Staffyluv

Do you have iCloud? I used iCloud pages to do a flyer for Zippy - they have loads of templates and it is super easy to use. You just choose a template, change the photos and words to what you want them to be and then email it to yourself as a PDF or word doc..

Shared on Facebook for you, hopefully if enough share him around - his family will find him soon.

Totally awesome

I wouldn't worry about others reactions - just keep going on your lovely morning walk with your lovely old GSD.. Try having a land shark (bull breed of unknown origin) as a pet.. Zig loves all animals, especially little fluffy dogs.. Imagine the horror of 5 owners of little white fluffies as we walked into the vet waiting room, all clutching their dogs.. I understand, I really do.. It was even worse when a young guy with an enormous Bull Mastiff pup (9 months old) joined us in the waiting room.. then his dog and mine started play bowing at each other..

If she has her papers, have you contacted her breeder - perhaps they can help you rehome the Stafforshire Bull Terrier? Make up posters and put them up at the local vets and ask local rescue groups if they mind helping you rehome her. I think Staffy Rescue in Sydney help with private rehoming and I am sure Mina and Anthony at Big Dog Rescue would help with adding her to their facebook groups and websites.. I am sure there are other rescue groups near you, maybe post in rescue to ask what rescue groups are in your area? Be open and honest in your poster about her personality and what she needs.. But don't be negative about it. I did a poster for my last foster girl (I can send you a copy if you like to give you some ideas). Some dogs do better in a new home.. The last girl I had through had numerous issues in her home but here with me, we really didn't see much in the way of problems at all.. Dogs adjust quite well and tend to 'fit in' with the home they are in at the time. Not all but most do.. Is she aggressive towards other dogs or is it just that she hasn't been well socialised and doesn't really know how to behave around others?

Zig likes to play it as well.. He will nudge my hand and I move it in front of his face, like I am going to grab his face and he plays with my hand as the other 'face to bite', when we don't have a foster dog here for him to play with.. He never does this with me when we have a foster dog here.

Obviously not counting foster dogs in the poll.. I have had a few through that seemed to be initially concerned (no over the top reactions) and after a while they seem OK - I often wondered if this is because they are in a house where we don't really worry about it. They are allowed up on the lounge or in their crate (whatever makes them comfortable). Ziggy doesn't worry about it and I have noticed that the last girl was jumpy once but because he was just sitting on the lounge, she got up with him and just went to sleep.. Ziggy sits in his clam shell when it is raining.. He will also run out into the rain and then run back inside - it is a bit of a game.

In the shower... Zig 29.6.13 Shower time by jamoore photos, on Flickr Don't be fooled by the end of the world expression - he loves it, he just doesn't like getting his photo taken :)

Poor Dais, I hope her recovery is quick.. Glad to hear that Leroy has settled - I thought he would :) The swimming thing is a great idea. Not much help yet but I am looking to move and looking for a place with a pool - you and she will be more than welcome (if and when I eventually get it).. Because it is just what Zig needs as well with his hips.. Glad everything is working out, you have a nice quiet Christmas and a happy new year as well..

After my experience with MCTs and Ollie dog - I would never settle for anything less than an immediate FNA on every lump found.. MCTs can look like a pea under the skin, a wart (varying in colour) and even a fatty lump (which is usually suggested as a lipoma).. MCTs can get out of hand so quickly, the wait and see approach just doesn't appeal to me at all..

I think the thing with obedience training is you are teaching them to focus on something else, to do something else instead of reacting the way they would if they didn't have the training.. It is effectively redirecting an unwanted behaviour to do something that is wanted.. At one point, I never thought I could have Zig off lead with a heap of other dogs around and have effective control over him (he was so dog focused and wanted to play more than anything else). Now when we go to the dog park, he wants to play with me.. At obedience training, when working off lead, if he breaks a stay - he walks to me and not to the other dogs.. In our assessment last weekend he broke a stay, trotted to me, walked behind me and came around an sat at heel.. Looking at all the other dogs in the stay and made no attempt at all to go to any of them.. His recall now is a huge charge at me as fast as he can.. He really launch's himself towards me when I call him to come.. I love it. We get loads of comments about his 'enthusiasm'.. It is all about the focus - if you give them something better (more important/exciting) to them than the other dogs, then they don't even notice them anymore..

It is interesting watching the interactions of dogs.. Zig definitely prefers to interact with some dogs more than others. He is very uncertain around dominant dogs, the ones tha run in and stand over him and usually comes directly to me and stays with me if one arrives at the dog park (we tend to leave if he ever does this). He likes to be around younger dogs and pups and tries to instigate play a fair bit.

Try wrapping the tablet in a bit of shaved ham or chicken from the deli - my boy gulps down tablets this way..

