percyk

id go to the vet too u just dont know if theres even a tiny scratch that is imperceptible to our eye eye is one of the entry points to infection and with a cat scratch there could be zillions of germs... i really think its worth the trip...

we had a goldie years ago ..a first dog for our eldest i wanted a female but my oh who wasnt a dog lover chose a male..i let him cos i figured hed bond better he was a great dog in many respects but id not get another in my situation we had him in the laundry while he was little and unsupervised..he had no trouble toilet training ...i dont think big dogs have that problem like some of the toy breeds we went to obedience twice a week at two different schools he was a big boof head that loved every dog and every person we did have a problem with him barking at smoke...the back neighbours were shift workers ( we didnt know ) and theyd light the fire for many months of the year at odd hours like two oclock in the afternoon and then nap our goldie would bark and of course noone told us til one day we found him locked under the house! with no water !!!!! i asked around...noone could tell me who had done this.... we started to keep him inside after that he was fine apart from the fur he dropped....coulda knitted a fur coat for the whole family i reckon with all that shedding as long as we walked him he was fine..left unwalked hed pace and pace and never settle he wasnt particularly destructive and was fine with our two cats..he did dig for a while have great memories of our big boof...we still have the ole girl cocker with us who has outlived him...we bought her as a companion for him and they were great mates...two dogs of a kind but she was quieter and more sensible... i have worked all of my adult life apart from short stays with my kids as babies...if u walk ur dog and spend the evenings with him i dont see the problem id not buy two big pups together but further down the track id look to getting him a companion ...another boy of a compatible breed good luck..theyre lovely dogs but do need training

kangaroo meat is fantastic for them but unfortunately full of preservatives unless u know where to get fresh kill,if u get it from ur gourmet end of the butcher its too expensive rabbit is also good but u can onky get farmed rabbit at the butcher and that has all the the disadvantages of a chicken only diet...if ur gonna shoor ur own bunnies ...eeeeek....thats the only way to get good rabbit meat thats not been mucked round with i reckon if u buy cheaper mince at the supermarket ur getting the crappy fatty stuff anyway .... petmince should be ok ...it is sold in butchers and they have strict laws..cant keep anything that is below standard anywhere that human grade meat is kept....thats fine with me ( just wish butchers washed their hands after using the toilet!!!! and b4serving the public!! there was a health notice sent to all staff in a shopping centre that i got wind of ...errrrrk fancy having to teach them that when theyre in the food industry ,...grosserama)

i use biozet the washing powder to wash the tiles and any accidents i stumbled on this info on the net when i googled for getting rid of urine and learnt that many products dont get rid of the one component of urine that lingers even after we have treated it so be wary of carpet cleaning companies too ...theyll be adamant that they can deodorise etc but u need one of those lights that reveal where the urine remains.... ask ur vet too ..he may be able to point u to a company thatd be willing to sell u something or at least give u a retail outlet/product good luck!!!

i never buy anything ahead of time id get the dog and take it to a store and have it fitted are u sure that u will have a mastiff even ? i never even bought baby stuff ....not for my first anyway ..cos i didnt know the sex and i wanted to be sure that all would go well..im just like that i knew of a girl who had two suitcases of stuff for the baby she was going to have....took her so many years to fall pregnant ...it was like she jinxed herself...and then she had a huge beautiful boy who didnt fit into the 000 sizes anyway same with brides who collect stuff... i say ..get the dogs...then go nuts at the store...save the money for now and let it be part of the doggy trousseau later

girls do tend to dominate it can look very rough it always seems that boys are happy to play anytime but girls set the rules and i guess nature has made it that way for good reasons i think it will settle.. do supervise but in the end..the dogs will be of equal size or thereabouts so ...its not like u have a size and dominance issue then train the bitch to come to u when play gets rough and intervene if the pup is really being picked on all the best

oh its so nice to have them back safely dont u just worry and worry my vet is great ..he rings me and tells me as soon as its over phew....then i can get back to my day so glad ur girl is safe at home with u !!

