poodlefan

Deleted.. I can't read

And Skippy. Ummm Raz.. Skippy wasn't a dog. ;)

Move over Lassie and Rin Tin Tin.. and go the small fluffies What a great story.

No flames from me.. its one of a few breeds I am cautious around.. they are what they are. Its their owners more than anything that provoke caution.. they are the biggest unknown.

Bahaha that's so true! Most of the Labs I see are pretty darn hefty and overweight. I'm no expert, but from that pic i'd say you Lab is fine Most pet Labs I see could afford to lose 10kg. The problem is that being overweight is so common that many people (and sadly vets) seem to think that look is "normal". And they wonder why cruciate ligament rupture can be an issue with Labs.

It's hard to tell from the photo but she looks OK to me. Is her spine visible? Are more than two or three ribs visible? If that's the case, then she could use a bit more covering. Labs should have muscle definition a definite tuck and a waist. She's a dog, not a beef cow. Your average member of the public doesn't seem to realise that. ;) Tell people she's a working lab! You don't see dogs that retrieve from water and that need to be able to jump a fence with a heavy bird in their mouths shaped like blancmanges. They look like this

I'd call that a perfectly normal reaction to rudeness. Problem is, react like that to a dominant reactive dog and you get more than you bargained for. Any dog that behaves less than submissively to such dogs is standing into danger And you know what? The Staffy x's owners will probably be back at the dog park tomorrow.. I can hear it now "he's never done that before" :rolleyes: *Shudders*

My guess is that they'd have shaved the dog down and the wounds were probably more severe than at first glance. Report it. The staffy x's owners would be liable for the vet bills and the dog shouldn't be in offlead parks - that sort of aggression is more than a bit of sound and fury, especially when the other dog was in escape mode. My opening gambit would have been to kick the crap out of the agressor - way safer than trying to get your hands near the biting end of a dog in fight mode. This is more than a dog "not under effective control" - this is an aggressive dog - an accident waiting to happen. You seem them in offlead areas all the time - general stance is stiff legged, often pilar erect and pretty in your face with other dogs, most of whom use tactics of submission or avoidance to de-escalate the situation.

Awww what a lovely story. My eyes are damp.

Poodlefan's tricks to bonding with a puppy: * Do not compare it with your existing or departed dogs. That way lies heartache. They're individuals like we are and personality takes time to develop. Give them time - your other dogs had it. You'll never "replace" those other dogs.. just add new dogs to your family. * Expect the "oh my God what have I done" phase. It's normal. It takes time to develop routines for you and puppy, and all pups do some things that honestly make you want to throttle them at times. * Take your puppy to training. Nothing IMO helps build trust and understanding than working together to develop skills and manners. Avoid the comparisons to other dogs here too - different pups learn.. differently!! You may have to shift your training techniques to get the most out of the new addtion. * Don't be too hard on yourself. Not everyone falls in love with their pup on day 1. We don't often fall in love with our partners or family members on day 1 either. ;) * Try to avoid fault picking and focus on the positives. Even seemingly demonic pups have them and comparing a pup to a mature dog that knew your life well is unfair. * Accept that some pup/owner combinations simply don't work. If you get no joy from the dog, talk with its breeder or rescuer, contemplate responsible rehoming to a family or situation that suits the pup better. Training will help there - pups with manners get better chances for new homes. And yes, these were developed the hard way. After 3 poodles, a Whippet puppy took time to adjust to. He's not like them - he's just Howard now. And I love him dearly. ETA: There's one more thing I'll mention. Old and dearly departed dogs sometimes develop a 'halo effect'.. we remember them with love and sometimes forget that they were little buggers as pups too. It's easy to forget that all pups bring some upheaval and take time to fit in with us.

I suggest you try the DOL breed test - post a pic of him and members will have a guess - its as reliable as any other method I know ;)

Based on results given by members here, I'd categorise the Bitza test as a total waste of money. If you know he's purebred (do you have papers?), why do you want to DNA test him? Or are you talking about DNA based health testing for inheritable conditions?

And the reason we train is to get that mind thinking "doing what my owner wants NOW is more rewarding than doing what I want". You can train for reliable behaviour - that's the whole point. We all know they ain't robots.

She has a quite short, dense (except for her head), wirey coat. Noted down as a "terrier cross (maybe cav?)" Ideas guys? She has a long body,stumpty legs and the longest tail! Her coat looks soft in the photos but its very coarse and wirey. That's very typical F1 poodle cross coat. If you told me she was a Toy Poodle x Maltese or even Poodle x CKCS, I'd believe you.

No, not perfect. But I have sufficient control to keep my dogs off strangers. Honestly, its amazing what a bit of training AND understanding that not everyone welcomes being licked by your dog can achieve. ;)

She's gorgeous but I don't see a lot of terrier there!! Poodle x maybe. I hope she's back with you and Indi very soon.

I find it strange that all of the above are qualities which consumers like about Black Hawk and you're saying they're all irrelevant. What is relevant in dog food then? Its missing a comma Clyde

I wouldn't have thought we'd get them before next week.

Roller coaster ride is right! I'm glad you've found what Indie needed.. and am sending positive vibes for Astrid.

The very young and the old are so much more vulnerable to this. Hope the dog's owner is identified and charged. :

I tend to bake heaps more than I need for a roast.. dogs get left overs.

I prefer dry baking.. the dogs love it!!

I'd suggest fibrous veggies (like pumpkin) or psyllium husk would be more effective.

To me your attitude to handling is as important as your experience. Everyone starts as a novice. If you go in with the attitude that you'll do the best for your dog that you know how, and that you'll continue to learn and improve, you'll do fine. Yes, it IS nerve wracking at first but the more you practice, the less the nerves get in the way IMO. Lessons from a decent teacher are invaluable for providing short cuts to learning how to to a good job for the dog you are showing. I've heard a lot of folk who have experience in other dog pursuits say "it doesn't look that hard". Done well by a polished handler, it looks effortless - its the work that goes into training both dog and handler outside the ring that's where the effort is. There's a standing joke around here that a good fall will put you in with the winners.. seems to hold true so far

So he wasnt' inside at the time? I think that might be the first step to take. Crate him when you're out.