MissMonaro

I recommend obedience training for both dog and child. My daughter was itching to start when she turned 12 (age limit to start at my club). I had already started her pup for her. She took that dog through to class 4. She has also just taken another dog through to class 4 as well. She has just started obedience with our mini bull terrier and has done okay there for only 1 outing at obedience......but now she is about to start on the newest recruit. She's going to be 10 times the handler I'll ever be if she keeps it up. (which I do hope) She doesnt listen to me at all......knows it all. She's now 14 1/2. I try to butt out as much as I can (very hard to bite tongue at times). She also goes to show handling classes and gets lessons from some show friends - and its better coming from them than me, as she tends to listen to them (most of the time )

One thing to be careful of....in obedience training you are taught that your dog must automatically sit when you halt. This can become a problem in the show ring. What we do with our youngsters is we take them to obedience training for socialisation and lead training.....we do explain to the instructor that the pup is to be shown and as such we will not be teaching to automatically sit to start with.....and we train them to stand when we come to a halt. When they are a bit older we then go back to teaching automatic sits....its a bit backwards, but my daughters dog made it to class 4 by the time she was a year old doing this method. Another thing we do is all my dogs are taught to sit before they eat...now thats okay..but the problem comes when I use bait in the show ring....the dogs will sit for their treat from me...... So you have to teach them a special command for the show ring so they can learn the difference from the start. But anyway, all my dogs are obedience trained. Our Bull terrier miniature has just obtained her Aust Champ title and so now we have just started obedience training with her....a different approach from how we do it with our gun dogs. (we start them at obedience as soon as they are old enough). Good luck !!!

Gosh...its been an up and down year for us this year. We got into showing seriously this year. Have had some good results there. BOB at the ekka and our first show title at 13 months of age with our Bull Terrier Miniature. Earlier in the year though we had to PTS our old dog aged 15 1/2. My daughter has progressed really well with her handling skills and got up to class 4 at obedience with her lab, and has been learning and doing okay in the showring with her .....although sadly her dog did not pass her health testing and has been desexed and will be leaving us on Saturday for her new family life. (will be another sad moment) But my daughter has also handled dogs for other ppl, so good for the experience she has gained. I achieved CCD title with my obedience lab - I'm still having nerve problems but we got there, and hope next year after she has her final litter that I can continue on with more obedience titles. Also want to work on getting my other labs CCD title as well - but we'll see how that goes as we also want to concentrate on the showring a fair bit too. I guess our aim for next year, apart from me to progress more in obedience, is to finally get one of our labs titled in the showring.

Looking at that I'd go for A - due to the lesser protein in it....and less fat....and provided my dogs liked it and it worked for them. I have seen some dogs have reactions to the overpriced dog food - so money doesnt always buy quality.

Hey CTD.......that video was great. OMG wish my dog heeled half that good. Well done

Don't feel embarassed at all. If its any consellation to you.......I'm a ball of nerves as well. 4 years of training my current obedience dog...and nerves prevented me going into that ring. 20 years ago I started at obedience and in between kids and other things...have only got back into it seriously again in the last 5 years.....but still the nerves got to me (and still do). So I took up dog showing to help me overcome some of my nerves....and now at last I am entering the obedience ring with my dog. (Helps to have some supporting friends as well ) I still get extremely nervous and have been told I walk like a robot......I look like I'm going to pass out.....I look way too serious.....etc etc etc......not to mention the sweaty palms and chain smoking before I go in the ring. Go to a competition and you will see that even the best can have "off" days as well. Someone told me to have a drink before I went in the ring.....but I said that would be something for funniest home videos.......

Shane, Was sorry to hear today at the show of the news about Merlin crossing the bridge before his time. My thoughts are with you and your boxer family. Take care

I was sorry to hear of your loss on Sunday when you told me at the show. Bye Timmy. My thoughts are with you.

One of my dogs recently had injections on both sides of the neck / shoulders. One side she developed quite a large lump in the neck muscle. I took her back to the vets to look at it and he said it was just a reaction to the needle and should go down in about a week. But I was told by someone to be careful that sometimes the lump doesnt go down and it is nerve damage I have been using rapigel on it (like deep heat, but for animals). This has helped and now the lump is only the size of a round nut now...thankfully. (p.s. my dog just turned 1 year old, so not a puppy)

The first couple it was their "first" dogs as a couple. I am sure though that they had family pets as growing up. The second couple, yes, they had dogs before......grew up with a labrador that lived to 14 years of age.

Well I just wanted to add my positive side to 2 pups. A few litters back...one couple took a shining to 2 of them (one we were to keep).....their enthusiasm and persistance really swayed us and we decided not to keep and well she went to live with the same couple. So they had 2 eight week old full on labrador pups. They did not have kids. Very young and active couple. (and totally devoted to their new babies). They take them on holidays etc., walks every day etc etc. and basically have a dog each of their own. Now when we did this we stated quite strongly that if for any reason that they found having the 2 was too much, then we would take either back - no problems at all. These 2 girls have been to visit me, and I have been to their house to visit them (and also to check out how they have matured). We also discussed bonding etc...and really lots and lots of other things. These 2 dogs are that well trained. They do a trick whereby food is put in front of them and she can rattle off a whole pile of words and until they hear the "right" one they do not eat. I have also sold a pup to a home that also got a pup from someone else as well...both males. They also have 2 small children and a business to run - but all reports have been good and the kids both help at training their respective puppy as well. So sometimes it does work.... never say never on 2 dogs in one home.......I think it depends on the ppl and their commitment etc.

