The Spotted Devil

not to a cafe surely? Strict laws on dogs around food places. I agree a proper home alarm will make things easier. Strangely enough, except for the guard dog bit, I thought a GAP greyhound may suit. Why? Because I've known of a couple who have lived the life you describe and have been very happy. I was thinking the same - but I'd rather a Grey owner suggest it as I know they get thrown about as an option a lot.

Good on you for doing your research! Problem is you want the best of both worlds - strong, protective, human oriented yet must be small, spend lots of time alone and need minimal exercise/training. And don't even think about a GSD if you want low shedding :laugh: I think you need to modify your expectations a bit. My dogs can cope with the odd very long day at home alone provided they get a LOT of exercise and training on the other days PLUS I get up at 5am to train and play for 2 hours plus they get training when I get home late. They are indoor dogs for the most part.

Lots of good suggestions above. Anal gland issues can be irritating without obvious impaction and swelling. They are easy to express yourself - gloves and a tissue and some treats for the other end :laugh: - might be worth doing them regularly and seeing if it helps.

Definitely :laugh: Probably one of the most common discussions on FB Dalmatian groups. I just stick with hard floors :D

Sorry to hear that. Hope you have a good vacuum cleaner for all the Dally hair you are about to drown in :laugh: Worth it though. Beautiful dogs.

I understand that pups need to learn to be by themselves but I don't like baby puppies getting distressed for that length of time. I leave my lot that tired after training and play that they are happy to settle and grab some sleep. Before work I get up at 5am and get pup out of bed - kills me but boy is she glad to climb into her pen when I leave! Pup sleeps in a crate next to my bed until she can be trusted. Even my litter of pups all went straight into their new homes with very little fuss. And Ginny is fine if I take her Mum out and not her. The only pup I've ever had trouble with was a GSP who I had for training for a month. Separation anxiety is quite typical for the breed. Definitely get some help sooner rather than later.

I would keep them separate 100% of the time and consult a darn good behaviourist. Let us know where you are and perhaps someone can recommend a specialist.

I don't get home from work until 7pm some days and can't take calls when I'm there so it's definitely different for everyone! You've reminded me that I need to call someone back who left a message as I was getting on a plane last week!

Juice I think it depends on the individual and their work commitments. I find email easier to respond to personally - it's also a good opportunity to ask the question - when would be a good time to call you?

Thanks for this. That's how I am approaching it now. Will hold it off for as long as I can. The breeder said that they tend to get to their full height at around 8 months, so will wait till that age. If she happens to have her first season by then, we will just manage it as best as we can. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences/thoughts. don't worry, it is not a disease...and hell won't freeze over and there won't be male dogs queuing in front of the house. We walked our dog when she was in season and had no problems at all when meeting other dogs. (Most of the dogs we know anyway and strangers which male dogs were informed with a short 'she's on heat' and passed in a distance). Obviously it is not recommended to allow her access to rooms with carpet (or you have to use some kind of nappies) and you can't let her run outside without a leash. Maybe not, but it does still require some management. OP sounds like they mean they will do as best they can and manage as well as they can for as long as possible. No need to be so condescending. Yep. Plenty of "oops" puppies around to prove that!

Some desexed males show interest and some don't. I juggle an entire male and 2 entire bitches in a very moderate sized house - it's actually not too big of a deal if you're prepared and can do a bit of crate/yard rotation. I keep the girls separate from my boy from Day 1 as it just helps him not lose his head. I don't leave my girls outside unsupervised and only let them toilet in the back yard. I don't walk them but will put them in the car and take them training, running and swimming on private property. Lots of yummy chews, bones and training to keep everyone occupied. Some girls have messy seasons and some don't. Some change temperament temporarily and some don't. You could board your boy or leave him with friends/family when she is receptive to being mated...timing depends on the bitch but you look for the discharge changing from red to a straw colour - on average around 10 days into the season but as I said they don't read the text books! Feel free to ask any questions you like :)

I tend to use mashed pumpkin instead of rice - worked a treat when some certain baby puppies discovered possum poo!

