Tassie

Penguin Books is showing as available too .. but yikes .. you'd really have to want one .. $150 - Penguin and ebay.

@sheena so very sorry to read this. That's a pretty sudden onset. Does it indicate maybe something more sinister going on? Not that it would necessarily change management. I'm sorry I don't have anything useful - my Kirra was still in early stages of slowly progressing kidney decline when she developed peripheral gland lymphoma, so the kidneys became irrelevant. Saw this article which might have some useful information. And I thought one of the other companies (RC maybe) had a kidney diet range. How old is BIndi now?

Disclaimer .. I know nothing about poodles or showing them. I'd be asking Dogs NSW when they open again probably in January. Maybe chasing up a Poodle Club and asking. And if thye can be shown, then maybe choosing shows with European judges, who presumably will be more used to seeing corded poodles in the ring.

That was a lovely update to read on Christmas Day. Well done the two of you .. and keep hanging in there vibes definitely on their way across Bass Strait to you and your super girl!

@DogsAndTheMob loved the Lab Anatomy . Don't know about in other states, but down here there is quite a divergence between the build of the show labs and the working line ones, at least the ones I see. The WL ones seem to be a bit finer overall, and certainly more lean and shapely .. and that's build, not just condition. @CharbearsMa I was thinking about the age of your puppy, and the fact that puppies will tend to change a lot at times, both in their body, and in their food and activity requirements, depending on growth spurts. Sometimes you'd swear you can see your puppy growing as you watch him/her .. their bones will lengthen, and they look quite leggy, then their muscles and ligaments catch up .. hence the need for care in forced puppy exercise. So again .. another reason for not stressing too much. I like to see a bit of shape (tuck in, tuck up) in pups right through their growth phase but I'm not really firm about it until they are older puppies.

And that in itself is a plus @m-j .. doesn't always happen. My young BC was comfortably in his show trolley at a similar event .. in the care of a friend, and well out of the way so he wouldn't be bothered by other dogs. I was in a different part of the grounds with my girl as part of an agility display. Luckily my friend was quite capable of dealing with the woman who was all gung ho about the cruelty of keeping the dog in a "cage". This was just a member of the AR fringe I think, not an official.

That is a lovely Christmas update. A tribute to your patience and care and love. What a lucky girlie.

Not to offend you, but it sounds like you're overthinking this. ( If you really want to complicate the issue, you could take into account how the major muscle groups feel (with the dog in a show stack with level topline, and perpendicular to the floor forelimbs (radius and ulna) and hindlimbs, hock down). .. You could also look up a tissue tent test, which is the one onlinecanine fitness program I'm enrolled in at the moment has you do.) In fact, you could well be interested in that program. It is run by Dr Chris Zink, who is one of the tope sports medicine go to people in the US, and comes out to AUstralia occasionally) and Gayle Watkins, a longtime Golden Retriever breeder, dog sport competitor and dog trainer in the US. I'm not sure if it's open to join at any time or not, but you would be able to ask all your questions there. Here's the link to their website. Unless they happen to have a particular interest in the area, most vets, who are GPs after all, are not going to have an in-depth knowledge of canine fitness and conditioning - I don't expect mine to. Those body condition charts are a general guide .. varies with breed structure. My rule of thumb for my own dogs (agility competitors) are that I'm not quite so fussed if they have a little (only a little) extra condition as pups, but then once they're mature, I want them on the lean side, with good muscling, pretty symmetrical in muscle mass and strength. As they age, I definitely want them on the lean (but still healthy) side, because of lessening the strain on their joints.

Yes I think there was, but as I recall it didn't go anywhere particularly helpful .. though I could be wrong. My young Border Collie girl was an obsessive fly catcher, and also shadow, reflection, light chaser. Since I have seen OCD Border Collies before, and since there are a lot of bees around my garden, and I don't have fly screens so flies can get in the house, I have been working hard on redirecting her to calmer and less frantic behaviours, and after many months, I'm really happy with the results. Occasionally a fly will catch her attention, or a dancing light, but for the most part it's only much as a 'normal' dog would do. With your little guy, it could be OCD behaviour, that maybe was there already, but you're probably right in thinking it was his only entertainment .. then it becomes addictive if not interrupted. If you can, I'd definitely be trying the interrupt, redirect .. to anything really .. simple behaviours like sit, drop .. which you can reward heavily .. jackpotting with favourite treats each time he redirects. Ideally it's worth getting in fast before the OCD behaviour becomes crazy (think tail chasing) and consumes his brain. Assuming he's otherwise healthy, it might be worth trying one of the tryptophan treats or something similar. Our holistic vet gave Pippa some sort of calming drops that I could use in the early days. Not sure whether they had much effect .. and again, not sure whether the calm treats are responsible, or just growing maturity and the behavioural work. And the work on impulse control generally.

That's very exciting. I guess the best advice is just take it slowly and observe the boy's reactions. Is he coming with you to pick up the pup? My last couple of new ones have met the resident dog in the car .. so you need a crate or another person to help manage. We never quite know what our older dog's reaction will be till we see it .. but being ready for anything, and taking it slowly and calmly is the best start. I would always try to have at least two people there, and probably have the older dog on a lead or behind a see through fence if outside. For the pup's sake, try to minimise lots of sqeeeeing and over excitement on the part of humans, and make sure the older dog gets more than his fair share of attention in the first few minutes. I usually have some super duper high value treats for the older dog, so that he associates really good things with the presence of the pup. Hopefully you have x pen or something of the sort all ready for the new one, so that the boy can get some respite from the pesky puppy .. or vicve versa. And don't forget to post the obligatory photos of both pups here!

