neatz

I asked but no. Apparantly the owner says his kids are attached to the dog and he does not want to have to send the dog away and go through that only to have to take the dog back again.

Yes I could whack a gate up and split the yard up if necassary. Were your dogs friendly when they first met or were they stand-off-ish? If we get the dogs together and they are playfull and seem happy together should I presume it will be ok based on observation of that behaviour or would you still say keep them seperated? Also I'm worried about this jealousy thing. Did you have nasty fights in your house between the dogs or was one just pushing the other around?

I am considering re-housing a mature (2y.o) dog into my household of 2 dogs. One is a bitch of nearly one years and the other is a male of 7 months. They adore each other and no fights apart from the playful kind. The possible third dog is a Doberman which has shown some tendancy towards jealousy. It had nipped a child when the child was trying to get close to the adult which it had attached itself to. It did not act aggressively as such, it just nipped and then stood with head cocked when child responded by crying. This family is now looking to rehome dog as father doesn't want to risk dog biting his child. Would I be putting my dogs at risk of similar behaviour if it is brought into my houshold? Apparantly it is very friendly towards other dogs and on walks at the park he jut wants to play with other dogs. No aggression shown to people either. It is a desexed male. Any suggestions or has anyone else taken on a mature animal when they had pets already?

My dogs breath was rank during teething! now its back to normal as all of her puppy teeth have gone (some were surgically removed). also eating poo doesn't help

thespotteddevil, i play that game too! As for walking puppies I personally think that this is a much safer way to tire them out (controled walks on lead) than letting them run like crazy in your yard etc until they are more mature. I'm off to the vet tomorrow cos my dog is holding her back leg up limping (the dogs were tearing round the yard while I wasn't home) and I am so worried about her ACL . She is only 6 months old but she runs like a rocket and has no sense of caution. Just what I need......another vet bill

this does not sound good, keep them seperated. if the dog had attacked two children would you then see if things would be different with a third child? no you wouldn't because it has a history of this behaviour. sorry to sound harsh but I wouldn't gamble with the cat's life. not only is the cat possibly in serious danger but there is the guilt to deal with if something happens, and also the child who has become attached will be devastated as well (and will then probably hate the dog). And if that doesn't put your friend off think of the vet bills which could run into hundreds of dollars if not more.

thanks Rottisliebe. I was aware of that workshop, was hoping to join a more regular group for some ongoing advice/training.

Hi, I have a six month old Vizsla and would like to know if anyone has any tips on training at this age. What behaviours should I encourage and what should I avoid? Also is there anyone interested in meeting up for training sessions in either Broadmeadows region or Frankston region? Or are there any groups who meet in these ares? The dog is bred from excellent field trial lines and it would be a shame not to train her in what seems to come naturally to her. I have sent a line to the tracking club but as I understand it they don't hold training sessions as such, people meet in their own groups throughout melbourne.

Hi, I had a dobe x (see profile photo) who had a milder case of sep anxiety and I think it is common in the breed as I have seen Sherry's manerisms in other dobes. Also she almost always had a lick sore on her body somewhere from constant licking. This pretty much dissapeared as she got older but she also was given a companion (GSD) and if you are able to I would recomend this highly. I guess it's not addressing the problem but I found it helpful. Leaving radio on is good too. I definately wouldn't leave your dog in a kennel as this would be your dogs worst nightmare. On the plus side my dog Sherry was the canine equivalant of my soul mate (she was PTS recently) and she would never run off if I had her off lead, always came on recall (was top of her class all the way through obedience) and a couple of times I would come home from work to find gates blown open by wind and there was my girl in the back yard waiting for me. Be patient, seek help from your vet as there are perscription medications that can help and definately give the dog lots of exercise/obedience training. Also maybe let your neighbours know your situation and to give you some breathing space to work this out.

scarlet vizsla on far left Oscar the Border Terrier

I had the same problem with my pup Scarlet who is 6 months now. She knows to go "wewees" and will even scratch at back door, but a few times when she was playing it was almost like she didn't realise she had to go out until the last minute and then all of a sudden she would squat in front of me as though nothing were unusual. Just keep taking the dog out as much as you can and praise the good stuff. It will grow out of it. Scarlet needs to be let out a lot less now as well which is great!

