persephone

It IS hard work , raising a puppy :) BUT relax your expectations - she is a baby , and will do baby things until she is more experienced ... She possibly has no idea what to do with toys ....and her concentration span will be a few seconds!!!By all means leave her outside ... make sure she has a meal to eat ..a BIG RAW bone - almost her size ..sh she cannot try & swallow it whole ..and her bedding, plus an item of clothing you have been wearing. When you leave ...it is much better for you both if you do NOT fuss..or say 'mummy will be back soon - give me an extra cuddle ' Just have everything outside ready well before you go ... take her out - give her a bikkie or her meal ..and , dont look back - just out the door and go . Same when you get home ..no excitement or anything ...just walk without speaking striaght outside and get her to toilet ..THEN praise, and hello, and walk inside.... This helps teach babies that humans leaving and returning is just an everday thing ..like walking from one room to another :)

:) as well as your post grad work - I suggest you read up on what makes a puppy tick!! Did you do any research before getting your little girl? I find it seems to make things run smoother - a bit like being faced with a Uni test paper, and suddenly realising you have forgotten the recommended reading list ! ;) here's some more IMPORTANT reading for you - you are now totally resposible for a living being , whose welfare is in your hand :) http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-should-I-do-when-I-bring-home-a-new-puppy_18.html http://www.training-your-dog-and-you.com/puppy-development.html http://www.petplace.com/dogs/what-to-expect-from-your-8-week-old-puppy/page1.aspx

OK... is your backyard puppy proof, with good fences? No reason she cannot be in the backyard . for some time when you're busy, .playing with toys, sleeping in a cosy kennel/basket ....exploring...chewing leaves and grass ... Puppies learn much about their world by using theor mouth- as they have no sensitive fingers ;like human babies :) SO.... puppy proofing your home is a very important project ! pretend you have a 12/18 mth old human baby in the house . The potential for injury/damage is high! make sure all electrical wiring is out of reach ..don't leave shoes etc lying around , NO rat poison /chemicals/cleaners anywhere she can get to .....put bins up high or behind a gate ...that sort of thing. I always like to START as you mean to GO ON. teach pup that 'alone time can be fun ..and no, you are NOT going to nurse it much on your lap as when it weighs 30 kg it will be TOO big: NO you are NOT going to be there to amuse it all the time ...instead , a VERY LARGE bone with meat on ...or a rope toy , or a sandpit will do nicely :) Finally ..remember it is a BABY ,,and it needs to BE TAUGHT ....not just either expected to know, or be physically locked out, etc all the time :) Pup needs to be SHOWN which are the things which get it a reward .... and which not :)

Good Update :) Thanks!

That is way too long if you have a backyard ...she can be out there for some time during the day . Crates are NOT meant for keeping a puppy in a lot .. .. pens/backyards are better for that :) you may need to go shopping for a pen tomorrow ..or baby gates ....

ooPS... There are lots of things it helps to know BEFORE you get a little poo machine in the house Here are some posts from old D O L threads which may help . REMEMBER you have a new baby . The new baby is stressed the new baby has NO idea what "housetraining " means , as it has to go when it needs to....NOW ..babies have little/no control. The new baby needs a setup which means it cannot make mistakes ... the new baby needs YOU to be its brain and its legs for now ... to allow it to toilet every tome it needs to .,and where the human wants it to :) :Puppies need to pee as soon as they wake from a sleep, after meals and any time they get excited. There is no real time schedule as it depends on the feed times and activity. Sometimes they will pee three times in an hour and sometimes not for 3 hours. They usually poo within 10 minutes of eating a meal then about 9 hours after the last meal at night so if you don't want them needing to go in the middle of the night give the last of their 3 or 4 daily feeds, 1 hour before bed, let them toilet then play with them until about 15 minutes before you want them to bed down as they need to wind down, not be hyper to sleep. Do not leave food with them even in a kong overnight and I take the water up as well unless it is really hot but not until the last minute. Night time is for sleeping not eating or playing. Leave a safe soft toy in with them to snuggle up to. The best time to play with the puppy is after it has toileted but not in it's pen. This is the time to give them fully supervised access to the house as further reward for going to the toilet outside. Most of they time they will sniff around if they need to pee again but sometimes they just get a bit hyper or head into corners of the room. Any sign of distraction from you and play can be a sign to take them out. I like to let puppies have access to outdoors when playing with them and encourage them to go out if need be. I teach them to toilet on command by using a word then praising once they start to go, both on and off lead. If they need to toilet during the night, offer the same praise but no gamesFinally, puppy will need a variety of toys, not just a kong. I have never had a dog show any interest in them but some dogs love them. I use a toy basket and praise the puppy for taking anything from it but give a little growl if they try to chew anything that isn't from the toy basket. </b> <b>The only solution is to confine him to a crate, pen or an small area, when you cannot directly supervise ( this includes night time ) and to make sure that he is taken out for very regular toilet stops and that he goes while out there. Praise, praise and more praise for getting it right. You will still need to get up at least a couple of times during the night, as he's going to go whenever and wherever he needs to Pups of that age basically urinate within a few seconds of waking up and taking the first couple of steps out of their bed. You need to be quick to catch him and get him outside. If he's downstairs and you're asleep in the bedroom, you have virtually no chance of that happening. </b> <b>Little dogs are a bit slower to toilet train generally, but not always One thing is that people expect it to happen almost instantly & sometimes it can just take a bit of time. Those that crate train say its instant but that's not a way I like or would do. \The puppy needs to know what you expect & where to go so you need just the one word that means toilet for wees or poo. Put puppy on the pads or grass or where you want her to go after food, when she wakes up & maybe every hour at first & say the toilet word When she does go lots of praise & fuss Takes a while for some but dogs are smart, she will get it eventually.= If you can leave a pad that she toileted on down so she knows the smell & goes there againYou want to remove the dirty one & put a clean one down I know but sometimes this helps for just a few times. </b> and some crate training links... http://www.dolforums...crate-training/ http://www.dolforums...ning-new-puppy/ It will take work and time until you get to understand how your puppy works ...... then you can start the education :)

