raffikki

Hi BaileyWei They do have chew toys, Electra sometimes wakes up and plays with one, Rhino just prefers to snooze. I have thought about edible chews in the evenings to keep them awake longer, but am a bit worried because Rhino is a hog and in the lounge room there is really nothing I can tether them too. (to keep him chewing his own and not Electra's) They have their own room that they have a crate(open) they share. There is about 4 large towels in there and it's covered with a light quilt. They are quite warm to touch in the mornings, though the whole house does get pretty cold

Hi everyone who reads this I have a bit of a habit I'm wanting to break but have no idea how to start. My beautiful puppies Electra(17weeks) & Rhino(16 weeks) are really going well, except for they sleep a lot in the afternoons, before and after dinner, and are waking between 5 & 5.30am When they wake they want to play, play fight and run around but it's sooo cold outside I'm very hesitant to put them out to burn some of the excess energy. At the moment I'm allowing them to play in the kitchen where I am, I've put carpet down so they don't slip around, but I'm a bit worried that this kitchen playing will become a habit. I can just imagine 2 fully grown Amstaffs reeking havoc in such a small area I have put it down to the cold weather, and the fact that they play heaps during the day. At the moment they are getting dinner between 5 & 5.30pm and breakfast around 7am. I am hoping for ideas to keep them awake longer in the evenings, so far I have tried short training sessions, trying to get them to play with toys and even just cuddling with us, but they would much prefer to snooze in front of the heater.

That's great to hear rexiam I had an anxious day a few days back and was almost in tears, next day I just told myself to stop worrying. I would love to know what you mean when you say Are you doing anything in particular OR did you just mean that you've stopped worrying so much?

megan_, of course you are right(along with the majority who replied to this thread) mrs tornsocks, I'm glad you managed to find something you are comfortable feeding I have managed to give them necks and wings for the last few mornings and each time I give them my fear is slowly subsiding I have, today, bought kg's of necks and wings, and will be giving them to the pups every morning from now on(as their breeder suggests). Electra even lost her first tooth yesterday while chomping on a wing! Thanks to everyone for helping me with this paranoia of mine!!

Hi rexiam I can completely understand the drama you are having as I also have 2 puppies(though they are a little younger than yours) My girl, Electra, always tries to rev Rhino up if I'm sitting outside (almost like she's jealous if he's getting any attention) I have found using treats to settle them, eg. getting them to sit nicely together next to me, works wonders. They both know they need to be calm to get the treats, there for they are learning to be quiet when around me

Thanks again to everyone for replying Again I know it is a problem I have, NOT the pups. It's me that's scared, they did seem to chew the wings quite well I even email their breeder with my concerns and of course she replied the same as the majority of replys in this thread. Electra is 14weeks today and Rhino is 13 weeks tomorrow Thanks for those links, they do help(a little) easing my concerns!

I'm scared of the sharp bits too, scared of them doing damage or choking them Thanks lillysmum, I will get that and give it a good read Thanks NewAmstaffOwner, they are doing great They are learning the basics eg: sit, lay, stand etc They play with each other a fair bit and this tires them out pretty good :rolleyes: We have a trainer/behaviorist coming over next week just to give us a hand/teach us general stuff and are looking forward to venturing out and about next Saturday(10 days after their vacc)

Thank you everyone for the replies and suggestions I don't give them pigs ears, raw hide chews or large biscuits, for the same reason I'm nervous about bones, but would probably feel better feeding those as they don't have the sharp bits Rhino is a gulper with his normal meals but with the wing this morning he seemed to chew very slowly and carefully Electra on the other hand normally eats slowly but with the wing she had earlier she seemed to want to get it down as fast as she could! Though did chew a fair bit. After reading you responses ,it was more than likely because I was closer to her. I know it's me and I'm trying to get over this fear, I really am, maybe I will try lamb flaps as they aren't hollow like the bones in the wings and wont be able to chew chunks off those? NewAmstaffOwner, I actually have no problem with them chewing me, I always have a toy handy and am really careful where my fingers are lol b/f on the other hand still hasn't worked it out yet and complains every time they chew him(wont take my advise though :rolleyes: )

Thanks for the fast reply persephone :rolleyes: I understand what you are saying and believe me I really want to do the right thing for these pups. This is going to sound like I'm being difficult BUT the fear is still there even if I do go bigger I worry that that last bit left will get swallowed, the bit that is just a little to large and has a bit of bone sticking out. When I fed them this morning I fed them at different ends of the yard, and tried to supervise from a reasonable distance so they didn't feel anxious.