I just picked up my eight week old pup on Monday (Border Terrier) and he makes it through the night too. Will let him out last thing and he usually wakes up around 7am for another. He also goes crazy and runs like a lunatic outside which is normal but sometimes I step in to calm things down if I think he is over doing it. If he tries to bite I grab his scruff and make a growling AGHT! noise and he immeadiatley starts to wag his tail and starts to go all licky and cute. I also do the ouch thing and let out a shreik if he tries to bite too hard and usually he looks up at me with a startled expression. It seems to work for me.

I have a six month old Vizsla and I just got a new pup on Monday! My pup is a Border Terrier and he is fearless also as he shares the house with Vizsla and a GSD. The GSD adores him and seems to have adopted him somewhat but the Vizsla is too rough and plays with him as though he were a big dog. I have bought two pens (combined for larger area) and made a spot for pup in the kitchen with toys, beds etc. I put him in there when I'm not around to supervise and let him out under strict supervision. When he is bigger he can mix full time with the others. Also I have never done puppy class before but I have booked in with this one. Playing with dogs his own height and age is less risky than the stampede that occurs in my backyard.

Scarlet is excellent when training and when we go outside she is totally under my control, never ventures far away, comes when called (she is nearly six months old now) but this aloofness only happens when she is settled in a spot either on my bed (yes I know, I know) or on the floor and is about to go to sleep. Sometimes I have gone in to kiss her on the head (yes I know bottom dwellers kiss/lick pack leaders on the face) and just as I'm about to, she turns her head away! Yet at other times she will lick 5 layers of skin off my face if given the chance. Has your dogs lack of interest changed Kamuzz? If so what do you think has helped you the most?

thanks bellasperson, you read me right! Settrlvr I would never try to break my dogs spirit, after all this is what I love about her. She is the most endearing little bugger (have you ever seen a Hungarian Vizsla wag its tail? They practically fold themselves in half) , apart from the aloof bit of course.

Thanks for advice. I came home from work today and was a bit of a tyrant to the poor girl. It was on her bed as soon as she even thought about playing up. I also made sure of making her do something as soon as I have asked for it. I will be over-dominating until I get total control and affection etc can come second to respect as pack leader. I think I have been too soft on the girl due to losing my beloved pet Sherry of ten years a few months ago and I have probably been a bit clingy with her rather than putting my foot down. Interesting to hear that a GSP has displayed this characteristic though. Wonder if this is a gundog thing?

Interesting, didn't look at it from that angle. It's funny cos she is so wiggly and happy most of the time but when she is aloof she is not touchy/feely at all and if I try and snuggle up to her she will often turn her head away. From now on I will regard this behaviour as "me time' and give her some space. Thanks for your input.

I recently purchased a puppy at 14 weeks old who had been returned to her breeder from a person who had changed her mind about owning her. She is a Vizsla and the previous owner had kept her in a tiny courtyard during the day whilst she was at work. Within a week of her purchase she went for a two week holiday and had a pet sitter check on her and walk her, so she spent most of her time alone. The problem: I'm not sure if this is a behavioural problem or if it just a personality trait but sometimes as an example I will let her on my bed and instead of picking a spot near me she will go to the furthest corner away from me and if I call he over for a cuddle she gives me a look as if to say 'get stuffed'. Has anyone else experienced this also? She is nearly six months now and she is very affectionate and loves people but sometimes she gets this look on her face and in all my years of owning dogs this is the first time I have had a dog behave like this. I have had pack order issues with her also where she has tried to dominate me and she is also very head strong. I'm not sure if this is her trying to be pack leader or if she has just learned to be independent due to her start in life.