Joypod

If you don't want to use chemicals on your puppy, you could go the natural route and use something like Flea Free Food Supplement. It contains only natural ingredients and you just a bit to the puppy's food or water each day.

Hi Disorder! Poor Snot. I'd take him to the vet. If you've noticed a change in the lump then it's probably something worth getting checked out. With that said, if it's not bothering him then it's probably nothing serious. Best to be safe though. Let us know how you go.

Does anyone know of a way to test soil for Parvo?

That's so, so sad! I'm really sorry. This sort of thing really worries me. How would I know if my back yard is safe (parvo free) for a new puppy if I've never had one in it before? We've only lived in the house since Feb.

Hi Native_MetaL, Your puppy is really lovely. I was just wondering, where did you get her? If it was from a breeder then perhaps you could speak to them directly. Unfortunately, if it was from a pet shop, then she might not even be a pure Sheltie. Good luck with the tail issue. There's plenty of knowledge on DOL so someone should be able to help you out.

Hi Tim, I had been thinking exactly the same thing! I'm going to crate train my pup when I get him but was getting confused about when to take him to the toilet during the night. Do I wait until he cries to take him out or will that just reinforce crying as a way to get out of the crate? Or, do I just schedule a couple of toilet breaks through the night at set times and wake him to go out if need be? I know I've just added questions on top of yours but it'd be great to hear other's thoughts.

I just saw this on another site and thought you all should see it too:

Hi all, As some of you will know, I don't actually have a dog yet but am doing heaps of preparation. I bought a soft portable crate but am now wondering if I should have bought a cage/metal one. The soft one has mesh vents on all sides with an opening flap on the top and front. It also has a handle and folds down flat so it's very portable. I also liked the look of it much more than a metal crate. Is there really such a difference between soft and metal crates considering what they're used for? I mean, I can still toilet train and confine my puppy in a soft crate so is there a need for a metal one? Just wondering what your views are on this. Ta muchly to all

I actually read Cesar's book before even hearing about Jan Fennell. Then I watched Jan's dvd which was around the time my confusion started. Cesar's method of stopping a dog before it even starts a bad behaviour (by jerking gently on it's leash) seemed so effective to me. His philosophy of the dog following the pack leader on the walk being important also made sense to me. Then along comes Jan who doesn't even seem fussed about people walking their dogs or not and who doesn't give the same sort of correction. Having read your posts, I think I'm going to stick with my initial instinct of Cesar's way being more effective in the long term. It makes more sense to me for some reason.

Thanks Amhailte. I think you're right about dogs being very adaptable. Both Milan and Fennell get results but with such different approaches which basically proves your point. I don't even have a dog yet! Am still in research mode. With that said, my sister has a totally out of control Jack Russell which I'm going to get my hands on (so to speak) when she goes away in Sept for a couple of weeks and mum and dad are house/dog sitting for her. I'm going to see what I can do to at least modify her behaviour while she's away. By 'out of control' i mean she jumps like a loonie on everyone and has started nipping at people too. My sister's solution is to lock her in the bathroom when she has visitors. I've even gave her a copy of Cesar's book which she read but said that she wasn't the problem, it was everyone else. She's in complete denial.

I'm confused!!!! I've been reading heaps about dog psychology and have also watched Cesar Milan and Jan Fennell's dvd's. The main difference between the two are that Cesar seems to find a solution to all problems by teaching the owner how to walk their dog and by 'correcting' bad behaviour. Whereas Jan ignores bad behaviour completely to get a result. Has anyone else been confused by these two 'gurus' of dog psychology or is it just me?

Thanks everyone. Excellent advice from you all.... as always :D I'll have a look at Four Paws.

I don't actually. Infact, all I've done is look on their website which says the following: "Puppy Kinda is a four week course held on Monday nights at 7.30 pm. The cost is $80.00 and a $20.00 deposit is required. It covers Off Lead Socialising This is normally the first experience for your puppy to meet other puppies. On Lead Socialising Detailed explanation of the dangers of not knowing how to walk a dog properly on a loose lead. Obedience Work Using a very gentle method to teach your pup how to -Heel -Sit -Sit Stay -The Recall Health, Grooming and Other Issues One of our Qualified Veterinary Staff Members will discuss these and related issues of concern to you. Behavioural Problems Toilet Training, excessive mouthing and biting, excessive barking. Why do they occur? How do you cure them? These questions and many more will be answered. This is the only puppy kinda course run by a Dog Behavioural Specialist." I'd have to ring and ask to find out who they're qualified with. There really isn't that much choice of puppy pre-schools in my area though. It's a bit annoying.

thanks Comolo . Just as you were replying I found the Yaraville Vet Clinic that runs pre-schools. That's only 15 mins from me and is apparently run by an animal behaviourist which is good too.

Morning all, Can anyone recommend a puppy pre-school in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne? I'm in Sunshine and I've just spent half an hour on the Net trying to find one that isn't going to be a huge drive to get to. By huge drive i mean over half an hour or so. Thanks for your help.

She may be a registered breeder but she sounds like she's having quite a few litters! If she had a litter in Sept then another in Jan and this lot are 15 weeks old. That means she must have had another litter in March...??? I was under the impression that 'reputable/responsible' breeders typically bred if they wanted to add to their show stock and the remaining pups are sold to other breeders or to approved homes as pets. Or am I completely mistaken here? Hopefully these puppies will find homes, otherwise the responsible thing to do would be for her to keep them.... and maybe not have any more litters for a while.

Why don't you teach your child not to grab a sleeping dog? Respect has to go both ways you know. I'd probably bite someone too if they grabbed my leg while I was asleep. If he wanted to hurt the kid, he would have. He was just giving a warning that he didn't appreciate being woken up like that which is fair enough.

Or, 'The Dog Whisperer' by Cesar Millan. I just read that and will never look at dogs the same way again! It's a brilliant book, is very easy to read and makes SO much sense. Good luck!

I don't understand . Is this 'Canine' person rescuing dogs all over the place or something? Why would someone come on a dog forum and just make stuff up? Wouldn't there be more constructive ways of spending one's time? Unless of course there were psychological issues involved. If, on the other hand, this is a genuine post, I'd suggest you (Canine) listen to the advice you're being given about getting this poor dog some help. I'm only new here so won't pretend to know which direction to point you but one thing I have learnt is that there are a multitude of people on this site who really know their stuff. So, if you're serious (and let's face it, the jury is still out on that one), take on board what these people are saying.