poodlefan

Personally, I when I contemplate the idea of keeping a Whippet outside 24/7 where I live, I shudder. If you built a seriously insulated kennel and coated the dog, it would be warm enough but I'd pretty much guarantee you'd not be able to keep it in the yard easily. Dogs roam, bark, dig, chew and do other things we don't enjoy for a REASON. Adolescent dogs are probably the most challenging to keep entertained and the more time you spend with them, the easier it is. Who ever said "life is not a spectator sport" clearly never thought about the lives so many outside dogs live. Constant watching of the back door for signs of life is not what I call a great life for any animal.

I know the one in Vic. you are referring to and this one is the exception here rather than the rule - if you look at its structure you can see why. Yep, but that structure is what is now being bred. I think I saw that "old style" dog at Sale one year. I agree, it had no issues with jumping.

You possibly need to read some of the research which paints a very clear and unequivocal picture of the connection between fatal dog attacks and the way the dog is kept. Google Karen Delise as a place to start. When I was talking about the importance of a strong social bond Sandra, its her Fatal Dog Attacks book I had in the back of my mind. It should be compulsory reading IMO.

There is a problem if the dog doesn't cope well with extremes of temperature or is extremely people focussed. A small dog doesn't cope as well with extremes of temperature as a large one - body mass matters. There's a hell of a difference between a dog "surviving" outside and thriving there. Trot down to your local pound and look at all the dogs surrendered for unwanted behaviours and ask yourself how many of those dogs were content and fully stimulated in a family home. I'd be prepared to place money on the fact that the vast majority of them never made it inside the house. It takes a very dedicated owner a lot of time to fully satisfy the social needs of a single outside dog. Some people do it and do it well but ask yourself how often that happens in a busy family with young children. The number of matted, filthy small dogs that end up in pounds is legion. You cannot care easily for a high maintence coat if the dog lives in dirt. Of course if you never have to smell the dog closely and only see it when you feed it, who'd notice? Have a very careful look at what responsible registered breeders are saying in this thread. They are saying that for some breeds, an outside only home is not desireable. Of course if you buy your dog from a person who doesn't give a toss where it will sleep, that problem never raises its head. Personally, if you must keep your dogs outside or choose to do so, I think two dogs provides a good solution to the issue of providing company for a social pack animal.

Here Here! BTW, what the heck is an 'OP'? OP = Original Poster.. that's you Sluggo!!

Kavik: There are none trialling down here either. One I started with a few years ago became unsound. I've seen one in Victoria that struggled to clear the jumps. I don't know where all these great GSD agility dogs are but I've never seen one and I've competed in 3 states. WA used to have a few but I've not been over there and don't know if there are any competing now. Get your dog's hips and elbows checked. I'd suggest X-Rays. Don't rush getting on to obstacles until growth plates are closed. Personally, I'd not want to see a GSD jumping full height until it was about 2 years old.

RIP Micky - he looked like a lovely boy. You and Yellowgirl have lived my worst nightmare Bridgie Bear - to lose a dog to a dog attack.

You could try discussing it first. Whatever breed you choose, hopefully it will be one that meets with the approval of the entire family. SBTs are one of the first breeds I recommend for family dogs. A responsibly bred, carefully raised SBT is an excellent pet for a family. However, they don't do well with significant periods of social isolation and the pounds are full of staffies that are surrendered for the behaviours that isolation brings - digging, barking, escaping etc. Make sure you visit the Staffy thread in the Dog Breeds 101 Forum - lots of information and some good links there.

A dog can sleep inside, but doesn't have to be on anyone's bed. It can sleep in a basket or on a mat in a designated position or in a crate. There are a number of very sound reasons why it's a very good idea for a dog to sleep inside regardless of its breed and the weather in the area. I hope your research covers those. From the point of view of a family dog, there are some sound behavioural reasons why maximising the time the dog spends with the family (even sleeping) are wise. It's to do with the strength of the social bond between the dog and family members.

Didn't you wonder how much experience that poster had with SBTs Sluggo? If a SBT breeder (make that two now) suggests that there may be an issue with your proposed plan, don't you think it should carry more weight than that of a novice dog owner who's never placed pups in homes and who doesn't own your proposed breed of choice? Or will you only thank those who tell you what you choose to hear? Oh well, if you are actually proposing to acquire your pup from a responsible registered breeder and not from some flybynighter who advertises in your local Trading Post, please don't be offended if you get refused a pup based on your proposed sleeping arrangements for it. It may well happen.

