OSoSwift

Wait until you are walking two Whippets! then the comments never stop! I am also of the opinion if they are full of energy, have a great coat and skin, then try to get some weight on, but don't dispare if you can't. Try feeding her when she is going to be confined IE last thing at night so she has last toilet then off to bed to absorb and store all that energy and condition. Good Luck

Mine are not going to learn much...the little blighters keep falling asleep!!!!!!!!! Now how do you keep a Whippet awake long enough to take advantage of the afore mentioned training aid????

And that is related to heeling on the right because..................................................... ........................

I don't think it is the correct way to feed a dog at all! Tell her to get a herbivore. I think if you buy an animal you are obligated to look after the animal and meet it's needs. A dog needs meat and bones, therefore she should not have one as she is not prepared to do that!. Wouldn't like me much - I have just sent one of my home grown weaners to the butchers to fill my freezer - and shock horrer I will bring home some bones for the dogs as well! Oh and the poor things are so stressed before they go, the eat their heads off in large paddocks with ample feed for a good 14 or so months. Not a bad life really.

My 7and a half month old has the same tooth retained. I was leaving it for now, but I don't think it is going anywhere soon! It must have happened on the other side as well and that top incisor is now inside his lower incisor, but nothing I can do about it now??? I was thinking I would have it taken out by about 10 months, or sooner if he required an anaesthetic for anything else

I think it is always wise to be careful with a dog that has had an issue with aggression previously. No use undoing years or months of good work in a few moments.

RIP Sasha, you deserved so much better, at least someone was looking out for you and made sure your story didn't go untold. I just cannot fathom that sort of thinking. I would be devastated at the loss of pups (If indeed they did lose any)But never ever ever would I give my bitch away - she is my the light of my life. If the owners had of kept her home they MAY have picked up she wasn't well earlier and she may have been saved - A#@%holes! Karma will happen.

It's not too early to get some pet insurance Definately agree there! Having a whippet who when doing top speed zoomies doesn't look where he is going - I feel your pain! Mine is insured thank god!

My puppies have all come with initial vaccination at usually 6 weeks. Then I do a Protec C5 (intranasal BB) at 12 weeks. A C5 at 15months. Now I will be doing the 3 yearly C3 and I am undecided about the PI2 and BB. I am leaning towards yearly. With My Dobes I always got a Parvo booster at 16 weeks and another at around 8 months, then yearly as was the protocol then. Kennel cough went through local dogs in a big way two years ago. My pup was not vaccinated against it at that stage and got it moderately. My aged dog (unvaccinated due to reaction for about 5 years) got it quite badly and needed antibiotics. My friend had 5 dogs including 2 hand raised babies that were two weeks old. All her dogs got it but the two that had current kennel cough vaccinations were not very bad at all. The unvaccinated ones got very sick and the handraised babies came very close to not making it.

Sorry to hear that PandaGirl. I hope you have some answers very soon. Try to keep in mind it is not your fault and you are doing everything you can to help your girl, she is very lucky to have you. Maybe try and find someone to chat to that understands how we feel about our animals and what they mean to us and have a chat with them. Sorry I cannot do more

Do you mean sounds odd the vet said they weren't hot spots? He told me hot spots normally cover a bigger area than these bumps so it didn't seem to be that. The ones on his legs have dried up well so far! Tail one was a bit more nasty but its getting there ;) It was funny he sorta knew not to scratch after a while, cause I would interrupt him everytime he did, and then I would see him flicking around for a scratch but catching himself and stopping Yes I did mean because he said they weren't. A hot spot isn't defined by size, rather it is a patch of moist dermatitis - they can start very small and end up very very large. I have seen one around 1 cm diameter, and I have seen them with a 10 to 15cm diameter. ANyway, as long as he is getting better that is what is most important

I would suggest raw chicken frames, lamb flaps (others closer to you would have an idea of shops) and then some bikkies to top her up. Minced chicken frams and other raw boes are quite cost effective. I would cut back her dry food a bit and give her the minced frames or whole chicken frames

I heel on both sides. I use watch for the left and side for the right. She hasn't gotten confused yet!

This I will do in some circumstances, and I do get my puppies used with being on their backs, by turning them over and holding them until they are still so they get used to being handled, same as with their feet, tail, head/mouth/muzzle. But I think some of the other things are over the top for a majority of dogs. I do expect my dogs to do as I ask, and I don't have many problems with them not doing it, I will growl if the are not listening and I need them to. My main one is leave it and here - in case they come across a snake ( and it is highly likely here) I do need them to listen for their own safety. But I have never and will never scruff my dog or try and stare them out, pretend to rush them or push them or put my mouth over their muzzle. I don't need to, to gain pack leadership. I am a pack leader, not a pack bully and I hope I stay that way. I am not saying my dogs are perfect and I am not saying that I am perfect, far from it. But I am always trying to gain a better understanding and to be a quieter handler as I respect highly the people who are very quiet and have extremely focused, obedient dogs that have become that way without yelling, shoving and pushing.

But none of these things would encourage a dog to recall, if anything they would discourage it, a lot!

