poodlefan

Move the TV downstairs

Didn't you post recently about Jet behaving aggressively to dogs when he was walked on lead down the path to the beach? Was he on lead or tied up when the other dogs walked past this time? The short answer may be to crate him rather than tie him up. The best long term answer is to seek qualified professional help.

Any blade I use definitely requires changing at that rate of use. I change blades. I have three of my most frequently used one.

There are things other than just price to consider. With higher quality kibbles, you don't have to feed as much and you don't end up picking up as much from the back lawn. One of the top three ingredients in Optimum is cereal which is of very little nutritional value to the dog. Cereals are fillers. No point in paying for the cheaper food if much of what you pay for goes straight through the dog. I think "cereal protein" means soy. Soy and wheat are two common allergens to dogs. Personally, I'd avoid foods with wheat. You might find this website useful for evaluating foods. It's American but the same principles apply and some of the same foods are available here. If you want to make a good dog food go further, alternate feeding it with chicken wings or carcasses. It's great for the dog and your pocket.

Talk to your vet. From memory onlead exercise (not too much) was fine. Personally I think the fastest way to get a dog to worry stitches is to allow them to get bored. None of my dogs have needed an Elizabethan collar.

The very first thing I'd recommend is that you see an agility trial, if you already haven't. If you want to make yourself very popular at your club, volunteer to steward at their next event. You don't need experience to help out and they always need a hand. If your club's not holding one soon, see if you can find one in your area or head for Melbourne Royal on agility day if you can get there.

They look very similar to shooting vests to me. Find your local trap shooting mob and ask them where they get theirs.

I am so sorry to hear of Fraser's loss. He was taken far too soon. Run free Fraser - condolences to you and Gaylene Shaun.

Just remember that a 1 year old dog is not a blank slate. What you see now will always be with her.. she'll no doubt become far more confident with people that she knows but may never really be all that great with strangers. Unfortunately the peak periods of socialisation are over and training will only get you so far.

I would add a puppy pen around the your crate so that the kids cannot physically reach the puppy when she's put away for sleeping. I would also accustom puppy to spending time outside on her own when you cannot supervise your children with her. Kids learn pretty quickly that if they don't play with the puppy as you request, puppy goes away and they don't play at all. You only get one chance to raise a pup that's fine with kids so you have to be very careful that puppy is not hurt or overfaced by excited youngsters. You'll probably find its the kids who need rescuing at times though - mouthing puppies can be very full on. Visitors are fine but if you cannot supervise the pup personally, put her away. Parents who tell you their kids are fine with dogs may smile indulgently while the pup is dragged around and half strangled so I'd err on the side of caution. Kids that are fine with their family dog may be less so with yours.

How old are your kids? If they are under about 10 I'd put a flat prohibition on them picking up the pup. Far too easy to drop her. Resist the temptation to overwhelm her with affection. Gentle pats rather than hugs shoud be encouraged. Establish a place where the kids are to leave her alone (a crate is ideal) and as, recommended routines. Pups need to sleep alot. Make sure she gets plenty of undisturbed time to do that.

How about timid,submissive or downright fearful ? Wild dingos don't skulk. I think you're looking at the product of envirionment, not species. She looks more GSD cross than dingo to me.

I think the answer to the problem is the one identified by you... lack of consistency. If she's been toileting on dog beds for 8 months, that's a lot of reinforced behaviour. Some pups get it easier than others. If your mum didn't get her out each and every time she needed to go and still doesn't, the dog is doing what she knows. Few 4 month old pups are reliably toilet trained. Sorry Corvus but if the pup is capable of holding overnight and doesn't soil her crate then, I'd put this one down to the owner, not the breeder. You can get dog doors that only open for collars with an electronic key.

How does your mother know the dog was crated by the breeder? Get a dog door. If the dog does not have access outside every time she needs it, she'll never get it. I've seen petshop pups with very little toileting inhibition successfully trained in under 8 months. I suggest your Mum needs to give the dog access outside all the time and remove all bedding except at night.

Not really, she has growled acouple of times at strangers but hasnt bitten....yet That's aggression IMO. Don't delay - you want to deal with this before she goes any further.

I think some human behaviours have the very real potential to create confusion for dogs. A dog that responds inappropriately to a perceived threat that isn't may be a problem if its owner can't control it. The problem doesn't lie with the dog, but with our expectations of it and our training and control. If my friends's dog bit me hard and repeatedly when I tried to throw her in the swimming pool and she screamed like a banshee, I'd say there was a problem. Nothing a closed gate couldn't prevent though. Sure, I can see what you're saying, but I don't believe that a protective dog is always that reactive. Mine certainly isn't and he appears to know the difference between play and threat. Then you've got a good 'un. You also know he'll act. I think a hell of a lot of people believe their dogs will act and that they are wrong. It worries me that they might make personal safety decisions based on that. A dog that, in the words of a poster in this thread, "will tear the arm off" someone who yells at you is a timebomb. People yell, grab, tickle, wrestle and do all kinds of crazy things... without being a threat. It's a good dog who can sift through all of that and make the right calls.