It is certainly the beginning of decreased tolerance of other dog's "rudeness". Heed the warning. I'd not be taking her to dog parks where such incidents are likely to happen.

I think some one on one time with a good professional trainer might be a really good investment. Group classes are fine for most dogs but for more challenging dogs, private instruction is always a good idea to get you started. To be quite frank, I'm not sure that I'd suggest Flyball as the best sport for a dog of this nature. Flyball is highly arousing. That level of arousal can be an enduring effect on dogs that don't have particularly stable personalities to start with. I'd recommend you find a good trainer get some instruction and discuss an ideal dog sport with them.

Obviously we wouldn't just throw a crate under the pergola with nothing else... It will be raised off the floor to avoid drafts, fully covered during the cooler months etc. I would argue that no matter how you set a crate up, it will not be sufficiently insulated to provide a comfortable year round den. Buy a decent kennel. If you build a run and put the kennel in it, you solve both the "initial sleeping arrangement" issue and how to contain the pup when the kids want to play. Prepare your neighbour for some initial noise while pup adjusts to sleeping alone outside. I doubt that will happen without some complaint.

Laundries are heat sinks.. they sap heat. Baby puppies don't have a lot of ability to regulate their body temperature so its not a good combination. An outside dog needs something warmer than a crate. You'll need a purpose built kennel. You'll not successfully train a baby puppy not to eliminate in the house unless you do it intensively and consistently. That means regular access inside and total vigilence when that occurs. Most Staffy owners will tell you a Staffy won't do well separated from its family and left to sleep outside. They have a lot of people focus. An outside pup who only sees your children when they go into the back yard will be excitable, jumpy and nippy. If you cant' supervise those interactions, they may not go well. You will need some capacity to keep the pup away from the children while they play outside and you can't supervise.

Isn't it "show your heroes" month here??

Given the amount of time beagles tend to spend with their heads on the ground, I can see real advantages with using a collar rather than a harness - you have more ability to control the head. Most seat belt harnesses are heavy and somewhat restrictive - I'd suggest you try a decent flat collar and take some dog training lessons to get some more training tips.

Gail, its the first point at the top of the awards application form:

Not really, only thing i can think of is when my fences broke down and Brodie ended up in the pound (he has no symptoms though) or a few weeks ago when the neighbours kelpie got into our block. There's your likely source of the KC. As I said, dogs can be contagious and display no symptoms. The incubation period is normally between about 7-14? days from memory. You should consider all dogs in your home as potentially infected and quarantine all of them until 21 days after the last dog displays symptoms.

Gee, I wish I could. I thought that was pretty cheap! Most of the other places I phoned were between $15-$20 for a whole rabbit. Yep. Farmed ones are around $16 here.

Kyra: Nope, its airborne transmission.. they would have needed to be in close contact with another dog.. hence the name "kennel cough". Have they met any new dogs or stayed in kennels? A dog doesn't need to be displaying symptoms of the disease to be spreading it.

KT: Gee, I wish I could.

Protexin is about the only brand of veterinary probiotics I've heard of. Inner Health Plus would probably be just as good. Any unique source of protein not fed before can be used on an elimination diet. Turkey might be another option if you've not fed it. A lot of people add potato to an elimination diet too.

You gave Jedda the greatest gift we can give our dogs at the end of their days. She's been released from pain in the arms of someone she loved. Run free Jedda. ;) Don't look on our passing with sorrow; Don't think us forever gone. Our bodies are houses once lived in, Our spirits by now will have flown. We've finished our time here with you, But we won't be waiting alone, We have heard from others across the bridge, The summons to come on home. So think of us waiting together, Healthy, happy and fair. Till our time to be reuninted Look into your hearts, we're there

Does he like balls? You can throw a ball in the back yard to get him to let off some steam.. or try a squeaky rat - most terriers love them! The more you play with him, the more he will look to you as a source of fun. Clare its easier to start training any dog by realising there's nothing "wrong" with slowness to pick up cues or lack of focus. A mature dog is a product of its genes and its environment. If your dog wasn't taught to learn as a pup, you've got some ground to make up. From what you've described, you've got a few timing and lure v reward issues as a handler (remember that group obedience classes train handlers, not dogs). A few visits with an experienced trainer will help you to teach your dog to learn. When training a more challenging dog, sometimes it pays to focus on how far you've come rather than how far you have to go.. make list of what he can and can't do and return to it every month. A trainer will be able to teach you how to get his focus using his name, how to retrain behaviours using fresh words if necessary. Remember that if he doesn't know what a cue means, there's no point in using it. Most trainers teach you how to illicit behaviour, then put it on cue.