poodlefan

I have seen the GE Finance ads at the local Emergency Vet. Now I know what they're for. What a good product. One of these or pet insurance would be the way to go for people with pets and tight financial circumstances. It would be doubly devastating to lose a pet and to know that it could have lived had you had the funds to pay for that.

Maybe you're just running him to the point of exhaustion? Does he pant etc before this happens? Some dogs won't stop so we have to stop for them. The exercise induced collapse stuff I've seen doesn't involve explosive exercise.. just steady stuff. I've never heard of it in poodles. What other exercise does he get?

Bring their morning coffees forward to 6.30.

You need to get yourself a REAL mousing dog Gayle.. My Toy Poodle is lethal. ;) FHRP's got even worse problems.. her GSP points them!

Jacqui: I gather you don't travel much with him? I need my dogs to pee on lead at roadside stops, shows and trials. Sometimes there simply isn't an opportunity or a safe place to let them off.

Fantastic photos - such powerful dogs. Congratulations to your friends - looks like they've got a good 'un.

Yeah i feel bad for the people but i bet you 100% that its the owners fault no dog is ever nasty by itself its always the owner. Instinctive aggression towards people (particularly strangers) can be selectively bred for just like any other trait. There are several dog breeds that have been developed to display aggression to anyone they do not know. A few folk here have seen pups as young as 3 weeks demonstrate people aggression. Any dog is a combination of genetics, environment and training. Aggression can be created by any or all of those factors. Ditto dog aggression. If you blamed the owners of dogs that display dog aggression for all of their dog's problems, not only would you be wrong but unfair. It's simply not the case.

If the OP finds the vet's handling of her dog brusque or callous, then perhaps she needs a different vet. One more suited to her priorities who fits better with her. We all prioritise these issues differently. Same as a GP - mine is pretty direct, very knowledgeable and doesn't sugar coat things. I like that. My vet is pretty much the same albeit with a better 'bedside manner' than the OP's. If this has caused the OP to lack trust that her vet will do the best for her dog then a switch would be a very good idea. And as for fearing vets for life, take him back and weigh him and reward him. Don't project any concern onto him.. just see what happens. Given that he is outside his critical socialisaton periods, I'd not expect any issues from an experience that didn't appear to traumatise him. Two of my dogs hate going to the vet but its not the vet's fault.

My guess is the vet knew the weight of the dog for the op but didnt' remember precisely for worming. How many animals did he see that day? How many procedures did he do that day? At least he checked. OP has the option of changing vets and changing how she handles these matters in future. I suppose that's what matters.

I wonder what state the dog was in when taken in for grooming. Danielle, if the owners don't want to pursue the matter I suggest you drop it. No need to make an enemy when the owner won't be supporting you. As long as the dog receives appropriate veterinary treatment and never has to suffer again, I'd leave it there.

How would any of us get a reluctant 30kg dog onto scales without risking our backs? I'd go the two point lift too. I see my friend with GR's do this to her dogs every time she gets them into the car. She knows they aren't going to bite her so can be more 'hands on' than using a leash. As an animal professional, I'd expect a vet to adopt the safest handling practice for them and to avoid any risk of a bite. Watch a ranger load a dog into a car and you'll see pretty direct handling including lifting directly into a vehicle via a catchpole around the neck. I don't think that's cruel either in the circumstances. From my observations of the waiting room at my vet clinic, some owners would be incapable of assisting quickly or effectively. I doubt the OP would be but a veteran vet might find it quicker and easier to handle dogs themselves. I see dogs come in that have difficulty keeping 4 feet on the ground and pay zero attention to their owners. Owners have to haul them onto the scales and still can't keep them there. However, he could have said "just pop the dog on the scales for me" and at my vet that's the default method used. How rough was it? I get the impression the dog was coerced but didn't experience any pain. She said the dog was "treated like a ragdoll". If the dog lacked the coordination to get on the scales itself, how else could it have been done? True. But any inference of abuse should be very carefully drawn. I pay my vets for their medical knowledge and skill, not to treat my dogs as I would. Don't get me wrong, they are very caring people but if something needs to be done, they'll do what is necessary to achieve a result. And I do what is necessary to prepare my dogs to be handled. Howard is having blood drawn today for a titre. I will strongly suggest I be the one holding him but if the vet insists it be a nurse, I'll go with that. Its their safety and their livelihood at stake when they handle animals.

While that's a good point, and while it may not have physically harmed the dog - I'd probably punch someone if I saw them drag and lift my dog up from the neck by the lead... vet or not, especially when they haven't tried other options or asked me to try to get them to on the scales myself. It's just not what I consider the right thing to do, and not the kind of care that I expect to be given to my dogs. Every time I lift my whippet up onto the show table, he is lifted under his neck and under his loin. Lets bear in mind that this was a 2 point lift - the dog's hind end was on the ground when the front end was lifted. I may not appreciate it but I'd not punch a professional for 'direct' handling. I'm at the stage where my vet allows me to handle my dogs for just about anything. They don't need to be 'taken out the back' and held by a nurse because I might be squeamish about what's about to happen or fail to get a good solid hold on the front end of a dog that's about to object with its teeth to having a procedure done. Maybe its my horse background. You don't pussy foot around with big animals that don't want to do something. I'm sure most animals lovers would be horrified by their first sight of the use of a gag on a horse for dental work. But big animals need to be handled carefully and quickly to avoid injury to those around them. A struggling 30kg Goldie is big enough to put a back out and a vet off work for weeks. I'd not have picked the dog up either. To you its your beloved family pet. To a vet its an animal among hundreds that they see that needs something done and quickly. I recall seeing NSW police mounted squad members on TV "handling" ponies onto their big horse truck when evacuating a riding school in the path of a fire some years ago. One chucked a wobbly and hit the brakes going on. Four big guys picked it up on each leg, carried it up the ramp and dumped it unceremoniously into the bay. It got the job done.

