kayla1

My old ones squeaked. My new ones quack. The new ones that quack don't last as long.

I sometimes walk mine at the local park/oval, which is an on lead area, and I find that people are more likely to let their dogs rush up to mine when I'm walking my two smaller dogs. When I'm walking my bigger dogs (they're only medium sized), the same people will call their dogs away and put them on lead. Unfortunately it's my smaller dogs, one in particular, that needs space.

Two of my dogs will sometimes chatter when really excited, especially before dinner.

My dogs haven't been tested for giardia - in my case the problems started with the introduction of BH and have stopped now that they're back on their normal food. I don't have a batch number but it was a bag of the adult formula purchased late May.

Never seen them do that here. But Annie sees her job as making sure the yard and airspace is clear of such intruders, and she takes her job very seriously. :laugh:

maybe she was worried the other dogs might get off their leads and rush hers? What a mountain out of a molehill this is. Dog was in yard, made no attempt to leave yard, all it did was bark and do zoomies. The OP's dogs also barked. So what. Completely agree! And why would the lady in her yard have her dog unleashed in an unfenced area if she didn't have some confidence that the dog wouldn't stay in the yard. I would never have mine in an unfenced yard near a road as I don't have complete trust in her and her road sense/recall so for this lady to even have brought the little dog out the front must mean they probably do it often and the dog stays within its parameters. Why then do we get so many Hit by Cars when people are taking their dog for a walk? Why am I terrorised by dogs in an on lead area by off lead dogs with no recall???? You are sensible, have a brain and use it- not everyone is so lucky to have the ability to do that. Other people think their dog is reliable but most of them are wearing rose tinted glasses. This is probably a suitable blog post- http://blog.k9pro.com.au/take-no-chances/ The man who's dog was hit in this situation would be liable for all damage to the car that hit the dog...... This is why I said a visit from the ranger to let this person know the consequences if the dog did get off the property might be beneficial since most people don't know the consequences of their dog being caught not on a lead in a public area. At no point did I indicate that the person should get into trouble for what they were doing- I am saying that education might be a good start. In this situation I would have turned around and gone in the other direction- certainly not continued past the dog (I do have a reactive dog and there is no way I would risk my training by putting him in a situation I couldn't control) but I couldn't be bothered waiting for them to catch their dog either. Why are you lecturing me I've already stated I don't have mine in an unsecured area offleash so get off your soap box. that doesn't mean other people will continue to do so on their property and there is sweet FA you can do about it. I would guess most dogs are being hit by cars when they get out from their homes and/or lost not when being supervised by their owner in the front yard. I called you sensible because of your choices. Thats not really lecturing you!! (and although it was your post I replied to it was a general contribution to the thread) I was merely pointing out that not everyone makes sensible/logical choices and the rest of the population suffers because of it. Many HBC in the city are being walked illegally off lead and something random happens and they end up in front of the car. Some of these dogs are 8 or 9yrs old and have always been walked off lead without a problem. The point is even the most reliable dog can have an off day so I don't think any dog should be off lead unless there is a fence or a decent distance between them and cars/other dogs. A few of my dogs have amazing recalls and they still don't get walked off lead near other people or dogs because I am naturally risk averse because past experience has taught me to be risk averse. Agree. One of my dogs has very good recall (his nature - not a result of my handling skills) but is still on lead unless in safe areas. Yet I've had plenty of people tell me proudly that their dog is so well trained that they never have to use a lead...

maybe she was worried the other dogs might get off their leads and rush hers? What a mountain out of a molehill this is. Dog was in yard, made no attempt to leave yard, all it did was bark and do zoomies. The OP's dogs also barked. So what. Completely agree! And why would the lady in her yard have her dog unleashed in an unfenced area if she didn't have some confidence that the dog wouldn't stay in the yard. I would never have mine in an unfenced yard near a road as I don't have complete trust in her and her road sense/recall so for this lady to even have brought the little dog out the front must mean they probably do it often and the dog stays within its parameters. Unless there is adequate fencing or restraint, I don't understand how someone can be confident the dog would stay in the yard. Some people have an attitude of 'my dog won't go anywhere' and don't understand that, one day, the dog just might. Someone that used to live in my street would frequently let her maltese and jrt out in the unfenced front yard to toilet. One day when I was driving down the street, a cat happened to run across the road and the maltese took off after it, straight under the front of my car. Her dog that 'never went on the road' was very nearly killed. And this is a very quiet, no through road. The maltese was fine by the way, but why take the risk.