precisely :)

Grazing? :D Taken around 3 years ago ,when we had green!!!

My guess is she's enjoying the running and the green grass :)

Is the grass a recent thing ? Is it fresh & greener than usual? Our dogs will graze like sheep when there is sweet young grass :) perhaps she enjoys the urine or other smells on the grass she chooses? She could also have some nausea and is trying to relieve it ? Why this only occurs when working I have no idea . Does she have grass available at other times? Just some ideas :)

Tea tree oil can be toxic when absorbed thru the skin ... there are products such as permoxin which is safe for Collie breed dogs , and which is so easy to spray on :)

;) could have saved yourself by asking for recommendations on here

Thats a very good outcome for that dog -however any yellow/green discharge can well signal infection ,and obviously needs checking :)

puppies can get vaginitis ... or bladder infections . Get it checked ...and do NOT vaccinate a sick puppy - it plays havoc with their immune system ...

OK.. has he been checked by a reputable behaviourist , especially one who is also a veterinarian? The possibility of O C D in canine form is now suggesting itself to me ..... oh, and please be careful with the macadamias they are toxic apparently. Oh .. I remember reading that iron deficiency aneamia can be a cause of pica .....are his gums a good colour? ??????(and it may be something new , but I've not heard of a liver sample test for anaemia ) ..just blood tests .

That's not a very complete diet :) ..and liver is illegal to feed in tas Make sure most, if not all meat is on bone ..so there are sinews, skin, and bone for the dogs to chew and benefit from.. Can you find hald heads of pig.sheep ? Dogs usually love them . Raw fish is good :) Is there anywhere you can get whole fresh chickens? (as in plucked only ..but gut left in) ? or frozen day olds - like what is fed to reptiles? I would think a few of them each day would be a great source of extras for dogs ? :)

I so wish I was closer :p Jelly - that's a great update , and gorgeous photos!!! :) :)

oHHHHH I am so sorry . Molly was lucky ,in that she had an owner who gave her love & so much care in her last months - You will cry- lots, probably , after the intense feelings lately - its OK :) When you are ready to once again vacuum dog hair and have something to cuddle , perhaps we can help you meet a suitable dog? Take care ... Molly is happy now over the rainbow bridge ....no more pain or confusion ....

Hi :) Maybe have a read of THIS THREAD? I suggest not using chicken necks anymore - they are just the size/shape to get stuck on the way down

DOL raw & Natural chit-chat :)

...I think whatever you put on, she will lick off Just keep clean, and feed extra nutrients which help skin healing , perhaps?

The best option is to ask the breeder what they feed :) You said the breeder was fantastic - so they should have provided you with a diet sheet , etc to answer your questions. Feeding raw to large dogs is a bit tricky because of all the different mineral ratios needed to grow puppy bones slowly ... THIS THREAD may help .. esp. THIS PAGE

Don't let her off lead where there is a possibility of this type of distraction ....she doesn't sound ready. Keep up the praise/reward for being with you - remember ALL FUN/FOOD/ PLEASURE has its origins with YOU :) :)

Wishing you a happy and healthy new addition :)