persephone

if the garage is just tin/zincalume it may be a very hot one... shadecloth/shadesails are not a permanent thing .. ask the landlord .. Which side of the house would you be using- N, S. E, W ? Oh..and depending on your house - on a string of Summer days - it may be as hot as outdoors .. You will have a breed designed to live in snow - clam shell for a water splash pool shadecloth sprinklers another clamshell would be essentials on your shopping list!

Hope you mucked up the test ;)

The good thing is, you have a few weeks to get things set up - shade sails etc are readily available .. all you need to do is watch from where sun comes in the afternoons .

I am a bit excited to find out what it is, .. and as long as it's healthy ..I'm happy . I know it will be desexed and looked after .

Yes!! Lord knows what it will be - not a pug, or a cav ... but 'little, brown&white' is all the clues so far ;) Here are recent snaps of the two current ratbags ;)

I suggest you post this in Training/behaviour...and also in General ... just so more folks see it. Good luck.

Is there no pergola/verandah/tree/carport? a garage is ok ...PROVIDED there is absolutely NOTHING dangerous less than a metre above ground . ..eg: wiring/containers full of things Maybe get a shade sail or two

OK..we have gone from "maybe when I....." To "I pick her up on Saturday..will let you know what she is then" !!!!!!! Oh dear ................I always worry about impulse buys . I shall keep you posted!!

You are getting a Bernese? plenty large enough to leave outdoors in a secure and sheltered area

..low prey drive/scent drive... the more I think about it .. country town, stray cats, the odd bunny wandering .. lots of birds. The current dogs were adult, and grew up behind 6 ft colorbond fences, so had no habit of wandering/barking thru netting etc.

hadn't thought hounds !

Make outside a GOOD~place - with bed, sandpit, plenty of bones/food/toys. ONLY feed him outdoors .. and do your training outside too several 3 minute training sessions a day will give him plenty of mental exercise, which is what he needs at this age . Little puppies are smothered with affection and care in their first week or so at home.... it's no wonder they then find it difficult to be 'self contained' Remove thongs, and other items you do not want chewed.. buy a few more toys, provide cardboard cartons, a soccer ball , and a large flat container with water in for splashing ...show him how to use these toys , and IGNORE totally any cries.scratching etc .

Someone middleaged is possibly looking for a dog to complete her family.Dog will fill the eventual space occupied by the world's best boxer girl. Currently has a boxer in its teens ..and a ratbag L/H male dachs . lives alone.. but always people around ..including young grandkids .... is home 90% of the time. Dogs are inside 90% of the time ..and are well looked after , if not trained 100% ;) Dogs are not walked , as such, but do go on outings, have a very large and interesting yard ,where they bark at cats etc but spend most of the time indoors with owner. barking at intruders is appreciated I think I have talked her out of an amstaff ! Any suggestions from those who are good at this stuff?

IMO. yes...I'm sure someone will be along to help you .. I've never had to have a dog toilet indoors, so can't help Is there no way you can have a pen outside ? Doggy door? Re: staying at home with him .. make SURE you do not spend every hour with him FROM DAY ONE! leave him outside or in his pen for some time alone from the minute you get him home ... so ,when you do go back to work, he does not have an enormous vacuum in his life I always think that the first few days should be calm.. boring and with lots of alone time....puppy should not get the idea that the next 14 years will be constant human cuddles, etc ;) obviously , if he is to toilet outside, leaving him out for short periods is a great idea .. also, spend time out there with him.. you just reading/gardening/whatever, so he learns to occupy himself ..and know that , although you are not actually touching him/talking to him , you are there, and he is safe. I very much believe in Nothing In Life Is Free from the first day This sets puppy up to get as much lovin' as he dictates (by doing the 'right' thing) ..and they learn very quickly!!

What exactly is the injury? if it's a muscle it may well heal a lot quicker than a ligament/tendon .. is it in a joint, or muscle mass, or where?

Wantsapuppy .. by all means ask questions - but maybe just make one thread - that way we can all find it, and you can more easily bookmark/copy it to keep for later reference As said - the search function is terrific , and you will be kept busy reading discussions for a long time !

perhaps the following threads will help you LINK LINK LINK

Every vet has different prices ... I suggest you contact the vet you will be using. IF you can keep your dogs from mating/being mated (and it ain't all that easy).. castrating/speying is best left as long as possible, ie: when dogs are mature - so that growth can proceed normally, to make good bones

I flea bomb bedrooms etc a couple times a year .. and as cats/dogs only have opshop bedding, it rarely gets washed- just tossed out.

Drape them over a clothes horse/chair ,and put them in your laundry or other small room (spare room?) and set off a decent brand flea bomb as per instructions.) leave for a couple of hours in the well shut/sealed room ..then air out in the sun for a few hours. Air the room well before spending time in there .

If you're not happy - have you thought about maybe getting advice from the folks down at Werribee? the University vet clinic/hospital?

That audio sent shivers up my spine .....the poor man at the end of the first part hope they get the help they need.

A vet visit , or chiro is the best bet .. but it could be a slipping patella .. where the kneecap slips out the little groove running over the bone...just my opinion, based on what my dog was like until he had his surgery. Just be a bit cautious with jumping/running until you can get her to a professional-

:)

You can go forever , as said ... Obedience classes are excellent to help socialise your puppy, and to let you see pups/dogs behaving in different ways, and to teach YOU a bit on how to communicate with/train your pup