Jaxx'sBuddy

my dog communicates with me. not only do we understand each other but without words she knows things. for example, i can get up 10 times to make a cup of tea. but on the 11th time she jumps up and follows me....why?....because i have decided that whilst i get the cup of tea i will get her food ready? how did she know? if i don't feel well my dog hangs around, licks my hair and sits very close? why? what does she get out of this? would she do this if she was intimidated by me? i don't care if every dog expert in the world tells me that i need to intimidate my dog to get her obedience because i want more from my dog than obedience, the cost is just wouldn't be worth it to me. BTW, there is no way my dog would growl, snap, or do anything like that to me because it just doesn't cross her mind that this is a possible way for her to behave. i have a well behaved dog who fits into my lifestyle and we get on...i am happy and this is enough for me. to the OP, i think that you would get great help from a behaviouralist who could watch the interaction between you and your dog and who could help you ajust the balance so you and your dog can live better together.

you're welcome, good luck

i have the same problem. i drop food and my dog waits for me to tell her to eat it. so what i use is toys or bits of plastic (which she loves to chew) or anything else she values and i leave this stuff around and then tell her to leave it.

i have seen this in a friends cocker.....it was very worrying to see

i have a short haired dog and i use a hacksaw blade. i rub it along the hair in the same direction and it gets all the loose hair out. really cheap and effective and give the dog a nice back scratch. she is a sensitive little thing and she has no issues with this. eta that it works the same way as the shedding blade

dogs are not wolves. maybe you just lucked out with the food routine

i would take her to the vet. most dogs shut their mouths at some time during the day. that with starting to be fussy with food and it off for a trip to the vet i think

i had a small dog that did exactly this. turned out that she had a stomach ache and when that went away she was fine.

i have a Boston like this and i do what jaybeece has suggested. it works but i need to be really consistant.

i know that some well known puppy selling franchise has the sole rights to disctribute some dog foods, ie evo, so this may be the case with natura unfortunately

yes please, what change? i use eagle pack holistic duck and oatmeal.

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) first time owner 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? the breed was developed in the USA by Robert C Hooper from a cross between a white English Terrier and an english Bulldog. it was recognised as a breed by the AKC in 1893 3. How common is it in Australia? i think it is uncommon with a long wait for puppies 4. What is the average lifespan? 12-15 years 5. What is the general temperament/personality? terrific dogs, intelligent and comical. very clean dogs and are bred as companion animals now, although there is a rumour that they were once bred to fight. they need to be inside dogs as the don't tolerate the heat or cold very well. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? they don't need much physical exercise but they do need mental stimulation 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? yes as long as they are prepared to have an inside dog 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? yes. they do want human company though 9. How much grooming is required? very little, a bath monthly and a brush weekly 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? i wouldn't recommend them for small children or the elderly as they have a habit of doing zoomies and they pay no attention to what is in their way when doing them. they could easily bowl over kids. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? i am not sure if all of the following are hereditary but they are common to Bostons, Glaucoma, Juvenile Cataracts, Patellar Luxation, Hemivertebrae, brachycephalic syndrome, demonodectic mange 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) health tests for PRA, CERF, also, check teeth and knees. because they are a brachy breed a responsible breeder is important.

what i do as it can't harm is a saline bath for the eye. that way if there is any foreign body in there it will come out. also saline is soothing and should reduce the redness if it is topical. i would do this then take to vet tomorrow if it is still red.

my dog does this always especially if she is really happy. i just took it as an expression of her happiness. i am a simple person!!!

also, make sure you are using rough sandpaper if this is the first time you have used it. i used rough all the time but you could use finer sandpaper if you use the dremel regularly. as said above, you need to put pressure onto the nail BUT please only do it in short bursts of no more than 5 seconds then go to the next nail as the nail becomes very hot. i do this then go back to the first nail after i have done the others and start again. when you get close to the quick the dog will show you as they get a bit more discomfort.

glad to hear Hamlet had an uneventful night, you will be exhausted byt bed time tonight.

