zoezoom

Thanks Kelly-Louise Vet still hasn't got test results back - it's driving me crazy! I hope he has them tomorrow. She is a darling little girl and we love her very much. And of course being an ACD she is a tough kid and will overcome come what may.

Oh KJ your poor baby! I'm so glad all is well now. My little girl's eyes were looking somewhat similar to your pup, but when she had her anaphalactic episode she was given a shot of cortisone and because of possible allergy has been on a low maintenance dose of prednisolone since which has probably been her saviour. I hate cortisone but when it's the only remedy what can I do. I get the test results tomorrow so I've got my fingers crossed we can get to the bottom of it. Thanks for your help. I'll hunt out a photo or two and see if I can upload them. I'm not an expert on this site though!

Oh KJ your poor baby! I'm so glad all is well now. My little girl's eyes were looking somewhat similar to your pup, but when she had her anaphalactic episode she was given a shot of cortisone and because of possible allergy has been on a low maintenance dose of prednisolone since which has probably been her saviour. I hate cortisone but when it's the only remedy what can I do. I get the test results tomorrow so I've got my fingers crossed we can get to the bottom of it. Thanks for your help. I'll hunt out a photo or two and see if I can upload them. I'm not an expert on this site though!

Hi KJ No pustules or boils to date thank goodness! I am very concerned over cortisone medication but gather there is no other remedy. She is already small for her age. She is now 5 months.

Hi, I have a puppy Aust Cattle Dog who arrived at 9 weeks with sore eyes and was originally diagnosed with conjunctivitis. It progressed to baldness around the eyes and part of forehead. Another diagnosis was possible demodex mange. After a period of time puffiness of the face increased and swollen lips and general appearance. Glands in throat also swollen. Dog otherwise fit, happy and healthy. Puffiness increased and she suffered an anaphalatic (spelling?) episode where her whole face blew up really badly. My vet after seeing her last week now thinks she may have Dog Strangles or Juvenile Cellulitis. Am waiting for biopsy reports tomorrow. Does anyone have any personal knowledge/experience regarding this rare but nasty disease?

Please, please take your pup to an obedience school or have a trained professional come to you to help. Please also ensure they use "positive methods". I used to practice the old traditional methods and use a correction collar a few years ago. However, now I have been trained in positive methods I would never ever go back to the old ways. A stressed dog does not learn. I was watching a training video recently by the person who trains Inspector Rex (TV series) and I quote "If I can't make it fun I am a bad trainer". I am going to repeat this statement to my obedience class members regularly. Take your time and have fun with your dog - you will be amazed at the progress if you are consistent and practice for 2 or 3 short sessions every day. Good luck!

Hi everyone - thanks for all the great stories - seems I am far from alone! I concur with Mrs D - a hungry dog is easy to train! I guess we'll just have to be extremely vigilant - forever. Zoezoom

Hi Tony Zoe will steal food from anywhere, any time given the opportunity. Unfortunately she suffers with skin allergies and is (sadly) on cortisone, which of course exacerbates the problem. We do not feed her bits from the table and she is only fed at proper meal times and of course food rewards when training.

Can anyone suggest any positive solutions to stop my darling ACD from stealing? She is a marvellous, lovable dog with a CDX title, but I just can't get her to stop stealing. I put it down to the fact that she is a rescued "Street kid"! That's my excuse anyway. We are usually pretty vigilant, but on New year's Day after a party, our minds were not very sharp and we turned our backs for a minute and she managed to steal quite a sizeable piece of French Brie! The following night was spent making a visit to Animal Emergency Hospital as she was displaying signs of discomfort. Would love to hear some suggestions please.

A highly respected obedience trial instructor mentioned the other day that she can always tell the dogs that are positively trained and those that are not. I couldn't agree more. Just look at all the happy, dogs with tails waving high and eager to work - I guarantee these are the dogs that have been positively trained. I have trained dogs in the old fashioned compulsive way in the dim and distant past because that was being advocated by obedience clubs at that time. Now, however any dog club that hasn't progressed to "positive" training is well and truly behind the times. I am perplexed that VicDog publishes these articles as I understood that the VCA encourages obedience clubs to convert to positive methods. I would never return to the bad old days and am thoroughly enjoying "positively" training my dog to levels of obedience that I know I would never have achieved with the old regime.

I recommend The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey or any of Dr Ian Dunbar's books.

I agree with Cosmolo - I've always been taught that you always have your voice with you but might not always remember your clicker.

I suggest "let's go" in a light and happy voice. I wouldn't be introducing the word heel until much later on in training. At puppy stage you don't want him to "heel" but rather to loose lead walk in the vicinity of your left side.