RuralPug

Most of my experience with curlies has been with the problem ones, helping families who are at their wits end with a destructive and timid (so reactive to strangers in various ways) dog. I have never actually had one as a grooming client, so can't speak to that. None of the curlies I have seen at shows have looked like problem dogs, all looked well socialised and confident, When you have a very large property where they can run all day rearing them is not usually a problem. If you have multiple dogs with similar play styles (which would be the case with most breeders) they stimulate each other and again, they don't develop problems. Try asking the breeders if they can refer a puppy buyer to you, one who has a similar household situation and property size who had the puppy as an only dog and has successfully raised it to maturity. Then you can chat to that person and ask them their experiences.

He hears or sees something that you don't worry about and he feels the need to either alert you to this or to warn away the evil intruder (blown leaf, noise next door etc.). If it doesn't happen very often I would just ignore it, otherwise you risk it happening whenever he wants your attention. But this kind of reactive barking in a smart dog can be self-rewarding so if it becomes more frequent then you will need to work a plan that everyone in the family knows to use. Some dogs are quite happy if you follow them out and then say "Thank you" or "Quiet" or "That's enough". They have alerted you and that is all that matters to them. With others, who have come to be excited by the sound of their own voice you will need to distract them. Training a dog to go and stay in their own bed, or mat, when told can be really useful at times like those.The dog starts barking at nothing, you give the command to "Bed!" or "Mat" and peace results. It doesn't take very long, in that situation for the dog to work out that barking is no longer an enjoyable pastime.

The OP said in the first post that puppy is quite content outside on his own as long as he can't see any family members inside. He is content with his own company when the family is out, or when they are upstairs where he can't see them from outside. Like most 5 month old puppies, where the people are is the fun place! I would consider that normal and not a case of separation anxiety. He just hasn't yet been trained to know that humans sometimes need time out for weird human reasons (like washing the floor) and he needs to learn to wait for an invitation to return. Since most of the time he can come and go of his own accord he most likely thinks that you have shut him out by accident and is trying to get your attention to put things "right". You must teach him that sometimes it is also right for him to be shut outside while his people are inside, and that no amount of jumping up and scratching is going to work for getting back inside. Puppies learn by demonstration and repetition - I suggested earlier daily practice for very short times gradually getting longer and not opening the door until he has stopped jumping up and scratching. All the enrichment suggestions are wonderful - all puppies need enrichment but it won't magically solve a puppy's belief that he belongs with his humans 24/7 and his need to alert them that the door has somehow shut behind him! You need to teach him that sometimes his people need their space and that if the door is shut that you that WILL come and open it and let him back in, when you are ready. He will be quite comfortable with this, once it is learnt. Most of the regulars here are well aware of this, it is mainly for the general public reading this that I am spelling out the obvious stuff. I've learnt that sometimes suggesting a training plan or action can backfire if you don't explain the reasoning behind it! Getting the wrong end of the stick so often happens. .

Actually it's the owners that benefit most from a good trainer, so the age of the dog is irrelevant. I think it's a an excellent idea for the owners to learn the basics of training BEFORE any problems arise. Too often a dog trainer is not sought until major problems have been established and by that stage you often really need a behaviourist, not just a trainer.

