Papillon Kisses

Small dog owner problems: When you see some really cute dog jumpers in Spotlight ... and then realise they are actually hot water bottle covers.

I'll try to not go too off topic but is that with K9 Nose time? If so - you'll have a blast and are in 1000% the most capable hands in the entire world :) Seriously amazing group of trainers. There's a few more places doing it in Sydney now! I'm interested in going to The Dog Project in Wollongong. Positive Paws in Campbelltown also run classes. K9 Nose Time at Castle Hill are too far out of the way for me. :)

I probably didn't explain myself well enough. Because Malcolm shut down AND because of the degree of qualifications required, I didn't pursue it. Any sort of class didn't seem to be for him. And that's ok, you work with and love the dog that you have. We do our own training and other fun stuff together. :) Speaking generally though, as I think Jules also is, I don't see why just basic obedience isn't ok, doing agility it with a dog who can sit, has recall, isn't going to go bolting mid run and attack other dogs, in a class where other dogs aren't going to attack him. Which sounds like what Willem's club did. That may have previously been doable for Mal for various reasons, or it may not have been. It certainly wouldn't be doable now. But I wasn't going to put him through a gazillion obedience classes just to find out. I hope this clears it up. :)

When I first got Malcolm I wanted to do dogs sports with him as he's an athletic little dog (more so when he was younger), but that flew out of the window when I learnt you had to pass the club's *advanced* level obedience classes.... and I had a dog that shut down completely in in basic small group classes. So it wasn't for him, but it always came across to me as very snobbish. I understand having a certain level of basic training, but it was like they only let the perfect dogs have any fun. I'm very excited to be starting Nosework classes in July!! In Nosework classes, dogs of ALL abilities are accepted and the dogs are all kept separate to each other if needed and brought in one at a time to the room so there is NO interaction with other dogs and the environment isn't loud and chaotic. The act of sniffing works as an anxiolytic (they can't sniff and worry at the same time or something) and other parts of the environment can be modified too, so it's perfect for dog-reactive dogs, anxious dogs, elderly or disabled dogs... basically any dog that has a nose. http://scentsabilitiesnw.com/blog/why-nosework-works.html

That makes me feel a lot better! Yes, I hate people who don't have effective control of their dogs and let them rush because "they're friendly and just want to play!" Well your dog is actually being rude and you're breaking the law. We eventually passed the house where the dog had came from. Two tradies were out the front packing their ute. They looked at me like I had three heads.

