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Both my shelties have hayfever/allergies (it is rife in Canberra). I use a hayfever tablet from the vet for my male on the bad days before we go out. But I know most of the owners from our local oval use either polaramine or phenergan. My female is a constant paw licker so she gets a 6wkly shot during the worst months - it works wonders and it is an antihistimine not a steroid. I can't remember what the shot was called but I am sure your vet would know. It doesnt matter what she is allergic too as it works broadly.

With mine I left the door off for quite a while until he got used to it, then used some clear plastic from lincraft to make a little flap. It helps a) if he can see another dog go thru and b) go outside regularly without him and eventually he will get the idea that the only way out is the dog door. You would be surprised what a little hole most dogs can fit thru - in fact it might be better its a tighter squeeze (unless he grows) so he doesnt come flying through it at full speed (like my female does).

I've found All Vet's Natural Weight loss worked really well and was easy to use - just soak the stuff overnight and mix it with raw (or cooked if they prefer) meat. I use it now when I can't be bothered doing vegies and my two really like it.

I've tried a couple of behaviourists in Cbr and Dr Sandra Hasset at Animal medical centre in Philip was the best. They might also want to try private classes at the RSPCA - they deal with aggressive dogs on a daily basis.

My small dog had a similar experience at a young age and she has also been attacked since. I went to a vet behaviourist so here is some of the advice I got. A rule of thumb is dogs need 10 really positive interactions with other dogs for each bad one. But it is better to stick with interactions with small dogs for a while or medium sized, older friendly dog. Also, if the dogs don't know each other let them spend too long with each other as you don't want her stress levels getting too high - just a meet and greet until she gets her confidence back. I also walked my bitch shorter distances for some time to a fairly deserted area where we played ball (she is a ball freak now). The idea being that walks did not expose her to high levels of stress for long periods and they had a purpose - to do something fun. Nowadays I am very wary of large dogs off lead around my girl, I know some are fine but it is the smaller dogs who get the worst of it - they weigh so little. I have also found now my girl barks a lot at other dogs when she is with me. Apparently this is common for dogs attacked at a young age and they only do it with people they are confident will protect them. I think my girl worked out that she only ever gets attacked and set on when she isn't barking. Good luck PS - my girl just loves mini schnauzers - the most beautiful natures so I hope yours recovers well. PPS - I also ended up getting my girl desexed as the vet said she would be less likely to be attacked if she was not entire - and this had been true. So no ribbons in her future but safer for her.

I agree with getting a 'For dummies' book - I've had dogs for years yet learnt so much from the 'Puppies for dummies' book, and it is useful all the way into adolescence. The local library probably has a copy if you want to look at it first. I have spent a lot of money on useless dog books over the years - its better if you can use the book first before getting your own copy.

Try this book I'll Be Home Soon! How to Prevent and Treat Separation Anxiety by Patricia B. McConnell It was recommended to me by a vet behaviourist and basically covers what a behaviourist will tell you anyway. Its small and relatively cheap and the Hungarian Vizsla Club of NSW sells it on their website, along with a number of other good behaviour publications (you don't need to have a Vizlsa or be a member to buy the book).

Hope you didnt have too rough a night worrying about your dog. :D Small amounts of chocolate are not harmful for dogs. Some chocolate is worse than others (artificially sweetened, dark and cooking chocolate). If your dog had milk choc then it can eat a fair amount before it gets sick (relative of course to the size of your dog, and if it is a pup). The problem often is that dogs are guts and given a chance will eat a whole packet or block of choc - then you have worries. A couple of small choc eggs shouldnt show any symptoms (unless it was artificially sweetened). The symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea and excessive hyperactivity. If you worry about your dog getting in to your choc, try switching to white choc - it has much less of the bad stuff and is much safer around dogs.

E-collars are illegal to use in ACT as well, although debarking is not. However, I know of someone recently from Canberra who sent her dog to Wodonga for a few weeks training (with an ecollar I beleive) and he has come back quiet as a mouse, just the occassional bark. She had tried the other collars and they did not work (spray collars are difficult with a double coated breed) and wasnt ready to try debarking. He was happy as larry, well fed and looked after and no other changes to his personality when he came back. She thought it is well worth the money spent. So perhaps kenneling your dog with a good trainer interstate might be an option if you are desperate.

My dogs are brushed and groomed every day so dont assume I took my dog to the groomers in poor condition. My dogs have more products and more done to their coat than time or money I spend on my own hair. When I picked up my dog from the groomer he was very distressed. He had a few minor matts behind the ears and under the chin - which is usual for a young, double coated dog which lives and plays with other dogs. I didnt expect him to be cowering when I (or the vet) reached a hand toward his head which was red where the hair was pulled out! I have since spoken to a couple of other people with double coated breeds who wont take their dogs back there. Unfortunately when you are new to an area it is hard to know who has the experience to deal with a particular breed and coat. I don't bother with a groomer at all now. However, I would recommend getting as many matts out as possible yourself before heading to a groomer, I doubt any groomer would put in the same amount of time an owner would put in.

