my dogs with HD. It is really exciting to hear there are other options.

If there is a dog barking somewhere, Giselle checks the front window then the back window and then the TV

If it is around the neck, that's consistent with puppy teeth

I have three dogs. The rottiex used to enjoy watching sheep dog trials when he was young but he grew out of it. Now he pays no attention to the TV at all. The pound mutt has never shown any interest. The dane however is TV obsessed. She will lie on the lounge with her eyes following every movement on the set. She seems to enjoy watching certain people, particularly children. She is particularly fascinated by Cesar Milan - she actually recognises him and will lose interest when they cut to somebody else. She is fascinated by various animals though other dogs and lionesses seem to be her favourites. She will actually rush the television several times a day, thumping the screen with her nose and racing around to the back to check if anything is there before coming back to the front and following the action for a while. She will also recognize large photographic images of animals and peoples faces such as pictures on community notice boards. Can anyone fill me in on the science behind this?

Another vote for k9 pro. They are also immune to sand and saltwater All my other leashes have died since I moved to the coast due to rust and sand destroying the metal clips but the k9 pro leashes are still going strong..

Oh yeah Though when they point at my dane and say that's a horse not a dog, I usually reply, "No she is defiately a cow!"

Glad to hear a shelter is helping. Can the shelter help with subsidising desexing? The animal welfare league will often give free desexing vouchers for similar situations. I have had many timid/nervous dogs through fostering and I find the majority of them settle and become great dogs particularly if they spend some time living with calm well adjusted dogs.

I guess it comes down to the fact that nothing in life is totally safe. In my opinion dogs need to chew. Dogs love bones. So find the product best suitable to the individual dog and be prepared to switch if you have a problem. And be prepared to pay the bill in the unlikely but possible scenario that a vet visit is necessary.

Whopping great dinosaur bones here. My guys can chomp down a briskit in two seconds flat so I do worry about splinters and obstructions. They can only gnaw slowly on the tyrannosaurus bones so these are the only ones they get on a regular basis.