You MIGHT get a good fit with an adult dog of this breed but I doubt that this is the best breed for you to look for a puppy. Their puppyhood is extended, that is to say that they remain boisterous and exuberant longer than the other breeds on your list. They need extensive socialisation when young plus massive amounts of exercise. Not as easily trainable as a Labrador or Golden Retreriver, but certainly can be trained. A really dedicated family willing to give up several hours each day every day to training socialising and exercising the dog could certainly rear a puppy without problems, but the chances are that the average family at work/school every weekday will end up with a bored, destructive and timid dog. You could contact the breed club in Victoria for more information. but based on your list this breed doesn't tick enough of your boxes for a puppy purchase to work. The CCR is low maintenance for coat but does shed. To be realistic, you will need to choose EITHER low maintenance OR low shedding because no breed that I can think of is both. The hairless breeds need a fair amount of skin care, so are not low maintenance. The woolly breeds that shed very little need regular clipping and brushing between salon visits. Of all the dogs on your list, I would say the Labrador Retriever, especially an adult, would be the closest match. But they DO shed, a LOT. And they are going to be boisterous as puppies, just like any other puppy. But they are the easiest to train of all those dogs on your list and the most adaptable and unlikely to become neurotic if constantly left alone during school hours. But they mostly make excellent alert dogs i.e. they will bark at a stranger trying to enter the property, but will lick him to death once in! And you might also want to consider Greyhounds, although they are not generally regarded as watchdogs as they are almost never aggressive to people. They shed, of course. but not as much as a Labrador or Golden Retriever. They are the ultimate coach potatoes LOL so would be the closest to your "moderately active" requirement. They are certainly intelligent, but, like most of the sighthounds can be distracted by prey-like movement so should not be allowed to exercise off leash except in a safely fenced area. Everything I've said about breeds refer to the average puppy in that breed. If you choose an adult you might find one that has all the pluses and none of the minuses, sometimes for busy families, let's face it, a puppy can be too much work and that is the time to consider an adult being rehomed for whatever reason.

LOL!! I'm glad I'm not the only one that happens to! ME went to answer the question about WAC and somehow managed to paste most of her previous post on instead and there it is for the world to see! Fat finger typos I call that sort of thing...

This behaviour is going to be reinforced if you give him attention while he is doing it. Make sure that he has plenty to keep him interested outside. My suggestion would be that you NEVER let him in while he is scratching at the door but you wait until he is calm and sitting quietly or playing on the lawn before you open the door. Have a DAILY practice session where you put him outside and close the door for a minute or two - opening it again while he is being quiet. I would reward him with a game - indoors or out it doesn't matter. You can extend the tine that you expect him to wait a little bit every time until he stays quietly outside for an hour or so. Then you probably have it down pat and will no longer need the daily training sessions. It might also help to do some Oscar-winning overacting and walk through where he can see you - when he scratches or jumps up at the door act monstrously offended, toss your head, stiffen, gasp and turn your back on him. That way he will know he is doing something you don't like - if you get the timing right he will quickly pick up that it is the jumping up and scratching that he doesn't like. This would work really well if he is siting quietly and when you walk towards the door as if to open it for him and then he starts jumping up at the door - your fast 'insulted' reaction and swift U-turn every time he does that will result in a puppy that will quickly work out that jumping up and scratching ain't gonna get him inside! Let us know how you go.

When grooming a Spitz breed that is blowing their coat a bee keeper's hat is ideal protection! Now why didn't I ever think of that LOL Check out this video!

Yes the combination of requirements really does narrow the list. Japanese Spitz is the only Spitz I know that is easy to train - all the others no matter what size, are stubborn and independent.That doesn't make them untrainable, but it does mean that they are not the best match for a first assistance dog of any type. Were it not for the low shedding requirement I would have recommended any of the small spaniels (providing health tested and temperamentally stable parents) but they are all, excepting the Papillon, heavy shedders even though it is silky coat. And I agree that it is not worth the risk of having the dog banned from somewhere that your daughter spends one third of her time! To force the issue and impose a heavy shedding dog on a person with possible OCD issues might mean that you end up with two mentally injured people on your hands, so I respect the reason for that requirement. It is also makes sense to me to select a snalll breed, given that the assisted person is constantly moving between three residences. It is so much simpler move a small dog, its bed and other accoutrements, than a medium, large or giant!

Yes. You do need to spell things out on your website to cut down on the number of moronic enquiries. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms. I know it is what is on his registration certificate but you need to change (imp Ltv) to "imported from Latvia" or where ever. And I would agree with Mrs RB that instead of "show" and "competition" it is much better to define as "conformation, tracking, agility, obedience," etc etc| And definitely a great idea to remind puppy seekers that in Australia has been illegal to crop ears (since 1901 or whenever- dunno - before my time anyway LOL) and illegal to dock tails since 2004. A great way to proof your website against jargon is to have a friend, neighbour or family member who knows zilch about dogs to read it and then tell you what they have understood and what they have not. It is amazing what we assume that others know! Plus (tongue in cheek) you can always add a "for other breeders" page that swims in jargon to show that you know it LOL!