Haven't had a chance to read much of the thread of late - been really busy with work and doing a lot of the K9 Pro program I have with Zig. The difference is unbelievable. Before we went to Steve Courtney, I had no intention of doing our ccd assessment but today, we did it. Unfortunately a little poodle was barking its head off during the drop stay and he broke the stay (this disqualifies him).. He came directly to me and sat at heel when he broke.. As soon as it started barking, I could see he wasn't going to stay and everyone was being really positive, telling me if it wasn't for the other dog etc but like I said - he has to learn to stay, no matter what.. That was the only thing he did wrong all day.. His heel work was awesome and we got huge praise for our recall - the assessor said that it was nice to see an animated dog here today. Zig doesn't do the robot heel, sit, stay, recall - he prances beside me, he sits and stays with his ears and eyes forward (waiting for the next command) and his recall was a total launch towards me, run at full pace and slam on the brakes just in time to stop within just millimetres from my feet.. I love it.. I love that he loves doing it.. Sadly though for us this time the breaking stays is what bought us down - it won't next time... We go back to obedience in February next year.. I am on hols in 2 weeks for 3 weeks and can't wait..

I sponsor a tiger (Tamriki) through WWF.. They sent me a picture and regular updates on his health.. I have a sponsor child, Ouly, in Senegal and I wanted to so something for animals on the same level.. It was a toss up between an orangutasn, elephants and the tigers for me and looking through it all, I ended up with the tiger.

What about your local dog training club - you meet heaps of people there. Or you could post in the social forum here on DOL for a meet up in your area. I have met loads of DOLers this way. Actually a few of us are having a human get together tonight but we meet up at the park and river sometimes to let the dogs socialise..

You did the right thing IMO. Distract the dog from its focus and then leave when it didn't work.. You could have taken him for an on leash walk around a park or something else if you didn't want to cut short your outing.. Ziggy can get over the top but I know the signs that he is getting over excited.. So we leash and leave before it gets to that point.. I won't have him annoy other dogs just because he wants to play..

Zig feels the same about all this Christmas fuss as I do.. Ziggy Xmas 2013 by jamoore photos, on Flickr

So sorry for your loss Ams.. RIP Askari... Yet another DOL angel at the bridge

I am so sorry Grumpette. She was certainly a very special girl and her beautiful smile will be missed by many here on DOL.. Another DOL angel at the bridge. RIP Baylee

So sorry for your loss Rach.. RIP Zeuss

You should probably do some research on parvovirus and what you need to do. It can live in the ground for a very long time and infect new dogs coming in.. A vaccination will not stop a dog getting sick, it simply makes them less sick and the duration less if they have been vaccinated and the vaccination given time to work.. My boy is fully vaccinated and he still caught kennel cough, but it wasn't a bad case and didn't last long. Puppies go downhill very quickly when they are not feeling well. Being so little, they dehydrate very fast if they have a temperature and don't have the correct fluids.. I hope your pup makes it but in the sad event that she doesn't, please don't get another pup until you are sure your home and yard are clear of parvovirus.

It's an example of what can happen in the fray with an operative protection trained dog in heightened fight drive. It was definitely mistake that he bit the handler, but in that state of defence to bring a person down for real, a dog's clarity can become clouded as to who he's chomping on. From another source it was believed that the dog already hold of the offender re-directed as the handler became involved in further subduing the offender in the scuffle. Obviously a very good dog in fight intensity to work whilst encountering the surf environment, an environment that the dog had possibly minimal training to remain focused on the job. It can happen in the fray with any dog and any handler in lots of situations.. Redirection isn't an uncommon trait in dogs.

I think CM does good work, so do a lot of other trainers - they all have the method that works for them. Personally I would be wary of doing that tap on the back leg of a reactive dog that was highly aroused - it might just turn around and bite your foot. Don't get me wrong, I agree with distraction to counter the re-activeness but I think in some dogs that method might just backfire - especially on someone who really doesn't know how to read dogs like CM seems to be able to do. Great news Snook, Justice is such a gorgeous boy. HD is Hank reactive to non reactive dogs? If a dog is ignoring him, does he still react to it? Just curious - as having a totally non reactive dog around and on walks might help him. I know my old SBT was reactive (to a degree) to dogs he didn't know. If the dog was reacting back, then he would carry on but if the dog looked away or turned away, he fine to be around them. We actually used a friends non reactive SBT to walk with him and teach him not to carry on. Basically we started walking about 4 metres apart, then we got a bit closer and a bit closer, until they were walking next to each other (about a metre apart). It takes time, some take much longer than others (weeks/months even) but it CAN help some dogs to understand that they don't need to be on guard all the time). BC Crazy, all we can do is work with what we have - our dogs are all special in their own way. What is normal anyway?? I like that Zig is a little crazy, over the top and fun - even if I do require cortisone injections in both elbows and shoulders all the time because he has ruined me :) The funny thing about Zig and car travel is - he is usually fine for about 30 minutes, then he starts to drool and hang his head. You can see he is sick but the fool won't lay down in his crate and try to go to sleep to get away from it - he just stands in his crate, trying to keep his balance. However, as soon as he is taken out of the car, he is fine and bounces back really quickly. Then he is fine for another half an hour.. I think we just need to do more trips of over half an hour to desensitize him a bit. Or we just stop every half hour on every trip we do:)

OMG that is awful Mel... I just don't understand the angst toward bull breeds.. There are so many of them now - in the grand scheme of things, the amount that are 'not nice dogs' is so small (because there are so many of them). Not to mention it is usually just the fact that they are untrained and not raised properly.. Just breaks my heart.