poodlefan

That looks like more than a east/west front... Very flat feet and looks like bad pasterns too. Can you post a shot of him side on? Some of that can be nutritional deficiency, but it can also be breeding.

Thanks Ellz and Abbey. I"ll probably wait and see if this Liberty blows up but it will be a bad day if/when it does.

Set your alarm for just before she's waking up. Get up, take her out, praise her when she pees and put her back to bed. It will make you sleep deprived for a while but you can slowly extend the time she sleeps before you wake her. The other method that works is to sleep her ON your bed and get up when she stirs.. she's unlikely to actually pee where she sleeps.

Where did you get the mince? It can be "off" without smelling off and it might also (not lawful but it does happen) have been treated with a healthy dose of preservative to redden it up. ETA: I'd ditch it. Two sets of averse reactions aren't worth the risk.

Howdy fellow dog groomers. A leg came off the stand of my Liberty stand dryer last night while I was using it and it fell over and landed hard on its case. It's still working fine but sounds ( how can I put this) expensive? I'm just casting around for recommendations for stand dryers. I've done a search here and Googled a bit and was wondering if anyone has used the Double K 9000 II. Clipperworld has it here I like a stand dryer you can put a hose onto and this has that. I'm just wondering how it compares to the Liberty?

Mostly bones but also roo tendons, sheep ears and deer ears. I have a pup that's teething at the moment.

There is no "best" time that suits everyone. What you've got to do is weigh up the various risk factors and make an informed decision. No 1 risk is an unwanted mating/pregnancy. If you have no capacity to safely manage an entire bitch in season then desex her sooner rather than later. If you have kids that will leave doors and gates open and anything less than a very secure run or pen to keep her in when you aren't open, then don't risk it. After that you're balancing the risks of mammary cancer (higher in undesexed bitches) and pyometra against spay incontinence and effects on growth. Were you toying at all with the idea of showing her? You won't be able to compete for her championship points if she is desexed.

Yes, it is. I hope he keeps improving.

Yes, he came from a rescue organisation and was desexed 3 days before I got him. All my dogs are rescues and desexed. He's been desexed very young and he's going to be a big boy.. he's now going to be taller and lankier than he may otherwise have been. He will be lacking hormones that would have bulked him up and his growth rate and duration will also be affected. However, there's no way I'd give him supplements unless a vet suggested it was necessary and supervised. I'd give plenty of chicken wings, frames etc.. they have an ideal calcium phosphorus balance. If that's not to your liking a good brand of giant breed puppy food might be the go. How prominent are his ribs.. can you see his spine?

Fingers crossed that he pulls through Poms.

Is he desexed?

Buy a crate. Put the kids in it. Seriously how about keeping him on lead when they are with him and buying him a puppy pen or crate. A dog trainer won't train your kids I'm afraid but they may have some coping strategies.

Go with that then.. I think my maths was out.

I wouldn't be concluding anything about the reasons for Molly's behaviour. Yes, it could be fear aggression but it could also be something else. Some behaviouralists will do phone consults.. this would be better than nothing at all. In the meantime, you can train her to offer behaviours other than the growling, lunging etc. She can look at you, she can move away with you etc and you can reward the stuff you want. I would be making sure BOTH puppies get time on their own, with you and socialising. BOTH pups need training and socialisaton, not just the problem child. Don't allow her to bully Buster incessantly. IF he decides to take issue with it, you may end up with some nasty fights between siblings. Its one of the reasons people recommend against getting pups from the same litter.

Vets are behaviorists/trainers anymore than GPs are psychologists AB.. I think a behavioural consult would really help.

You can go at skin issues from the inside or the outside. Personally, if its this bad, I'd be referring them to a veterinary skin specialist but in the meantime.. What is the dog fed? What colour is it?

Yes. I have a desexed female that will too.

If he was vaccinated at 6 weeks then he will be due for a booster next week. If you won't take him to the vet now (which I would) then jot down these issues and talk about them then. Make sure you get the booster shot. This is parvovirus season and an unvaccinated puppy is a tragedy waiting to happen. I would reworm him using a product from the vet and I would investigate a better quality puppy food. Royal Canin and Eaglepack seem to be popular with dog folk - you won't find them at the supermarket you will need to go to a big petstore or order it online. He should be seen by a vet as a general health exam. I hope you don't regret buying the first boxer available - the breed is not without its issues and you'be bought a lot of health questions in the shape of a cute pup.

Luke, you hit me as the kind of person who'll carefully consider the issues before making the switch. I'd suggest you read the books recommended: Ian Billinghursts's books Tom Lonsdale's book I'd add Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Shultz to the list. It draws on the others in a more readable format. Then browse a few of the BARF/Prey Model thread here and come up with a plan. If you really want to ensure its viable, book an appointment with a holistic vet and get it checked out. Or, for a large fee, I'll send you the Poodlefan Patented Raw Diet sheet.

I'll try to say this without causing offence. I think this dog is massively under stimulated. Muzzling and forced confinement in a mentally barren place every day would be exacerbating it. I would be suggesting: * Go out and buy it a nice big bone to chew on. Preferably several. This is a gundog, they like to work their jaws. Kibble and kongs reallly ain't going to cut it. * She needs to be supervised inside and discouraged from chewing and/or crated with something she can chew. A muzzle isn't teaching her anything. Close doors, restrict access, put bad tasting stuff on furniture and pick things up. * The dog was bred to do a job. They need to get into a training club and discpline themselves to train it every day. Mental stimulation really helps. * It needs to be given a chance to run offlead regularly. Games such as fetch would help. My guess is that those daily walks may not happen every day too. * Where did they get the dog from? Some Labs are really far too much dog for your average family.. especially some from working lines. Customs or the police would probably kill to get their hands on a dog like this.. sounds like it could be a real worker. I think a visit from an experienced professional dog trainer (not just the local Barkbusters) might really help them to understand what they're dealing with. Adolescent gundogs can often be a handful and some professional advice could help them survive this period of her life.

Does she have the run of the house inside?

Just remember she was bred to run BB.. she'd be lean and have lean muscles, not bulk. Why do you have to leave her indoors?

What Ian said but I'd be leaving it even longer for a larger breed. Wait until her growth plates close and that may be up to 18 months or longer. Who says she needs more muscle btw? The best exercise a growing pup can get BB is offlead play. Check and see if there was any soy in her old kibble - that's a very common source of gas. Does she get gas when she eats meat?

Sweet FA if he nips me on the arse again.

What IS she allowed to chew? How much training and exercise outside the backyard does she get? Labs are notorious chewers but perhaps some allowable outlets for the habit may help while other possibilities are explored.