Good luck on the weekend from Malcolm and me, too!! Stand your ground with the trainer, you know your dog the best! We had a completely uneventful walk today, and thank goodness it was uneventful because the last one certainly wasn't! I'll preface this by saying we've been instructed by our VB to avoid all dog encounters at the moment. We walk in quiet times, in known areas (main roads are great), and don't even go down streets which have dogs barking behind fences. So last Friday Mal was sniffing a fence when an on-leash poodley type dog approached from behind. The dog and handler were very quiet so by the time they came closer, it was too late to make a calm getaway. We were also boxed in. So the admittedly well-behaved, more-focused-on-walking poodle mix came within less than half a meter of Mal, Mal looked at the dog and I think registered it, then went back to sniffing the fence! I know sniffing can be a displacement behaviour but I was really pleased, as having a dog suddenly appear by his side can scare him. It was only when the dog was further ahead that his body language changed: ears up, stiffer body, alert. Next dog encounter wasn't so good. We were walking when I saw a leashed dog in the distance coming our way. As instructed, I did a u-turn and went down a seemingly quiet street. I could hear a dog whimpering with excitement from further down across the road but assumed it was behind a fence. Famous last words. The biggest Ridgeback I've ever seen in my life came hurtling towards Malcolm with no owner in sight. It actually did just want to (completely inappropriately) play, but Mal's stress levels were through the roof and Mr Ridgie Didge was ignoring both of us asking him to back off. And this is the exciting part: Mal remembered his training from years ago when we did lots of quasi BAT, and instead of snapping at the dog and escalating the situation, he stood behind me so I could perform a body block. I went into full mama bear mode and ROARED "NO! GO HOME" complete with stop sign and pointing gestures. Oh my was the Ridgie shocked, he gave me a look like I had destroyed his feelings (are ridgebacks super sensitive?) before running back home. Maybe I overplayed my hand: I don't like yelling at dogs and am conscious that I need to remain calm around Malcolm, but I saw impending disaster. Malcolm would not have been able to do that years ago with a dog that was so large and full on; his fuse was a great deal shorter. I've also seen him dangling by the throat in a Rottie's jaws which doesn't help. I am seriously wondering if Mal's Adaptil collar attracted the dog. He really did come from no where, I don't think he could have seen us, and he was unbelievably excited to see Malcolm like he was a long lost friend or relative. Coupled with the feeling of total rejection when I told him to go, it just makes me wonder. This was a full grown dog btw, not a puppy. So anyway, I feel like a total b*tch but I'm SUPER PROUD of my boy. He was very stressed — he wanted to bolt out of there, was breathing hard and doing a series of crying yelps — but he didn't take too long to recover. He was exhausted when we got home though and I admit I was shaking for a bit. I think I need my own counter-conditioning and desensitisation program. Edited to add: Apologies for the super long essay. But anyway. Would you have done anything different with the ridgeback? Maybe I should have seen if I could get him to sit. I don't know. I felt I needed to get him away ASAP, which was probably true.

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I'm sorry for the loss of your treasured girl.

The other dog has since passed, but I'll write for you. As I mentioned, we lost our papillon, my heart dog Tuffy, to congestive heart failure. My advice is to have a plan for what you will do if Buddy goes downhill out of hours and needs to be given his wings ASAP. Know the opening hours of all local vets not just your own, know how long it takes to get to the emergency vet, know if you can call your vet and have them come to you or you to them for an emergency PTS. Have a neighbour or relative on call if you need someone to look after your daughter, have a blanket ready in the car, and so on. My precious little man did not have a nice death, all of the vets in our area were closed so we could not relieve his suffering. While he was calm right before he passed and was in my arms gazing up at me, the image of him suffering beforehand still haunts me and cuts me to shreds. I let the love of my life down when he needed me the most, by not having him be put down earlier. I hate typing this, because I know it will be very upsetting to read, but I do not want Buddy to suffer like Tuffy did, nor for you or your family to see what I saw, especially your daughter. It is easy to think, my dog is ok now, I want as much time as possible, I don't want to cut their life short. I don't want this post to have you cut short your time with Buddy either, please don't let it do that. I'm just saying, it is better for them to go a day early than a day late, and do not count on Buddy passing gently in his sleep as he may not. Dogs are incredibly stoic, and they're extremely good at hiding their pain when they love you and you are their entire world. I am thinking of you, your family and your darling Buddy, and sending you strength.

Whoa. I really like Malcolm's boomerang dog tag, but he'd need something a whole lot fancier to attach to one of those collars.

Do not have, but am kind of fawning over: Friendship Collar

A couple of years ago I n Mole Creek in Tasmania I met a little dog, I think he was a Jack Russell from memory, who has snatched up one day by an eagle. It happened right in front of one of the owners. The eagle just plucked the dog off their field and flew off with him in its talons. They don't know how far he was taken, but he was found 10km or so away by a neighbour who recognised him and brought him home. The dog was never the same: he became fearful and would bark at everything, but he survived and became a bit of a local celebrity. He is, or was, a very very brave little dog.

I was given a Dog's Life Magazine lift out yesterday which is all about holidaying with dogs. In the SA section of an article on "Canine Camping" there is this: *John Frith, author of "Bush Camping With Dogs" Another article talks about beach holidays. It states that there are over 30 dog friendly beaches but leashes are required during daylight-saving months. There's a long list which I assume can be found someone online. It specifically mentions beaches in the following areas: Kingston, Robe, the Onkaparinga area, Holdfast Bay, and the Charles Sturt region. There's no mention of suitable camping sites, but perhaps the locations might give you some ideas.

