poodlefan

Clipping should not be a substitute for grooming but frequently seems to be used as one. People who clip off coat thinking they are doing their dogs a favour seem not to understand the fur insulates from both directions. It helps prevent heat loss in cold weather and to prevent heat gain in warm weather. It also protects against sunburn. IMHO, if you buy a coated dog you should be prepared to care for one. I think clipped long hairs look ridiculous.

Unfortunately, if you are not prepared to 'back off' on the spoiling, its unlikely you'll see much improvement. I am not an expert on separation anxiety but it seems to be related to leadership issues and to an owner who is not prepared to establish and maintain clear boundaries with your dog. Ramping down the affection when you come and go does seem to be part of managing the issue. This is most definitely a behavioural issue that requires an inhouse consult from someone with expertise in the area.

Myzska: Gawd Myzska - he'll be unbearable now. I'll say this. K9 helps a lot of people whose dogs have problems. Some of these dogs have euthanaisa as the only other alternative. He gets results. He will use the method that works and that includes, food, toys etc. When you are confronted with a 60+ kg dog who has dragged his handler on a halti into a dog attack, what 'method' do you think would be most suitable to contol it? K9 sees dogs that other trainers have given up on or made worse. We aren't talking about every day pets with minor issues. But when you want a dog that is 100% reliable, you have to up the ante for training. Most of us don't want or think we need that reliablity - until the day our dog fails to respond when its life depends on it. K9 trains dogs whose lives depend on it every day.

Sidoney: Yep, me too. I took the time to discover the facts. Like many issues, e-collars have evolved over the years from the crude 'shock' collars they started out as.

Sidoney: Properly employed, so is an e-collar. The stimulation is triggered (its not a 'shock' ) and the dog goes "you talkin' to me?" I've never used one on my dog (and can't here in the ACT) but gee for long distance training I could see a real use for one.

BOF: I feel no need to defend K9 as he is more than capable of defending himself. However: Your sources are wrong. For what its worth, I have taken one of my dogs to see K9. He did not put a prong collar or a e-collar on or near my dog. We employed only 'positive' methods to deal with the issue I confronted. He did work on another timid dog while I was there which did wonders for its confidence. The motivator employed was a toy. I took the opportunity during my visit to view e-collars and prongs and to try them on myself to see what they were like. I had reservations about their use that were resolved that day. Have you seen either of these devices employed by a knowledgeable trainer? Have you tested them on yourself? Peronsally, I'd have a prong collar around my neck before a check chain or a halti anyday. My view is that you shouldn't use any training aid that you haven't tried on yourself if possible. Even Susan Clothier advoctates the use of prong collars to manage strong dogs that pull. Many many trainers, myself included have problems with employment of haltis because as training aids they are constantly aversive to the dog whether it is pulling or not. That's an issue not many advocates of haltis have provided an answer for. I agree that not all methods suit all dogs. I think an open mind to all methods of training is also a good thing.

SM: No "maybe" about it... unless that Sheltie is the size of a Collie Rough, it would have to be morbidly obese. There's the source of the problem. Tia is it possible for your mum to see a happy healthy Sheltie to compare Prince to? I'd be dragging her to a dog show or even better to an agility trial so she can see how 'wrong' his weight is? Would that make a difference to what she thinks?

I'm not a vet but I have difficulty seeing how any dog walking on its hocks could be considered to be "OK"... imagine trying to go to the toilet like that. My guess is your Mum's feeding regime has given Prince a whole range of issues to deal with. Pity your mum can't see that she's hurting him by making him obese. My mum reckons I'm "cruel" keeping my dogs so lean - I'm glad to say she doesn't own a dog herself.

Well frankly Tia, it sounds like this one has been crippled by it. Crikey a 7 year old Sheltie isn't even half way through its life. Ask her what the vet gave her to treat the dermatitis... pain killers won't be helping that. If she goes for a second opinion, she may actually get some help for this dog. However, if her vet has tried and failed to get her to get weight off the dog then I doubt there's much that can be done.

How overweight is he? How long has he walked like this? If it were my dog I'd get a second opinion from another vet, preferably one knowledgable about structural degeneration. Sounds like there might be some serious skeletal issues to me. I'm thinking maybe hips or knees. Can he swim? Swiming is the best non weight bearing exercise available. If your current vet reckons its dermatitis, what has he prescribed to clear it up? What kind of prognosis has he given for this dog?

