Tilly

I got the whining, chewing, crying and mouthing ... but he is getting better ;)

The poor boy is sitting on the back lawn looking so sad - he is slowly moving around the yard but basically just sits or half bunny hopes around the area. I have just offered him some food but other then the little bit with his medication - he wasn't interested. He is still drinking but I need to take the water to him and encourage him to drink. He hasn't been to the toilet for numbers 2's his afternoon ... so I am getting more and more concerned. If he can't lift/hold his bottom off the ground - how can he toilet?

My little boy is just over 5 months ... and he is a working dog so he is extremely full on. Some days I just want to ring his neck and other days he is just soooooo sweet. The first night I brought him home from the airport ... all I wanted to do was put him on the first plane back to his breeder ... Good luck with your puppy

I did ask the vet and he didn't believe he had it (but again it can't be completely ruled out). Is there anything I can do for him if he has this? Or should the antibotics and anti-inflamatories help? My boy still has a good appetite and is drinking well. This afternoon he was having troubles toileting but this is becuase he can't lift his leg and is unable to squat properly. I have done a complete poo scoop and since he is the only dog home tonight I will be able to tell if he has gone to the toilet.

Ok - blood tests have all come back "within normal range". Yes we have checked for ticks but haven't found any yet. Can't be ruled out completely but vet said he would expect him to be a lot worse by now if it was a tick (My boy hasn't been out of our yard since Tuesday morning). I have managed to get him into the hydrobath and give him a good bath (mainly to cool him down) and then given him a good brush over - and still can't find anything. I have checked him a number of times and just got back inside from going over him again. Vet has basically said give him 24 hours to see if he improves but at the moment I have not noticed any changes in either direction. He has also been given an anti-inflamatory. He can barely stand. I have him outside on the grass side of the house which is cooler and is flat so he can toilet easierly if needed. He is just so miserable...

Vet has been wonderful and come out to see him. We managed to get him up walk around a little bit and he tended to start out strong then then quickly goes wobbly and weak in the back half and just wants to lay down again. He has taken some blood and I should get a call in the next half and hour or so. The poor baby is not himself in the slightest (didn't even growl at the vet in the slightest) and seems to be just wanting to sleep.

My almost 8 year old GSD has been a little off since about Tuesday - not specific but not his normal self. He then started with the shaking of the head so we assumed he was getting an ear infection - so we upped the cleaning until I could get him to the vet. He has had ear infection previously so we were not overly concerned. Thursday night he was not interested in going to work ... so we were rather concerned but apart from being a little sleepy and shaking his head occassionally he was ok. I wasn't well last night and this morning (my allergies going nuts) so I stayed home. After waking up about 10ish I decided to make an appointment to get his ears checked out rather then waiting until Saturday. He has a bacterial infection in his left ear and a temperature of 39!!!! He has been given tablets (cephalexin 1000mg) and ear drops (Canaural). His breathing was also a little heavy and laboured. His heart was good and his lungs where clear. Vet suggested the heavy breathing could be due to a sore throat which can be linked to the ear infection. Since getting him home I have given him his tablet and put the drops in ... but he has now gone wobbly in the back legs and is just laying on the concrete. I know that ear infections can cause dizzyness but how can you tell if he is dizzy and not something else? I can't possibly carry him to the car and he won't walk ... so I can't get him straight back to the vet.

Maybe try Inner Health Plus to increase the good stuff in his tummy - works much quicker then yoghurt. I normally buy the capsules and use them myself.

I have had rotties and GSD's and I know they will protect me (because they are trained security dogs) but I still don't rely on them for my personal safety when out walking at night. A dog attacking to defend it last resort - I do rely on the dogs to warn me of things I can't see. One nights I was walking our then elderly rottie when he started growling and looking towards a block of trees beside the path I was walking on. I looked and couldn't see a thing so I decided to play it safe and called out something like "if you can stay where you are, I will walk around as I don't have my dog muzzled". Next minute a couple of young men ran off in the opposite direction. Maybe look at working line GSD as they tend to be more vocal and protective.

Personally I would like know everything .... I would like: - photo's from birth to 8 weeks, - to have a copy of the weight chart (so I know roughly how much she/he has been gaining on a regular basis), - details about the breeder such as their goals etc and why they breed and contact details (a single page or even a paragraph or two). Maybe including a paragraph about if circumstances change and pup needs a new home - contact breeder first. - to know some details on each of the parents (maybe a little blurb about their history, personality and traits) with nice photo's of each - know what they have been feed with their feeding schedules with amounts etc - know their medical history from birth (not just worming and vaccinations) - if any - know any information the breeder might know of the pup - such as observations about their personality, behaviours (even just a paragraph) as a way of introducing the pup ... even their favour type of toy (if they have one) - information on what to expect within the first week, month of the new puppy coming home - some general information about how to go about transferring papers (if not done by the breeder), paperwork relating to microchipping and even a blank form or details on how to update address details. Some stuff like details of the pups parents and the breeder should already be known prior to purchase but it doesn't hurt to have it in writing. I know we were told stuff when we brought our previous pup but at the time my focus was on the new additional so it is good to have it all in writing.

Glad to hear pup is doing better. They can be a worry when they are injured. Thankfully I have a very understanding and wonderful boss who knows he will always come second to my dogs.

