je33ie

It can't be old poo - he's a very clean dog and we wash his bed regularly. And I'm pretty sure it would still smell...

Now there's been some strange things come out of my Labrador but I've never seen this before! This morning on his bed there was a hard brown lump that looked like a tiny poo and I have no idea what it was! It was about the size of a small olive and was shaped a bit like one too. It didn't smell like poo at all, and was aa bit crumbly when I picked it up in a tissue. It didn't really have a smell (I was expecting it to be terrible and went in very gingerly! ) Any ideas?

When I said 'try anything it takes', I meant that I will try the training and careful introduction required to help them get along. If it doesn't work out, we're happy to keep the fostering happening as she's a gorgeous dog and I love her to bits. Sorry if you took me the wrong way. I would NEVER put a foster into a home where I didn't think the new parents could handle the dog. She has had basic training - we've taught her to sit, stay, down, high-five, roll-over, recall and she's learning to jump through a hoop. She learns things very quickly so I think she'll respond well to the 'gentle' training, provided her new owners have the patience to go through with it. Don't worry, I'll be asking a lot of questions before I hand the kelpie over. I also didn't give the whole story earlier (sorry!), the schnauzer is actually the next-door neighbour's dog who visits all the time. So they need to get along during the visits but it wouldn't be a permanent arrangement and it wouldn't be 'bullying' as such.

Thanks all, I'll go with an open mind and if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out.

Thanks, no, I haven't tried time-outs, but that's a really good idea.

No offence but if the dog isnt suitable around certain dogs then it isnt the perfect home. Are they fully aware of what you have said here?? Is its a std schnauzer or mini schnauzer?? Yeah, I know. I guess it's not the perfect home if they don't get along, but we've had this foster for months now and I'm willing to try anything it takes. It's a standard schnauzer, but on the small side of a std.

We're fostering a 9 month old kelpie and we have found her the perfect forever home - one hitch: they have an older schnauzer and we are worried they won't get along. My experiences with the kelpie and smaller dogs haven't been good. The kelpie wants to play (and by play, I mean jumping on the other dog, play-biting, pawing wildly) and when she does this to bigger dogs, or other kelpies, or young dogs, they all get along fine. But when it's a small, old dog, the smaller dog starts to yipe and the kelpie just won't stop until I pull her off. Is this agression? I don't think it is. HELP! How can I help her get along with the schnauzer so the people are willing to take her on!?!? We're going down to meet them on Saturday so fingers crossed it works out!

I'd never heard of a Basenji before but she looks just like them! She was dumped at Muswellbrook pound (west of Newcastle) though so I don't know how many Basenjis live out there on the farms ;) For those who have never heard of a basenji either, here's a pic:

Yeah we were thinking foxie - but don't they have short tails?

OH and I have been racking our brains trying to work out what our foster is crossed with. We're pretty sure she's part kelpie but can't work out the rest. Here's some pics - what do you think? Some pointers: - she has spots on her white chest - her tail is long and thin and curls up sometimes - she barks a lot and is very agile PS She's gorgeous and is up for adoption on the puppies page (under 'Zulu') at http://www.hunteranimalrescue.com.au/

Losing a pet is such a difficult time, especially when you two were so close. I lost my special girl in July last year and at the time I was having similar thoughts to you. I saw a counsellor and it really helped! I know it might not seem like it right now, but time does make things better. Give yourself time to grieve, don't make any major life decisions, and ask for support from people around you. When you are ready, you will find another dog to give all your love to (as I have with my new foster girl Zulu). If she has gone to a home as a Christmas present, she might be having the time of her life. Try to look at the positive: she might be seeing this all as a great holiday! I hope everything works out for you!!

We have come a long way in a week or so with Zulu! Today I was able to take her for a walk and she met two dogs and didn't bark once. As we gradually (and carefully) introduce her to dogs and people, she has become much more relaxed. I actually don't think she has fear aggression at all now (maybe I jumped to conclusions?) and the barking was more just a playful response to new dogs/people. I will keep an eye on her though and be careful in new situations. Thanks for all your help though!

This advice is correct. The OP only just bought this dog, and if she is having problems, she needs to talk to the people she bought it from. If they are not given the opportunity to fix things it is not fair to be complaining about one of their dogs on the internet. This dog has been in foster care, was it mentioned when the dog was bought that you needed it to be able to mix with other dogs? Were you told it didn't like other dogs? What information was provided about him? If you do decide to stick with this dog, HAR should help with the work you need to do. If the dog didn't have the aggression problems while it was in foster care, it may be that it would be better suited in a different home to yours. Just to clarify, I am the foster carer, not the forever home, so she's come to my house straight from the pound. I think our house is the first time she has ever been inside a house, as she had never seen a mirror, a glass door or a tv before - so I doubt she's had any formal training or socialisation in her life. HAR have been wonderfully supportive, and I'm currently liaising with them about what options we have for the kelpie in question. In the meantime, I've been trying out the focussing exercises and they're coming along well. If she goes to bark at the front door when a person/dog is walking past, I get her attention on me and we play a game. I also took her for a walk this morning and got her to sit for a treat every now and then so she was focussed on me (although she did bark quite wildly at a dog we passed!). We'll see if HAR can give me access to a behaviourist and hopefully I (and her new forever home) can train her into becoming a well-adjusted dog. Thanks for all your help on here!

