tryamartimmy

Ok, so this is a little off-topic and probably won't help you BUT.... our cats had a really bad habit of launching themselves at our side door (the kind with glass panes and wooden panels) and climbing it like a ladder. It got to the point where they were taking small chunks out of the woodwork (gasp!!!) We eventually put a thin layer of KY jelly where they clawed and because they hated the feel of it so much, they stopped climbing it within a matter of days.

Hi Luca, I totally agree with what has already been said in this thread's replies. I only recently purchased a Chihuahua puppy and let me tell you, she's strong willed and desperately wanted to be the leader of my pack. It's taken about four weeks for her to understand that she has to wait and sit nicely if she's going to get any sort of a reward. I use cuddle time on the couch, treats, games etc to reward her good behaviour. The couch is by INVITE ONLY. If she forgets her place, or starts demanding to be let up, she gets completely ignored. You may think it's cruel at first, but the results are well worth it. The dog will have respect for you and you'll have piece of mind! Hope this helps you.

My puppy gets a mix of raw and cooked meats. Brekkie she gets kibble. Lunch is a whole chicken neck, or half a chicken wing, uncooked (she's only a little dog) Dinner she gets either cooked/raw beef or chicken mince with pureed vegies through. Make sure they're pureed as your dog won't be able to digest and break them down otherwise. Lots of people will tell you that rice is not a good choice for mixing into regular meals as it's just a filler and has a low nutritional value for the dog. Hope this helps. PS- I haven't heard many good things about Supercoat... maybe you should try to phase this out with something like Nutro or Royal Canin?

Hi Rhi, How's Jak doing today?

Ah. Yeah, probably not good for showing, but you could still contact a few breeders in your area to check it out! Bet yours is gorgeous!

The main register just means that she can be shown and bred from (correct me if I'm wrong). All purebreeds can be put on this register. The ear is another thing entirely. It should only matter if you were planning on showing your dog. Were you?

Hi, My breeder told me that I should expect my puppies ears to go all floppity during her teething period (from around 3 to 4 months onwards). They usually right themselves though. Not sure what happens if one ear was NEVER up though.... Mind you, unless you're planning on showing the dog, it doesn't make that much difference- just adds character to that beautiful little face. Can we have a pic?

I'll just bet she had a long and wonderous life with you though. I hope the memories keep you going through this difficult time. You'll meet again. RIP pup.

Spot sounds like he had a great life. Nobody could ask for more. RIP Spot.

What a beautiful little dog. The rainbow bridge is all the better for having him. Sorry for your loss. ;)

Well, this is it. Shadow, the Kelpie X came to us as a stray when I was about 9 years old. He followed me from school one day, then settled in and made himself right at home with my family and I. No one claimed him, so we took him on. Shadow was a great and loyal companion and wonderful watch dog. He was gentle and loving and always up for a game of fetch. He loved his people. Nobody could ask for more. Unfortunately Shadow developed a very aggressive stomach cancer which went undiagnosed (he showed no abnormalities until just three days ago) and upon being taken to the vet, my parents were advised it was best if he were pts as he was going to be in a lot of pain any other way. It was a sad day for all of us and he'll be missed greatly. Shadow, we'll see you at the end of the bridge one day. Until then, be good to all the other newcomers to the Rainbow Bridge. Much Love Kirsty

Yup, so long as it's raw.

I've been doing this and what I end up with resembles a funny coloured potato mash (same sort of consistency, but a little more juicy). I mix this through the meat before serving and I've not had any problems at all.

If she wants the dog on the bed, why doesn't she get a canvas crate at first and make sure that the dog sleeps in that for the first few weeks. They don't like to wee where they sleep/play etc, so she'll have a better chance of toilet training the puppy this way.

I feed the Royal Canin Mini Junior to Tahni. She loves it and she looks really healthy. Great breath, firm poos, shiny coat. I have no problems with it. :rolleyes:

Thanks PW. I have started the 'sit' and 'stay' with her so far and she has no problems with it at all (so long as there's a treat in my hand- haha). Teaching her the 'down' is proving to be a little more difficult. Even with luring her using the methods described in all the books I've read isn't working. She just won't 'down', but will sort of crouch half way, if that makes sense? Other things that she's currently learning are to 'come' and get 'off'. She's a smart puppy! I think it may have something to do with pack structure too- I'm partway through reading Jan Fennell's 'The Dog Whisperer', which I find quite interesting. I've started a few things she's suggested already.

Hi, I'm starting to leash train my 14wk old chihuahua. She isn't anxious about the lead, but she also doesn't appreciate being given direction either. Does anyone have any special pointers on how to go about this? So far, we've been out on the patio for four sessions each lasting about 15 minutes, just walking around, sniffing etc. I bring out the treats and she responds about 50 percent of the time. I really want her to enjoy walking around with me, so I guess I want hints about how to make it enjoyable for her. Cheers!

There are a lot of dog attractant products on the market for this kind of thing. eg: http://www.petsplus.com.au/pet-shop.asp?id=750 http://www.crittercottage.com.au/product.aspx?id=75 hope this helps you.

Awww that's gorgeous! You're lucky to have such wonderful, caring canines!

Hi Rhi- My baby is sleeping like a little trooper now. I think some of it may have been from her 2nd vaccination- the day after that happened, was the start of some of the noisiest and crankiest nights for her. Now it's all settled down and we've got her bed routine down pat, she whines when I put her to bed (but never for more than 2 min) then sleeps right through the night. She gets up to do her own toilet breaks as she's in her playpen which is large enough for her sleeping crate and toys AND toilet papers, so there are no more sleepless nights. Thank goodness hey?!

That's great news Rhi. Keep us posted, Ok?

I was going to toilet train my little dog on the pads, but she decided that she'd rather eat them. So we're back to the newspaper approach. Grrrr.

That's good news Rhi! How's Jak's behaviour progressing? Less snarling now?

Kristie: This is what I'm having to do with MY pushy pup. She demands attention and as I share a house, I'd get up at stupid hours of the night to take her to bed with me so we'd have some quiet time. I was fostering her sense of equality whenever she was testing the boundaries. I'm lucky, I've only had her a week and she's only 14 wks old. So at least I can de-program her. It just means that I had to buy a bulk supply of ear plugs and completely ignore her wailing for attention. It's hard!

Lots of people will tell you that you need to train your pup to sleep where you intend it to sleep when older. I won't say much more on this as I am having problems with my puppy's crate training (I've only had her a week and she's hard-headed) and it would be wrong for me to give advice to you. Good luck in this.