Training update - Em is not getting a lot of work at the moment as I've torn my shoulder rotator cuff - very limited movement. Ginny is coming along beautifully - posting regular videos on FB - working on delivering to hand, single marks and lining. Nothing too complicated as she is pretty wild still - really concentrating on recalls, relationship building and agility foundation.

Would be good to use a thrower - mainly because of the way it throws marks is different from hand throwing. And some dogs spook when they see them and a thrower hidden away. With regards to pigeons one of the easiest ways is to volunteer at a trial - you can grab a few in decent condition and will get to ask around about who to source them from.

Honestly not sure but can't see why not - do a bit of googling of different brands or ask vet n pet. They are good at getting back to you!

I bought some through my vet - can't recall brand off hand but used a tiny grain on my baby puppies. Have a look online at vet n pet direct as well.

I keep it simple - baby gate to separate the living area/kitchen from the bedrooms. Front area is a puppy safe zone ie don't leave it lying around if you don't want it chewed. Although I'm not sure who's the worst offender for pinching stuff - my 8 month old pup or her mother :laugh:

Wow. Fantastic. Thanks for posting! It's great to have something to direct people to.

It's pretty much everywhere - like Staph spp. on your skin or E. coil in your gut.

Here's a good link: http://www.dogsnsw.org.au/puppies/choosing-a-breeder.html

She is a Standard Schnauzer. At what age do they normally get their first season? Personally if I could manage a bitch in season I would wait until sexual maturity and growth plate closure. As to when - dogs don't read the text books unfortunately and I've heard of everything from 6 months to 2 years!!! The thing is desexing at 7 or 8 months is no different to desexing at 5 or 6 months. You are waiting for the flood of sex hormones that promote growth plate closure.

There's no scientific doubt that the growth plates take longer to close if an animal is desexed before sexual maturity. And the long bones will be longer. However, what that actually means for dogs in terms of joint health is NOT clear - the above link cherry picks the current literature - lots of correlation studies and very difficult to compare like with like. In addition outcomes from these studies are mixed - some for and some against. I wrote a lit review on the subject so know the research pretty well. That said, personally I own entire dogs and bitches - yes I breed but I also do dog sports and my Dalmatian has never sired a litter. There is enough doubt in my mind about joint health to keep them entire. I also suggest to my puppy buyers to hold off on desexing until 18 months - with high energy dogs it's a precautionary. I also am happy for the males in particular to remain entire but not to be bred from unless we both agree. I place my pups extremely carefully but accept that this will not always be within my control. Haven't had to deal with bitches yet as I kept the only one. Letting a bitch have a season is not without its risks either which is why vets will often recommend early desexing. There is no perfect answer. Have a chat with your breeder - explain that you don't want to breed but want to do the best thing for your pup.

I've had rescue dogs in my classes that simply would not lure a drop. So I asked the owners to go home, keep awesome treats in their pockets or in tiny containers around the house and mark "yes" and PARTY when the dog lay down of its own accord (capturing) - that dog nailed the drop within a week. He went from struggling to top of the class - and it was so awesome! It's often not that they can't do a behaviour it's that they don't understand what you want.

I agree with this too - I've had some Whippets/Greys in class who prefer sit or drop or vice versa (brother and sister adopted and living together had different builds and preferences) and I'm happy to go with the flow. If the dog has manners sit/stand/drop doesn't bother me.

You don't need hands on :) Personally I do a lot of shaping (ie wait for the behaviour and then reward it) but luring can be handy for dogs that have zero idea about offering behaviours. What I prefer to do, however, is lure with one hand, mark "yes" for the right behaviour and then reward with a treat from the OTHER hand. Gets them thinking a bit more. Try marking "yes" for what's called successive approximations - so think what sit looks like from a stand - head up? Yes, treat. Head up a bit higher? Yes, treat. Rump slightly drops? Yes, treat etc etc. Use AMAZING treats and lighten the mood - play before, during and after, turn it into a game. Make it easy to be successful.