Staffyluv

No stories, just wanted to wish her and you lots of luck for a full and speedy recovery.

mitnpowa, the other dog is a nice dog (with people). There is one other dog that he play bows with - but the play doesn't go any further than that, just the bowing bit. He doesn't appear to be an overly stimulated dog when he is on his own with his owner - quite calm in fact, when he is just standing around. He doesn't seem to be overly interested in treats for training or pats (he is happy to let you pat him but he doesn't get a waggy tail like so many other dogs do when a person pats them). He isn't an in your face dog - he is quite but you can see he is tense (he holds himself very stiffly) and he stares down other dogs all the time. It is like he is frozen in place sometimes he is so still when he is staring. There is one female Sibe in the advanced group and they can't be anywhere near each other - lots of snarling and lunging if they are. He seems to stand very quiet and then he just launches at a dog. There are obvious signs, he is tense, his ears are forward and he is staring down whatever he is about to lunge at. There are a couple of us who have tried to point this out to the owner but she doesn't see it.

Thanks BC - Like I said, I really wanted to know if I had done the right thing by pulling him out and telling the instructor (and other dog owner) that I wasn't happy for Zig to meet face to face with this dog due his the other dogs previous record. Corvus gave me a good suggestion how to handle it a bit better if it ever happens again - just move my dog away and get on with it.

I just want to confirm, this guy isn't a 'bad' instructor - he and I just disagreed on the fact that Zig and this other dog should socialise. He didn't know the other dog (it isn't normally in his class) but he has had experience with Zig in a couple of situations and I guess he thought as he is so friendly it might be OK. This instructor has actually helped me in the past and I respect him for that - I just felt uncomfortable with the situation yesterday and was curious as to others opinions on what happened. I also wasn't sure I handled it the right way, so wanted to see if others had opinions on what I should have said/done - thanks Corvus, I will use the method of just getting on with it and not doing what I don't feel comfortable with, instead of actually voicing my opinion in front of the class like I did. I didn't mean to come across like I was challenging him, I just didn't want Zig in such close proximity to the other dog. KC, it was a larger class yesterday as our trainer was away. So there was 11 dogs in the group, from memory and it was a mix of intermediate and advanced. Our group usually has 6 dogs in the group and only a couple of us were there yesterday(most were at the RSPCA MPW in Canberra). I really appreciate the input because it gives me other options to consider in situations that I haven't been in before. Thanks

That is very true.. I felt awkward telling them I didn't want Zig socialising with that particular dog. I even apologised to her and said it wasn't anything personal it's just that Zig has a great temperament and I want to keep it that way by only having him socialise with dogs that I deem appropriate.. I felt bad for saying it.. Maybe I should practice it a bit more, so I don't feel the need to apologise for it.

Huski, he didn't allow this dog to pin the other. He was very quick to help break it up. We had actually finished the 'socialisation exercise' and were back in line when it happened. I probably should have explained that better. If anything the owner of the dog lets it get to close to other dogs (and honestly, I am no expert but even I can see the dog isn't comfortable with other dogs right near it).. This boy is happy on a loose leash and when he does lunge and have a go, it is so quick (like I guess most situations like this are). I don't think his owner can read him at all. This trainer has actually helped me before with Zig, so I think on the whole that he does know what he is doing - which is probably why I thought the whole socialisation thing today was odd. We tend to let the dogs interact a bit before class and when we are not 'working' and after class - the friendly ones (which is most of them) can, if you want to, go into one of the fenced areas and have a play. I think most people know if their dog is 'friendly' enough to have a play and or interact (on lease or off) - but she doesn't see that her dog is not happy when she drags him up to another dog and says say hello mate, nicely mate.. ETA - Oso and Corvus, exactly. I have always said, I don't like everyone I meet so why should my dog.. But in saying that, you should at least have control over the dog so it doesn't do anything wrong.

She has tried to socialise her dog with Zig and a couple of others a quite a few times and sometimes he seems OK. But I have seen him have a go at a few dogs (Zig included) since we started. There is one dog at training that he seems to get on with and I have seen them play bowing to each other. I don't think he is a bad dog, just because he isn't comfortable with other dogs near him. I have had the opportunity to have a pat and he can be a lovely guy.

