poodlefan

Love it!!!

I hope you recommend exercise and training too!

As the others have said, don't allow situations where he can have any bone but his. Separation and supervision are the key.

I don't think that being calm and assertive is a cureall. However, in my observation, a sensitive dog can be affected by its owner's emotional state to quite some degree. Watch a nervous owner in an obedience trial for some classic dog reactions - lagging and other displacement behaviours abound. I really do believe that emotion runs down the lead. Owner attitudes to approaching dogs are one classic example where on lead aggression can be heightened by owner tension. The dogs I have noted that display high degrees of focus on other dogs, rather than their owners, have largely had that behaviour reinforced by being allowed to run with other dogs in the dog parks, sometimes on a daily basis. If a dog's standard interaction with other dogs is highly arousing and largely involves unrestricted play, I don't think its surprising that in any group of dogs, that's the behaviour they wish to indulge in. I'd not equate a dog trained in such an environment to a dog allowed to do what it likes on each occasion..

GavinM: Pigeons are the subject of many urban destruction programs. Building design now may include deterrence devices. If we get a bird flu outbreak here, we may be grateful that efforts have been made to reduce their numbers. Gee for a newb, you're keen to mix it up. I wonder who you were last time you were here???

Hey, Crazy Dog Lady is a compliment around here! Unless your dog shows an intolerance to grain, I don't have an issue with feeding it. My guess is RC gets the vote over HSD because dogs do better on it?

This is my favourite pic. ;) There is just something about Ralph's expression. You can see him smiling, you know those big close-mouthed grins when you shut your eyes at the same time? Edit for poorly written post. I think Ralph is saying "listen carefully grasshopper.. and I shall tell you how to make slaves of these humans".. Gorgeous photos of gorgeous dogs!

Royal Canin sold here is made in France and isn't irradiated. You're never going to find the "perfect" kibble. If your dog is doing well on it, in my opinion, that's the best recommendation a food can get.

Spell her until her general social confidence improve. Lots you can do outside of a show ring to work on that.

RC tends to be highly palatable and my Whippet boy loves it. If the proof of the value of the food is how well dogs do on it, RC makes the grade. Don't know what kind of RC you're looking at but this is what's in the one I feed. Meat is first product listed. And here's the poodle one

What did she vomit up. Was it bile? If it was, I wonder if the fat content of a particular meal triggers it. If so, could be a precurser to something like pancreatitis. Try feeding her twice a day also - some dogs seem to have better digestive systems if fed in that manner.

Are there any bald authority figures in your life? There aren't any authority figures in my life. Well, other than Troy.

Hi; Vet only just told me recently about the chemical option and it's something we are considering as they are difficult to separate for long periods. You might like to consider how you will deal with separting them if she has pups. You won't be able to keep them together then.

I think this is why Kathy Sdao brought it up. A reinforcer is a stimulus that maintains or increases responding. If your pen ran out of ink and it was the only pen you had, you would stop using it. Actually you'd probably keep trying to get some ink out of it for a little while, scribble it back and forth really hard (extinction burst), then chuck it in the bin. Unless ink comes out of the pen, you don't bother to write with it. In other words, you only write with a pen if it puts ink on the paper. Mind you, I won't write with a pen that leaves big blobs of ink on the page. I find that really punishing. I hate ballpoint pens. Not sure what that means.

Julzie - one thing I missed in your first post... Under no circumstances should you be taking a bitch in season to a public dog park. In addition to the risk to her, its the fastest method I can think of to start a major dog fight. Indeed, bitches in season are specifically prohibited from dog parks here. You have a dog that has bitten you several times. Whilst you may not think the problem is serious, I tend to disagree. The sooner these issues are dealt with, the easier they tend to be to resolve.

That's very interesting, I didn't know that. Particularly interesting as the NZSDTA has no interest whatsoever in conformation and runs a completely open studbook, to be entered dogs are merely required to have won a working trials event. Dogs registered on the ANKC Sporting Register aren't shown. The SR allows them compete in performance events entire, rather than as desexed Associates.

It's not the size of the dwelling that dictates a dog's quality of life but the actions of the owner and how often the dog leaves it. I don't have any issues with dogs in apartments (overseas its pretty common) but on how owners treat the resident dog. Keeping a dog on a small balcony, for example, is just not on.

I'd put money on it. A hypothetical example: I'm walking past said Narre Warren property when one of the dogs rushes out an open gate and bites me. I immediately report the offence. Ranger calls, the owners aren't home but the dogs are and the gate is open. Should the rangers just walk away? You don't need a warrant to do something that is expressly authorised by law. If the legislation on dangerous dogs in Vic gives rangers powers to seize a dog after an incident is reported that's all that's required. There are a myriad of govt workers authorised to do all kinds of things by law including powers of entry, seizure and compulsion to produce records. If you don't know that, time to do some homework. Police generally only have powers with regard to certain kinds of law enforcement. Don't believe me? Then never run foul of the Australian Taxation Office If those suggesting that this news report is evidence of a "police state" were on the receiving end of a bite from an unsecured dog, my guess is their views would be somewhat different. For all we know the fencing on the property in question is crap, the dogs are escape artists or they got a gate open. The only thing I find the slightest bit unbelieveable about this story is the speed with which the rangers reacted!

Peta have been getting models and celebrities to get their gear off for well over a decade. That's what you do when you have no logical argument or facts to base a publicity campaign on.

I'm still trying to figure out how something that neither encourages nor discourages a behaviour can be "reinforcer".

What kind of world is it when the RSPCA and their cronies make debarking more difficult to achieve than putting a noisy dog to sleep?

Oh good idea, blame it all on "mental illness". Once again, society provides an "out" that avoid taking responsiblity for behaviour. I hope to hell that pup got more help than a tablet once a day. Medication is no substitute for owner education and dog training.

They're going to need more help than a makeover to be successfully adopted. Hopefully they've had opportunities to be in a homelike environment after three years. Three years in a shelter run will have completely eroded many learned behaviours such as toilet training. Otherwise, they are highly likely to bounce back from any adoptive home. Personally I'm appalled that any dog should live in a shelter for that period of time - foster care would have been far preferable for many reasons.

Surely year 7 and 8 kids could learn to clean it up themselves.. a good lesson to learn at their age. Even a pre-schooler can learn to use a pooper scooper. lol i agree - although maybe its some sort of OH&S issue? I dunno. If parents were worried about little Johnny or Suzy being within a metre of dog poo, they could opt out of the system. I wonder how the pet hair allergy issue works out.

Surely year 7 and 8 kids could learn to clean it up themselves.. a good lesson to learn at their age. Even a pre-schooler can learn to use a pooper scooper.