As Pug owners you have one of the worst shedding breeds in the world! So if you change your requirements from a hypo-allergenic dog to a single coated silky coated small breed (which are low-to-moderate shedders but their hair doesn't stick into things like short-coated breeds, so sweeps or vacuums easily) OR a woolly low shedding small breed, that widens your choice. I would avoid all of the smooth coated breeds as they often have the spiky shed hair that sticks to everything. Of the woolly breeds, I think that the best for your purpose would be the Havanese or the Lowchen, both these breeds are usually fairly bombproof, friendly and easy to train with sturdy bodies. If you can get an adult whose temperament is suitable, then definitely add Miniature Schnauzers to this list, but don't gamble on a puppy, as temperaments vary so much in this breed. Adult temperament is half genetics and half environment, so don't gamble that your perfect nurturing of a perfect mini schnauzer puppy will lead to a perfect adult. Of the silky low shedders I would suggest that Papillon should top your list, if brushed daily for 5 minutes they are very low shedding, if only brushed weekly you are going to get moderate shedding. They are the smallest of the spaniels and very easy to train. The next one to look at would be the Japanese Spitz, they are the easiest to train of all the spitz breeds and smart to boot. They can get can a bit wary with strangers and they do blow their coat twice a year, which would probably send your other caregiver bananas when it happens, but are only moderate shedders the rest of the time (and extremely clean dogs, their coat seems to repel dirt, and they have almost zero doggy smell). They are the breeds that come to mind when looking at your requirements. The downside is that there are very probably waiting lists for puppies from ethical breeders, So I would urge you not to overlook adults - what you see is what you get and you know before getting the dog whether or not it is bombproof and readily trainable. And don't overlook the foster care network rescues where the carers live with the dogs and will be able to honestly tell you about temperament and shedding, For your needs you should avoid pounds, shelters or rescue groups that kennel the dogs, simply because they can't tell you as much as someone who has been living with the dog. A few of the very many maltese crosses and poodle crosses in rescue might suit - but some of them will be high shedding and they will vary wildly in temperament but there will probably be more of those to choose from than puppies in the breeds I have recommended.

Agree, And a tiny dog can't choke on a chicken neck as some bigger dogs can, so whole chicken necks are also ideal for chewies. For your larger dogs, chicken frames are great or chop up the necks and wings before you serve them if they try to swallow them whole. Be careful with the salt levels in the beef jerky - the type made for humans has far too much salt for dogs and is often spiced with non-dog friendly products and preservatives. Picking an Australian made jerky especially dried for pets is the very best way. And please avoid any pet treats manufactured in China - too many cases or dogs falling ill from China sourced products to ignore.

I hear you - the last puppy I raised She is 12 months old now) was also a fussy eater - which is REALLY unusual for her breed and I did despair at times, she would "like" something so I would rush to stock up on it, and then of course she would go right off it. More often than not she would let the cats steal her food. Even today, she plays fetch with a chew stick before she will eat it, after a while they get soggy in the mouth and then she eats them! But somehow she has managed to grow to a decent size LOL so there is hope for your darling too. Unless your vet has said she actually is underweight I wouldn't worry too much - both of her parent breeds are quite small so 1.1 kilos at 4 months is well within the range you would expect, considering that the cross breeders usually select for the smallest possible. My advice is don't worry too much about her weight, if she has meat over her ribs and hips she is fine. When she is older you want to be able to feel a slight indent at her waist but puppies can be a bit roly poly without too many problems in the very small breeds.

I didn't even notice until I read this! Yes, this thread belongs either in the training forum or in general. I have asked Troy to move it.

