The Spotted Devil

Purple :D My Spaniels will be looking fab and stylish collar-less but in MUD :laugh:

To the OP: Who wouldn't take the returned good? The retailer or the manufacturer? Some brands and some stores offer a guarantee your dog will eat it. I have returned two bags in the time I've had Scottie - once to PetO and once to Petbarn. Both times the food was very expensive and I was broke. He would not eat it. Both times I took store credit and re-used it in store - both times buying multiple items (flea treatment+ some treats one time and another bag of food + treats + some cat treats the other time). There has been a number of other foods I have given away (friends, family, neighbours) donated to the shelter or thrown out If it was a small independent I wouldn't but if the offer is there - why not take it? https://www.petbarn.com.au/returns-policy My bolding. Wow I never knew! I wonder what they do with it! Yes I bought a big bag of "something" from my vet clinic - can't recall what or why, maybe had a voucher because I never buy dry from them - and the corn made my Springer itch like mad. They swapped it for a product that was grain free no questions asked. I didn't even have the original bag as dry goes straight into a storage tin.

Love it! Great plan! Mark action and reward position :)

yes. Absolutely.

And yes. Completely get where you're coming from with the anecdote :)

Awesome, thanks TSD! I will definitely take you up on that as we progress, I actually think Quinn will come along in leaps and bounds when I get my act together, she loves training and is so responsive. I bought a new clicker today (no idea where my previous ones have gone in various moves) and I'm going to concentrate on using that with her on our own, because I think I need the precision to show her what I want, then use the classes as practice and proofing, unless/until it stresses me or her out. Ok - first bit of advice. Be wary of the clicker. It's awesome but it's power means that you can inadvertently reinforce the wrong behaviour PARTICULARLY if you are training a very precise behaviour such as heel work. Just be conscious that your timing needs to be perfect. I rarely use it nowadays - verbal markers and PARTY work just fine.

Completely agree with you SG! I will put this out there - firstly I suggest you video your training and keep training notes but secondly, please feel free to friend me on FB or send me links to videos. More than happy to provide feedback. My videos on You Tube will demonstrate how I train.

I assume most people don't understand dog behaviour very well nor do they understand that I don't need their dog barging up to mine. So I generally drive my dogs to the oval - have one out at a time for training (which is generally agility and retrieving or Recallers games so also counts as exercise) and keep an eye on the car park for any new vehicles. Plenty of opportunity to remove my dog as necessary or have a quick chat to the dog owner. I also choose quiet parts of the day if I can and miserable weather is a bonus.

Meant to say juice that I was thrilled to read your positive update - well done!

Sounds like pretty serious anxiety to me - this is not a "wait and see" situation from what you've described. Sounds like a very distressed dog and not a pleasant situation for either of you. It is perfectly acceptable to return this dog to her breeder. If you want to persist please don't just put her in a crate and hope that will fix things - by the way, I think crates are awesome and my dogs love theirs - but this sounds very serious, particularly the toileting aspects, and I would not be crating this dog for 8 hours a day. It might stop the behaviour but is unlikely to change the level of anxiety. I think you need to consult a veterinary behaviourist - not just a good trainer - as there may well be a need for anti-anxiety medication just to get her to the point of coping.

I hope you can get your internet up and running soon! Anything Fenzi is very affordable at Bronze - a great online community. SG is a great investment but the initial outlay can be expensive plus it's not really what you're after. I do the vast majority of training on my own too.

I honestly wouldn't do it unless I chose to use it as a distraction opportunity. I find those sorts of environments unhelpful and joy-less and would much rather do online training classes and catch up with like-minded people.

LAT, used appropriately, rocks. Brilliant for pups/dogs that are reactive/fearful OR over excited. I agree - not big on strangers giving treats - it really doesn't build confidence. Possibly because it's a game of luring rather than choice and reward.

I feel the same way.

I try to respond to enquiries within 24 hours. Mostly I get no reply back. Word of mouth is certainly how I've found my dogs - in my Dally's case I chose the breeder first, breed second!

Oh that's excellent news

Nothing quite like nursing a pet through parvo.... Yep. Or euth'ing them in a vet clinic or shelter.

Nothing worse in my opinion than chronic pain so yes a trip to the vet is essential. My dogs get a glucosamine/chondroiten powder which is supposed to help inflammation. I also love the Back on Track coats - I know people who have had plenty of relief from their human products too.

Love these three dogs...we are on a road triiiiiip to the Agility Nationals in SA....stayed last night at our dog friendly B&B and I decided a sleep in this morning would be nice. At home they have the option of a quick trip outside at 6am when the cats get fed. Not a peep out of any of them and it's 7.30am. They will bounce up quickly enough when I move though...

Oh horses - wow - they take the cake! One reason I like dog agility rather than show jumping :laugh:

No, adult dogs do not "shake off" parvo - what a load of BS. Willem until you have smelt and seen the consequences of a parvo outbreak I suggest you be cautious with your "advice". I have no issue with titre testing or 3 yearly vax. I would take anything I read on "Dogs Naturally" with a grain of salt - some of the rubbish spouted by their articles...

The routine for the dogs here is "no routine" - some early starts, some sleep ins, meals when we are done training (anywhere between 6pm-10pm) etc. The cats on the other hand!!!!

Thanks, but I've got quite enough crazy in this house :D

I can't bear to put a price on them either :) I owe them everything. I dont normally do it, I dont begrudge my animal family at all. I had a reason for doing it which I wont go into, but I was shocked when I had to add it all up. Oh absolutely. I have thought about adding up the costs for breeding a litter but.... *puts head firmly in the sand*

I can't bear to put a price on them either :) I owe them everything.