poodlefan

Why flaxseed and have you noticed any changes since starting it? Flaxseed is an allergen to a lot of dogs despite many vets recommending it for skin issues. Fish oil is often tolerated better. Flaxseed oil also shouldn't be fed continually - every other month or in a blend is better.

That's really interesting and makes a lot of sense. My friend has a terrier puppy 2 months younger than mine and he has terrible bowed legs, I thought it was maybe something to do his with lines (might still be), but what you suggest here makes sense as he has only ever been fed kibble or bones, very interesting. Could be structural, could be growth plate damange also.. the number of bow legged, east west fronted little BYB terriers about is legion.

Basic question. Are you rewarding after using the clicker to mark the desired behaviour? How's your timing? Are you clicking to mark the pups attempts or offers of parts of the desired behaviour. Initially you may not get precisely what you're asking for so marking attempts helps to encourage offering more. Do you have a 'focus' cue and can you work on marking and rewarding that? Sometimes you have to work on focus before other behaviours are built in. Even the pup looking at your face can be rewarded. At this age, building a relationship of trust and confidence in you and socialising the pants off your pup are the priorities. Frustration is a very damaging emotion - dogs pick up on it and it can be a real barrier to effective training. If you're feeling frustrated, end the session on a positive note and just play with him. Play builds a relationship too.

I recommend the Australian Pet Treat Company. They make a fair bit of the stuff you buy in some pet shops and you can get it direct from them for much better prices. I recommend the delights (semi-soft) the sticks and the jerky. Their dried liver is great too. Here's a link to a related thread on the subject.

I realise that Pf I would also never consider myself an expert. And yes general advice to the public is always the safest. Glad we agree. When it comes to kids, I think as dog folk we have a huge responsiblility to keep them safe whether we are parents or not.

Stonebridge while I disagree with your practice I have not made any insinuation that you are irresponsible or an idiot. I don't consider myself a dog behaviour 'expert' and that is why I limit my advice here and in classes to those where the outcomes for owners and families won't result in hospital visits if things don't go to plan. Where dogs and young kids are concerned the ONLY fail-safe method of dealing with feeding both is separation. I think that's the only way to go. So do a lot of highly respected trainers. EFS

Malamum: The level of that degree of understanding is what's at stake. The popular understanding of pack hierarchy in domestic dogs is largely based on outdated research into captive wolves and to a reasonable extent has been discredited. Yes, there are social hierarchies with domestic dogs (and wolves) but they tend to be more fluid, dominance is social not physical dominance (for the most part) and the concept has less application in an interspecies relationship. I think the subtleties are lost on a lot of dog owners. Sadly, its pretty common for dog owners to conclude that every issue between dogs and humans is grounded in the concept that dogs are always trying to get one up on us. The corollary to that view is the conclusion that every behavioural issue that dogs demonstrate can be cured by "dominating" the dog. Alpha rolling is one very real practice founded on the misunderstandings I've outlined above. Its also resulted in its fair share of dog bites and its been the dogs that have paid for that misunderstanding over the years. There is merit in the concept that we can control pack status to a degree by controlling resources but you have to ask yourself how these messages are conveyed to the dog. The notion that a small child's behaviour under the supervision of an adult will establish the child as always higher up the pack order than a dog is flawed IMO. Will a large dog (or any dog for that matter) understand that a small child must always be deferred to? What happens if the adult isn't there? What happens if its a different resource in a different household setting. Will both child and dog understand the impact of those changes? I know others disagree but I think my view is the safer one. Isn't that what matters?

That's assuming you actually do these things. Of course, but the poster I was responding to was saying that a puppy from a BYB and puppy from rescue org are the same product so you may as well go with the free one. That is not exactly true as the difference will be the vet work which has already been done with the rescue pup. And hopefully the rescue pup has been temperament tested.

Malamum: I think some see it as the line between a dominant dog and a submissive one. Their conclusion is that if you can take food from your dog, you must be dominant to it. If you know that resource guarding has no direct relationship to pack hierarchy, I'm not sure how you conclude that being able to take food from a dog makes you higher up in that pack hierarchy. I can tell you right now that no dog in its right mind is going to attempt to take food from the lowest dog in the pack in my house. That includes the alpha. At 4.5 kg, she's defended her treasures from FHRPs big boys.. much to their bafflement. Being snapped at because you walk to close to the pink lead does tend to confuse them. I think Ian Dunbar's comment on this was something along the lines of: "The rule is that whatever the alpha dog wants, it gets. Unless, of course, a bitch has it". Another issue to consider is that different dogs value different resources .. differently :D Ordinary food, treats, bones, toys, beds... all may be of different value to a dog and that value can be situational. That's why a nice black and white policy about kids, dogs and food is easier for everyone. Concluding that your kids will be Ok with your dog because they can take its food bowl might go right out the window if Rover steals the KFC bones from the garbage or has a marrow bone. And the results of getting it wrong are potentially tragic.