yeah its good to have that time to settle them in ...but it is a shock to them when they realise Christmas is over i think with the smaller breeds its fine to get two close together id be wary of getting anything that has a jealous streak ( ok thers that word jealous ..human emotion but whatever the dog equivalent...let me think...a dog that gets anxious when the pack swells to two...lol) so...maybe a shetland sheepdog...they are easy to train and ur used to big coat...very sweet for the most but can be big barkers but then again so are spitz dogs a cav...but be wary of some of the current health problems in some lines id avoid malts shih tzus ....can be a bit territorial...not always good with other dogs id definitely get a boy....girls can be bossy...and even tho ur boy was there first...things can change ...boys just seem to accept each other better...desexed of course i love pugs too...folds need a bit of work and they shed a lot... as do cavs!!!!! not silky terriers ...can be a bit touchy with other dogs... what about a papillon? sweet and pretty and can hold their own ...great fun dogs or a german spitz..perhaps a black one to complement ur white jap spitz? or a sweet lil pom... woow the luxury of choice!!!! have fun and let us know!

i have read that u should intervene.... i dont tolerate any really rough play and as alpha i have to enforce the rules as do my kids sometimes it will take time for the older one to accept the younger one and it depends on the breed and the individual in that breed and the sex things do improve...a hierarchy is formed under ur reign and the dogs work out what that order is but u must always wield the power if ur not happy with the body language supervise all play sessions and train the dogs individually and apart i feed some meals by hand to all the dogs so that they know that they all have to wait for a bite and theres no stealing from each other,,they sit and i will call their name and give them a piece of meat or whatever i think this really sends the message that im boss i think with a pup u have to be careful and step in just as u would if the older dog had one of ur shoes...the message is that the pup is urs and must be respected like any of ur property ...this applies to a human baby being introduced to the family too ull soon see what the dogs can handle..if one is being picked on too much u should help out and give the aggressor something else to do... do a few commands...take the attention away from the pup/cat whatever ..clip on a lead and go thru a routine with some treats..keep the dog busy in a positive way then allow play to resume... this will help when u take dogs out to play with strange dogs too...if theyre overly rough in play and even tho they may not mean to hurt ...they can still scare a pup in its formative months good luck with it...its usually a lot of fun to watch them gambol

sorry Mooper horrible news and my heart goes out to anyone who has a dog with that diagnosis and id not want to hear any bad news at alll...only the good stories but lewis and lynn obviously had some experience with the sadder end of the cancer spectrum and felt a need to share...(and i do know how badly it affects u when ur dog is taken away tragically ...reading ur response brings it all back to me and even tho its been years and years/.//the pain can be summoned hard and sharp from its resting place in my heart...) i have to deal with these sort of situations all the time...its very hard when ur story ends up with a bright and happy ending...but its also hard for those whose outcome wasnt so good i dont think anyone would ever be the bearer of a gloom just for the sake of it...but i do also understand when friends rush to quash any news that may unsettle the recepient... i guess we all will be in a similar situation as loving dog owners like the ole sporting rule...gracious winners ...gracious losers... i do so hope that u have some smooth sailing

ooh i do sympathise i havent had a chewer for years but now i do!! and its just started in earnest so everythings gone up high and again ..super vigilance...closing all doors and watching its like toilet training...u gotta know where they are all the time as for the yard remove what u can ...and sacrifice the rest... im not a gardener ( sorry dear dear departed Dad who was a great gardener !)...so the yard belongs to the dogs...none are serious diggers and the chewing at this stage seems to be restricted to sticks... not one of the beds has been chewed...so im thankful for that