I have never seen a prong collar used up here in Qld...so can't comment at all. (have actually never seen one, so thanks for the photo)....I think one could be of benefit to me and one of my girls that has absolutely no tolerance to a check chain at all. They make no difference at all to her. But just wanted to say that at a show on the weekend a comment was made to me on the amount of ppl there with their check chains on the wrong way.... At least at my obedience club they check that collars are on the right way before any of the classes start (even the more advanced groups). They do now allow ppl to use haltis / head collars / flat collars etc now - so then it is personal preference which is good. Flat collars are only allowed for agility for safety reasons. I myself use check chains (or chokers) on most of my dogs...but that is what works for me.

Dry Food = Bonnie Complete (for the younger 2) & Bonnie Lite (for the older ones) Also added to this at random times - eggs, sardines, cod liver oil. Other times chicken frames or wings. When its really cold they get gravy on their bickies. They also get any food scraps leftover from dinner or breakfast or lunch or whatever the chickens dont get, the dogs get. And beleive me, I have labs and yes, they do eat everything. I even give my dogs milk thats past use by date (as long as not rancid or lumpy).

I can sooo relate to this. Only a week and a half ago we had our old dog PTS at 15 1/2 years of age. But you know, I do sincerely think we were keeping him around because we were too scared to take him to the vet. My OH had held my dog many years ago when he was put to sleep (I was unable to be there due to being in hospital and never got to say goodbye)...but my OH said he would never ever do that again. So I guess I knew that I would be the one that would be walking the old boy to the vets - I still couldnt bring myself to do it and often over the last year we would look at him and think this is it, but he still held on. I found myself wishing that I would wake up and he would have passed over.......but each morning he would be there. (I felt bad for thinking those thoughts, but still unable to make the decision). Then sadly whilst I was away at a dog show he took a turn for the worse (vomiting fluid, couldnt stand up, breathing problems) and my OH knew that we had to end his suffering there and then so he took him straight to the vets and he was sent to the rainbow bridge. But its true what ppl say - I feel that we tried to hold onto him for too long. (doesnt mean that when the next time comes that I'll be able to let go any easier though)

Am sorry to hear about your old girl. We just PTS our old boy last week at 15 1/2 years so I do know how you are feeling. :D

I am sorry to hear about your boy. :D

ohh I am very sorry to hear about Dodge. Was he sick ? He wasnt that old was he ? Maybe I'm getting confused with someone else. :D

Thank you all for your kind thoughts on our sad loss. It was hard today picking up the lead and collar from the vets and then later this afternoon arranging for his cremation. We decided that it is only fitting that after such a long and faithful life, that he is going to come home to us here. I must say the funeral people were really nice and compassionate as well.

Well today we said farewell to our old boy. :D Daughter and I were off showing all day and sadly we did not get to say goodbye (did not find out until we got home this afternoon). My OH could not get him up this morning and he was vomiting up copious amounts of fluids and could not stand. He sadly had to take him to the vet this morning and make the decision to give him his wings. They were well earned and as top dog around here, he will be very sadly missed. R.I.P. Mack.......our ever faithful cattle dog x staffy........aged 15 1/2 years of age.

I know when my bitch first got hers.....she had a litter of 2 week old puppies. I took her off to the vet and he said it was probably from hormones as well as the changes in the weather (as it was going from hot to rainy and humid). They shaved the 2 areas she had on her rump and she had to take a course of antibiotics and have cream for it as well. I wouldnt of said it was from too much protein as we are particular about the amount they get. However, just to add...at the puppy seminar I went to on Sunday - the lady said that you can never have enough protein, and it is the calories that causes the problems with dogs. Now this confused me somewhat as I was always under the impression that too much protein was not good.

thats how the hot spots started on one of my girls. She was itching herself down by her tail. I thought a flea must of been bothering her, but couldnt find anything there. Next thing I know it turned into not one hot spot, but 2 of them - we had not seen them before then...but ewww they were not nice at all !!

Just a point but do you ever feed your dog whilst you are eating at the table ? One of the things I tell all my puppy ppl is never ever ever feed the dog from the table. If you want to give them scraps, leave the table and then feed the scraps. But the water spray is a good one. We just had a pup we bred here for a weeks visit and she would sit at the door and bark, so we just sprayed her to let her know the behaviour was unasseceptable....she is only 4 months old and soon was quiet as soon as she saw the bottle in the hand. Good luck and persevere - it will be worth it !!

If it just so happens to be thyroid related....and assuming its the same in dogs as it is in humans. If I skip a meal then my metabolism slows down to compensate for the missed meal, and then when I eat again, because my metabolism has slowed down I cant utilise the meal properly and it is stored as fat. I personally would feed the lab twice a day. We feed all of ours twice a day and all they get is a cup of biscuits morning and night...or the 2 that are on diets get 3/4 a cup morning and night. (one getting back her pre-pregnancy figure) They do get raw carrot and bones and table scraps as well.......but except for the carrot, any other foods are given in place of the biscuit feed they would normally get.

I have labs and as Debsvirgo said........we change ours over to adult food around the 4 to 5 months of age.

I am so sorry to hear about your little baby. Be proud that you did what you could for this little one. My sincere wishes go to you and your wife.