Tapferhund

Up until about eight plus(?) years ago I used Eukanuba premium for nearly 15 years ..then I went to natural feeding . The 'old' Euk was fantastic and the dogs did really well on it , it also had the most delicious smell when you fed it and when it came out the other end....the dogs poo were small and always firm . Today, with all the different types of Euk you can buy now IMO the food has lost what it had years ago, it stinks of fish and I don't think the nutritional value is as good now as it was years ago. Recently I have tried the Royal Canin GSD 26 and I have to say I really like the food.......the dogs love it and even though I only feed one cup to each of them daily, I can notice the difference in their coats and condition. They were pretty good on the natural diet I feed but by just adding one cup of RC.....they look even better IMO.

Depends. What are the parents/grandparents like...do they have weak pasterns? If not then it is more than likely nutritional. Maybe you should talk to your Vet or get a referral to a specialist .

Better to be safe than sorry IMO so a trip to the Vet would be the best thing to do. If her back end is 'rolling' it sounds as if it could be her hips. The other thing too.....I would be taking her off the puppy "growth" food as these foods are sometimes too high in protien causing growth to be to rapid which also can cause bone and joint problems. A good quality adult dry food is ok for pups over three to four months of age.

If it is not worrying him I wouldn't worry too much. The next time you take him to the Vet get the Vet to check it then.

"We get the odd "I dont' want to compete, I just want to have fun with my dog handler" in agility. I don't have a problem with that but I do have a problem when that becomes the excuse for people who don't want to practice or train to a standard. We've got people at our club who been training for years and have never entered a ring but they still are happy to work at it." Poodlefan.....I have to agree with you.......and I also find many of those who do say , "I dont' want to compete, I just want to have fun with my dog ".......generally say that because they CAN'T raise the bar in training their dog to a higher standard.......and they are generally the ones who think they know it all and like telling others how to do it. IMO...if they can't walk the talk....they are not worth listening to.

Fruit is good but NOT TOO MUCH ! Sorry...not shouting..just saying don't feed to much of the fruit........maybe a small piece of banana and a small piece of apple one day...then a small piece of peach a couple of days later. It really sounds as if you and the kids are feeding way too much fruit.

YAHOOOOOOOO ...CONGRATULATIONS ARYA and TESS........ WELL DESERVED WIN !!! I am really happy for you both

By the sounds of it you are doing fine.....she is slowly getting use to her environment and other people and animals in it plus you are teaching her a few manners (sitting before feeding her) and general exercises in obedience. You didn't say how old this pup is(?).......but if you take it slow and be consistant in what you want from her and her training , you will find she will improve over time.

"However I was also told that its pretty rare for a GSD to take to sheep like he did... apparently they usually either are not interested, or more often just want to kill the sheep." Casima, who ever told you that is an ignorant idiot who obviously still believes OLD utter rubbish of years gone by that German Shepherds are useless as sheep herders or are sheep killers. There are still hundreds of GSD's who WORK sheep in Germany and throughout Europe today and there are MANY GSD's who do competative herding around the world INCLUDING Australia and are VERY successful at it ! I have had three who have gained their instinct tests and could have gone further if I had have had the time and finances to do so at the time. In the past I have been to quite a few herding days and tests and the two breeds I saw who ,on more than one occasion, did have a go at the sheep or showed no interest at all,were either Cattle dogs or Kelpies. (No offence to Cattle Dog or Kelpie owners)lol

FP...you CAN teach an old dog new tricks...so give the dog a go......she will more than likely love it !

Pax, nothing new or especially different about SH.......her 'teachings' are the same ..she spouts the same as the rest of us.

IMHO, we spend far too much time looking at the extremes or ineffective uses of dog training methods when there is actually a middle ground between them. Do I think I could learn from Michael Tucker.. hell yeah. I'd like to think he'd still be able to learn from others too. EXACTLY PF ! Spot on !

"I train and work Working Kelpies, this does not make me an expert in training and working Search and Rescue dogs." Yes...but I bet you would make comment on their methods of training. BTW...just because dogs in the general community are considered by you as "average pet dogs" doesn't mean they ALL have "average" soft easy going temperaments.........MANY have been "purpose bred" with hard nerves and high drives too.

OMG PF.....who said the method was shit?????????? I DIDN'T......and BTW the woman I gave as an example is not a trainer........but typical Jane Public

Kepie I There is no need to get your knickers in a knot over this and MT is not a mentor at all, actually the last time I saw him was nearly thirty years ago while he was training a German Shepherd Guide dog. Personally I like some of the things he says in his articles....I think he is correct in some of his opinions,especially in the first two or three he did for the VCA Gazette......but at the same time ,there are a few things I don't agree with too.........but ,unlike you, it seems I am OPEN to his ideas on training. Perhaps when you have trained as many dogs for Guides ,Armed Forces and Police as MT has .....you will be able to question his methods with more authority.

