OSoSwift

Fingers crossed he pickes up soon.

If he has not beem getting medicated at all for his heart you will probably see a quite large improvement. Sometimes they have slowed down quite a bit but over a long period of time so you don't realise just how much the heart problem was affecting them. Our aged Stafford is on heart medication. We have been offered Vetmedin on top of Fortekor and frusimide. Due to the fact it will cost an extra $2.50 or so per day ontop of the costs of his existing heart medication - no to mention the two different sorts of medication he is on for his spine and arthritis - we just cannot afford it long term. He has been on heart medication for 2 years and although the heat has knocked him this year, he has been good up until now. He still comes on short walks, eats with gusto, plays from time to time. His spine and elbow are causing him more problems than his heart at this point in time.

I do and it works just fine. I also have three friends that do the same thing, also no problems. I split and use it the same day now having the 3 dogs. It also means that my Whippets don't get the full 2.5 ml dose that will treat up to a 25kg dog as the size they are is the 10 to 25 kg range. Rommi is only 10.8 kgs so I feel 2.5mls is overdosing her when the next size down is 1ml for a 4 to 10kg dog. Lewis came with yearly heartworm vaccination so I used Advocate last time as someone allowed their newly diagnosed Fox mange carrying dog to go up to him and nuzzle noses! Normally I use Advantage on him until he needs the heartworm component. ETA to add - the dosage I was told to use was 0.1ml per kg so a 10kg dog gets 1ml, a 15kg dog gets 1.5ml. Rommi is 10.8kg's and I give her 1.2ml, Lewis is 12.5kgs and I gave him 1.4ml. Even though I do contravene the labelling as such, I don't see the need to buy exactly the same product at the same concentration and be charged lots more for the priviledge.

generallly my Whippets don't get smelly, Our Stafford can as he has allergic skin, but unless and emergency he has a bath before going. I would NEVER knowingly take a dog anywhere with fleas or stinky and filthy! We don't have a problem with fleas and I would see them easily.

One of my big fears is a dog moving and standing over my Whippet. It wouldn't take much to get her unhappy and insecure if a dog was at all aggressive or standing over her. She has moved once by dropping from a sit, but never gone to another dog. If she did I would stop and re-train. I agree if a dog is consistantly moving, remove it and re-train. If it was my dog who moved and disturbed another I would be extremely embaressed and apologetic. But I would never enter her if I though she was going to do that.

Hey SBT101 - was up your way not long ago:) called through on the way to see the folks in Kalbarri. Was thinking I was jealous as you actually have shows in your town! Our closest is 480kms away. Hope the weather is not being too hot for you :D

Perth to Albany is a really good drive. Did it just recently - well the Albany to Perth one anyway! You probably already know, but it ALWAYS rains in Albany. Even if 33 degree's! It once again didn't dissapoint when we were there in September! I would love to meet your Chessie boy, but at the moment I am not travelling or showing, to hard to get away with two young'ns and getting someone to look after the cattle. One day I will though Hope you have a great time

Hello fellow West Aussies I haven't shown or trialled for a while, but do love to keep up with what is going on! I think Albany is just over a 100kms from Bunbury, but your best friend will be Googles maps in this case. More bloody lightening! I will be off line shortly - I am sure we will have no power again tonight! Last time the power pole got a direct hit from lightening.

Umm normal Whippet way - down, but I have never seen them that high and I don't think it would actually be anatomically possible for them anyway????

My Dobes were always seperate unless I was there, but even then I had to be careful. They did end up having a big tiff and after that were never together unless wearing a basket muzzle. The Stafford was seperate from the Dobes as well when we not were home, but could run with either when we were home no problems. The Whippets are together, although I do seperate from time to time as our boy has some seperation issues that we are training for and now he is happy to be by himself but next to the girl. They are both entire so need to be able to be seperate for obvious reasons! The Stafford is always seperate from The Whippets when we are out because they are young and sometimes a little silly and he is old with spinal (and other) issues.

Thinking of you and Diesel We are praying for many more beach swims to come. YOu have done everything you can, and you have done such a fantastic job. Diesels quality of life is a testament to this. Wishing you lots of great walks and cuddles together.

