baifra

RIP Gypsy girl. :D So sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you.

What a dignified old man Charlie sounded like. It sounds like his last day was a peaceful one. You did the right thing Alix. Charlie knows how much you loved him and he knew how hard the decision was to let him go. You will always miss him terribly but soon you will think of him and smile instead of cry.

This sounds like attention seeking behaviour. Some dogs can be very 'needy' types which can result in stress if/when their 'needs' are not met. Reprimanding does not help with the problem as even this can be seen as reinforcement, believe it or not and only increases stress levels. A good leadership program will not go astray...try the NILIF program which is easily found on google. Good luck! Thank you Kelpie-i. She is a 'needy' dog. She was found out in the bush in appauling condition and when we adopted her she was very timid and took some months before she relaxed a little and learnt to trust us. I have often said that she doesnt seem to care if she gets negative or positive attention as long as she is getting attention!! I will try NILIF and see how she goes.

This could be either one of 2 things: 1. smells from the kennels (highly unlikley to bring on this behaviour) 2. Stress and compulsive behaviour (on the licking dog's part) Grooming each other is natural pack behaviour which is seen in some dog packs. I think the problem with your dog is not so much the grooming but more an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) which has probably been worsened by stress from being in the kennels. You don't state what YOU do when you see this happen, but the worst you can do is talk to the dog (as most owners do) when you see it happen which only reinforces the behaviour. Best thing to do is distract the dogs to break the habit and get them involved in something else. It is best to catch him as he is THINKING of doing it and distract him. Of course, I give this advice based purely on the information you provide and it does not replace any advice given to you by a behaviourist who has or may consult with you on a private basis. The rest of the behaviours you mention are typical of multiple dog households. Thanks for the insight! When we first noticed what Rusty was doing we just observed, then we did intervene by calling her away from Jessie but we will definently be distracting her as you have suggersted. Rusty can be a handful at times. She licks us constantly, always has and 'paws' at us, especially around the chest and face. She is reprimanded and told sternly to get down., which she does but the behaviour has never gone away. She gets plenty of exercise and playtime to keep her stimulated. We have never used physical punishment and never will. They get on very well together and play well with most other dogs. (SBT is not great with other females unless introduced very carefully) Thanks for the advice.

Thanks for the feedback BIG DOG. Im not too concerned about the previous fights as I know the triggers and we feed them in seperate rooms, have done for over a year now. The bone incident happened when Rusty buried her bone and I didnt confiscate it quickly enough before Jessie turned up and Rusty jumped her!! Our fault. It's just this obssessive 'grooming' that is very new. They have both had baths and didn't socialise with other dogs whilst kenneled so I really dont know what has started it and whether I should be concerned. Jessie hasn't reacted with aggression but I just cant read her body language on this one.

Bump Anyone???

RIP beautiful old man. How absolutely devastating for you Alix. My heart breaks for you. Charlie went to the bridge knowing how much he was loved and adored. He will be forever in your heart. Nothing compares to an oldie.

Hi all, Rusty,our Female ACD (desexed) and Jessie our female SBT (desexed) have just come home from 2 weeks in boarding kennels (first time in kennels). We have noticed that Rusty, the dominant of the two has been constantly following Jessie around licking and 'grooming' her around the face and back. She has done this occasionally before but this is almost constant since coming home. She also stands over Jessie who stands still, tail high in the air and ears pricked, no eye contact and not moving until Rusty walks away. Jessie doesn't look overly uncomfortable and she does this every time we meet new dogs but it is starting to make us nervous as we are unable to read the behaviour. Jessie doesn't try to move away when Rusty is licking her but she does look very 'alert'. Bit of background. They are both rescue dogs, Rusty is approx 8 years old and we have had her for 4 years. Jessie is Nearly 11 years old and we have had her for nearly two years. They have had two fights with each other in the past, the first was over a toy and was quite nasty, involving a vet trip for both. This happened approx 1 month after we adopted Jessie and the second fight was very minor, no injuries over in seconds involving a bone and occured approx 2 months ago. Both times Rusty has been the instigator. We recently lost out 12 year ols lab x. ? change in pack dynamics. Is this behaviour acceptable? Do we need to intervene? Advice much appreciated.

Oh what a special dog Harvey sounded like. RIP old man. What a handsome man. My heart is just breaking for the family. It would have meant the world to the family to know that you were there for them and loving him at the end.

RIP beautiful Angel girl. It's so heartbreaking to lose an oldie. My heart goes out to you.

Meg did well after the her first chemo treatment. No adverse reactions and she has perked up a little. Mum said she is even eating again which is fantastic. She still sleeps most of the time but doesn't appear to be in any pain. Thanks for asking rmc.

RIP beautiful little girl Such a devastating loss. My heart goes out to you.

RIP little baby Very sorry for your loss.

Thanks rmc, it has been awful as I lost my 12 year old dog at the end of April so this is just devastating. Meg starts chemo tomorrow. Apparently it is weeky for a month and then depending on her condition will change to fortnightly.

My parents 9 year old JRT has just been diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. It has all happened very quickly!! Meg, the dog, had been her usual happy self up until 3 weeks ago when she started a terrible fight with my parents other dog, Pheobie, a five year old rottweiler. Pheobie is a very passive girl and ended up pinning Meg down so we grabbed her and seperated them. (we have tried unsuccessfully to reunite them as Meg instantly becomes aggressive) Whilst going over Meg for injuries after the fight we noticed that her lymph nodes were huge!!! They seemed to go down a bit but became enlarged again a few days later. She had one of the nodes aspirated and pathology sent and the results came back with the diagnosis of lymphosarcoma. The vet has given her 4 to 6 weeks without treatment and a years to 14 months with chemo. Apparently this is a very aggressive cancer. Mum and Dad have chosen to go ahead with chemo and see how she goes. I guess what I'm interested in is if there is anything else Mum and Dad could do for Meg to help with quality of life or even alternate treatments that anyone could recommend. They are understandably devastated and want Meg to not only have the best treatment available but also a good quality of life. She doesn't appear to be in pain but I suspect that she has a very high pain threshold. She sleeps a lot and is not really interested in food and water although does eat and drink with encouragement.

RIP beautiful old girl :D It's heartbreaking to lose such an oldie that you have had for so long. My heart goes out to you.

Mine have backpacks also and after they got used to them they really started to enjoy them. They definently get a better workout. I have a pink one for my stafford and a camoflage one for my cattle dog.

Wow what a crappy thing to have to cope with as a child. My thoughts are with you. Poor Tina. :D

RIP beautiful Rosie. It is wonderful that you saved an oldie. They pull at your heartstrings dont they? She obviously adored you and flourished in your love and care for her. The last trip to the vet is indescribable and absolutely heartbreaking. The last selfless act you can do for a dog you love so much. She loves and thanks you for doing it. She would have known how hard it was for you to do. Sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you for I know the pain you are feeling.

How heartbreaking to lose two dogs on the same day. My heart goes out to you. RIP Schack and Will. Very sorry for your loss.

RIP handsome Krueger. All the pain is gone now. He sounded like a very special boy. Rest easy Krueger :nahnah: Very sorry for your loss.

Goodbye Zelda. May you have peace at the bridge. So sorry for your loss.

That was a beautiful tribute to Spike. What a dignified man he was til the end. RIP handsome. Thinking of you at this incredibly sad time.

She looks beautiful and sooo healthy!!! I cant wait to see her on tv. Very exciting!!

RIP beautiful Cheyanne :rolleyes: So very sorry for your loss.