So glad you are already aware! I need to ask you if the requirement for a hypoallergenic dog is due to an allergy that has been thoroughly tested? The allergy is to dog urine, saliva and dander (not hair). .All breeds have urine, saliva and dander to some extent. But some people are less reactive to a low shedding dog (hence the claims of hypoallergenic for breeds that have woolly rather then hairy coats). If the allergenic person reacts to some breeds and not others, that will obviously narrow your choice. so getting the allergic person tested is a great place to start. You might even discover the happy news that a small daily dose of an antihistamine will suppress all symptoms, as some have done after visiting a specialist. That would widen your field immensely! Any breed can, of course, qualify, but a breed that bonds very closely with their person (for example. most of the Spitz breeds - unfortunately they are not the easiest to train) would be very high on my list for such a task. Most Spitz breeds "blow" their coats - that is they shed very heavily twice a year and very little the rest of the time. The minus with a wooly coated breed is the need for clipping every six weeks - either a family member will need to learn to do this or your daughter will need to be separated from the dog for that regular appointment, which I feel is undesirable. Groomers don't normally permit the owner to stay while the dog is clipped as it distracts the dog. And if your daughter is the allergic one, a grooming salon is not a safe place for her. A mobile groomer might be the answer, except that your daughter's residence varies between three homes which could cause logistical problems if any of those homes are not in the mobile groomer's area. What all this rambling is trying to say is please reevaluate the need for a hypoallergenic breed as your search is so narrow at the moment that you might find yourself choosing a breed with a two or three year waiting list. If the testing has been done and it really is needed then you will be very lucky indeed to find a puppy from temperament tested parents in time for a spring testing.

Welcome to DOL!! The place to start is by reading ALL the info at Mind Dog starting with the paper on how to select your assistance dog. Although I see that they are not accepting applications to qualify any dogs at the moment they should be back in action by spring this year, and it will take you at least that long to train your dog to be ready to pass the Assistance Dog Tests. This organisation is the biggest and best in this field in Australia, I would highly recommend that you follow all of their guidelines.

I believe that they just don't think at all! They want a big scary looking dog to guard the tools in their ute but don't do anything in the way of training. Not much of a guard dog that runs off to play with every other dog it sees!

I bet he draws so much attention on walks! Wow! Really unique!

No alternate suggestions here - I've found that even when I know the "correct" response sometimes in the heat of the moment instinct takes over and I do the "wrong" thing. But I just want to say congratulations! because it looks like all your work with your boy is paying off!

Oh agree that size differences are no barrier at all! My doubt about the alleged sire is due to the fact that she has zero Pomeranian characteristics.

I always felt this girl was distinctive LOL. She was surrendered to me as a Pomeranian X!!!! Had been purchased off the back of a ute at a market somewhere - the buyers were told Dad was a Pomeranian! Mum was a working kelpie (no argument there!) but I have very strong doubts about Dad!!! She looked just like a stocky, brindle kelpie. Here she is at six months with me: and here she is in a later photo:

How would she go with a home made toy like a 2 litre empty cool drink bottle or sauce jug with something inside to rattle around or you could put cheap cat collar bells inside? Those of my guys who are not chewers love to bat and chase the bottle as it rolls on the floor. For those who are chewers I remove the lid and any ring around the neck and just supervise until it is pretty dead and then throw it away. I will also give them sections of fresh carrot that roll or cored apples that roll. Eventually they eat them which is fine!

Scrappi is really distinctive! Odd the way the genetic die can roll and sometimes you get a really unique looking dog on a mixed breed!

OMG I just drooled over this boy in RSPCA(QLD) - he looks just like a giant broken coated Jack Russell!! Winston is gorgeous! Made me wonder if anyone else can remember a really distinctive mixed breed they have seen?

Ok so he is a poodle X cavalier. Both of those breeds are quite intelligent, it is more than likely he has inherited the poodle need for stimulation and that is why he is barking. He needs to know that he will not be rewarded for barking (unless on command) - as it can be a self-rewarding behaviour, you will need to make a fair effort to overcome it. I agree with mental enrichment suggestions that Roova has made above. The suggestion to treat each time he doesn't bark at a noise is ideal but I know that it can be difficult to drop everything you are doing when he races outside - so you I would emphasise that while you are retraining him he doesn't have access to outside except when you or another family member are ready to react immediately. You also have to be very careful NOT to let him think that he is being rewarded for barking. It may sound odd, but one of the best ways to stop unwanted barking is to train barking on command and act very offended (body language) if they bark without command. It soon gets to the stage where they won't "waste" a bark they won't get rewarded for. Here is a simple step by step training plain you may wish to consider: Good luck and let us know how you go!