you know, i also have a pragmatic approach to going to the vets and i think i am a great dog owner!!! i have also lived out bush and have had to do my fair share of stiching up cuts and healing boils and everything else in between. it just makes you very handy to have around. no criticism from me. so the main thing is to keep the puppy quiet and maybe lie him on a warm hot water bottle to give him some relief. is there an after hours vet you could call to ask them what they would do and what to watch out for? i hope you have a very smelly house soon!!!!!!

i feed whole fish, if there are spines i remove them as i dont want to risk injury

You can buy them at petbarn in bags of 10 or 20, they work out to be around $2 each. The other place is on ebay, where you can purchase them for much cheaper at $1 each. The sellers shop is called dog food 2 u. Sheeps ears are apparently much smaller and also very low in fat. They might be worth a go for a smaller dog. thank you for the info, much appreciated...off to ebay now!

i have a small dog, a Bostone Terrier who has allergies and these would be great for her. can you tell me whwther they would be ok for her in relation to size? sorry but i have never seen them so i don't know whether they are only good for big dogs. also, where would i buy them please?

i will be interested to see if it works. i would use canned crushed pineapple as it is easier to hide in their food!!!

people overseas i know have been working with puppy farm rescues and they eat their poop because otherwise it stayed in the cage they found that the pineapple worked. the dogs were Boston Terriers so a similar size to pugs. google coprophagia and pineapple and you will find lots of info. i have it from reliable sources that it worked for their dog. however, i imagine that it won't work for all dogs. why i like it is it is a natural food and nothing bad for the puppies, it can't hurt to try it

i have been told that if you put pineapple in their food it makes the pooh taste terrible to them. i would put a spoonful on each dogs food every time you feed them and see if it works

i think the diet for dogs with pancreatitis needs to have very little fat so maybe that's why they wouldn't do well on raw

Demodectic Mange is a condition that Boston Terriers can have more frequently than the rest of the dog population. i am on another forum specific to this breed and this issue is discussed at length as many rescue Bostons have this the consensus is that it could be genetic. Dogs with mange may have an inherited (genetic) or acquired immune defect that fails to keep the mite numbers in check. here is some info: CAN THE PUP BE BRED LATER? Sometimes the puppy with localized demodicosis was obtained for breeding purposes. The current recommendation is not to treat these puppies so that we can determine if the condition will stay localized and resolve or if it will generalize. If it stays localized and eventually resolves without treatment, the animal is still a candidate for breeding. If the condition generalizes to cover the entire body, the animal should be sterilized. All dogs raised normally by their mothers possess this mite as mites are transferred from mother to pup via cuddling during the first few days of life. Most dogs live in harmony with their mites, never suffering any consequences from being parasitized. If, however, conditions change to upset the natural equilibrium (such as some kind of suppression of the dog's immune system), the Demodex mites may "gain the upper hand." The mites proliferate and can cause serious skin disease. Demodectic mange (unlike Sarcoptic mange) is not considered a contagious disease and isolation of affected dogs is generally not considered necessary. That said, there are some circumstances under which the mites could spread from one dog to another. Current thinking is that mites actually can be transferred from one dog to another but as long as the dog is healthy, the mites simply add into the dog's natural mite population and no skin disease results. A large percentage tend to self-cure when they reach immunologic maturity which may range from 8 months to 3 years of age, depending on the breed. It is estimated that 90% of pups affected will improve naturally if given supportive care. The 10% which are considered to have generalized mange should be considered to be immunologically crippled but can be made symptomatically better by using treatments to kill the mite population, and thereby lessening the incidence of bacterial infections. now from the forum overseas, many vets seem to immediately think the dog has allergies and are treated for this and there is no effect on the mange. most do try to put their dogs on a better diet because this should help the dogs immune system become stronger. i have heard of the following being used to treat (but some may not be available in australia): Ivermectin is a broad spectrum anti-parasite medication (however, some this is not used in some breeds, ie collies), melatonin, AMITRAZ (MITABAN) DIPS (not for toy breeds or young dogs), Interceptor, Goodwinol Ointment, Clavamox, bath with iodine shampoo and then spray them with 5% iodine spray everyday till it gets better, ProMeris. also, i think one of the pug rescues had a pug with really bad mange so search for that post and maybe there will be something there. good luck