Papillon Kisses

Hey, so I don’t know about schutzhund, but if you’re open to other dog sports and seeing what your GSD likes best, there is a list of K9 Nose Work instructors at this link: http://acsw.com.au/certified-instructors/ It’s the same sort of training that bomb, drug etc detection dogs do and it’s suitable for all ages.

Relax and make it fun for your puppy. Focus on the two of you and your bond.

My dog has had negative responses to some medications or doses thereof, but if we had not persevered his mental health wouldn’t be where it is today. If you were only working with a general practitioner that may have been part of the problem, as they get very little training in behaviour medicine. Look here for a veterinarian with further qualification in behaviour: https://www.anzcvs.org.au/chapters/veterinary+behaviour+chapter many do remote consults if there is no one near you.

I’m so sorry to hear of the attack and the psychological damage it has done to your dog. I also have a fearful dog, and for me the first port of call is avoidance and trained behaviours. We walk at times and places where we’re less likely to see other dogs - industrial areas outside business hours can be good for this, and have a bunch of trained behaviours up our sleeves. Things like emergency u-turns to increase distance, find it (treat scatters), go behind me, and he’ll play Look At That when we have more distance. An appropriate fitted and conditioned basket muzzle can also act as a good people-with-dogs-deterrent. Increasing your environmental awareness is also integral. Consider your walk locations not just from a will-I-see-dogs point of view but also if I see them, can I cross the road or go up driveways or hide behind things, and are there blind corners or congested pathways that I need to avoid. If you can pick up your beagle, are there things you can put her onto or into if an attacking or rowdy dog approaches e.g. cars, garbage bins, or those electricity box things. I highly recommend working with a positive trainer, plus a veterinary behaviourist if your dog is more than a little worried. I think registrations might have closed but there’s a Management for Reactive Dogs course on Fenzi at the moment and a webinar of the same name comes up every so often. When off leash dogs approach us my first reaction second to asking the owner to call their dog is to throw high value treats (which you should always have on you anyway) at the other dog. It won’t stop a determined attacker, but it honestly stops most dogs in their tracks and buys you some time to high tail it. The great thing about it is that you’re not adding fuel to the fire with aversives, and the other dog sniffing can be a cue for your dog that they mean no threat. If you choose to use an umbrella as a shield make sure you use positive reinforcement methods to condition your dog to its use. The last thing you want is to add to your dog’s fear by scaring them with the umbrella when another dog approaches them.

I’d definitely get a full blood panel and work up, and consider the change of seasons extra coat dump, but will add that dogs can also shed bucketloads when anxious, which he might be with all these changes.

I think this is who they’d want to contact if in WA. https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection They essentially have a breach of contract.

Sending love

I’d probably switch to Bravecto in that instance, but it’s best to ask your vet. Sometimes they have specific recommendations for your dog, area, activities. I remember back when Frontline stopped working.

Wonderful news!

Yes, Dr Jaime Jackson at Primal Paws. Jumabaar on DOL. She’s Malcolm’s rehab/prehab vet and has been able to make diagnoses and prescribe treatment plans (exercises, massage, better pain relief protocols), when our regular can’t work out what exactly is wrong or what to do besides rest and pain relief, or when I go ‘something’s not quite right’ but can’t pinpoint it. She’s amazing and we love her.

Jaime does Skype consults if you’d like her eyes/opinion? She might have contacts in NZ too?

I follow what Tufts says. Go straight to the source.

You might want to rethink TOTW re diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy.

Put your hands on her body and check against this score chart: https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Body-Condition-Score-Dog.pdf When I first got my dog, who needed to lose weight, the vet gave me a rough figure and then we saw how he went. That figure ended up being a sort of ‘pet weight’ as show/dog sports people would say. Not fit, but not exactly overweight. He looks better at 200g less (this is a tiny dog lol). In terms or how quickly a dog should gain or lose weight, I would ask a vet. Just like losing weight too quickly can cause health issues, so can gaining too fast.

