Justchillin

Thanks to those who responded I have made some progress, she now comes outside with the lure of a treat I have stopped the assertive tone of voice like you suggested and it's working much better. She is still sooky when she's outside at night, I've been going out there and using "noooooo" in a calm but meaningful voice, I'll keep at it.

Hi all Some might remember or know of Missy my recent addition whom I rescued a few months back (kelpie x lab 2 yrs old). Well from the time I got her she's become very attached to me, crys when she's not inside and when she is she won't leave my side and won't go outside when i try and get her out in the morning to go to the toilet even when using treats. While she is outside she crys on and off, she'll play with Lucy (which is getting better) but then she'll walk around the balcony crying and jumping up at times to look through the window to see if I'm home. When I try and get her out of the morning nothing works, she just looks all sad and runs to the lounge and won't move even luring with treats doesn't work. I have tried to use a strong tone, used calm ones but when I am firm she gets REALLY scared and will run under my desk and try and hide. She came from a home where she was caged all her life (so I have been told) and seems she was verbally and probably physically abused so it's really hard trying to be firm with her as she'll just show so much fear and try and hide. I'm worried about the neighbours and more worried about her, does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do? Cheers Ben

I think our day to day lives are so busy these days it's hard to fit everything in. I also think the recent poor weather doesn't help. I find it very hard with shift work to get into routine, I work just about every weekend and at present my car is being fixed (taking forever) so getting to training is just not working. Don't be so hard on yourself, I'm sure your dog is getting lot's of love, you'll get ya mojo back again and before you know it you'll be competing. Ben

I have just been watching a dog training DVD, 5 hours of info ;) , and they suggest that when a dog does this to stop walking, gain the dogs attention (you may even want to have it sit), grab the dogs mouth, open it and as you're grabbing the lead say "out" and then reward the dog. Continue to do this and within a week they say you should be walking fine providing you are consistant.

wow all the way from Wollongong, a lot of great things come from Wollongong Sorry to hear the news, I hope things get better for you!

Mine do this, and pin each other down etc. You do need to keep it under control as a very over excited dog can end up biting just as some kids can play then all of a sudden you have a fight on your hands ( just making a point, not saying kids and dogs are the same ). If one of mine gets over the top, I just stop the play. I am in charge, I decide. I think if things are getting out of hand when you aren't there, you may need to separate, but it's only been a little while, so may improve. Mine are separated if I'm not home, spin and acd in one room, viz in the rest of the house (with 4 cats). I would never leave them all together. I have had 3 dogs all together for 15 years without a problem, but not ATM. I think if your dogs were fighting, you'd know! There's screaming and usually some blood somewhere, Mine show their teeth when playing, but I know when things may get out of hand. Check your dogs for small punture wounds etc., I'm sure if no blood appears they have not used any force. Just always supervise, things can escalate very quickly when they get too excited and idiotic. Good luck :rolleyes: With the food, just feed separately if you are worried, there's nothing wrong with that. If they are particularly protective over certain toys, remove when you are not there. Make sure there are never any old bones etc. laying around the garden too. I handle the top dog thing by making sure I make the decisions. We do have a top dog who does a great job, the middle one is a bit naughty! so I put her in her place, the lowest is not a problem and avoids trouble. My middle dog knows where the line in the sand is. I have never let her decide this for herself as I don't think she'd draw one!!!!!!!!!!! Hi Monah thanks for the advice, very detailed so thanks Feeding is getting better, I have learnt with bones I need to seperate each other entirely (house and yard) then take any bones left over. Their play is a bit rough sometimes, they show teeth, I'm sure it's just play that gets a bit rough at times but yeah like yourself I show I am top dog and stop the fight. I have solved the seperation problem when I am at work, I have been given the all clear to take one with me so I'll alternate - they'll go great working with the disabled guys I look after but a bit too much if they were together. Slowly they are getting better with each other though, I'm just a protective worry wort Cheers Ben

How can you tell the difference between dog play and fighting? I think my girls are playing but just a bit too roughly at times, their teeth begin to show a lot more, they bite each other a lot around the neck and body and they tend to yelp at times and Lucy will sometimes sit on Missy while she squirms... it just worries me..

Pups need bones as adults also do. They'd also assist them to loose their 2 top baby teeth which they loose as they develop in the first year, that's what the vet told us anyway.

