persephone

How are things going?

I just totally ignore- don't even LOOK at them- walk inside, do whatever for a few minutes.. then CALMLY say hello

Ok- Today on radio 891 Adelaide , Carole Whitelock is apparently discussing dog depression and the use of human AD's,with dr Robert Holmes (the behaviourist with the most mellifluous voice ) It supposedly can be listened to online HERE..but I have never done so.

Didles, I think what folks are saying is : yes, the kids are attached - we all know that happens in an instant with gorgeous puppies BUT they will be even more attached in a year's time- and if he does indeed have serious issues, what happens then if he is to have extensive surgery/cannot exercise/ has to be PTS ? You can't really decide until you do get a specialist opinion.... and then, if the news is bad, you have to decide whether it is a wise and/kind thing to keep a puppy who will be in discomfort , and unable to comfortably do all the things puppies love . All supposition now- hopefully the specialist opinion will be a favourable one,and you won't have to worry.!

The site looks good!! Looks a tad less intimidating with the less bold colour scheme,and the name change Lots of things to look at ,too

He may not be slipping at all- however,unseen by you, the muscles/ligaments in his little legs will be working overtime to try and keep his limbs in the correct postion.

I also agree with the slippery floor surfaces It makes for difficulty in walking- esp. if joints are loose and puppy is not well coordinated anyway. he is just too cute

With our sheepdogs- their reward/motivation is the chase- if they do not see it this way- they are of no use to us as workers. If they work well, and are responsive- they get rewarded by being allowed to do their work I have trained a sheepdog who didn't enjoy the work- but would obey my every command. She was hard to actually work with, as I had to think for her and give her the direction. i have never tried that again

When dogs play, they nip,mouth and grab. They growl, they roll each other over, they walk on each other .They can be very rough, and they can be very noisy

Training your dog, and possum proofing the house will help have a read of these links to learn more http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpa.nsf/F...15?OpenDocument http://www.holdfast.sa.gov.au/webdata/reso...information.pdf http://www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com/Livi...l%20Possums.pdf http://www.nana.asn.au/n2-possum.htm

Kill The Toy!!! I know that game She is having fun!

yes, he does. But starting off with TWO pups puts a whole different slant on things. He is only 11... at that stage ,I believe brain/psycholgical development is a lot different to a 13 year old, as you were. You also, as you said had not much else BUT your dog... and I am supposing you were terribly focussed on giving it your all- and proving yourself capable . May I also suggest that a kid who needs to' come out of his shell'- may NOT have the calm and assertive body language/voice/handling skills needed at present . I am also guessing he has not had much dog handling experience before? It seems to me a bit like giving a youngster his first pushbike- no training wheels..and then saying "Ok here's your paper round map- off you go!". I am so sorry things have not worked out as you hoped- and sorry that it will now take work and support to achieve your hopes. Please seek the advice of a professional- an experienced view ,thru a fresh pair of eyes can work wonders! :D

I agree that an 11 YO should not feel he is responsible for trying to control pups with issues . It's kids controlling kids :D

what are the night time temperatures in your area? It should be fine in a covered pergola - providing there are no draughts, and the bedding is NOT in contact with the cold concrete .. insulate it with about 2 cm of newspaper ,if you have nothing else- the suggestion of a children's paddling pool is a good one... as the puppy can then not crawl away- but is protected from draughts. With one pup- there will be no mess ... Mum will take care of all that :D

Our pups are opening eyes around 10 days.. and trundling around on their stubby legs about two weeks. make sure whatever bedding there is has plenty of traction for this pup- so it can get a footing as it crawls around. :D keep a phot like the ones here as a guide to what it should look like no hollows in flank , etc- just like kittens, really

Pretty puppy :D

You won't need to do much - just one pup will not mean Mum needs extra food- just give her very good quality food! You do not want Mum to produce a lot of milk... and you certainly do not need a fat lazy singleton pup- which is often what happens when there is too much milk and no siblings to fight to get it! Puppy kibble with extra soft bones sounds a good plan A bit extra calcium from the pup food and bones will be helpful . Unless you are in a very cold area- please don't use extra heating :D your bitch has plenty of fur, and will curl up around the pup perfectly Extra heat will only make Mum uncomfortable and restless, and will encourage pup to move away from her body. Your girl has had a great start- she is fit and happy and had a no fuss whelping- all as it should be, albeit a bit early ;) Hope all goes well - and keep putting up pics!

Oh- My virus program said nothing.. and W O T came up OK. MOST sites, IMO have adware etc attached- no big deal really - When you do your virus scan,it should remove em easily anyway- here is a download page from Cnet- a 'safe' site, AFAIK. here, taken from Cnet's site. ..... LINK to PhotoPos download on CNet.com that way you avoid teh photo Pos site Some things I am finding lacking in this program- but ,compared to GIMP it is child's play to use, and lets me play happily :rolleyes: I know millions are happy with GIMP- I just can't work smoothly with it, whereas this one is similar to PS ..and gives hints etc to help

these are not 'live' online- but they do have email consults etc.... Robert McDowell Herbal I use them quite often - humans, horses, cats, dogs ...

Sheesh- I would be worried- as the venom glands are in the head. ..and when digestion kicks in..what happens? there was a thread on this some time ago.... and I think there were varying opinions I am currently 'shaped' so will not offer to search for you,sorry. Hopefully someone will come & put your mind at ease. The head may not have been eaten- it may be lying somewhere in the yard ....

Gorgeous photos, as usual...thankyou!

Almost every dog has ,or has had fleas ...and yes, one bite is all it takes to set off an allergic reaction Fleas actually LOVE living indoors, where the temperature is not extreme I have noticed over the years that stressed dogs will chew more at their front feet/legs than the base of the tail .Whether this is common or not, I do not know. I am glad your dad and dog are improving . Although you prefer the pharmaceutical drugs, you may find this interesting http://www.herbal-dogkeeping.com/dog_nervo...bilitation.html

hi Skin problems can be caused by many different things. poor diet is one, yes. Allergies is another. Bacteria/yeast on the skin is another..and there are more things of which 'bad skin' is a symptom. How old is your dog? What are you feeding it? how often is it bathed, and what sort of shampoo? Have you asked the breeder for advice? Have you taken the dog to a vet? if so, what did the vet say? Vets are usually the best people to ask- as they can see the dog's skin, and take scrapings etc if needed. You will find lots of people on here who have had dogs with skin probs- and they are all different!

Ok- instead of just giving her pats/cuddles.. why don't you ONLY pat her when she does something wonderful, like sit,lie down, bring you a toy/go to her bed...not jump up,ask permission before getting on furniture.... that way, she is always wondering what next to do to gain her reward, and she is earning her pats/cuddles. The idea of burying toys/treats in her clam shell is a good one

<<<Sorry if I'm not able to see the funny side of dogs (regardless of size) having their hackles up.>>> I agree with erny here. raising hackles simply means teh dog is in a state of arousal- be it fearful or aggressive. You may 'know' that your dog will not likely attack another, even with hackles raised. Another dog might, however, interpret that signal as something else Hackles raised in response to something making the dog uneasy is also a worry sometimes- as the dog could be very tense and concerned ..and may not respond in the same way as when relaxed. Any dog with hackles visible- be it a pug, or a rottie, is not relaxed, and owners should be aware of other body language