poodlefan

Shiloh, Susan Clothier is the author of those articles. Her view (which I follow) on the couch issue is that its not important whether or not you allow your dog on the couch. What's important is whether the dog will move when you tell it to. You should get FHR to put up some of her "Vizslas on the couch shots" - Flynn does a wonderful pretzel impression. I think you could benefit from doing a bit of reading on the issue of dog training. Can I recommend a book called "the perfect puppy" by Gwen Bailey? The lead is a perfectly acceptable method of getting the behaviour you want.. .just remember to REWARD it when you get it. ;) Ask yourself what kind of relationship do you want with your dog? What do you want as the basis for it? Fear? Trust? Respect? From that foundation comes the training philosophy you will use.

When he gets aggro with you, my first advice would be to WALK AWAY. You don't need confrontation and depriving him of your attention is probably more effective anyway. You might like to read these: http://www.flyingdogpress.com/attitude.html http://www.flyingdogpress.com/aggressionbasics.html http://www.flyingdogpress.com/leadership.html The author of this articles subscribes to the school of thought that maintains that if you 'get physical' with your dog as a training method, you should prepare yourself for the fact that some dogs will feel the need to defend themselves from such tactics. I wonder if the warning growl (a good thing by the way) you are getting is in some way related to the "submissive position" you were taught to place him in. It may even be a defensive resposne. He may also be anticipating the sin binning. Some dogs, even pups simply won't tolerate that kind of behaviour. Do a search on the alpha roll here on DOL and you'll soon discover that its a form of discipline that belongs to the dark ages. Here's the question. Would it be easier, say for example when he is mouthing you (perfectly normal in a pup) for you to pick the pup up and put him away or for you to leave him? I'd highly recommend you instil methods of discpline now that you will use on your dog for his entire life. You certainly won't be picking him up all the time in a couple of years time. My advice, regardless of the motivation for his behavior, is at this point in time NOT to get physical with your pup as a precurser to discipline. He's going to be a big boy when he grows up and he needs to learn to see you as a leader because of your brain, not your brawn. I'd say this is one dog that I would steer clear of 'jerk about' forms of discipline. Learn to harness that Vizsla brain in a positive way and I think your relationship with this pup will benefit. In the meantime, get some knowledgeable professional advice. ;)

Shiloh, You don't just need professional help. You need qualified, experienced, behavioural help. You need someone to evaluate what is happening and to help you through these issues. Forget the Dogtechs and Barkbusters - they won't be what you need. ;)

Well done Lara and the Red Hooligans! I think that its three years in a row that Lara and Flynn have been in the ACT team.. but this is first year (and I strongly suspect not the last year) for Rogan. For the spectators, if you have trouble telling Flynn and Rogan apart, look for the distinguished silvering on Flynnie's face and keep your ears open - Flynn loves to let everyone know he's having a good run and especially in the weavers. ;)

Do you take your dogs somewhere they may be picking them up? How about the local dog park? Do you have cats visit you yard. You may be nailing one infestation only to get another.

I thought you said on the other thread that the pup was a Husky/Chow mix? Sibes can be great pets - for very active families who understand their temperament and the challenges that come with owning and training an independent breed. No dog makes a great family pet without adequate training, exercise and care. Your neighbours should be booking the pup in to puppy preschool as soon as its had its first vaccination (which it should have had already) and looking around for a good dog training place.

I'm not voting. Too many variables. So much depends on the family's lifestyle, children's age, home, preferences for temperament etc. There's no such thing as the perfect family dog. However, there may be the perfect dog for a PARTICULAR family.

Another pic - of Darcy. Shortly after his first run, Ted discovered that the lure was a plastic bag and decided the whole thing was beneath his dignity. He gets to have a walk and a kong throw at some stage instead. FHR's Flynn made a similar decison. Herbie the whippet never even tried - he knew it was pointless.

Malinwar keep your eyes peeled for a Blue Magna with ACT Rego and a black and a white poodle. That's me and mine. Hold your ears when the white poodle runs... She 'gives tongue' the whole way round... must be some Beagle in the lines somewhere. Are you taking your dogs Malinwar? If they are fit and like to chase it ain't rocket science... Best dog sport in the world for handlers! You don't have to do nuthin except release and catch your dog (or rugby tackle one if its Rogan :D ) Edited to add pic - Toy poodle has caught sight of lure.

Well, hope to see you both there. It will be interesting to see if Darcy somersaults at some point to make it four from four trips.

A Haiku to celebrate: Lure Coursing Sunday Poodles, one shrieking Vizsla Erksine Park here we come. Couldn't fit in that Three other dogs who don't care Will also make the trip.