Isn't there a lot more ginger than chocolate in that stuff?

That's assuming you actually do these things.

Why add anything? Its algae - not going to harm the dogs. Regular water changes and a periodic scrub are all that's required.

Siks: *snort* You must have been in a lot of houses at mealtimes to know how "most people" feed their dogs. I don't allow my dogs to interfere with each other's food. I'd certainly not allow a child to. Mealtimes are a routine that each dog knows. Dogs are fed in the same order, in the same spots. I always supervise. Hard as I try, I can't stop my dogs from getting excited though. I must be a lousy trainer. ETA: I still don't think people are getting the point about why some of us don't recommend getting children to take a dog's food. The issue is not whether or not YOU can control this process with YOUR DOGS but what happens when it goes wrong. The potential results of it going wrong could be lethal where large dogs and small kids are concerned. Suggesting that other people who may or may not be savvy enough do this with dogs you've never met may have tragic consequences. Any small amount of research will inform you that a dog that' feeding presents a higher risk of aggression to children - even their own dog. Plenty of child safety and dog trainer advice for parents commences with this as the first statement: Teach your children never to disturb a dog that's sleeping, feeding or caring for pups. It don't get much plainer than that. Did people not read the posts from folk who'd tried the 'take the food from the dog' practice and made their dogs resource guarding WORSE?

Last one I saw said it was around 5 years. I'd believe it. I read that euthanasia was the most common reason for death with "behavioural issues" the most common reason for PTS. Its a pretty sad indictment of Australian dog ownership.

Mild bacterial skin infections? Have they been swimming? Ditto fungal infection??

Forgot to say - welcome to the forum.. a lot of puppy owners have found plenty of good advice here in the past. But there is a price for this advice - puppy photos!!!

If this is all she's getting the diet is both deficient in calcium and has doesn't have a good calcium/phosphorus balance. This isn't a great start for a growing pup. I would highly recommend you start feeding the best quality puppy kibble you can afford and supplement this with raw meat on the bone. Chicken wings would be ideal. I'll confess I find it somewhat troubling that you got a pup that wasn't fully weaned. How old is the pup now?

You can breed them in the ACT. There are no APBT specific laws here either.

Owning an APBT in Qld is illegal. Breeding them in Qld is illegal. OP and her OH have two young bull breed mix males - no way would I be recommending she keep this dog entire for a raft of reasons including pack management. As for breeding them - no way in the OP's state of residence. My guess is that she's curious about what's behind her dog. He looks crossbred to me but the authority on what his breeding is would be the person who bred him. I'd not be recommending a person with a dog like this be posting pics on him on a public forum and advertising the fact he's in Qld. Its potentially endangering the dog. Yep, that's probably a "lecture" but a dog's life is at stake. I'd love to lecture people who breed such dogs and sell them to unsuspecting buyers in BSL states - its heartbreak waiting to happen. : If you want a dog of this type and you live in Qld, an ANKC registered Amstaff is the only safe way to go.

I love a dreamer.

Never ceases to amaze me that people won't fork out $500 for a dog but will happily shell out four figures for a TV that will be long gone before the dog is. Assuming the dog makes it past the first year in the house that is. They'll avoid the vet and pinch pennies on dog food while having Foxtel too. Priorities are interesting things.

How about this one Souffy? Or this one?

The green stuff won't hurt your dogs. A weekly scrub with a scrubbing brush (no detergent) might be the go. Or get them a horse trough and put a gold fish in it.

So instead of "rescuing" a pup, she lined the pockets of a back yard breeder and will now have to fork out for vaccinations, microchips and desexing. Some bargain. Of course if the dog never sees a vet some money will be saved. Pity the news report didn't address all those issues. And that rang no alarm bells?? So you never saw Mum or the littermates, have no idea what conditions the pup was raised in and have no indications of future temperament. Good one. Sounds like the "breeder" couldnt' get rid of it fast enough.

My oldest poodle boy has knocked off his fair share of Indian Mynah fledgelings over the years and my Toy Poodle girl is an excellent mouser! Two of my poodles also lure course - they don't tend to lack prey drive!!