Especially when you watch those medical shows on TV and see how doctors treat humans when they're under GA No wonder they wake up bruised and sore!!! Dogs are usually placed and rolled. With muscles fully relaxed, a lot of stuff can be put 'out'.

One more point. Vets are not paid to train dogs. Few of them are dog trainers themselves. Their handling will be direct but should not cause pain. If your dog did not yelp or struggle, you might wish to reflect on why you are so upset. The fact that you saw your dog handled in a way you would not contemplate does not necessarily equate to cruelty or abuse. Short of that, why would you want to change vets from someone you appear to have been happy with in the past. There are few methods of manoevering a reluctant 30 odd kilo dog onto scales that aren't pretty physical. I'm not sure I'd be willing to pick one up to do it. Incidentally, I would always have a dog chiropracted after a GA. You might want to think about that.

Magstar: I suggest you prepare a strategy for what you'll do next time something happens you're not happy with. You can't change what happened. You can change your vet if you choose to do so. You can also change what you do in future when something happens you're unhappy with. As owners we are responsible for protecting the welfare of our dogs. My suggestion is that you channel this experience to produce a more positive result if there is ever a next time. You don't have to be confrontational.. a simple "he'll do it for me" and taking the lead would do. These things are always best dealt with at the time. But to answer the question. "Rough" handling isn't common in my experience. Not taking any shite from dogs, and the use of mild compulsion to achieve results is. Few professional veterinary practices I know have the time to bother about luring reluctant dogs into accepting procedures. Ditto groomers. If your dog put the brakes on, I'd not be surprised to see him towed onto the scales. Does he go on freely for you? If not, it might be something to work on. I'd also make a point of knowing what he weighs. The scales are the normal first point of call for dogs and owners entering my vet's surgery on every visit. With the amount of time some owners take to get their dogs on the scales and stable, I can understand why a vet might take a more direct approach. The more prepared your dog is for handling and normal procedures, the easier it is for the dog and the vet. Our club actually teaches a 'steady' for handling and tolerance by the dog of handling all areas of the body including mouth and ears.

My sister had a look at a number of rescue homes. They seem to be brimming with Staffordshires and various crosses of said dog. Now she seems to be a bit concerned about the Puppies colour fading. She should stop being so superficial!! It will still be an attractive colour. Or tell her to get black!

I have the Australian Andis Pro 2 Speed. It would probably be 5 years old now. I'm very happy with it. After a couple of years the join where the cord meets the unit tends to go. It's an easy fix. Other than that, being a sealed unit, I don't think you'd expect too many issues but Poodle3801 would know better than me.

That is what I am afraid of!! When he is a teenager.. May I ask what age he would hit his "teeange years" 7 months is pretty common to hit the "you're not the boss of ME" phase.

I'd still strongly recommend you keep a long line on him. All it takes is a cat, a dog or something interesting on the other side of the road and you may lose him to a car. Plenty of stories told here about that. He's a tiny baby now. When he's older, he may be more challenging.

We do this already in all different environments, we tend to take him everywhere we go and work on his training at each place. He did really well at the St Kilda Festival the other weekend! Lots of noise and people and still listened and did everything we asked him too. When he is a little older might see if there are any dogs parks in our area and see how he goes (we dont take him to those as he only recently had his last injection).. We only socialise him at the moment with dogs we know have been vax'ed. I'd not be rushing to dog parks. You can't control what other owners allow their dogs to do. That's not the case in a formal training environment for the most part. Don't forget he's still a baby. When he's a teenager you may find him far less willing to stick with you.

It will help developing focus in a highly distracting environment. That's something that can be a challenge with a little dog bred to work and think for himself. You don't need "puppy school" so much as obedience or pre-agility training. It starts the process of teaching your dog to work for reward in and around other dogs. No offence but unless your front yard is fenced, having him offlead out there is tragedy waiting to happen.

They need boundaries just like other dogs do. Spaniel pups, like most pups can be mouthy and jumpy. Some can be pretty hard headed about certain behaviours. True, I just had boxers in mind when I made that comment. Should have clarified. I'd agree that most spaniels would be softer dogs than Boxers!!

They need boundaries just like other dogs do. Spaniel pups, like most pups can be mouthy and jumpy. Some can be pretty hard headed about certain behaviours.

The first thing he'll need to learn is focus and control offlead around other dogs. Some JRTs can prove challenging in that regard. He shouldn't be on proper obstacles until he's at least 14 months old. At 4 months of age, his bones are still growing and I'd not be encouraging him to jump on and off things yet. I suggest you join a dog club to do obedience or pre-agility classes. ETA: Snap CW!

I'd second Megz's suggestion of a Pointer. Beautiful, lovely natured dogs that deserve to be far more popular as family dogs.