If they do get a grass seed it is best not to put anything down it. At best it makes it harder for the vet to see, at worst if they have a ruptured ear drum you could start all sorts of problems. Some dogs can get a seed, and if they are quite stoic, appear to not have so much of a problem as they tolerate it really well after the initial ear shaking, lowered ear signs seen initially. Good luck

Sounds like a plan Bubbly Hope you get it all sorted soon!

Westiemum - you are most certainly doing the right thing! I have seen a dog battle with resistant pseudamonas ear infections for years - suffer greatly she did. Such a beautiful girl. Your boy will be much happier and you are right, pouring all that medication in over such a long period muct have some impact, eventually. He will of course have a recovery time where he is sore, but I think you will be suprised by just how good he feels when all is healed. No-one can say you didn't give it your very best shot!

Oh bugger! I was hoping that it was still all going well! Sorry to hear that. I am sure after his surgery he will be a happy boy with no more nasty ear infections. Best wishes and Rommi and Lewis send your boy lots of puppy hugs

Your pupies do need to get out every day. They don't need really long walks, but they do need stimulation. I would consider taking them to training classes, or maybe even getting someone in to help with the barking problem. I would think though that they are under stimulated and are creating their own entertainment. You may find if the puppies have access to the yard a lot of the time with many interactive toys, they may not bark anywhere near as much. Paddlock your gates, or maybe make them a run off the sunroom door, so they can get outside, but not where people can take them. You can get sunscreen from Plush Puppy for coats prone to fading, but really at the end of the day I would prefer a happy bleached out dog, than a chocolate bored one. Buy lots of hard to destroy toys and rotate them either every day or every couple, so the dogs think they are getting new ones often. Maybe put their morning dry food into a buster cube or treat ball so they have to work for it a little bit.

Just gorgeous - I recon if you picked him up by that skin, you would have a good foot of it and his feet would still be on the floor!!!!! Very smooshable

Sometimes there ears can get crusty from eating or chewing bones. DO they have snoods for eating? The water will make the botton of their ears a little stiff and stuck together, but it is ususally food and bones that get the ears really mucky. A clip out under the belly sounds like a good idea, and a good trim back of the feet, so they look like they have a reasonable coat, but less hair to groom out. I have seen Borders done like that and they still look good, but less coat for seeds. Good luck

I personally wouldn't do it. I would invest in a Mars coat king type undercoat rake and thin all the undercoat out with that. They will be cooler than just clipping it off and leaving all the undercoat in but shortening it. It is highly likely that the coat will grow back fuzzier, which in turn will attract more grass seeds. A bit of time invested will have a dog that looks stunning and doesn't attract grass seeds etc. How old are the kids? Are they capable of doing all the grooming? If not then I am afraid it is all up to you.

Like the sound of yours as well Jules. I agree with a little bit of "heel" work broken up by other things. Many moons ago we also taught things like touch, leg weaves, spins, paw shakes high fives etc so the dogs and owners could do some fun stuff that was a little more relaxed.Most of the heeling exercises which were very short were done on a large circle originally, with lines an turns done a little later. But even then most heeling, sits, drop etc were done on a large circle with the lines and turns done later in the lesson. We did lots of focus exercises and position "games" so the dogs really understood what the heel position was before we got too excited about doing to much heeling, turning etc. We always told people to give thier dog a relax and play at any time if they felt their dog was zoning out, or we would ask them to take them for a rest if we thought they were. I think it is great you are thinking so indepth so early I would like to come to a class like yours.

I used acupuncture on my Dobe and she loved it and it gave her some relief. I had to keep her quite the day after or she would feel so good she would race around like a loony and undo all the good work. It helped immensly along with all the otehr things I was doing

Um no, I won't eat them, certainly wouldn't feed them to my dogs and definately not to my kids. I don't even want to know what is in them - they are up with Polony (Devon or Fritz to the non WA people ) Yuk!!!!!

Yep I would probably not go again either! I find nice warm roast chicken works quite well - that is the bi guns I pull out when there are major distractions! Rommi doesn't care for chunkers anymore - little bugger! I wonder how many dogs will need Chiro after all the yanking on halti's! If you keep going, do your own thing - but I would consider trying to find a new club

I don't walk mine before, apart from what they would normally do around the place and we do live on acerage. If anything - especially if it is going to be a bit warm- I give them less exercise as I want the bouncy, pogo puppy so I can harness the bounce.

That sounds really good. At least now you have a reason and direction. The best of luck with your training