"MT lost my vote when I heard him on talk back radio once saying that food reward methods are the reason why we see so many dog attacks occur! A very "bold" statement to make I reckon." Kelpie-i In part that statement of his is correct. Just think about it .....years ago , when there was more of a "hands on" approach to dog training which included corrections for bad behaviour or non compliance..there were much fewer aggressive dogs in homes or on the streets. Today ,with the softly softly approach to dog training , where food reward is used for good behaviour and no consequencies for bad behaviour.......dogs no longer have a clear direction .......to many of these dogs, their owners bribing them with food all the time ,even for bad behaviour, is as good as telling the dog it is leader and those who are bribing it are it's subordinates. I will give you an example......I know a woman with a little Terrier cross who completely rules her, it savages her even in the face when sitting in her lap(where he demands to be most of the time)........she sucks and crawls with food rewards to this dog ALL the time ...and he clearly sees her as a subordinate who feeds the pack leader.....HIM. We all know she has got the training/food reward completely wrong, but she is a typical example of what I am talking about in past posts So.......in part ....that statement of MT is in many ways correct.

Is the following considered positive training? "As the puppy comes to your feet to take the MEAT held between your thumb and finger of your right hand,raise your hand up between your knees so that he will lift his head a little to nibble at the meat. At this point quietly but quickly command him to 'sit' and carefully push his rear end down and towards you with your left hand. You will have no trouble with this:he will be relaxed because he is interested in eating the MEAT. He needs to have this training about half a dozen times at one of his feeding times each day and, when the training is over he can eat the rest of his food out of his bowl." and "After carrying out two or three simple recalls, take up two pieces of MEAT in your right hand. Recall him again and when he sits in front of you,reward him with one piece of the meat. Then quickly say 'heel' and entice him to follow the second piece of MEAT"...etc etc The above couple of quotes are from an old very good training book I have ...called.. DOG TRAINING made easy.....it's complete with lots of photo's ,many using food and just guess who it was written by.... Michael Tucker The book is nearly thirty years old

"If so, he's been around for over 50 years and unfortunately his techniques have not evolved over that time." Just another slant on the on the discussion........ All techniques work and why would you change when you have had 50 years of SUCCESS with a particular method. Most likely in another 50 years time there will be people(trainers) frowning on what they consider "old school" methods - our motivational methods in the use of food or toys that we use today. ?? WE ,as dog people , understand our dogs and we know how to get the best out of our dogs through motivational training ...and also remember our dogs know their place within our households...........but the greater majority of 'jo and jane public' are absolutely hopeless with dogs, they are not dog savvy ,their dogs usually 'rule' the household and through playing the wrong type of games with the wrong type of temperamented dog ...end up creating all sorts of problems for themselves. MT's articles IMO are directed towards this type of person......Jo and Jane Public...who have absolutely NO idea ,nor do they want to, on motivational games for drive. "He's very "old school" and shuns anything that remotely points to motivational or "positive" style training of today.Sad really It's all aversives and "make the dog do it" type of mentality." Well so does ADT today (make the dog do it mentality) .....so what's the difference????

Forget the harness IMO......and crate him instead......he will have freedom to move whereas the harness is too restrictive for a pup ...which could be the cause of him panicing and screaming.

Yes it is "shedding" season........but your boy sound as if he has been through a bit of stress from traveling as well as being on anti biotics for a health problem........and both can cause them to drop coat considerably.

"Don't know if they recognise they are siblings, but perhaps that they smell familiar?" Tollers, I agree ! Whether through recognition or smell they very much DO remember !

"As far as I know, dogs trained in schutzhund in Victoria have to be classified as dangerous dogs." No they don't !

WDL , I have used it for a few years now and I find it great and my dogs love it !!!! I prepare it each night then leave it in the cupboard to soak and feed it to my dogs the next afternoon over fresh chicken hips and necks and a little offal. It really is good stuff ! Sometimes I might even ad a few extra juiced raw vegies to it too.

Not so much these days but in years gone by I would get the dogs out and train them in all kinds of weather..... even when it was blowing a gale with driving horizontal rain .....but these days I think bugger that ,not doing that anymore....so we now train only in nicer weather conditions.

"I spent two weeks with one crying baby in the laundry, I was near on loosing my mind with exhaustion and breaking my heart at her cries but I never, ever, ever, broke my resistance to go and fetch her. Maybe get everyone ear plugs shrug.gif and start again without going to her no matter how long she cries for." Gawd Riles............ you're a hard task master !