poodlefan

CP* Head halters are entirely unsuitable for use in controlling lunging. I'd suggest a training program before resorting to additional control devices. If one is required, then the harness would be my pick.

It's a very good shampoo. I don't like it but that's got nothing to do with its quality.

AND investigating the system that let such a dog go to work in airport security. Guarding a junk yard is one thing. But serious temperament screening should be used to keep such dogs from working in places where people of all ages, cultures and states of fatigue are walking around. I thought shephard-types were generally restricted to law enforcement jobs where a 'shutz' type training was appropriate. Surprised to hear they're in airports. Mals do a lot of scent detection work in the USA. Military and DEA have them, lots of police, some prisons do and Customs/Border patrol too. I've seen them (on TV) used to detect cadavers, explosives and drugs. They don't seem to use Labs as extensively as we do. In the UK, working English Springers do a lot of this work.

Provided you use a decent shampoo/conditioner, you can wash a dog once a week. That's what many show dogs get. I wash the poodles once every three weeks on average. They would get washed more often if they got dirtier.

Methinks more and more members of the public have noticed that the RSPCA's halo is slipping. It appears to be tightening too. Slater and Gordon will probably drag it to a painful part of the anatomy and add some knots.

Fish Icy Poles!

Yep, sounds like a yeast infection. That needs treatment sooner rather than later. I'd not give the heartworm injection either. Too many dogs have had issues on that stuff.

I don't think you need to stage phasing out a food - just phasing one in. I would recommend you don't feed kibble only. Add some chicken wings as a meal a few times a week.

Ears, teeth and anal glands all OK? Do her flews smell?

He's a wet food fan because its cooked and filled with things to tempt his appetite. You may find discontinuing the wet food may mean you can upgrade to a premium kibble that he likes more. Most distributors are happy to provide some free samples for you to try.

As a wild stab in the dark I'd wonder about pancreatitis but you've done the smart thing heading straight for the vet. I hope Olympus feels better very soon!

Not if it makes it soggy. Tinned dog food has been described as a very expensive way to feed water. It's about 60-80% water. Personally I'd recommend you feed some raw meaty bones like chicken wings instead of tinned food and feed kibble on its own as a separate meal.

The only way I can see that the target itself would be the reward is if you use a toy or a food pouch. You still have to give the reward though. If you feel the need to point out that your flame suit is on Corvus, perhaps you might explain why you think that you need it.

Morons. A cursory look at the statistics would show them that pedigreed dogs are a very small proportion of dogs bred in the USA. They're just publicity whores.. people who want to play "look at moi" and feel smugly superior doing it. Chaining themselves to the front gates of a puppy mill auction just doesn't have the same cache as national television coverage. Especially for any poor dog unfortunate enough to find its way into a PETA run shelter.

The first step to take in turning these situations around is to take responsibility for the situation. You're stressed out because you haven't trained your dog to display the behaviour you want from it. That's not the dog's fault. These things can be remedied with effort and practice. But the first step must be to stop seeing your dog as the problem. Dogs pull on the lead because they haven't been taught that NOT pulling brings them more rewards in the long run. I'd travel twice the distance for a recommended trainer than one that just happens to have the area franchise and 6 weeks of training. Good luck - all dogs are trainable. There are plenty of Spitzs out there with great manners. You see them in dog sports too.

I have seen confusion between what I call bite inhibition and bite thresholds Inhibition = how hard the dog bites Threshold = at what point it will bite. A low bite theshold dog is one that can be triggered to bite pretty easily. Those two elements give you when a dog will bite and what sort of damage its likely to do if it does. Breeds have been developed with different combinations of each. It does not surprise me that the No 1 dog in most Australian bite statistics has a low bite threshold and often, low bite inhibiton. I'd put money on many such dogs receiving little if any training in modifying their bites. Many dogs at the top of bite statistics were developed to use their teeth in the performance of tasks for people. Terriers, herding and protection breeds dominate those statistics. Alarmingly, breeds developed to have soft mouths are now making an entry due, no doubt to clueless breeding. From what I have read, both can be modified to some degree, but not completely and NOT beyond puppyhood.

