poodlefan

Has a reward been posted for the missing dog? Are there "LOST" posters with pics all over the community? Don't assume theft and stop trying other avenues of finding the dog. It's a young bitch.. there are other explanations. Was the pup desexed?

Why don't you wash them both yourself if its so urgent? A warm bath will move a lot of hair on its own. A good brush before and after will move even more.

I've heard stories about Whippets with "excess" muscle bulk that is incorrect for the breed. Genetics determine muscle shape even without mutant genes. Breed for more bulk and you'll get it. But it's not what sighthounds are meant to be. One of the largest consumers of anabolic steroids is the horse racing industry. I'm sure dog racers have toyed with it too. I"d be testing any very bulked up coursing Whippet for the stuff.

Best feature I've seen at a dog friendly beach place was an outside dog wash that had hot and cold water. It made washing off the beach sand a breeze for dogs and people! The main thing I'd be wanting is the ability to keep my dogs separate from other guests dogs. A dog door to the outside is always great too.

Very aware of this but it had literally happened a second before. He was still on the bed when I entered the room so I got him off, sat him down and told him off. It was just my reflex response to the situation. In his mind you told him off for getting off the bed. He obeyed you and got roughed up! Meeting aggression with aggression is always risky.. especially for you.

Too late and not a helpful response. Time to make adjustments. I'd suggest some professional advice but in the mean time I'd have BF do all the feeding and share walking the dogs. I'd be sleeping Raf in a crate. How much training have these dogs had?

Spottychick: That's a big call given how little information we have about the dog.

Lets bear in mind that we only have the kids word for what happened. RIP Staffy. This was a tragedy for you and for Connor. A totally preventable one.

Most puppy schools take partially vaccinated pups. At 12 weeks, he'd be too old for most puppy schools and old enough to start ordinary obedience training. Dogs aren't kids. While the general principles of consistent boundaries and rewarding desireable behaviours apply, kids won't be hauling you down the street on a lead 6 months from now if you dont' get loose lead walking established from the word go. Definitely go to obedience training and KEEP going for at least 12 months. The most challenging part of puppy raising is not when they're babies but when they're teenagers. They have that in common with kids too!

Good flaxseed oil will always be in the refridgerated section of the supermarket or health food shop. Good prices on the chicken!

Provided you quarantine that money, you probably don't need insurance. But how many people have thousands sitting in a bank account "just in case". I don't have pet insurance but after some recent bills on one dog, I wish I had it on him.

Does dog have any particular issues or is your workmate just after general training?

If he's in a crate you can sleep him in any room of the house. He'd be happier in the same room as you.

I'm probably quicker off the mark than most to seek vet advice on gastro BM but better safe than sorry, especially with a pup.

He's drinking like it's going out of fashion, which isn't unusual for him, he's always been a big water drinker since day one and his attitude is 110% normal. The vets can't fit him in this morning and as he's still drinking and pinging around the house like a mexican jumping bean they're happy to wait until tonight. They've said if there's any change in his attitude to go straight in though. There were only a few drops of blood last night, and none since. If he does another really bad poo, I'd not be waiting BM... if the water is going straight through him he'll be dehydrating. I'd want a PCV done on him ASAP. As a person who has had a dog go through two bouts of HGE, I don't take chances. Time matters. It doesn't sound like HGE but pups don't have much in reserve when it comes to the risks of dehydration.

I'd suggest you fast him until he sees the vet and then maybe put him on Hills I/D cans for a few days, depending on what the vet says. Keep the fluids up. Something like Scourban would be good to give him but the vet will advise.

I wouldn't be waiting for tonight. Dehydration is a killer in puppies. A bloody bum is a real red flag.

My oldies are on Joint Guard too. Thanks for the info on the big tubs of it Archie.. I shall track one down.

Has the vet indicated a cause for the arthritis?

I think some face to face training for you and your pup would be more beneficial. Join an obedience club or attend some classes. DVDs and books are great as an addition to personal instruction but I don't think they're as good as one on one training. Cesar Milan is very talented at what he does but some of his methods are not for your average pet owner. You might find the training advice here more relevant for your situation.

Flaxseeds/oil should be rotated with other oils or fed in a blend - don't make it the only source of Omega oils you feed.

A lot of people wait months or even years for the right pup.. and most will tell you the wait is worth it.

IMO- if a 9 yr old is to be handling the pup/dog.. a desexed male would be less trouble in the long run Even if you have a dog with the sweetest calmest temperament in the world- another entire male will perhaps get a whiff of male , and start an argument with your dog.... Plus, you don't have that awful smelly dog pee everywhere! We'll see. If it were a cat I would desex it in a heartbeat. But, because I've fallen in love with staffies I would like to spend some time considering breeding. If down the line we decide we're not interested or that he's not suitable we will have him desexed then. If you're buying a pup for breeding, he'll need to be on Main Register and you'd better tell the breeder! You should be thinking about showing him too!

Thats not going to happen. You cant go through life thinking that someone has done the wrong thing, or there wouldnt be any dogs at shows, parks or anywhere. They would all be sitting in a 'dog bubble' instead of a crate in our homes, and owners and visitors alike would have to go through a chlorine shower upon entry and exit. Of course you practice caution and do the right thing by YOUR dogs, but you just cant expect that all people will be the same unfortunately. You can minimize unacceptable risks. Pound dogs in contact with partially vaccinted pups is one such risk IMO. I'll do whatever is necessary to prevent that.

Because unless you live in Fort Knox and have a 24 hour body guard for your dog, he's at risk of theft!! Entire male Staffords disappear from family homes all over Australia on a regular basis.. stolen for fighting rings. Where's the insult in me pointing out that entire, your dog is at a higher degree of risk of theft? People get followed home from walking their dogs.. and their dogs are gone.