I totally agree with this statement. This is what has gotton me extremly effective recalls with my dogs. People wonder how I have such a good recall.....honestly its mostly because of intimidation and dominance. I had a very strong willed dog, she was the dominant bitch of the dog pack, I had an extremely reliable recall, only a rare handful of times in her life did I have to call her twice, even when dogs were trying to pick fights with her. I did not get this by intimidation and dominance and I honestly don't think that I could think of any way I could teach a reliable recall that hinged on that. I am at a lose as to even where I would begin to train a recall with that mind set! My Whippet has a very reliable recall, but not quite as good as I would like it yet, and I can guarentee with 100% assurance if I used either of those methods I would have none! RECALLS MUST ALWAYS BE PLEASANT! Otherwise the dog is going to weigh up what it is doing with coming back to the owner - and if dominance and intimidation were the order of the day, I could imagine it picking sticking with what it was doing. I do not and have never liked scruffing so I guess I am biased from the beginning, I will use aversive in my dogs lives IF and only IF i feel it is 100% warrented and my other methods are not working. Not every experience in life is going to be positive, but to advocate "dominance and intimidation" as a routine way of training dogs I think is quite sad. My dogs work for me because it is enjoyabel and worth it. Yes if they chase the cat they get growled at, or if I catch them eating cat poo, but as soon as they return they get rewarded. I also think that for average Jo Public to advocate scruffing a dog until it submits is potentially quite dangerous

Hang in there PandaGirl, it can be very disheartening and frustrating. I know I was there very recently with my aged cat. One major thing is ruled out, so hopefully that will put them in the right direction from now on Good luck

I actually find this quite offensive and hurtful huski. I'm not sure whether that is intentional or not, I may not be an expert but I am trying my best, and there are definitely more tactful ways to make your point. I am sure that Huski didn't mean it as you took it. Huski is very knowledgable and has had dogs with some behavioural issues in the past. Nobody is not saying you are not trying your best. You have taken on a dog at an older age and he will have come with some baggage as a result. However for you dog to be growling at you, there is something going on. Be it that he doesn't see you as leader, or he is being a teenager, stubborn or just a little toad. There is a reason for what he is doing and quite often dogs do it because they do not see you as a leader. If you had a dog with a 'softer' personality then you may not be having the issues you are. I would say you have a dog that you need to establish set and strong boundries with and reinforce them every day. This is why I suggested what I did earlier - he gets nothing for nothing. He needs to earn what he gets. Please try and see things constructively as I for one would love to hear in a few months time that your work has paid off and Pete is now toeing the line and listening. I know how disheartening it can be to have a dog give you the two finger salute and keep on their merry way.

Whilst I am certainly not against aversives when required I really think this is probably an extremely good way of Pete's owner getting bitten. If it was my own dog I could safely say I could do that and not get bitten(not that my whippets would ever require that in their lives), but I think in this case it is more a matter of work smarter. Physically grabbing him and scruffing him may be just the excuse he needs to go from warning to biting. Something that is hard to take back.

I am one who believes that there is no excuse other than being in shock after an accident (therefore not knowing what they are doing) that excuses snapping, biting or growling at an owner. The first thing I would be doing is revoking all privlidges, no on the lounge, on the bed etc. Every mouthful of food he has, he has to work for - ie sit drop, heel a few steps etc. He would only come in the house when invited and be removed when I wanted him removed. You may need a lead on him to removed him so you don't get bitten. I don't know him, but I think he sounds like the type of dog that if you did push the point, he would react strongly. No sense in getting bitten, win the phsycological war, don't try and win the physical one because you will quite likely lose. He only gets the good stuff when he has earn't it, never for free. Good luck

Geez PAndaGirl - sorry to hear you are being put through the wringer. I really hope for your girls sake and your own you get some results soon. Do remember that soemtimes test just rule things out, not in. It can get very frustrating, especially when your girl is so obviously unwell. Try not to feel guilty, dogs are very good at hiding their illnesses. Good luck and I really hope you get some answers very soon!

Glad you have some cream, but hot spots are a skin irritation caused by an irritant that get licked and chewed and moist and get worse because of it - so that sounds a little odd. Hope your boy is more comfortable very soon.

I have met this guys brother, who was very quiet, polite and a nice guy. Seems those that know this bloke say he is a bit of a fruit loop and likes dressing up in his battle fatuiges and going hunting/stalking and into weapons! Bit worrysome. Hope he goes to jail for a long time! Bit of a worry living that close to someone like this. Thing he should go to jail for at least four times the minimum sentence. I too gave the hairy Clyde more Cuddles and the cheeky teenager a bit of a smooch up.

This is the latest on this scum from our local paper

Sounds like hot spots. Sometimes they are very thickened and swollen and needs antibiotics and painkillers. Quite often you can treat them yourself. I would trim the hair very short past the edge of the moist yukky bit, if you have got it wash them in Malaseb and then put on some Betadine liquid will help dry it out, or some Neocort cream. You could use some haemaroid cream, but don't put it on too thickly. The basic aim is to get air to it and dry it out. Haemaroid cream has local anaesthetic and anti inflammatory along with some sort of antiseptic in it. They can be caused by irritation e.g a flea or mozzie bite. They can be from a dog being wet and and not getting dried off properly eg after swimming at the beach. Or sometimes they just happen for no reason. Good luck ETA you need to stop him licking and chewing as well, or the nasty moist, irritated cycle won't be broken. The local anaesthetic can help with that, but sometimes not.