Dog caught swimming 2km out to sea A DOG found swimming in the ocean about 2km off the north-east coast of Australia has been dubbed a "super pooch" by his rescuers and animal experts. The Cairns Post reported the male bull terrier cross was plucked from rough seas on Saturday afternoon by two men who were on a day trip to High Island, about 6km off the coast of Fishery Falls, south of Cairns. The animal was in a poor condition, with cuts along his face, lice through his coat, one testicle and a crooked tail. Paul Daniel and his mate Steven Pye found the dog as they made their way in a dinghy back to their camping site near the Russell River. Mr Daniel said he saw a "bobbing object" in the sea which looked like a buoy until he took a closer look. "We couldn't believe it. We immediately wrapped a towel around him and took him back to the hut for fresh water and food," Mr Daniel said. "He's still at my house, he was a little bit slow for the first couple of days but he seems good now." Mystery surrounds how the dog got out to sea and how long he had been in the water before being rescued. The dog is to be taken to a veterinarian for a microchip scan to see if he has an owner. If no owner is identified, it is likely he will be put up for adoption.

Personally, I take it to be that the dog's instinctive bites are not hard and that it understands that using its teeth on people is not acceptable. I'd say any dog can and will bite hard but a dog with good bite inhibition does not do so without thinking.

It may have escaped from the air freight area. I'm glad they'll surrender it. Bloody hard to find a lost dog if people don't.

I would never do this with kids and an unmuzzled adult dog with a question mark over its behaviour around them. It's fraught with risk. This is why we teach bite inhibition. However, a dog that can be triggered to react aggressively to relatively low levels of stimulus and/or that doesn't have good bite inhibition should always be regarded as a risk where kids are concerned, even if you are supervising.

I don't have kids but I go out of my way to get my puppies into situations where they can play with dog savvy kids. With puppies fortunately that's not difficult - kids love them. Howard was grabbed around the neck by a toddler at a show last year.. kids move fast and she wanted to "hug the puppy". If I'd had any doubt about my dog's ability to handle a situation like that, I'd not have had him walking through a crowd.

Yes, they do. But if the worst happens, we're the ones whose beloved pets get euthanaised. I don't trust my dog's safety to others.. ever. And I'd not trust any child's safety around my dog to their parents doing the right thing.

You can't. Futhermore, as a responsible adult it is YOU that must ensure that your dog does not present a threat to them. If you're genuinely concerned that your dog may bite if startled, muzzle it. Believe me when I say that if it happens it won't be the child's behaviour that will be under the microscope.

That is exactly where I was going with my perception comments. If a newbie comes in with an attitude that they are losing because they are new, because a Grd Ch is entered, because the person that won has been showing for years irregardless of the dog, etc - would you want them in the dog world? I wouldn't with that attitude to be honest - I understand people can change their attitude etc but with that instant attitude there is very few established exhibitors that would want to help. Sandra has a boy that only had one testicle drop, was shown as a baby puppy but nothing more. If I was to show him as a Neuter I'd come under the "showing for years" category, cool the excuse is there. Fact that the dog (untitled) is better is forgotten because I'm a big meanie shower beating the newbie. The dog would not be titled Megz. That was the exclusion I proposed. It's the combination of titled dog AND experienced handler I object to. I agree it shouldn't be a cake walk to gain one of these. It also shouldn't be Mount Everest. If a newb concluded that they'd lost because a Gr CH with an experienced handler was entered, I'd be inclined to agree with them It's what they do with that conclusion that concerns me. I really do think this shouldn't about giving retired titled dogs an airing.

I suppose it comes down to to the fact that it doesn't really matter that much how existing competitors view what dogs enter neuter classes. It matter a great deal how new exhibitors will view them. The proof of our differing arguments as to how the ring should be conducted will be their popularity. For me what matters is their popularity with new exhibitors.