~*Shell*~

In 2008 we cured Zero's dog aggression and started doing obedience. He's come along like crazy since! In 2009 i'm hoping to get him to CCD trialing level (and maybe CD because i think he could just about pass the CCD trial on a good day) and teach him to do a retrieve (he's getting it now that he's got a wooden dumbell!). I'd be very very happy if i could get him a CCD title. Not too bad considering 2 years ago (to the day) he was wandering the streets with 2 broken ribs and a crushed toe (and massive dog aggression and fear issues!).

Zero finds lamb bones too fatty and will put on weight very quickly with them. I feed beef bones and some kangaroo bones too when i can get them, but kangaroo is a little too rich for some dogs (not Zero!).

I'm having Zero bathed on sunday. I just get him washed and then i take him home and do the rest myself. I can't believe what people will try on to get their way - the groomer who i used to take Zero to (before i learned to do it myself) has been booked out for the 2 weeks leading up to christmas since the end of august! I feel for all the groomers - i hate people sometimes, especially at christmas!

My vet told me that they can be brought into your property on possums and the like.

Congrats on your progress Ruth! Yay Trixie! I've never seen a e-collar being used before but obviously it gets some results. Someone will have to explain to me how it works. Trixie sounds quite similar to Zero - he was fine if another dog walked past him without a reaction but if they were overly friendly (even if they were on the other side of the street straining to get to him) he would react to them with aggression. Now he'll only react to anything if he's surprised suddenly by it and even then it's getting better. Your comment about her being a different dog and happier sounds exactly like what people have said about Zero. Have you noticed your bond with her getting stronger too?

Yay Buster!! It's great you found a good puppy preschool - i've heard a lot of them aren't very good. Btw I love Buster's collar! I was trying to get hold of that for Zero but couldn't get one in his size!

Can't wait to trial with my dog! You don't see many sibes (or spitz breeds in general) trialling.

Run free Monster I'm sure you'll find lots of friends on the other side of the bridge.

Zero was totally fine aside from his poo! He didn't seem sick or down in the dumps at all!

Zero had this and it ended up being the equivalent of gastro. A few days of boiled chicken and rice and some antibiotics and he was back to normal!

Zero is on a diet and I was recommended both supercoat and optimum. Supercoat made Zero poop like crazy! He didn't lose any weight but the amount i had to clean up was incredible. I would never feed it to him again for that reason, but i know some people who do and their dogs do well on it. Since I've put him on optimum he's lost like 5 kilos and cleaning up after him is so much easier! I'm a massive fan of it but even so, i will be changing him off it to a premium food (or maybe BARF - i haven't decided yet) when he's lost the weight because i think he could get better results on a different food.

My sibe has a good recall though i still wouldn't let him off leash anywhere unless it was closed in! At obedience he never misses a recall command - but that doesn't mean that it's perfect. If he was ever to get out, he would totally ignore my call and if i chased him, he would run in the opposite direction. Sam's advice is good - run away from them making loud high pitched noises. Zero runs towards me if i do that because it's become a more interesting game. Having a jackpot treat (like a pigs ear) also helps!

Obviously husky but maybe mummy (or daddy) was a combination of breeds. To me, the things that come to mind are sharpei, GSD or kelpie but i think all of those things for different reasons. The other breed really isn't obvious. What's his personality like (and what's his name?)? Good on your parents for rescuing!

All i can say is optimum The low fat variety is taking the weight off my husky fantastically!

I've clipped a friends dog using her andis and my wahl clippers (i have the km2 which is the 2 speed one but a lot of people only use the single speed ones) and i much prefer my wahls. I found that they were quieter and had less vibration than the andis ones but i've heard people say that they thought the andis ones were quieter. People like different things - you'll find a lot of people who prefer the andis and a lot of people who prefer wahl. My advice would be to try and see if you can find someone who has each and see which one you like better.

Defianetly my choice as well Another vote for the double k air max - Zero looks so much better since i got it and he's not afraid of it like he is of a lot of dryers!

God - good luck getting that thing on a skittish dog to start off with! Zero would go nutso if i put that on him! I have a sneaking suspiscion he would find a way to rip it off him before he would calm down!

Wow - look at the size of that incision! He looks like he'll bounce back really fast though - look at that smile and waggy tail!

I personally would take the dog to a professional groomer and discuss your options. Get the groomer to give them a clip that you both can live with and then try to do the upkeep on it (daily combing if your dog needs it). It's like starting with a clean slate when you take the dog to the groomers!

Where do i get a fussy sibe? Mine will eat anything (including things still with the gladwrap on them!) and puts on weight like anything.

I've got the 450d and it's fantastic! The best way is to get out and take some photos but learning a little about iso settings etc will help you too!

Zero used to really hate being brushed (he was a rescue and i don't think he used to get groomed before i got him) so i tried to introduce it to him slowly. I used to get him to lie on his side for a tummy rub and i would pat him for a while, and then switch to brushing him. I would do the same thing for the rest of his body too and switch brushes to get him slowly used to the feeling of different brushes. Now he doesn't have a problem with me brushing him!

I would recommend getting a kong too - and maybe a treat ball. Kongs are great because if you get the black kong, it's practically indestructable and can keep a chewer occupied for hours. A treat ball is great too because it can hold the dog's attention for a long long time too. The easiest way to stop the dog from killing your washing and cushions is to block it off from being able to get to your cushions and washing. Some dogs grow out of chewing, others don't.

I just bought one from K-mart. Like Terranik's, it's large enough for my hands to fit into it easily, holds itself open well, closes with a pull tie and it has a pocket in the front for my clicker. I just use glad snaplock sandwich bags as a liner when i'm going to training (bbq chicken) that i can take take out of the freezer, microwave and then put in the pouch and i tend not to use a liner when i'm training at home (i use kibble at home). I've had it for a couple of months and it's totally fine - and really inexpensive to replace if it ever does die!

I bought a horse's lung line (just bought it from horseland for about $20) and took Zero down to the local park (lots of distractions there). I let him wander while on it (it's about 8 metres so he could wander a fair way away) and then i called in a loud, high pitched, excited voice. If he came, lots of pats, treats and praise, if he didn't, he got pulled back in anyway and then we did some focus exercises so he got rewarded for keeping his focus on me, rather than for having to be pulled back to me, but the experience of coming back to me either way was positive. His recall is now much better and the trainers at my obedience club (well the ones that understand that huskies are very difficult to train a recall with any reliability) can't believe how good he is at it. I still wouldn't trust him off leash in an unfenced area but i'm sure we'll get there one day!