This is the point I was trying to make.. Zig has an awesome temperament. He is tolerant of everything. Puppies jumping on him, chewing on him etc - playing, he loves it. Other dogs sitting or leaning on him - he is in his element being close to other dogs. To date the couple of times another dog has had a go, he rolls over or runs to me. I want him to stay that way and I tried to say that today but I don't think I expressed it the way I wanted to. As a staffy cross, if he was to have a go at another dog and they complained - well I hate to think of what the consequences would/could be. This is also the reason I have worked so hard with him to make sure he is a happy go lucky lad, who gets on with other friendly dogs. I have taken the advice of others here and he now only plays with known dogs and we leave the park if unknown dogs turn up these days. I also appreciate that the trainers at the club are volunteers and they are great on the whole - I just felt this situation today was very out of the ordinary and I wasn't comfortable with it at all. ETA, thanks for the input, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't overreacting.

We didn't have our usual trainer at obedience today, so we were in a mixed class. Considering Zig had so many new dogs around him he did quite well. Mind you, he is still very stimulated by new dogs and new things, so he was a little more excited today and had more corrections than usual today. There is a woman with a dog (about Weim size but a bit thinner in build) and this dog was in our beginners class. She was always trying to socialise him with the rest of the class and he had more than one go at a few of the dogs. He had a bit of a go at Zig once and I have tried to avoid her from then on. Now she was in our class today and the trainer wanted us to socialise our dogs. Zig was great with all the other dogs but he kept turning away from her dog. So the trainer got on his knees and pulled both her dog and Zig toward him, so they were close, patting them both, explaining he was reassuring them that meeting was OK. I saw her dog curl his lip and I pulled Zig out. I was told this was the wrong thing to do as they need to learn to get along. I explained how I felt about her dog and the fact that I thought he was unpredictable. I apologised to her and said it wasn't personal but I would just prefer to socialise him with dogs that I know are friendly. She nodded and said she thought I was overprotective of Zig and her dog wasn't going to hurt him. The trainer was still of the opinion that they all needed to be socialised together and get along. I said that I felt it was unfair to both her dog and Zig - her dog because you could see how tense it is meeting other dogs and Zig because the other dog has the potential to have a go. The body language on this dog is so tense. He only seems to relax when he is at the end of the line away from other dogs. Less than 10 minutes later her dog had another dog pinned and it took her and the trainer to pull it off the other dog. This woman insists on walking her dog right up to us (because Zig is so friendly) and trying the 3 second intro all the time. I walk away every time or pull him out right on the 3 second mark because I don't want her dog near mine. Don't get me wrong, I love having a friendly, non confrontational dog and I am happy to help socialise with controlled walks etc but having her just walk up when I am not looking is unfair IMO. Am I wrong? Should I allow her and her dog to continue to come up to Zig? I will be honest and say that I don't want her dog anywhere near Zig after what saw today..

He is back to his old self.. I went to the butchers to get his weekly bone stash and was telling the lass there that he had been sick (he was in the car once when I went over and she came out to meet him), so she gave him some really nice beef ribs to go with his lamb ribs, chook frames and wings. I gave him one of the beef ribs (which are loaded with meat) when I got home and he scoffed it - so looks like his appetite is back to normal. He just ate 150g roo for dinner and that went down fine as well.

Wash my mouth out :laugh:

Found one! Want a pic :laugh:

I keep looking at that last red rock and roller with the brass fittings - that would look so good on Zig.. Can I justify 3 Ruthless collars :D

Bloody hell LG - I hope they have recovered. Zig is fine - still not eating but that is OK, he probably realises his tummy needs a rest. I did offer a tidbit of chicken earlier but he didn't take it. He did take a little bit of green apple though. I had to laugh at him earlier - he never sleeps on anyone other than me or my son. A girlfriend came over earlier and we sat on the lounge having coffee and he jumped up next to her, put his head on her lap and went to sleep.. I laughed because she is so NOT an animal person but I told her he has been unwell, so she let him stay there and he did for the whole time she was here..