I am often told not to feed by GSD's chicken necks because they are too small but we have never had a problem. I guess we never had a problem because we do freeze them in bundles and feed them frozen - so the frozen bundle is chewed rather then swallowed. My boys love them

It may not be an issue now but later when the pup is not a pup it may become an issue. My boys are not allowed to eat out of each others bowls and this is strictly enforced by me. If one was to leave something in their bowl (which is extremely unlikely) then I take that food and put it in the bowl of the other dog - he is not allowed to help himself.

With our previous GSD boy I barely noticed his teething and it was only then he bit my hand and left a tooth behind that I realised he had lost his baby teeth. I was surprised to see the little boy one morning (after coming home from holidays) and discovering he had lost most of his teeth. He seems a bit more comfortable tonight - and the worst of the swelling looks like it is going down. Hopefully he is over the worst of it ... but I will put some more Bonjella on before he goes to bed tonight. I don't think he has many more teeth to come through ... might need to check how many he should have and how many he now has.

He has got 5 teeth just poking through and another one which looks like it is about to break through. Poor baby had a bit of soft poos this morning and he seems a little off. I went out this morning and got him some Bonjella ... and after he realised I wasn't trying to kill him I managed to get some on his gums. I also have some blocks of frozen fish so I will chop them up and freeze them in an ice-cream container.

My poor little GSD baby is teething big time. He is just over 5 months and until a few days ago he was a little gummy. He had lost most of his baby teeth except a couple of small ones at the front and he had two nice new big teeth at the back of his mouth. In the last 2 days he has some more teeth coming up but his gums are rather swollen around each new tooth - is this normal? He is still eating fine and managing to devour his frozen chicken necks (he prefers cold food which I think helps with his gums). He is getting a little bit clingy and sooky - and tried to suck on my fingers. I took him to the vet this morning for his weigh-in and spoke to one of the girls ... and they didn't seem too concerned. Is there anything I can do to help him? I don't want him in pain.

We lost our rottie about 2 years ago with a similar problem. Unfortunately for us surgery was not an option otherwise he would have had the op immediately rather then the injections. When our almost 8 year old GSD showed similar issues in Nov 08 he went under and had the op.

I personally never "ask" my dogs to greet strangers or visitors. I leave it up to the dog to decide if they want to greet the person. They understand from my body language and a marker word that the person is a friend etc - so it is then up to them if they want to go forward for a pat. You said she was confident on leash - how about trying her on leash and then leaving the leash on but you releasing it for her to drag around (not held). Build up to a short leash and then no leash...

My GSD pup is the same and will even bark and whine if you stop him from getting close. And then you get a tantrum if he is told no ... can't offer any solutions as this stage but I am working on his obedience training. We are currently working on him getting attention only when he is sitting. If we come across someone when walking it is a quick "focus on me exercise" and trot off in the opposite direction if he don't focus. When we are in a place such as the vets then he is made to sit - if that doesn't work then he is made to drop and I keep my foot on the leash close to his collar so he can't get up. He is slowly learning if he wants attention then he need to be calm ... but it is an extremely slow process.

I use the Fido's one as well ... I don't tend to use it too often. I mainly use it to clean the back verandah, dog beds etc ... I pre-mix in an 60 litre tank and then run it through the pressure cleaner (and then run clean water through it). Love the smell

I would stick to chicken for the time being. My boys definately love a little roast chicken when it comes to training. The other thing my boys love is lamb and beef puffs which are basically dried lamb and beef (similar to liver treats but I find liver gives my boys the runs).

My boys have gone to the vet weekly from the day we first get them until they are about 2 years of age. They go in to get weighed and treats and/or cuddles from the vet staff. They love going to the vet because it is a place of fun. Nothing worse then going to the vet and only ever having bad things such as needles or being poked.

My GSD puppy had the runs for over a week after I got him. Chicken breast and pumpkin cooked in a little salt reduced chicken stock and water with a bit of "inner health plus" added was then only thing that helped him. I fed him this for a couple of days and then slowly added a little of his normal food. Is he still drinking well? Is he still well in himself? If you are concerned that he is not well or may be dehydrated - definately go and see the vet.

Walking around the block on a leash is usually 2 weeks after the final vaccination - as this is when they are fully vaccinated. I had my pup inside in his crate at night. He was outside in a 2mx2m pen (when I was at work) until I found he was getting bored so I fenced the garden off and let him have the run of the backyard when I went to work. My boy is 20 weeks (21kg) and has only just spent his first night outside. I was mainly bringing him inside at night because it was cold but he loves being outside. I would probably have a number of water bowls or a bowl for inside and a couple of heavier bowls/tubs outside. I was using a bucket but my boy loves to play in his water and was tipping it over and ending up with no water for the day. He now has a large laundry style tub - which he can play in and not easierly tip over. Some dogs will play with toys while others can have all the toys in the world but not play with them unless you are there to play with them. If you get heaps of toys - don't give them all out at once ... maybe rotate them so put a few out and then in a day or two swap them over for other toys. Exercise should mainly be in the form of play - anything more then that can affect growing joints and bones. I have only walked my pup once so far for exercise. He does get taken to the park etc but it is mainly for obedience etc under distraction. Also - is you are taking 3 weeks off work. The first week should be used to settle him in and then the second and third week should be used to slowly increase the time he is left by himself. By the end of the third week you should be confident you can go to work and know he is not going to sit in the backyard crying.

I would put it on and clip your main leash to the collar and maybe have a light leash to the halti - just for the time you might need to remind them. Over time just don't use a leash on the halti and then eventually take it off.