persephone

Little puppies are like any baby - most of their day is , or should be, sleeping.

is it the angle of teh photo- or has she small hindquarters? Any pics of her standing side on ? She looks lovely!!!

it may be useful for you to get a second opinion .. luxating patellas can be of varying severity ..and have varying effects on the dog. if it were me I'd be off to another vet or uni clinic and have him properly checked out - and have someone answer your questions ..like : Is it bad? What can we do so my dog isn't in pain? How can I help fix it? Does he need surgery soon, if at all ? all that sort of stuff ;)

My Kieran always used to smell rain coming he would be outside and up would go the head/nose and a couple of decent snifffffs into the wind ..and sure enough .. it would rain very soon after he was a staghound . He wasn't normally a sniffer - but maybe he liked the smell?

yep. the first test is an easy one .. and will certainly tell you if the dog is producing swimmers . "going thru the motions" may just mean he is inexperienced and needs help ..or it may mean the bitches weren't ready/

hey, Bundyburger..to avoid oldies like me having heart attacks about dogs in the boot - maybe adjust the title to 'rear of wagon' or somesuch?? Sorry ....

As I understand it ..the chemical composition of bone changes when cooked. This product then becomes brittle ..and also not able to be properly digested ,as can raw bone. there is no 'goodness' left in a cooked bone ..only a risk .

Has the dog has been tried with multiple bitches who have previously produced pups ?

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/8626/javertkimbaxshahrazad.jpg Wow! Now that is a determined little individual .

It depends on the pup, and the owner ..and the type of biting You may get some ideas from THIS THREAD .....

what foods/supplements are consistent in these diets,W&H ? It would be an interesting study .. are there large dogs involved, or only littlies?

i would think so ... the newest 'fad'

yep surgery to repair it ...or at least a second opinion from an orthopedic vet . There may be exercises to help strengthen ligaments..BUT surgery to put it back where it belongs does work

That means it hurts to walk on it I don't think glucosamine will do much to help - as the patella is actually loose- not fitting in its groove properly ...and glucosamine can not tighten ligaments or deepen the groove in the bone.

From what you've posted... definitely an instinctive reaction to the pain! (and remember puppies bones can crack very easily) perhaps the kids would benefit from some simple rules ..like NO turning your back on Roy when he's playing ...Always finish a game properly..then leave .. play gently & quietly around Roy ...that sort of thing. 4 kids + a very active puppy! ;) You may like to have read on THIS SITE all about safety with kids& dogs. There are pages especially for kids as well There are games listed HERE

That's good. So your dog never comes inside ? Hopefully with a good trainer and lots of work.. you may be able to get him settled enough to spend time inside with you have a look at this website... made by parents who lost their little boy to a bite from their own dog ... CLICK HERE

Whilst growing, your puppy needs his food to be pure nourishment, not starchy stuff like rice /veg. if it's going to be a stretch to feed your pup the right mix of foods... then buy butcher's offcuts/bones..pet mince (which should have minced bone in ) chicken carcasses/wings.Also eggs, cheese,yoghurt (plain) and a good puppy kibble . meat should be fed raw...and NEVER cook bones. They become indigestible, and also may splinter . you may enjoy reading thru some of this CLICK HERE

unfortunately , that doesn't mean an awful lot A BIG dog and a small child .... there are still risks - and accidents happen.

I hope the trainer is a good one , and I hope all goes well. You have a small child? Even more reason to get this problem fixed by someone who knows their stuff

;) you could always use a leash ....... when my dog had his knee done ... he was very strictly on bed rest for weeks ...That month or so of restraint was worth it tho - he never had any more trouble!

Confining him to a crate/room not only allows the bad leg to rest & heal..it also prevents too much load being put on the OTHER knee ..and risking that one being injured as well. ..esp as he has extra weight on him.

Just curious, what did the vet say as to his post- op care? I was under the impression that dogs who have had knee surgery should be confined/crated and NOT use the leg. It takes weeks for knee joints to recover...

Hi, and welcome. A large dog who is aggressive needs urgent attention. You really need to contact a good trainer who will come to you and assess things- then help you sort it out. There are two D O L members , good experienced trainers whose names are quick to my brain please contact them ASAP and get some help. (presuming you are in Vic.) NEKHBET CLICK HERE COSMOLO CLICK HERE There are more good people .. t

ah well..it just may take a while ....

Does she like peanut butter/vegemite/fish paste/sardines? paint some of the bone with that ..and make it a really exciting treat , perhaps?