I think some human behaviours have the very real potential to create confusion for dogs. A dog that responds inappropriately to a perceived threat that isn't may be a problem if its owner can't control it. The problem doesn't lie with the dog, but with our expectations of it and our training and control. If my friends's dog bit me hard and repeatedly when I tried to throw her in the swimming pool and she screamed like a banshee, I'd say there was a problem. Nothing a closed gate couldn't prevent though.

Are you comfortable that your dog will always make the right split second decision? It's not just my dog, poodlefan, it's potentially many, many dogs who are currently co-existing in suitable dynamic with their owners who have not yet had the question asked of them. I'm MORE than comfortable, poodlefan, I'm ALIVE. And what are you suggesting I should do with my dog because he did this? One of the most tragic stories I ever heard was told to me by the owner themselves. One day they were carjacked at knifepoint by a known criminal with serious prior offences. The usually friendly and stable family dog reacted by jumping from the back seat and taking the criminal down, then holding it until the police arrived. On the strength of the kind of crap you're dispensing the owner chose to put the dog down for fear it would attack the family. Is that what I should do with my dog? Whoa there Nelly... quantum leap of logic there!! How on earth did we get from me asking if you were confident a dog would always (emphasis there) make the right decision about threats to you deciding I advocated that any dog that did protect its owner should be put down??? What I'm saying is this. People who confidently assert that their untested dog will instinctively know when a person means harm (and as importantly when they don't) and will take the leadership role to engage are asking more of their pets than a the handler of a trained security/protection dog does. I hope people think about that. I said that whether a pet would protect you was a matter of luck not certainty. How you conclude from that I think a dog that protects its owner should be PTS escapes me.

Are you comfortable that your dog will always make the right split second decision?

That is correct Poodlefan. The cue can be verbal or via contact with the handler, the response by the handler to the contact being made is the most important cue. This way nothing is left up to the dog to interpret what is real and what isn't it is a trained response to the handlers reaction. So theoretically, what would happen if a handler was incapacitated before cueing the dog to engage? Would the dog go to the handlers assistance uncued? [Lets forget about the dogs that have a go at the handler ] If I am unable to verbally cue my dog because I have been assaulted and fall to the ground I train the dog to engage the person who just assaulted me. This is a standard exercise done by most departments who use police / protection dogs. The usual scenario trained is you have your dog in a down stay some meters away from a suspect you are going over to talk to / search, all of a sudden the suspect attacks you and you fall to the ground without saying a word and your dog engages the person. So again the dog is not "deciding" but reacting to already trained (in this case non-verbal) cues.

It's an opinion on a dog issue Rhaps.. they're ALL contested. I don't think you see too many pups headed for protection work socialised just like pet puppies though. I don't think the method or the outcome are the same. Most protection dogs are obedient to their handler. I'm not sure how many are trained to act independently of handler cues but will defer to the professionals on that. Isn't the whole point of a trained protection dog that it engages and disengages with a 'stranger' only on cue? Sure, protections dogs are trained to protect on cue. What does that have to do with the average dog? What it has to do with is who is in charge. Clearly the dog isn't. They aren't "stepping up" they are doing what they are being told do do... there is no decision making and no change of leadership involved. Now lets compare that with what you are saying a pet dog, socialised with strangers and trained in bite inhibition is going to have to do. It has to determine that there is a threat. It has to determine that it has to take charge. It has to overcome its social conditioning and engage. That's a big ask.. and one some people say their dogs can do. I know dogs do this.. I also know that sometimes they take down the wrong people, over react and cause unnecessary harm. I say that's not a good outcome for anyone. There's also one more thing to consider.. a dog has to be offlead to do this. Some handlers will hang on to that lead for dear life.

How big is the crate? Did your mum ask the breeder about toilet training? Has she had a vet look at the issue?

That is correct Poodlefan. The cue can be verbal or via contact with the handler, the response by the handler to the contact being made is the most important cue. This way nothing is left up to the dog to interpret what is real and what isn't it is a trained response to the handlers reaction. So theoretically, what would happen if a handler was incapacitated before cueing the dog to engage? Would the dog go to the handlers assistance uncued? [Lets forget about the dogs that have a go at the handler ]

It's an opinion on a dog issue Rhaps.. they're ALL contested. I don't think you see too many pups headed for protection work socialised just like pet puppies though. I don't think the method or the outcome are the same. Most protection dogs are obedient to their handler. I'm not sure how many are trained to act independently of handler cues but will defer to the professionals on that. Isn't the whole point of a trained protection dog that it engages and disengages with a 'stranger' only on cue?

What's the issue? Does it involve any form of aggression?