My boy is food obsessed so I needed something with a zip that he would have trouble getting his nose into. I went to a bag shop and brought myself a small bag that I can wear diagonally across my shoulders instead of around my waist (it has a canvas strap). Its much better than a treat bag, better shaped and I can put a ball and poo bags in it too. I take it on our walks as well and can clip on their night walking lights as well for when we need them - much more versatile than a treat bag and still the same size. I never use the treat bags I brought now. I think I got it at strand bags or somewhere like that on their clearance stand for about $10.

I wouldnt take him to a groomers anyway. I took my boy to a groomer with mats and all they did is rip his fur out - very disappointing. You could order some OMG grooming solution from plush puppy online - they are pretty quick at getting it out. It doesnt get rid of matts but it is great for pulling the matts apart. Otherwise try mixing Aloveen or another doggie leave-in conditioner with water or, if you dont have doggie conditioner, try Pantene (the human stuff) leave in conditioner and mix it with water. Put it in a spray bottle if you can and wet the hair well. Then work those fingers and pull the matts apart. I also use the blade edge of a pair of hair or nail scissors (nail scissors if it is near a delicate area) to prise apart knots. You might need to do it in sessions. Make sure you give the outside of the coat a light brush first to get rid of any excess dirt (so it doesnt turn to mud). 'course you could always just cut big chunks out. When I have taken mine to a kennel they usually come back over brushed and groomed. I'ld be a bit annoyed with the kennel if I was you. ;)

I have a twin cab ute and got pet loader stairs from the US and it still worked out cheaper than ordering a ramp from Australia (www.petloader.com). Plus the ramps take up a lot of space if you want to reach the back seat - too wide to get my dogs onto the backseat when parked in my driveway. I think they are designed for back of vehicle access or getting dogs onto floor level. Otherwise prestige pets (the pet product distributors) does ramps and you can check their website for stockists of their ranges in your state. Plus most of the popular online pet stores have pet ramps. The main brands are 'petstep' and 'solvit' If you do a search here I think there was a discussion last year about making your own ramp.

I agree with badboyz. First thing they do with hitting adolesence is start peeing inside again. My little girl did the same thing at that age - I made the mistake of leaving my bedroom door open one day & that night got quite a shock when I lay my head on my pillow! I'ld start confining the areas she is allowed in, reinforce where she is to go to the toilet and make sure you remove the urine scent. Back to toilet training basics. Fortunately the marking phase doesn't last the whole of the adolescence, usually.

Chugo - try coating the inside top end of the kong with peanut butter or vegimite to begin with and she can lick the inside of it. You can also put her breakfast in it, chicken or luncheon meat. If she is used to soft foods then stick to that but as a lab you can probably give her a variety. Also have a look at the kong website for recipes (www.kongcompany.com). My adult dog loves those puppy ziggies - its the only thing he will fight my female for. It's only wheat, alfafa and chicken liver (although it is very high in protein) so I dont know why he loves it so much, but it makes his poo less smelly and less farty

I think it must be quite a shock to turn up to obedience training and have someone tell you your dog should be kenneled for 3 weeks. But there is no rush to sign up to the ADT program, you have time to look around. In the meantime you can do a lot to help her. Don't worry about not having visitors to get your dog used to people. Taking her out to an oval sounds like a great idea as she can see people without having to get too close - take lots of treats. You will find there is a certain 'critical distance' where she feels comfortable seeing strangers from - it could be 10 or 20 metres. When you walk past a stranger at that 'critical distance' and she is okay dont make a big deal of it, keep walking and give her a treat - then she will think seeing new people is a good thing. Over time you may be able to reduce the 'critical distance'. One of my dogs was attacked twice over xmas and on walks I've only just managed to get her 'critical distance' with other dogs down to about 10m.

It sounds like when you mention walks he is happy about the part that lets him be outside in a different environment, rather than the walk itself. At the moment when you are walking he is probably only seeing your feet and may need some extra encouragement, he's may also be a little scared, and maybe walking doesnt seem that much fun. Take some treats and entice him along - to start off with you may need to take a lot of treats so do it before dinner when he is more likely to be hungry. I'ld keep this going for at least a month - reducing the treats and making the walk longer each week. You could also take a toy with you and wave it in front of him, maybe even stop along the way and have a 5 second play before heading off again. Are you walking slowly? Perhaps change your pace as well. Also, try not to pick him up when he is doing something wrong as he probably loves being picked up and held so it is a reward for him. Good luck

I assume the kenneling is an in-house training program to desensitise the dog. I know of other people doing this - sending their dogs off to doggie boot camp for behaviour issues, but only when the problem has become too difficult for them to handle themselves.