Hi all :rolleyes: I am hoping someone can give me an alternative product for RMB. I just can't get the courage up to feed bones to my pups At the moment they are getting minced chicken carcasses with veggies and egg for breakfast, and for dinner SuperCoat puppy biscuits. I have just tried chicken wings this morning but I was constantly on edge while watching them, scared that they will swallow a not quite chewed bone and it'll get stuck/do damage I realize the majority feed RMB, BUT I just can't bring myself to feed it again. Even with my last dog I had the same fears So is there a healthy alternative, that I can give them, that will let them use their jaws and teeth?

Rappie

Lucky is currently on Prednisolon, Doxycycline and Iramine for allergies. Now, because of his age, he is starting to get stiff with arthritis I have been feeding him Eukanuba Healthy joints with his other food, and he gets a cap full of Apple Cider Vinegar too. I am wondering if it's ok to add Joint Guard?

He's doing really good Spoiled rotten! The nasal problems have been sorted. He's a little stiff in the back legs but still has his juvenile moments, especially when there's food involved :D (There is a few better pics of him in this thread I started in the photo section) He has been on prednisolon (sp?) as well as other medications for severe allergies most of his life.

Yep that's him :D

Hi rmc :D My dog had 5 or 6 GA's at the beginning of this year for Nasal Aspergillosis and 1 to get lumps removed. He has had a heart murmur for at least 2 years and I felt I had to way up the risks/and what his life would be like without the surgeries. I think all surgery has risks, and it depends on the over all heath of the dog. I'm not much help to you, but I just wanted to let you know what we've been through.

^bumping again^

Hi everybody I have just bought some ACV to give to Lucky, but have a few questions before I start. He's on a few medications for allergies. 2 x 4mg Iramine tablets daily 1&1/2 x Doxycycline tablets 3 days a week 1 x 5mg Prednisolon 3 days a week His joints are starting to stiffen up a fair bit and I'm hoping that along with the Eukanuba Healthy Joints kibble I've started him on that the ACV may help as well. Does anybody know if putting about 10-20ml in his food, along with the tablets, will be OK?

I sprinkle corn flour where ever I see ants, apparently after they carry it back to their *nest* they all eat it and die. I found this after googling a while back

Please DON'T suggest prunes!! Prunes and the seed are toxic to dogs.

Hi kim21 Might be nothing to worry about, but I'd get it checked by a vet. It could be a grass seed or something caught. I always think it's better to be over cautious. Don't want to scare you, but I had a similar problem earlier this year, turned out to be Nasal Aspergillosis(most common in dogs with longer snouts than your boxer though) Ended up costing me $$$$!!

That's great news for Mason and yourself

Well it wasn't as bad a I thought, though not as pleasant as I would have liked..LOL He did want to devour it, so I told him to drop it, which he did. After telling him to "eat nicely", which is what I say when giving smaller treats, he picked it up gently at one end and then, I think, was going to try to swallow it whole I ended up holding it while he ate, he managed to eat it in about three or four pieces, chomping only a couple of times with each mouthful.

Thank you everyone for replying :D I will give him the first on Monday thawed and stay with him while he eats. They are what I consider a good size, I got them from a place that supplies to top quality restaurants If he starts to scoff, will take it off him, tell him to slow down, and try again. He does learn new things if HE thinks it's important Once it gets warmer I will try him with a frozen one. Yep that is him He turns 14 in November. He had a serious case of Nasal Aspergillosis earlier this year and lost a few kilos, I am hoping by feeding him the chicken carcasses every couple of days(as an extra) he might put a bit of the weight back on.

I'll definitely be supervising that's for sure. I think I may have read a while ago that people feed frozen? Would this be ok to slow him down a little?

Hi I have read that lots of people give their dogs chicken carcasses, so I have just gotten heaps of them from a mate. I have frozen them individually, and want to give him his first one Monday morning. I'm really nervous about it though, cos he scoffs his food, and I am worried that he may choke (I'm imagining that he may try to swallow it whole ) He's a 14yr old bully. Can someone give me some suggestions that may put my mind at ease?