See that is what was worrying me - because his tummy felt really hard to me. I haven't seen him poop since yesterday but he did go in and out quite a bit last night and when I followed him, he just ate grass. So he could have but I can't find any in the yard since the poop patrol yesterday. The vet said his tummy feels fine and it is making all the right noises - so I am convinced I am just a worrier when it comes to my dogs. Our vet and I often joke about me adding to my shares up there or what his next extension will be :laugh: Zig seems fine, a bit clingy but then he is a big sook. Vehs, D's drooling could very well be bug bites in the mouth. Zig is a bit of a dribbler if there are good food smells around but nothing like I saw last night - I should have taken a photo of it. Long strands of thick saliva with bubbles in it.

$70 for the vet to tell me that he is fine now.. After going all over him, the vet founds what looks like a small 'bite mark/red spot' on the roof of his mouth - it appears he ate something he shouldn't have.. Well that is what we think anyway and it explains the bucket loads of drool I was cleaning up all night. As for the tight tummy, well the vet said it is because he is a fit and healthy boy - that tightness is muscles apparently , his tummy gurgles sound perfectly normal - doG I hate being a worrier.. Poor boy, he is still feeling a bit sorry for himself but he perked up when a couple of pugs turned up at the vets. Home now and he is sleeping on his bed here in the office. Thanks for keep him in your thoughts.. :D

I have just made an appointment at the vets for him - I don't think it is urgent but he really isn't his usual over the top bubbly self. He is still refusing food (tried a teaspoon of cottage cheese) and it seems all he wants to do is curl up in my lap (not an easy task for a 25kg dog).. There is still a bit of drooling and his tummy is still quite hard - although the drooling is not as bad as it was last night. I think I fell asleep about 5am and woke up about an hour and a half ago but have been rushing around organising things, then realised I should let you all know how he was. Thanks for the concern - I will let you all know how he goes at the vet.

Thanks all, he is sound asleep and now he is 'relaxed', I am pretty sure it is just a tummy upset - we have some pretty smelly wind going on. :laugh:

I have already called the vet MUP. They said to monitor him and if I am still concerned to bring him in. Our yard is very enclosed and I have had locks on the gates since some tool followed me home home last year asking about him. I doubt there is anything that could poison him in the yard, no compost heap and all chemicals are in the shed up high (he has no access to the shed). I have a sneaking suspicion that he has dug up a bone and it has been more 'off' than usual and it has upset his tummy - well that is what I am hoping for because he will recover from that pretty easy.

Me too HW. I am hoping it is just an upset tummy from eating some manky bone he has dug up. He just got up and walked outside again and when he is standing up, his tummy is really tight. Not as bad when he is laying down.

Thanks guys, I can't see me getting much sleep because I am watching him like a hawk at the moment.. Yep they do know how to worry us.

No, not trying to vomit at all. Did have a feast on grass earlier but that was it. Tummy isn't distended but is definitely firmer than it should be. He is just laying there - like he doesn't want to move. Only really a drooler if there is really good food smells but other than that, no. I just called the emergency vet and spoke to them over there. They got me to go over him, check his mouth again, feel his tummy and tell them what it felt like. They also think it is probably just an upset tummy but if the drool continues and I am worried, I can call them and go over. Bloat is what I was worried about - the thought of it scares the bejeebus out of me.

I am thinking the same Snook - I actually thing the drooling is getting worse.

About 6.30 he came in at dinner time and I noticed a long bit of drool hanging from his mouth. I checked his mouth and teeth and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Teeth all OK, no cuts and pink gums that when pressed go back to pink quickly. He ate a bit of dinner - had a play for a while and seemed to be fine. He was going in and out (via the dog door) a few times so I went out to see what he was doing and he was eating grass. About an hour ago, I noticed another long drool from the other side of his mouth. His tummy is rumbling a bit and feels quite tight (not overly so but more than usual), he is still drooling (it is pooling under his lips on the blanket he is laying on), his nose is quite warm and so are his ears (I don't have a thermometer here at the moment). He is abnormally quiet - just laying there, awake but just laying still. Any suggestions?

Thanks grumpette.. I think he is pretty special.. :) The Rotts are a bit gorgeous as well.