Don't put her in a kennel!! She was probably not socialised as a pup but as she is only 2 years old and a lab you still have an opportunity to help her. But part of solving the problem is to build her trust in you and you can't do that if someone else is training her at a kennel. Kennelling her should only be a last resort. Keep up regular obedience training - she will gain a lot more confidence that way, other people will know of a good obedience club in your area, but I think try another club. Where do you live? Did you get her from the RSPCA? I noticed you are from Melbourne. The Burwood RSPCA hold really good seminars for dog owners by guest behaviourists - there is one coming up about fearful dogs (the seminars are only $5). Have a look on the website for details. They also do individual behaviour consults. This problem is not unusual and there is a lot of information on the internet. Here are a couple of websites that have info on fearful dogs http://www.k9events.com/behaviourF_M.htm http://www.wonderpuppy.net/canwehelp/index.html You may also need to get in contact with a reputable behaviourist for some one-on-one training. There are behaviour trainers on DOL that can give you more advice on what to do. Perhaps Erny will read this thread - if not maybe PM him for advice. Good luck. I know how heart breaking it is (and how expensive it can get) when your dog has a few probs.

I agree, replace the door part. My boy kept trying to push the door like it was a 'human' door and it would swing back and hit him on the head, poor boy. I took the door off for a couple of days so he could go in and out the hole, then I replaced the door part with a clear plastic flap using tabletop protector from Lincraft. I did put the door back on at one stage and he had no problems going thru it - I think he was used to the idea of just shoving his head through. But then I decided i preferred the silent sound of the plastic rather than the constant banging of the dog door.

I have a similar problem. My boy is okay but my female barked non stop at the bigger dogs, especially if they were rumbling or running. Seeing it from her perspective - she was attacked before (and had been 'set on' several other times) and so had every right to be scared. I have been to several behaviourists and one piece of advice I found helpful was teaching her to change her fear response. Now if she is scared she comes and sits beside me (or between my legs - in fact between anyone's legs). We did this by treat training her, so whenever she starts to react I call her over by using a squeak toy or ball (she isnt food focused but is obsessed with balls). Eventually she would automatically come over when another dog came (this took a while). It doesnt sound like much but what is now happening is she is venturing out again from between my legs but much more confidently - initially barking but now the barking has eased because she knows I am there for protection. She still barks sometimes when she gets silly, but I can tell her to stop it or call her back and she either comes to me or stops the barking. The last month has been a dream, so peaceful. Now if it only worked for cars...

You must have great coordination granny. I find it too difficult to walk 2 dogs on retractable leads in a normal environment - particularly coordinating putting the brakes on. But then my two are young and like to romp. Plus I have been tangled up in other peoples retractable leads a couple of times before - probably not the best lead for pups or younger dogs. I agree though that they are very useful when you want to give your dogs some freedom but you cannot let them off lead - especially when you have more than one dog. So Granny, we'll start up a retractable lead rebellion when Anita takes over the world! As for the halti. I was told to get one for my little girl (to stop her lunging at other dogs) but it causes her such distress she cannot walk far with it on. So I will start the small dog halti bonfire with the one I got for her.

Sorry but I find the retractable leads really useful when we go walking in the nature reserves. My dogs can have the freedom to roam without my having to manage feeding two leads. They aren't allowed to go off leash there and I wouldnt let them off anyway with all the roos around. Plus they are less likely to pull me over if we are going up or down hills (learnt that the hard way). They can tell the difference when they are on the retractable lead and don't pull if they are on normal leads. On normal walks though i use a normal cloth lead (or they are off leash). It's a bit risky having a 5 metre thin line stretched across a path that other people are using. Damn hard to get untangled from if the dog is really friendly too. But I will add a halti to your bonfire.

Thanks. He hates being groomed and is good at escaping my grasp. I have been thinking about getting just an ordinary table to put him on so he can't get away - he weighs about 12kg so I can lift him. I'm going to give the mess under his neck another go tonight, I'll try it between my legs - a leg lock might work! He's only a year old so hopefully he will settle down (and his adult coat won't get any thicker than it is)

I hadnt heard of a teflon comb, I'll order one. He had a hydrobath bath before easter, although he is still shedding so I have booked him in again for next week. Just after xmas I took him to a groomer for a brush out when he blew his coat and they cut out chunks of his collar rather than untangle it - i was so annoyed because it wasnt that matted, they were just lazy. So I am a bit hesitant about getting a different groomer to thin the mane. The shelties in Canberra are like my female with a thinner, softer coat and the technique used by Cbr breeders (bristle brush and comb) doesnt work on my boys thicker coarser coat. I will speak to the local sheltie breeder and see if she knows any Collie breeders in Canberra who could help. Do you do the layering under the neck and have the dog lie down? They must be very sensitive under the neck because mine always squirms and tries to run off when I comb there. Thanks