Last night I wrote a post in response to the thread about the dog who is in heart failure. I've saved it on my phone but fear it may be too upsetting for the general forum. It's not graphic but it does mention suffering and waiting too long. I could write here but I'm not sure it would help since it seems like you have more time. Our beloved papillon, Tuffy, died of congestive heart failure. My own heart breaks for you, Swain.

The above point cannot be stressed enough. It might also help to reframe your thinking about the issue. Thistle isn't disobeying your instruction as such, it's more that she can't obey them because she's too anxious. It's like... think of something that you'd find absolutely terrifying, maybe someone holding a gun to your head or heights or being in a pit of snakes. You might cry or scream, your heart would be pounding. Thistle's fear may be illogical to us, but it is very real to her. Her barking is your scream for help.

I'm so sorry Sarasmum.

I may or may not be jealous. :D

Sorry, I didn't see your post before I replied. I am so sorry to hear Maddison has gone downhill. I'm thinking of you, and pulling for her. xoxoxoxoxox

Dogs tend to hide their pain and illness very well. The behaviour change coupled with the gums, suggests to me that something is wrong with Maddison. With tomorrow being a Sunday and it only being 8pm, I'd at least call your vet and tell him what's happening. I don't think this would be an abuse of his out of hours service, if that is your concern. When I've been unsure, I've called my GP vet or, if out of hours, the team at Animal Referral Hospital Homebush (24 hour emergency hospital). I went to a pet first aid and dental presentation there some years ago, and they stressed that if you're ever concerned you can call them and have a chat, and they'll let you know if it warrants an emergency visit or if it's ok to wait it out until you can see your GP, and what you can do in the meantime (at home treatment and things to look out for). They are so calm and lovely when you're beside yourself with worry, I can't praise them enough. So while out of your area, if you really don't want to call your own vet perhaps you could call ARH? http://www.arhvets.com/contact-us.

You're not selfish. Not one bit. Loved ones of people with terminal illnesses go through the same thing: if it helps to put a name to it, you're grieving or having anticipatory grief. It might be nice if we could hold it all in and fall apart afterwards, but the heart doesn't work like that. It just means we love our special person or pet. Do you have a support system you can lean on outside of DOL? Do keep chatting here — those of us who have gone through loss / terminal illness with a beloved pet get it as much as we can — but be sure to let people in about how you're feeling, including your GP if you aren't coping and these feeling persist. Also try to make time to do some self-care and things you usually enjoy, to look after yourself. Listen to music, take a relaxing bath, go for a walk, etc. Even if you might not feel like it. Especially if you don't feel like it. Take care. xx

Better person than I. I just couldn't. Thanks Tassie, I was taking Scottsmum's approach despite this being my own thread, lol. I agree with what you have said. :)

I can't infer tone from your post, but please understand that my response was not a slight on you. I just think that one is best to contact their vet for health-related concerns; they know the puppy's history and all it would take is a quick phone call. In a public forum you can get a whole heap of different opinions, many not from vets or vet nurses or in your case an experienced breeder who has not had any issues. :)

Call your vet. :)

:thumbsup:

Oh swain that's horrible. Have you seen pet quality of life scales before? It might help you make a decision. As much as people say that you'll know when it's time, I don't think that's always the case and having it spelled out in front of you can help. There are a few scales around, here's two: https://journeyspet.com/pet-quality-of-life-scale-calculator/ http://www.aplb.org/resources/quality-of-life_scale.php (The first is probably more user friendly) With the compounding, you can also consider ringing up a few chemists. I really liked my old compounding chemist but found that another compounding chemist could make up the script for a LOT less. Thinking of you. x