My missy has gunk in one of her eyes and was about to start a similar thread - don't need to now, thanks Ben

thanks for the input, you sure have a point there ! I'll keep an eye on things and see how things unfold. Cheers Ben

1 week and a flexible job where i could call in at lunch time worked out ok for me, I was still worried though

We don't determine a dog's order in pack hierarchy - they do. The first dog into the home may not be the dominant dog. Trying to make it higher in the order would not work and would create ongoing conflict between dogs. Personally, LR if you have concerns about their interaction when you cannot supervise them, I'd be separating them when you aren't home. As both dogs are adult females, you may be in for some conflict between them until a firm order of dominance is established. Are either of the dogs being wounded? Do you friends know that dogs can play very roughly and it can seem like fighting.. ? Yeah I'm not saying pat Lucy first because she was the first in my home, I have read and have an idea she might be the dominant one from the way I see them interacting etc, but yeah there's always a problem if I get it wrong. I'm a bit unsure of the best way to go about seperating them though - any ideas? i am looking at http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/octagonal-...196cm-diameter/ for when I go to my parents place and need to keep them in a defined area, this wouldn't really be fair to one of the dogs if I had them in this the whole 9 hours I was away at work.

Thanks for the replys, I've never owned 2 dogs before so I am new to all this owning 2 dogs thing so I have a bit to learn (I'm at the right place). Before I go to work they are both walked 1-2 hours a day which yeah would help settle them while I'm at work. Also it probably is just play, I'm just paranoid I guess as are my house mates because it's instinct to want to help or stop something we percieve as fighting and harming another. So you think it's best to keep toys inside while I'm at work or away from the house? I'm finding eating times an issue, Missy will consume her meal much quicker than Lucy and she'll go to Lucy's bowl unless I'm there to redirect her so I think I may need to feed one inside and one out unless I'm going to invest in a dog create I guess. I must say they are pretty good walking together, both walk at the same speed and in general they will walk side by side, obviously one will stop for a sniff and the other won't so it's stopping and starting a bit and Missy will get a bit excited and shoot in various directions at time especially if people are around but yeah it's not too bad.

Hi all, My house mates have told me while I'm away from the home Missy and Lucy are playing very roughly, fighting at times and I have done a little research on how I can tackle this but I'd like to see if I can get some ideas from anyone who has some advice - thanks Do I have to treat Lucy as the dominant dog and i.e pat her first? I have seen a lot of suggestion to ideas like this, that the dominant dog must be treated this way. Lucy (lab x border collie) was my first dog, she is 18 months and Missy (lab x kelpie) I have had for a week, she is 2.

Well I found out after reading the papers that she's actually 2 years and 1 month old not 1 year and 1 month old which was stated..... I don't think she'll be growing much more but I'm sure after a few months of proprer feeding she'll fill out. Ben

Can you post a pic? Yeah I am about to go for a walk with them so I'll take some all round photos of Missy and post them up either today or tomorrow (I have to go to a funeral after lunch)

Hi LR, At over 12 months of age, she should be her maximum height already. She may have a little bit of growth yet but it would be unusual. Maybe she's not a Lab/Kelpie cross? I definately see lab , I'm not really familar with kelpie dogs, I have done some searches since I got her to see if she's like one but yeah I'm just not really sure. Her head definately apart from the ears looks lab, possibly some Staffy to maybe? it's just her back half, although I know will fill out with time with better feeding, doesn't really remind me of lab or kelpie.

Hi all Missy who I rescued last week is 1 year and 1 month old and at present she is no where near a normal size for a lab or Kelpie and I was wondering if she might hit a growth spurt soon, has she already and if she has a gradual size gain how long is this expected to last? Cheers Ben

Cute lab, any bigger pics?

yeah I saw a lady today with a split lead but they were smaller dogs and I wondered if Lucy would be up to it because she is so active and Missy is rather active herself to being a kelpie x lab. i can sure see how they exercise each other, they didn't stop for 2 hours this evening and are both laying asleep stuffed now.

never heard of lamb flaps but will certainly ask the butcher Yeah I seperated Missy when she was feeding, I had her inside and will probably continue to do the same for a little while. I'm new to having 2 dogs, I have always grown up with just the one - any tips for having 2 dogs? I'm going to find it hard to walk them both at first I know, but hopefully Missy gets better on the lead and there'll be no issues.

Hope so, it's hard to see from her pics but she really is under weight I gave her a feed of chicken necks, mince, wings, liver and a bit of mince and veg and she demolished it !! I tried her on some biscuts but she wasn't keen, maybe she never had dry food but hopefully she'll get used to it in time as I like to give Lucy some in the mornings. Ben

sorry I can't find it... what do they consist of? sorry

hi all Missy my new girl who I rescued is very skinny and needs fattening up !! What type of food can I give her to help her gain weight? Cheers Ben

Hi, I have been lucky since getting my girl but I just started looking into it and think it's something worth doing especially since viewing a few recent posts where vet bills have been incredibly high. Well worth it, I'd go and will go with the RSPCA I think. Ben