I'm definitely going. FHR is still undecided but as Rogan got his CDX on Saturday :D I think he deserves a treat. Pity about all the shrieking with excitement and ripping out my arms I'll have to put up with - sooooo glad I've got nice well trained working line poodles instead. :D Mav, Myzska you going? Think I will bring the Gazebo again. Looks like it will be sunny. I'm not sure if this is the last one for the year but I think it will be the last one for me - its getting hotter.

Espinay: Groomers Friend used to import it but stopped a few years ago with the $AUS plummeted. Maybe we should band together and import some - you can get it in 4L containers and it dilutes about 20/1

The Squirt range is made by Joico.... the people shampoo company. I used to love Plum Silky - a conditioning shampoo but no one imports it from the USA these days. There is a similar one "Smooth and Silky" I think it is, available from Petnetwork.

Amhailite, I wouldn't bother with 'normal' tripe. Its been washed to remove stomach contents and doesn't really have much nutritional value. Some hard line BARFers source green (unwashed) tripe but access to such stuff can be an issue. Any meat source is fine - variety and balance are the key. My dogs diet is chicken based because its cheap and the bones are a good size for littlies to eat. They also get pork (a great source of taurine), beef and two of the three get lamb (its too fatty for one of mine) The 'no more than 10% offal' rule of thumb is a good one to remember. You'd probably be better off to up the RMBs and cut back more on the kibble than to increase offal in the diet.

The other thing that worries me about petshop animals is the only criteria you need to satisfy to own one is the possession of a credit card with the appropriate limit... :D Personally, I like a home to have slightly more going for it.

Plan B then, smash it wif a mallet....(but put in plastic bag first or you'll cover the kitchen with chicken bits... learned that the hard way. :D Makes you wonder how/when this girl was weaned. :D

Tiger: Cheat. Run a neck under the hot water tap for a few seconds and put it in her bowl. Lots of dogs don't like their food cold from the fridge so when introducing a new food, I think it pays to serve it at room temperature or slightly warmer. It has a stronger smell. If she misses a few meals, she will eat. Anorexia is very rare in dogs and just about unheard of in Golden Retrievers. :D

Tiger Eyes: The difference is that with raw chicken, you feed it bones and all. Those bones contain the appropriate calcium/phosphorous ratio to support puppy growth. It is cheap stuff I agree. If its better quality it provides a balance of vitamins and minerals. I don't feed kibble. However, if I didn't make the effort to provide an appropriate balanced raw diet to my dogs, its what I would feed because it takes the guess work out of giving a balanced diet. Canned food stinks (makes me gag) and is about 80% water. Pretty expensive way to give your dog water IMHO.

I raw feed my dogs Tiger Eyes. If you do a search here on BARF you will get the gist of it. If I didn't raw feed, I would feed a premium kibble with chicken necks/wings.

Tiger Eyes, if your pup is only eating cooked chicken and mince, that's an all meat diet. It is deficient in calcium and, if not changed, will lead to significant growth problems with your pup. All meat diets are/were the leading cause of rickets, a condition where pups legs were deformed due to lack of calcium. I highly recommend you get this dog onto a supplement if you cannot change her diet. Hunger is a wonderful appetite stimulant. You are currently training your dog to be a fussy eater. Put what you want her to eat down. Leave it for 15 minutes. Remove it. Offer it again next meal time. Do not hand feed her or stand over the bowl. Do not give in. :D

Is the puppy mince something you are making yourself (using BARF recipes) or is it something you are buying? If you aren't making up a balanced type of puppy food, I'd be feeding him kibble. The mince bought from butchers or petshops is full of questionable stuff and preservatives. I only feed human grade mince in my BARF mix. He won't go wrong with chicken necks but you need to get more balance into his diet. Either do your homework and make a BARF mix or feed a premium kibble for pups.

One proper meal in two weeks = trip to vet IMHO. This does not sound 'normal' to me and I'd be wanting a vet to have a look at him. Why don't you get him checked out and then let us know what the vet says.

All my Cocker owning friends have and use Coatkings. If you email the Coatking people, they will recommend a blade for you. They can even sell one for getting shed coat out of horses!

Tilly, did you read the 'fatdogs' link I posted. You SHOULD be able to see the last three ribs on a dog, if it is in ideal 'working condition'. If that Rottie you saw does a lot of athletic pursuits eg jumping, then the owner is doing it a favour keeping it very lean. Working condition for a Rottie can be a heck of a lot less weight than 'show' conditon. I'm frequently gobsmacked at how much weight some breeds are expected to carry in the show ring. Personally, I dont' think you should be able to see vertebrae though.