Tangwyn

Not Customs; Australian Quarantine (AQIS). Unless you have an import permit you'll only be adding fuel to the AQIS incinerator by buying animal foods from overseas. Customs can answer you queries about duty but you should consult with AQIS before importing anything that may be restricted. AQIS Website

Hi there, I know you have checked with Customs but have you checked with AQIS? You'll need an import permit to even get samples into the country and there will be very specific requirements for you to get that permit. Some ingredients are prohibited entry regardless and all ingredients such as meat products, enzymes, egg etc will need detailed information as to where they have been sourced from. There's a very good reason why we don't have the huge range of animal food products that other countries do!

Hi All, Apparently Nutro LB Lamb and Rice will no longer be imported into Australia unless gamma irradiated. AQIS has imposed the restriction on the basis of egg content in the product. Typical, just when I found a food that works for my pup....

Guys, if Steve gets on here for a look you're all going to look like creepy stalkers... Way too much of this...

Hi laffi, LL is right on the money when she says its better to see and then read, not the other way around. To answer you original question in relation to J Spencer's books; for you I would recommend Training Retrievers For Marshes and Meadows as a start. It talks about raising and training your retriever right from the first day it arrives through to advanced work. The drills books are more advanced than what you'd be needing for a fair while. LL, I've ordered Carol Cassity's drill book - counting down the days until it arrives!

Hi there, So sorry to hear your girl's so ill. At least she's spending her last days with someone who cares about her... How did you go with the vet? To me it doesn't sound like she's in heat - more likely to be a bleed from the tumour. I've never known a bitch in heat to bleed so much she passed a blood clot. Unofrtunately, perhaps the tumour has spread to her uterus as well? :D Best of luck with her - I'm sending good thoughts for you both.

Hi there, Try the Natural Petstore. Its an online store based in the Sydney area. The service is fantastic and delivery is free for orders in the Metro area over a certain price. I get my Nutro from there. Natural Petstore Link

Didn't you get dizzy?? :p

Is soon as I read the subject heading I immediately thought "GSP". Wish I'd put money on it!! Although I've never owned a GSP I've seen circling behaviour in a number of them. We have one at work that is particularly compulsive with regard to this behaviour. I think the key is exactly what Erny has described. Distract her from or break the behaviour by giving her a commnd to do something else. Reward calm and non-circling behaviours. Good luck!

My pup had lots and lots of soft poo with white dots when he was on EP Large Breed Puppy. Tried Holistic and got some improvement but am much, much happier with Nutro.

I would but I have lent them both out to a friend. Besides, all the drills are my favourite! Tangwyn, for interest, do you have the drill book by Carol Cassity. On each page it asks not for it to be photocopied. Wanna lend? Hi LL, No, I don't have it. My book collection is, unfortunately, limited to what I can find on Amazon. Would absolutely love to know what secrets lie within

I would but I have lent them both out to a friend. Besides, all the drills are my favourite!

WMR, For retriever training drills you can't go past... Retriever Training Drills For Marks Retriever Training Drills for Blinds by James B Spencer. There is some e-collar work but he does suggest alternative methods for those who prefer to train the "amish" way Both these books have excellent descriptions and diagrams. Mine are dog-eared and have page markers on all my favourite drills. Well worth the money ETA "Positive Gundog" is based on English retrieving trials which are very, very different to Australian trials. American drills are morely readily adapted to our needs.

Glad to hear that its helping. One of the most interesting things I've learnt in life is that often it doesn't matter how long someone has been doing something... they can still have absolutely no idea what they're doing! Sounds like this is the case with the "experienced" trainers who've assisted you with FF up until now. The author of "SmartFetch" frequents a couple of US retrieving forums and is very willing to answer any queries. If you'd like the links let me know. Cheers

Hi there, Paw licking can be a boredom-based and/or compulsive behaviour but it can also be related to pain. I have seen paw licking manifest in dogs with arthritis or other types of pain. In this case the paw licking is almost a displacement behaviour (?) or perhaps the dog finds it soothing. Might be worth exploring the cause more extensively...

Hey there, Well done! And lucky you having a trip to WA to boot! I'm green with envy! :D

I disagree with this statement. I believe that FF can work for the vast majority of dogs if its done CORRECTLY. One size does not fit all and the FF course needs to be done to completion, not just in bits and pieces. I would be interested to know whether this dog was taught to "hold" and "give" prior to the ear pinch or collar twist commencing. Confusion is a classic reason for "shut down" to occur. Introducing pressure before a dog has a clear understanding of what is expected begs trouble no matter what the discipline being trained. Definitely! If the trainers you are working with now are causing this much confusion and distress in your dog its time to go elsewhere and quickly! I think the OP has tried clicker as stated in one of her replies...

Have you got the SmartFetch DVD or book by Evan Graham? Excellent reviews and apparently very comprehensive. I think it deals a fair bit with dogs who "shut down" like yours is. http://www.dogsafieldonline.net/prodinfo.asp?number=R240-103

Hi there, Getting the dog to pick the bumper up off the ground is the hardest part of Force Fetch. For some reason it seems be be a brick wall for alot of dogs. It certainly was for mine! You say you have been using ear pinch and collar twist. Which one? If you decide to use FF as a tool to teach the hold and retrieve you need to follow the whole process through from start to finish for it to be effective. I transitioned my dog from reaching for the dummy held straight in front to gradually getting lower and lower until my hand was resting flat on the ground underneath the dummy. Then I would put the dummy on the ground and just have my hand near it. These seemed to work ok. I believe its extremely common for dogs to try many different types of avoidance behaviours during FF as well. The very least of which is throwing themselves on their back! That's why the manner in which you hold your dog is so important as it prevents too much movement of the dog away from the dummy. It is vital that you maintain the ear pressure until the dog reaches for the dummy. If you quit when it rolls on its back then you've essentially rewarded the avoidance behaviour!! Where are you located? Your best bet would be to have someone experienced guide you through the WHOLE FF process should you wish to pursue that route. An alternative to FF is the use of a clicker to shape the retrieve. Both methods take about as long as each other so there's no quick fix I'm afraid!

Good luck!

LL, Did you find it a bit hard to swallow, though, that the author doesn't believe in ever giving a correction?

I love my whistle! The sound carries over a VERY long distance even in windy conditions and its extremely effective because the sound is distinctive from every other background noise. I have found that my dogs are far more obedient to the whistle when compared to voice, even with regard to the "sit" command. Not really sure why as I use the same training technique for both voice and whistle. I wonder, though, if it is because there's absolutely no confusion about the meaning of the whistle whereas my voice can often change in volume and tone without me even realising it...

DEFINITELY more than 7 days worth! Especially given the severity of your dog's symptoms...

Hi there, Sorry to hear about your poor dogs :rolleyes: My little Schipperke (unbeknownst to me) ate rat bait. I only realised there was a problem when she was very quiet one day and I noticed some bruising on the inside of her hind leg. I took her to the vet who clipped the leg off and found that the subcutaneous haemorrhage covered the whole thigh inside and out. They did a clot test and diagnosed rat bait poisoning. She was placed on Vitamin K tablets and over the next few days the bruising spread over more of her body but she didn't bleed from anywhere else. I just kept her shut inside and didn't let her run round outside at all. I toileted her on lead. After a month of Vitamin K she recovered with no apparent lasting effects. Four years later she's doing just fine at the age of 10. I hope everything turns out ok with your pup...

Hi WMR, I'm happy to lend mine to you. Where are you? Just have to promise to send it back as it was a gift!