Thanks everyone for the ideas! No, she hasn't bitten another dog so I don't know if it is fear aggression. I like the ideas of games for her to distract her when barking. This is a good idea! I'll talk to HAR to see what they think.

Bump

I've heard dogs can be in quarantine for 6 months if you go to America, which wouldn't be much fun for the dog (we were considering it when we wanted to back-pack around America, but quickly changed our minds!)

Hi all! We've got a 5 month old rescue kelpie ('Zulu' on the puppy page of Hunter Animal Rescue) who seems to be displaying some fear aggression towards other dogs. She's come from the pound, and has spent a large chunk of her life in a cage (both at the pound and the vet as she's a parvo-survivor) so I doubt she's had much (if any) socialisation with dogs. I took her to the beach once and she was a nightmare - launching herself at other dogs, barking, spinning in circles and being generally VERY stressed about the whole situation. I've had a successful play session with our friend's kelpie (once the inital barking and fear calmed down), but she scared the life out of my cousin's mini schnauzer who got aggressive back at her because of the barking and that didn't end well. My mum has a doberman who's a gentle giant, so I'm thinking of introducing them. Any ideas on: - how I can best introduce Zulu to dogs, so she's not so stressed? - whether I should be encouraging more doggy play-dates? - when she starts barking and getting scared, am I best to let her go, or to pick her up until she calms down? She's also VERY protective of me and our house, and will bark like mad for ages if anyone comes near me or the house (people walking past can have her going crazy at the front door for minutes after they've passed... it's not fun). Any suggestions much appreciated!!!

Hi Bozthepup!!! First up, please come join us in the lab forum at http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...730&st=2175 we love new puppies and we'll share our experiences with you!!! There's lots of lab lovers who will share your pains and joys in raising this little bundle of fun. As for exercise, one thing I learnt was don't push your pup and make sure he gets plenty of rest. I was so keen to take Geordie out for walks I probably started walking her too early, and now at 6 months I don't think waiting would have made any difference at all. It's also good to keep them out of public until they've had all their shots. Play lots of games at home, and make sure you do 'forced time-out' if they start to look tired. Geordie slept so much in the first month that we had her (I think it was something like 20 hours out of 24, with bursts of play in between). You'll start to recognise the needs of your pup over time... Enjoy every minute - I'm so jealous of you!!

Hi Mandy... congrats on getting your new puppy!!! I'm not sure about the first problem, but it's good to teach your pup good manners when opening doors from day one. Teach your puppy the 'sit' command (with food luring... you'll learn this at puppy pre-school) and ask for a sit every time you open a door. This will be when letting him in a door or letting him out. We tried to be 100% consistent with Geordie when she was a puppy and didn't fully open a door until her bottom was firmly on the ground. As your puppy gets better, you can ask for a longer sit and a release command before letting him through the door. Good luck and remember it's never too early to start training!

Thanks K9!! I read this a few months before I got my puppy so I was prepared for the different stages. I'm surprised at how spot-on you were with the first fear period... it seems as though the day Geordie turned 12 weeks all that boldness and fearlessness disappeared and we suddenly had a dog that would jump at the smallest noise. Through it now though and now we've found ourselves a 16 week old little terror!

Haha, Fozzie, I do the exact same thing with Geordie... it's the only thing that works! I pick her up and hold her suspended between my legs looking away from anything fun. I find anything else I do she enjoys too much (i.e. put her outside, she runs round the backyard; put her in the bathroom, she eats all the toilet paper; in her crate, she messes up her bed)... Shouting at her revs her up even more. Ignoring her revs her up even more... Sorry, not much help!!

Another thing you can try when you take him out is to completely ignore him. Stand still with your arms crossed until he goes, then when he does go give him lots and lots of cuddles and attention and play. This way he'll learn that to have fun he has to do his wees first. That pic at the back door's so cute!

Congrats on getting your new lab puppy!!! Please come join us in the lab forum where you can show us some pics and share all your fun stories!! There's a bunch of people who are all mad about labs and they've been a godsend for me and my 16 week old Geordie!!! http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...&start=1680 As for the food, get him onto a good quality dog food that you can only buy from the vets or large pet supply shops. That way they get all their nutrition from the food and any additional food you give is for treats only (chicken wings etc.). I'd wait it out for a few days and see if it settles down. All the stress from moving can affect their poos so hopefully they'll firm up soon! I also heard that milk can cause upset tummies so maybe stay away from that? Anyway, good luck and I hope to see you in the lab forum soon!! One important question: is he yellow, choc or black?

He's so cute!!!! The vinegar should work... you can scrub all you like with other cleaners but dogs' noses are so powerful they'll still smell the wee there. Good luck and let us know how you go! Geordie just woke up one morning and decided not to wee in the house anymore, but I'm still finding it hard to get her to tell me she needs to go out. I've heard that you can put a bell at the door and everytime you go out you ring it, then the dog can start ringing the bell when he needs to go out. I might start trying that with Geordie soon. Enjoy your week off with your pup!

We feed Geordie Advance but after reading that awesome site Botheration, I'm considering switching to Orijen, as I like the idea of a grain-free food. We've just bought our second 15kg bag of Advance though so she'll have to wait!!