That's interesting because I've just recently tried a bag of BH to see what it was like and had similar problems - gurgling tummies, soft poops, and terrible flatulence. I stopped feeding it and they're now back on their normal dry food and the problems are gone. I actually found the kibble size too small for my boys anyway, as they tended to gulp more rather than chew.

Well any time now someone will come along and tell us what this law is that you are all referring to about having to have a front fence if you have a dog, seriously I would like to know, - apparently it is Australia wide as you are all in different states but seem to be expert in these doggy "laws". I just love it when people refer to things as having to be done "by law". Trouble is in most instances they are a bit vague about which law they are talking about - you know its just "the vibe". :laugh: Perhaps have a look at your own local laws. In my area, the local law states that land must be fenced to prevent wandering or escaping - not that many residents comply, nor that it is necessarily enforced.

Not true - only if it is adequately fenced. Not having a go at you but seriously - how many dog owners here don't know the laws that apply to them? It is very easy for a dog to cross a road to have a go/say hello to another one. It has happened to me a few times. This is the very reason why dogs get more and more reactive. With every incident the behavior becomes more ingrained. Sure, you can work on making things better, but in order to do that you need to keep your dog below the threshold. With the "don't worry he's friendly" crowd letting their dogs do whatever they want, this is very hard to achieve. Haredown Whippets - I'm genuinely surprised at the position you've taken. I've always thought you were a stickler for the law. Totally agree. The local law here states that land must be adequately fenced to prevent wandering or escape. However far too many houses here have no front fence or inadequate fencing, so that dogs are free to wander. It's the reason why I no longer walk the streets with my reactive dogs.

Similar experience here - slight improvement for a short period after the end of the initial course, but no response to the boosters. My older dogs continue to get glyde.

I've just done the same actually, ordered some from clean run. It worked out quite a bit cheaper for me too because I ordered a few things. Ordered a couple of the new crackle balls too. For years the ones I've bought have always had the high pitched squeak, until the last lot I got from clean run at Christmas which had the deeper squeak. The ones I've got with the deeper squeak don't seem to last as long, they seem to crack more easily. It feels like the rubber is softer. My dogs still love them, though the deeper squeak is easier on my ears lol.

Thanks, unfortunately the mediums are out of stock.

I usually stock up on isqueak balls when Clean Run has free shipping, but I haven't seen them as part of free shipping for a while now and I need to buy some more. They're available here but are twice the price. Has anyone bought them at a good price from anywhere else?

Not regret as such because they all went to wonderful homes, but there are some I would have loved to keep. But then I think if I had kept them, I wouldn't have the foster failures I do now. :)

I would also suggest taking him to a chiro vet. Ray Ferguson at Monash vet is very good. I have two dogs with spinal/lameness issues that were not diagnosed correctly (by multiple vets) until I took them to Ray.

I've used them too with no problems.

Tried it briefly a while ago but stopped for the same reason - it was hard to locate. No problems with it though.

California Natural is also good for allergy dogs.

Thanks, he did have a course of cartrophen earlier in the year, but he has recently recovered from discospondylitis and is still on daily dexamethasone for a collapsed disc. He still sometimes shows signs of pain in the evenings though which is when the vet suggested using a heat pack. A warmer coat would be easy. Would body heat alone be enough to help ease the pain? In my experience, yes. A warm dog won't feel it as badly. Is an infra red lamp a possibility - he can move away from it if it gets too hot. I would also consider a heated bed. He doesn't have a heated bed as such but he does have snuggle safe disc for his bed. I hadn't thought of an infra-red lamp, thanks.

Thanks, he did have a course of cartrophen earlier in the year, but he has recently recovered from discospondylitis and is still on daily dexamethasone for a collapsed disc. He still sometimes shows signs of pain in the evenings though which is when the vet suggested using a heat pack. A warmer coat would be easy. Would body heat alone be enough to help ease the pain?

That's an idea, it would certainly be easy to keep over his back. Would that be as effective as heat packs in relieving pain?

Yes, thanks. I wonder if there are any with proper insulation that don't get too hot?

Thanks, yes I didn't want something too heavy. It's mainly for use in the evenings when he is resting on the couch. I can hold a heat pack on his back for a while, but it doesn't stay in place when he moves.

Can anyone recommend a good heat pack for a dog with back pain? Coco is an older boy with spinal issues. I'm looking for one that will sit comfortably on his back and preferably not slide off when he moves.