You could ask for a referral to see a Veterinary ophthalmologist if you are concerned about his vision.

That’s if the breeder is feeding an appropriate diet, and if you want to feed something else you then gradually switch it over. However, this isn’t a balanced diet, so I don’t think a slow switch would be safe. Best to discuss it with your vet.

That is not even remotely a balanced diet. Speak to your vet about a complete and balanced diet for your puppy.

I’ve replied on your other post.

Hi! I have an anxious and reactive dog myself, though he’s much much better since we got help from a Behaviour Vet (aka Veterinary Behaviourist) and a positive reinforcement trainer. Getting his underlying anxiety disorder diagnosed and treated was key. The first thing to do is get a thorough vet exam. I always recommend getting a blood panel too. Something to check for is pain, as it could help explain everything from the harness woes, to the walking, to the dog issues. For this you may want to see a rehab vet or physio as sometimes their keen eye picks up on things that GP vets miss. This is a factor with my dog. It sounds like your 8 year old does better without the pup, and you also don’t want pup learning that dogs are to be feared. So don’t walk them together, but more than this, I would actually STOP walking your 8 year old for now. Yes, that’s right: stop walking. This may seem radical, but if your dog feels like he’s walking in a war zone (which he does), that’s not good for his mental or physical health. Chronic stress does a number on the body, and every time he gets that burst of cortisol and reacts, his behaviour becomes more entrenched. Instead, increase his mental enrichment at home while you wait for help, and work on some foundation behaviours so they’re ready to roll out when you walk again. This podcast gives a number of ideas for enrichment: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1185767/4649111-emily-strong-cdbc-cpbt-ka-sba-and-allie-bender-cdbc-cpdt-ka-sba So what are some of these foundation behaviours/cues? - hand targets, for redirecting your dog and checking in with how they’re going mentally. - “let’s go” aka u-turns, for increasing distance from other dogs, and teaching them that moving away from the dog is an option instead of doing barky-lungy (or other) behaviour to try to make the other dog go away. This is a personal favourite of mine. - go behind me, for body blocking other dogs from your dog when needed - go sniff, another alternate behaviour to reacting, that has the bonus of calming your dog down and potentially the other dog as well (calming signal). Super simple, just toss food and cue them to sniff it (I point). Another favourite of mine. - Look At That is another we do but that fell into place when we did controlled setups with other dogs. Once you’ve got the all clear from your vet, or any problems treated, then we can start working on his behaviour. For that, check the Pet Professional Guild website for a positive reinforcement trainer: https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/find-a-professional. I see you’re in Melbourne. A number of force free trainers are offering video consults, and then you can work in person when things open up. You might also need to consult Behaviour Vet. There are a few options in Melbourne: https://www.k9events.com/behaviour-vets.html#vic If you’re on Facebook look up these two groups: Canine Enrichment, and Anxious Dogs of Australia Support Group. Hope this helps, and remember the golden rule: keep your dog feeling safe!

As you’ll see in the group, there is treatment for CCD (not cures, but treating symptoms, delaying progression, & improving QOL) such as medications, supplements, special diets, behaviour management & modification, and enrichment. http://www.crosspaws.com.au/resources/Canine-Cognitive-Dysfunction-Kersti-Seksel.pdf https://dogdementia.com/

My favourite commercial treats are (were with an IBD dog?!) K9 Naturals Freeze Dried Lamb Tripe. It is puppy crack. I would break them in two for the tiny dog. With a puppy I’d have half the mind to get one of the prime 100 rolls that are suitable for growth and dice it into little cubes!

Malcolm yodels at the vet when kept for the day, if his emotional needs are not taken care of. The specialist hospital decided that he must be part basenji. As @tdierikx would say... errr! Also I am disappointed that no one gets or appreciates my bazinga reference.

Our vet had us try psyllium husk (unflavoured Metamucil). I don’t remember the dose. You could ask them about Glandex.

Ask your vet.

Do you think there may be an element of canine cognitive dysfunction?