poodlefan

Skwo has a Bichon Powerlegs.

A bile acid test is a two part blood test. Yes, liver disease can be life threatening.. but you don't know if that's what you're dealing with yet. One step at a time Skwo.. breathe deep and ask the vet about liver shunts.

Has your vet considered the possibility of a liver shunt?

Talk to your vet. These are questions he/she should discuss with you. I hope Chelsea recovers soon.

Choice of breed will have an influence there Rover - some dogs are inherently more 'social' than others.

Exactly... we tried to do everything right with Loki, puppy school, obedience, dog shows, and look what we got out of it! What did you get Ruffles?

I agree. Dogs are a social animal. They are also a territorial pack animal. Many dogs do not enjoy encounters with strange dogs. My dogs play with each other and with dogs they know. New dogs are introduced to their circle from time to time. If you saw my dogs playing in their social circle of about a dozen larger breeds, assuming they were all happy to meet a new dog and throwing open the gate to walk in to the paddock expecting to join in without asking would get you yelled at by everyone there. Those dogs have been socialised into that group since puppyhood and the overwhelming majority of them are entire males who might object to the approach of another male and who might mob and harass a female. The key to successful socialisation is controlled initial interactions - a point lost on many dog owners. You don't do such controlled interactions successfully with a large group of dogs tearing around offlead - you work up to that. Some folk choose not to let their dogs socialise with others. There are good reasons to do that but it does put an additional responsiblity on the owner to provide a social outlet for their dogs. Those who choose to let their dogs play with other dogs need to ensure that the owner of those dogs is in agreement. Some folk believe that having your dog in an offlead area is giving agreement. Others, including me, disagree and prefer more controlled introductions. I don't see this as an issue about 'spoiling' your dog but about exercising courtesy to other dog owners.

Fingers crossed she's better this morning. Sounds like some sort of gastro.

Too late for APBT to cover up the evidence - I've quoted the unedited post in this thread and its quoted in the Feb thread too. My strong suggestion is to stop viewing what your pup does only in terms of aggression or dominance. Your pup doesn't care about genders or who is the "alpha male" in the house. She knows you're not dogs. Show her leadership and give her good reasons to trust you. Don't "correct" what you can replace with more acceptable behaviour or deflect if possible. Mouthing should be stopped now though - she should learn that it is never acceptable to have teeth on you or anyone else. Don't let others play rough mouthy games with her.. ever.

nope would never suggest slapping a dog, You have a short memory then. Posted by you on 26 Feb this year:

I'm not sure I'm following you. A 'one size fits all' approach to what - socialisation generally?

Three of my four dogs would not behave aggressively to a strange dog. However I can guarantee that two of them would prefer not to meet one. How does that fit with your socialisation approach Corvus? Is what your dog chooses to do more important than what mine would prefer? I have a very friendly young dog.. too friendly for his own good really. He too is deferential to dogs who do not greet him with enthusisam - but I like him in one piece. So I keep him under control until I've assessed the new dog AND its owner a little.

Nat, Sandra Hasset at the Animal Medical Centre in Phillip is a Chiropractic Vet. Lowered tail carriage may be an indicator of discomfort or low level pain, if nothing else.

So you don't agree with telling a dog exactly when the behaviour it offers is the one you want and rewarding it? :rolleyes: A clicker is a tool for marking behaviour, not a method of training. You could say "yes" rather than use a clicker if you find them a pain to use. Few trainers are purely positive and purely positive is not a kind of training I support but I do believe that its better for the dog and easier for you to when teaching new behaviours to encourage behaviours you want rather than discourage the ones you don't want. Far easier to show a dog how and where you want it to walk than to discourage it from walking in another manner. Definitely far less confusing for the dog too. Also easier to lure behaviours like sitting and dropping rather than forcing a dog into position.

Is she fighting or playing? Is the older dog concerned? Has the pup drawn blood?

Tell them to slim him right down.. there is a link between weight and cruciate damage and a definite risk that the other one will go within the next couple of years.

Having tasted ACV, I'm surprised the dog drank any at all.

What I would be worried about is having a large breed pup confined to lino 9 hours a day. It can be slipperty (not good for a developing skeleton) and she won't get a lot of exercise or stimulation. Personally I think outside (perhaps with a secure run) would be better - certainly better for getting a decent amount of Vitamin D. I can't see too many potential burglars wanting to go past a GSD to use her dog door but I suppose you never know.

Definitely agree about talking to her breeder. You've got a Boxer.. they aren't renowned for being picky. I'd be sticking to a simple diet without extras while she grows. Kibble and meat on the bone or a carefully researched raw diet is the go.

Does the mince have bone in it? If not, don't feed it. You need chicken pet mince which is ground up carcasses.. or better still the whole ones.

I occasionally dogsit a dog who's a chronic barker when you go or leave. It's truely ear shattering. This isn't a very scientific approach but it works. Take a handful of kibble (or small treats) and throw it on the back lawn when you go. Scatter it widely By the time the dogs have finished looking for it, you are gone. Ditto for your return.

I would cut out the eggs and only feed mince with bone in it. You need to see a vet but my initial reaction to the diet is that the calcium/phosphorus ratio is out of whack and it may be too high in protein. That, however is a lay persons opinion and you need a professional one. Frankly, if you're feeding a decent kibble, it may be safer to stick to that for a while. An adult, rather than a puppy one may be the go.

What kind of Artemis are you feeding? Does the chicken mince have bone in it?

Bloody Hell! Some of the photos on that website are gobsmacking.

Where do you fit the prong collar on him?