Danois

We used a combination of pred and imuran aka Azathioprine too. With a 75kg dog I certainly got value for my money with his insurance. There is a Yahoo Group called CIMDA which can be useful.

poor baby so sorry Danois did Angs have IMT? No - he had Immune Mediated Poly Arthritis (IMPA). He developed pancreatitis and when we had to take him off the pred, IMHA showed up.

This was Angs after about 8 months of cortisone and 2 weeks before I lost him. He has noticeable muscle wastage in his head.

I feed sardines in oil or tomato sauce (cat goes crazy for these ones) 2-3 times a week. I just get the Homebrand ones from Coles but have found the Franklins tomato sauce ones are less watery in appearance.

Deelee - I have the typical Newtown terrace backyard - bigger than a courtyard but still small and have a dane. He (and my last dane) use the backyard to nosy at the neighbours, have a drink and toilet. In saying that, I have a large offlead park at the end of the street.

You'd be surprised at the number of people who are apprehensive based on sheer size and because he is entire. Being black does not assist his cause either.

And not socialising your pup when it's in it's most critical learning period can mean that you end up with a dog who has behaviourial problems for life... Not arguing with that- it was Alpha Bet's comment about "life sometimes means taking some risk" which I was responding too. IMO, parvo is not something to take a risk in relation to. Taking risk means going to a dog park or other areas populated with dogs. You can not take that risk by carrying the dog in such areas and limiting socialisation to playing with friend's dogs in a backyard or in a house.

A black male dane.

Perhaps it is a smell thing based on a different diet?

Boo is a magnet for attention from people of an Asian background - I really hate to think how many pictures you'll find of him in their mobile phones!

And more often than not, catching parvo means ending up with a dead puppy.

I got that last night - Boo was told he needs to speak to his Mum about getting more to eat at meal times. I know they mean well but I had to point out that he eats quite a lot a day - he has always been lean and its better for his joints anyway. I have found minced chicken frames and beef mince (with lots of white in it) from a local vietnamese butcher has helped in the past.

I'd avoid Satin Balls especially if being cautious about the fat levels. My vet saw the Satin Ball recipes and was not impressed. You're better adding chicken wings and lamb flaps/ breast. I am trying to add a little extra weight on Boo and am using a mix of mince, sweet potato and cottage cheese in his kibble.

If cool collars and mats are filled with the crystals then be cautious leaving them around dogs unattended in case of chewing. The crystals can be dangerous if consumed when dry - if the dog subsequently drinks water the crystals can swell around 400 times the size.

Perhaps find an obedience club or do an older puppy class? At 5 months of age I would have expected them to know more commands like drop, stay, recall, heel etc. If you go to class and learn these then you can practice at home and this can help provide stimulation for them. Also makes them good canine citizens for when you take them outside.

I would not be leaving a small puppy especially the size of a mini daschund in the bathroom - they are a lot colder than you probably realise.

Probably not a lot of help but there is a stall holder at the Port Douglas markets who sells neck ones which you can use on a dog.

Inciting even more of this small dog owners are idiots angst is hardly productive. Its not the size of the dog that matters, they are all dogs after all. This topic was done and dusted by the first page. Ummm - why is my post singled out?? Just because I may have read the thread after it had gone past page 1 does not mean I cannot add my view to the topic.

Not sure if it has been mentioned but a dog (especially at that age) does not know what having a finger pointed at it means - looks like you are holding something out to them. You would be better with a strong, short, sharp UGH vocal sound.

No there is not great recall - its name is repeated several times and the treat waved in front of it.

It's a bit of a vicious circle in fact then! Chicken or the egg? ... small dogs reacting to big dogs who are reacting to small dogs. From my experience I've seen an increased awareness in the average dog owner in behavioural expectations and socialisation. Have had my puppy Cocker Spaniel for a month now, and heavily researched how to best raise him, but have noticed already that while he is confident playing with my sister's staffy and neighbours staffy x cattle, he does get unintentionally hurt on occasion due to his size. Have limited their play area so I can step in quicker, yet can see how easy it would be for a larger dog to injure (even unintentionally) a smaller dog and create a fearful dog starting the circle over. Have also owned a staffy who was small DA. From my untrained parent eyes, I would swear he thought of them more as prey than fellow dogs Actually no - most big dog owners I know who have ended up with dogs who react to small dogs now avoid dog parks, off lead areas etc and have their dogs firmly under control. There is an owner of a chi x who walks in the same area we do - it runs up to the big dogs yapping and carrying on and nipping at hocks. The owner's diversion strategy - call dog's name and when it responds, treats it. Next time it happens I will be pointing out that she has taught her dog to agress as it gets rewarded for it. They ignore they fact that small dog under 5kg running around under the feet of a 60kg dog who is trying to see what the noise is about is a dangerous combination - all it takes is one misplaced paw.

Yes they should. I am sick of owners of smaller dogs thinking it is ok for their small dog to rush up to mine, aggress and generally behave in an unsocial manner. If the tables are turned - I suspect the small dog owner would have a massive issue if my large dog ran up to theirs and acted in the same manner. I suspect I would have the council ranger on my doorstep before I could say boo. From what I have seen, many large dogs become reactive to smaller dogs because of repeated instances of this type of behaviour.

I'd avoid Satin Balls! I have struggled to get weight on Boo and found chicken frames, fatty human grade mince (get it from an asian butchery) and lamb flaps worked. Maybe cottage cheese in the dry food?

There is no rule about how long they can hold on. Depends on how much they have drunk, bladder size etc etc My last dog (giant breed) - bed at 11pm, woke around 2-3am and then again at 6am. This only lasted for a couple of days and it was me doing the waking at 2-3am. Left him alone and he would go through til about 6am. Current dog - slept through the night from the start. IMO waking the dog every couple of hours creates a routine rather than going when is needed. If the dog is crated in the same room as you then they will alert you.

Toilet time and play time should be kept separate especially at night time. During the night, leash on, outside to toilet, back inside - no talking to, no playing etc.