Amhailite: Nah, those of us who've met K9's dogs can't quite reconcile them as hurt or scared by strange dogs. Lets just say they are very confident individuals

This is an interesting subject. I have to say that in my situation, my dogs spends a fair bit of time in the company of dogs they don't live with. Therefore they need to get on with my friends dogs at least. Only one is really interested in interacting with them and probably only with two of my friends dogs (hi Rogie and Herbie!) I loathe off lead areas having learned the very lessons K9 and others warn about with my first dog when I was a newbie handler. Fortunately, none of them resulted in permanent 'issues'. My dogs generally only socialise with dogs they know or with dogs of knowledgeable handlers I know. When you consider that dogs are territorial pack animals, that's pretty unsurprising. Focus is an interesting issue. I find some people expect total focus from their dog in a training situation but rarely give such focus to their dogs outside it - this is particularly the case in mulitple dog households. My view is in order to receive such focus you must give it and this involves spending time with a dog one on one without distractions but not necessarily always in a training environment. Building the bond with your dog is important to achieve focus IMHO - just as important as training particular skills. In a multiple dog household that means spending 'quality time' with each of your dogs as individuals and I make it a practice to do that. From my observations, dogs who focus hardest on other dogs spend the least time with them or with their owners. My dogs tolerate (well two do) but are basically disinterested in 'strange' dogs. They greet the dogs they know but that's about it. I agree with the idea that socialisation is a life long, not just a puppy requirement. Indeed, many people argue it is MORE important for an adolescent dog than a baby pup.

Interestingly, at our club, due to the construction of jumps the small dogs are basically jumping small height from the beginning. If you were to do it show jumping style, you'd start at a jump large enough to make the dog jump 'properly' and build up. For a large dog, you'd probably not go below medium. You'd rarely have all the jumps in a course the same height either. I think that an identical jump height for all jumps makes the dog lose focus on them - varying heights ABOVE and below the competition jump height might assist.

In training and trialling three dogs, I've only ever had two bars down. Lily skidded on take off at a spread and crashed through it. Darcy has misjudged a distance early in our training and 'chested' a bar off a bar jump. I find there's nothing economical or flat about the way my dogs jump - usually theres a good 10cm clearance. I didn't make a fuss either time and the dogs were happy to keep going. I put those bars down in the category of mishaps.

I agree that handler timing does play an important role in bar knocking. I think it is also important to consider how fitness, structural issues and soundness can affect jumping. Dogs may be doing the best they can but still take out an occasional (or frequent) bar because they are unfit, sore or simply not built well enough for the job we ask of them. If bar knocking is occuring frequently and in an experienced dog, I'd be looking to physiology in addition to training. Many dogs trail rather than tuck their back legs and this can lead to bar knocking. Frankly, training a dog to jump will not overcome some issues. Susan Clothier's article on the subject is thought provoking. It's here: http://www.flyingdogpress.com/jump2.html

Good news about Xia Sidoney - I'll keep my fingers crossed for a good result from the biopsy.

Fingers crossed that all is well. Darn dogs - they can scare the bejesus out of you.

Blacklab: His first book did Blacklab - he doesn't recommend it anymore - and I heard it from the "horse's mouth". :rolleyes:

Sugar different people have different beliefs about what's best for their dogs. I don't feed any cereals at all. Kibble, puppy porridge, wheatbix - all cereals or cereal based. Therefore I wouldn't feed them. Do plenty of reading, plenty of homework and make your own mind up. You are always going to hear different opinions about what's best to feed.

We have a couple of pitties at our club (ACT Companion Dog Club) but so far none in agility.

Stop it Griff, you are making my eyes water. :D

From my observation, cereals seem to trigger more allergies in dogs than other foods. Wheat is another common allergen. Sugar, I wouldn't worry with all the rice, pasta etc - as stated, dogs don't digest cereal at all well. BTW its LARGE dogs that tend to have problems with corn cobs because they can ingest them whole. Why feed your dog something they can't digest and that might cause them a MAJOR health crisis. I'd highly recommend you take corn cobs of his menu. :D

I think the main reason most vets are against natural diets is that they don't know enough about them. I've heard of some diets by people who claim to feed BARF or 'raw' that are anything BUT balanced. I think vets have a right to be concerned about raw feeding because it takes knowledge and effort to get raw feeding right. A pup IS better off on kibble than a half a#$sed 'natural' diet, particuarly one that lacks raw meaty bones. Mince and a few veggies will not give a growing dog what it needs. My vet knows I feed raw but she also knows what I feed. Discussion and education is the way to keep your vet happy! :D

Corn is a cereal, not a vegetable. Dogs don't digest cereal at all well. Corn COBS can cause gut obstructions - not corn kernels. They tend to be just the right size for a large dog to swallow but they won't pass through. Its probably quite safe to feed corn kernels just not very nutritious. Sugar, I'd suggest you invest in a juicer or blender and vary the veggies you feed a bit more. Both corn and peas are mostly starch. There are threads on hear about fruits/veggies that are toxic to dogs. The worst of the lot are onions - raw or cooked. :D

Greytmate: I would disagree about the weavers. It is demanding equipment on a growing body. My vet (also chiropractically qualified) advises NO jumping and NO weaving until the dog is fully grown.