i was always under the impression that if u cant get them to come back...then dont call em ie if theyre not responding to ur call then just go get them i have always worked on that principle...the ' no fail ' option ... it works with everything really i suppose if the dog doesnt sit..u make him u dont give up..otherwise the command is lost...every time u speak there should be an outcome...or a at least progress so if one of our younguns is not sitting at the kerb ...the kids make sure they get the dog to sit...never let them get away with it even if the traffic is clear...we all wait and do the command again and place them in a sit with 'come' its different in that u havent got the control over the dog when hes off and running so if ur serious maybe u will have to have in on a long leash for a long time this does work i had a boofy cocker boy one time...he never settled...so wed tether him and place him in his basket near the door..we did this for months...give him a pigs ear or whatever and insist on him getting back to his spot when he started the crawl to be closer to us lol never really believed that hed not get up to wander one time months later...i got the rope out to tether him and lo and behold he just went to the basket cos i suppose he just believed that he was tied up and couldnt roam anyway! ...it started to work ..it took so long...but suddenly he got it and began to settle well inside so i guess the 'come' command has to have a very good chance of being responded to correctly the first time if its going to be learned effectively i have one dog...hes used to the long retractable lead and no longer lunges at the end..hes seems to know how far he can go before he runs out i have started letting him off just to see how hes going and to my absolute delight he has come every time ( ive tried about20 times now)...what a feeling!!! but at first i was only asking him to come when he was attached to the retractable and id pull him if necessary and then reward and praise and carry on i have a well trained bitch who is the pack leader and it has helped a lot because she will get the others to come...i have seen some attach pups to biddable dogs and teach this way too..dont know what others have to say about this method its a hard task this 'coming' thing for some breeeds..but if i have had some considerable success with my rogue...im sure anyone can!!!!!!!!!!! good luck and keep posting

some dogs learn some things really well and quickly even without the reward one dog of mine has learned to do lots of things...like lie down at my feet when im working or go to sleep on the end of a bed without a fuss..simply cos it meets his needs too! hes a sooky boy that thrives on company so i guess u dont have to reward those behaviours that are self-serving the real challenge is to get them to do stuff that they dont wanna do like not bark to come in (when the same dog has quickly learned to settle at ur feet) lots is related to the breed and then to the individual...

reading about bacon being bad triggered some memory of HAM being bad for dogs i guess its the stuff they treat it with i wonder if bacon has the same problem...so maybe its not the fat but the smoking or whatever chemical they use to manufacture these pork products just remember that some dog had trouble after it was fed ham off the bone at Christmas anyone else heard of this?

i havent crated a dog i have a big pen but mostly i just tether them to me when im housetraining or to hooks i have screwed into the skirting boards they are not allowed to roam and i simply wait and wait and wait and wait til they have peed in the garden i dont go in until they have and i actually watch and check that they have..not just open the door and let pups go and assume they have toileted themselves try putting a soiled pad in the garden and keep putting him on it tethering really has been the answer for me my pups never walk around the house or even a room at the mo one is under the desk here having peed in the yard and as long as hes sleeping im fine once he gets up im taking him out i dont expect little dogs to be trained til a year or so ..completely as i would a larger dog

hmm salmonella hey dont know \ i thought dogs dont get so sick from eating garbage as we do cos their intestines are shorter and therefore the food doesnt get a chance to get contaminated by growing bacteria humans have longer intestines so the food takes longer to pass and therefore the bacteria can multiply and overwhelm us is this still true... ( good Lord if i get to be any older i wonder how many things i have learned will have to be re- learned) i suppose there are different types of bugs tho and the vets must know about the bugs and their effect on our dogs( even if they dont quite know everything about good nutrition) i wonder if listeriosis is a problem then too.... glad to hear ur furry one hasnt got the dreaded parvo!

i dont know about offal being bad as long as there is balance afterall the wolf eats the whole animal and its stomach contents in the wild pet mince bought from a butcher has to pass stringent tests if its within cooee of any meat meant for human consumption i buy it and mix it with veges and pasta or rice and they scoff it one time i actually cooked it up and it looked like a savoury mince dish i make and i was thankful that i was on hand cos my 21yr old came in famished and was about to hoe into it!!!!! he wasnt used to me cooking it... u see and it smelled quite good cos i had added garlic

most shampoos are just like detergents and its the alcohol that dries out the skin and fur( check the order of ingredients on the bottle..the first ones are the major ones so alcohol is usually right up there) i havent thought of diluting the shampoo...this is great if it indeed its true..that the whole ph thing now no longer applies...i dont mean to be suspicious....its just something that i have always been told by breeders thru the seventies and eighties id love to be able to relax the no human shampoo rule round here simply cos sometimes im short and have to run to get aloveen from the vet