A bit off topic, but I'd be concerned about a 5 month old puppy doing that amount of "forced" exercise … by that I mean exercise that she hasn't chosen herself. IMHO it's not at all good for her physical development, and probably over stimulating, mentally . If she is on such high levels of mental arousal, that is likely to continue on when she's at home, and maybe contributing to the digging. I'd be doing a few things, if she were mine …. more mental stimulation, and less physical, and more naps, or at least confinement in an X pen with some puzzle toys. You could also try getting a cheap plastic sandpit for a digging put for her, and bury treats and toys in there for her to find. You haven't said what breed she is.

Oh my goodness @Red Fox, your poor girl. On the one hand, great news about the path results. But thank goodness you caught the pyo and the vet was able to deal with it. Wishing you a peaceful time now, so you and your girl can recover.

A couple of thoughts, which you may already have followed up. (Based on a friend's experience with mild seizures in her do.) It can be helpful if yo can video the seizures if you haven't already done so. Even if it's only part of them. My friend was also able to get an MRI done to rule out brain lesions. There is no vet neurologist down here, and it's not safe for the dog to fly, but her vet is able to liaise with a vet neurologist in another state. And one thing that struck me reading your post .. you seemed to be feeling it might be related to food intake, or have some connection, so I was wondering if feeding several smaller meals a day might be useful. In your situation, given the infrequency of the seizures, I would probably hold off on the meds too till I'd tried other things. You know your dog well, and will certainly be weighing up what is going to make him more comfortable short and long term.

So much depends on the circumstances and background. Things like, what breed? How long have you had the puppy? Where is the puppy scared? What do you do when the puppy indicates she's scared? …. and so on. But in general terms … respect what the puppy is telling you about how she is feeling at the time. If she backs up, she's telling you she's unhappy about being so close to the thing/person she regards as scary. That's OK. Just back up with her so she doesn't have to try to make things clearer by thingls like showing her teeth. Don't let people get in her space when she shows she doesn't want it. That's just basic management for the time being, but you may need to look at getting some proper professional help if it's a continuing problem.

That's great! I thought she'd be happy to help!

Excellent idea. I had been going to suggest her as a possible source of information, but with your added information, that makes it an even better idea!!

Thanks for the update … that sounds very promising. She will pick up on the fact that you're 'listening' to what she's telling you and respecting her feelings, andshe is understanding that you have her back, and will move away if she's uncomfortable. There are some great dog clubs and great trainers in WA .. at least in the Perth area. You're in the right state, IMO .

LOL .. yes same powder for horses, dogs and people. Just adjust the dosage .. it's based on weight. I haven't been game to try it on myself, but my friend swears by it, for herself as well as the dogs. Good that you were able to get the half price offer. They do regular offers like that .. the last one I got was the horse size ROFL

Sounds encouraging. I would just say … when in doubt, make sure she has enough distance from people and especially kids, that she is not displaying anxiety. …. when in doubt, move away. Leave it to her to make the first move towards people if she wants to .. and only if she wants to .. and then ask people to stand sideways on and not make any approaches to the pup, or eye contact with the pup. . This would apply at puppy class too. Hopefully it's an outdoor one with lots of space. Try to have a word with the instructor first and make sure they are understanding of your pup's needs. Don't feel you have to do what other people in the class might be doing ….. your job is to be responding to what your pup is telling you about how she feels in the situation. You may well need some qualified professional help (not a franchise trainer), but it may not come to that.. Remember we can't see the pup, so we're only going by descriptions.

Yep, pretty well socialised and happy and well muscled … for traumatised dogs kept confined and unexercised in cages. Just sayin'.

Condolences on the loss of your boy. So hard to lose them, even at a good age. Had a look on the DOL Breeders page, but couldn't see them. Your best bet would probably be to ask the Dogs Victoria office .. they might be able to help you. You could also contact the breed club in Victoria .. Club website and they apparently have a Facebook page And here's the Dog Victoria page Dogs Vic Shetland Sheepdog page . Some of the experienced people in the breed should be able to help you find a descendant, or one with some of the lines. Good luck in your search.

Have to agree with the others … even if you muzzled the dog so that it couldn't kill, accidentally or otherwise, there is still a likelihood of chasing and harassing , which could also be fatal.

Added to all of the above, is the cross and American Staffordshire Terrier (Amstaff) or a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Staffy). Probably doesn't make a heap of difference as far as the indoors outdoors question goes, but might make a significant difference in terms of finished size.

Just unpacked a new container of RHCV today, and there was a tag on it saying they do offer complete refund if you're dissatisfied .. so worth checking that out with them. And I forgot to add yesterday, to the OP …. our holistic vet has some hand held laser thingies which he hires out so people don't have to bring their dogs in all the time .. shows people how to use them first, of course, and only if they are suitable for particular issues.

The fact that she warms up after a time is encouraging .. so I'd just be listening and paying attention to what she's telling you. It may well be a fear period .. or it may be that she's not a particularly outgoing pup. I'd give her a bit longer before you start worrying too much, provided she's happy and comfortable with you and in your home. Just ask other people to ignore her (hard with a cute Lab puppy ) until she's got used to them. Good for you for listening to her about the meeting with kids .. again .. could just be a fear period thing .. but for the moment, just make sure she has plenty of distance from the scary things. What you could do if you have any obliging friends with well mannered kids, is arrange to meet them somewhere, give the kids lots of treats, and instructions to stay well away from the puppy, and let the kids rain cookie trails around the place .. always moving away from the pup. See what choices the pup makes. And definitely have a gentle little chat with her breeder .. maybe you could frame it about when fear periods are likely and does the breeder think this behaviour is a fear period thing or ….