have a google for site that deals with skin care for the hairless dogs..they too get blocked pores and blackheads and i was once got caught up reading all about the hygiene methods they use to keep their dogs' skins unblemished i know pugs need a lot of face care compared to other breeds ..gotta watch all that muck in the folds

its very rare that u find a doctor or a vet that knows about nutrition vets sell dog food ...premium dog food and all the bits and pieces im lucky my vet doesnt push stuff on us but then again i have practically supported him and his family with all the animals ive had...and for the most they have been very healthy...just the desexing and vaccinations cost so much in this area!

i certainly hope its not parvo and it certainly doesnt have to be diarrohoea is very common and usually resolves itself if there is blood it could be a worm infestation so the first thing i do with cats and dogs is dose them again also if they have been getting the runs all day then its likely that the thin surface of their colon is getting irritated so red blood appears theres a difference btw having black old blood and red blood which is fresher hope its all ok ...if hes been vaccinated then its unlikely that parvo has struck ...and even then it wouldnt be so severe ur right to take him to the vet but try not to panic every time...dogs do get the miseries from time to time and diarrhoea is just the way we all get rid of something in our system... keeping hydrated is the important thing if it persists

i stayed up an hour and half one night just to see that my pup HAD wee'd outside b4 bringing him in its the biggest bore and it was really cold and i had to work the next day at 130am he peed yay!! u have to have success ..the dogs have to know what is wanted of them so make a huge fuss try to tether him round ur waist and watch every move..dont get distracted otherwise it will take them longer going outside has to be associated with the act of weeing otherwise they just dont get it..tiles carpet timber flooring becomes their preferred toileting area..so make sure u clean well..i use biozet cos its supposed to break down the component of urine that actually lingers long after we cant smell anything take a piece of soiled paper with u into the garden where u want them to go and keep putting the pup on it have a little game outside...cos the excitement might speed the process i check that they have gone...i actually look and if i have to..feel!! yeah i know yukky but sometimes in the dark u cant be sure that they have indeed squatted... i think im doing as well as i can cos i have some little breeds that are notorious for being hard to house-train...its tough but im sure it will be worth the effort... good luck

our new one had his first encounter and started the ole woof soft woof routine i havent had a lot of exp with dogs who fear storms...none of mine have had a problem but this dog is a natural alert barker so i just got some training stuff out and got him to do his routine i wasnt giving him treats for weathering the storm..i was trying to distract him by taking his mind off the noise like when u talk to someone who is about to cop an injection lol dont know if it worked...he did settle but we will see next storm

yes they fool us dont they lol so many dogs take a long long time to train so take heart and be ready thats all best way is to just keep em tethered or on a leash with u the minute theymove u move em out trust is a big thing and most dogs cant be trusted for a long time...some up to a year but most are fine by 7 / 8 months some bigger dogs train up better...my gsd had only accident and was asking to go out by pawing at me within 36 hours... never had a dog like that since tho....

ive had that happen too it was with a dog that i was minding who was undesexed the owner had gone overseas and was held up the dog was a gorgeous am cocker ...not a mean bone in his body but the first time i took him to be groomed he urinated on me after greeting me enthusiastically i have minded him from time to time...he is a big soft sookie boy but he piddles everywhere and cant be in the house one time ..i was letting a pup out for a wee..just before going to work and he wee'd all over the fluffball..that was so annoying cos i didnt have the time to really take care of it..had to give a quick wipe with the sponge the weeing was done on my property and at the groomers he is quite a submissive dog with my two desexed bitches and has never ever ever bitten i once saw a daddy dog pee all over the basket of pups he had fathered! great ritual hey ...can u imagine !!! so i guess it is all about ownership and marking dont know if undesexed dogs would do it and i dont know if once desexed these' offending' dogs would change their happy ways kinda funny but if its about possessiveness as dogmad describes then its definitely time to talk to a professional u could start with a water bottle i guess or any other technique that can startle him but if its hormone driven it may be hard good luck and do keep posting