Bjelkier

I've just started walking her more and training her with her meals to try tire her out. No digging yesterday, but did a little bit this morning. I'll keep this up. Still too early to tell. Well its a good start Good luck.

I totally agree with Bindii but I will add something. First what are you using to brish him with? The wrong tools will actually cause pain and make your job harder. And second were are you grooming him? I suggest getting him up on a table if you are not already, it will make it much harder for him to run off on you

Hows Buffy doing at the moment?

Bond loved your cuddles on Sunday Wolfsong. and Allie looks gorgous Thanks, I am very happy with her, except her sled dog impression :D I bought her a light check chain for the ring so hopfully with a little training that will stop this in its tracks. Bond is looking so nice! I can't believe how cute he and my OH were sitting on the ground getting cuddles :D OH is now totally in love with the breed off cause (thank god, it was a choice between an Elkie or a Bullmastiff and I can't live with drool, so give BOnd a thankyou hug from me for winning OH over like that ) and can't wait to get his own

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVAN

I'm with you, I had enough trouble with last months and running out of time (damn my long work hours). If I have anything to fit this month I will put it in

I have a few tins in the house for those nights I forget to grab something from the freezer. No issues so far but I wouldn't use it often.

I would have moved the dog and stared the little monster down myself. Spooky kid. And before anyone gets on the you must hate children ban wagon, I would do exactly the same thing to an adult who was acting the same way.

*gremlins*

Gosh .... "Spotty" is certainly very attractive. I agree, I know its not correct but wow, stunning dog!

Hey Elkie, you will definatly be seeing us on the weekend, my OH is very excited

We just fill the pool up again, no biggie. The water is really good, the dig like crazy, water the grass for us and its easy to refill. The training is good, definatly keep that up. She is in the naughty teenage stage, in fact having another look she is a month younger then my little girl Alchemy, this is a tough time with pups, they are stuck in the middle of puppy and adulthood, hormons are doing all manner of silly things and their brains seem to go out the window. Keep up the training and when she settles down again you will hopefully have a lovely dog on your hands. The dogs can destroy the kongs just as easily as the Nyla bones. It will end up with chew marks, ours all have, its when the dog is biting of great big hunks that is an issue. I have also found that if you get the cheaper non brand name ones they don't last nearly as long, Nyla is the best I have found. I wouldn't use food either. If she dosn't listen go and get her, physically remove her from the area. A dog we had years ago has allergies and would scratch like crazy, we sorted out the itches but it became an OCD behaviour. Every time she would scratch we would distract her from it, eventually all we had to do was say her name and she would stop, in the end she stopped totally.

Both your dogs are lovely but I have to say I adore your pugs face. Not normally my kind of breed, he is just so cute though!

Men who love dogs, is there anything hotter? My OH grew up with dogs but it wasn't until he got his (read my) beloved Sammies that he really fell in love (well that and our friends Bullmastiffs). He isn't a showie but he knows that standard back to front, he will chat to anyone about the breed and has become a real advocate of the pedigree (he was always a mutt lover) he has even helped some work mates out finding some good breeders for their next dog. He lets the dog cuddle in the bed with him, wont move from the lounge if they are sleeping with him, they get more kisses and cuddles then I do I will have to put up some photos when I get home tonight.

She sounds bored and if your not careful it might become a habit. I've seen a dog lick itself sore threw boredom, not good. I think something you should try with Buffy is some basic obediance around the house, nothing formal, just keep that clever brain working. Start simple with sits and stays, move it up to drops and some other cute tricks. Mistral knows dance, talk, beg, weave, bow and a few others. This will tire out that very clever mind of hers much faster then walking will. No more then 5 or 10 mins a day at her age or she will get bored. As for toys, something I have noticed Samoyeds love are Nyla bones, mine have about 4 and every day they settle down for a good chew and it saves my things from their teeth! Also try rotating the toys so she dosn't get bored. So kong and soft lamb one day, then take away and replace with nyla bone and treat ball. Also mine are not allowed to dig, I don't need a moon landing look for the backyard. They have been given a clam shell pool with water and sand which they can use. If you get one of these hide treats in the sand, it will encourgae digging there and keep her mind active trying to find the treats. What I would do with the digging is distract her with something else. In a nice hapy voice call her to come to you and do a little training like sitting or what ever you are working on, just for a felt seconds, distract her from the obsession. Each time she goes back to it do it again, get her away from the tiles. But I am not a dog trainer and can only tell you what I would do with mine. Someone else might have a better idea

They can pull you over if they want to, I have been pulled over by one, as I held it for the owner and they walked off. Heading off to the beach? Expect your newfie to drag you back to shore. I am sure you will be fine though, as you will do the early training needed. One thing you may not have considered is the drool factor. Having a tight lipped breed, you wouldn't know about that yet. If you get a newfie you will know. Your not kidding about the drool, though some are worse then others. I have seen Newf's pull over full grown men and drag them along (I showed and lived with them before the Samoyeds) The thing I really didn't like was the combination of drool and hair, yuk it's just too much. My MIL's bitch would walk along the hallway and wipe her chest and head along the wall leaving a trail of hair and drool behind her Sorry not my thing. They are a nice dog if that kind of thing dosn't bother you.

The way we taught it was to hype the dogs up and get them barking. The min they did we used the command word and treated them, it only took about 10 goes before Mistral picked it up, we then put a signal to it too and he will work for that better then the word. It's not his favourite trick Lestat is still trying to work it out

My Lab has been known to step up and defend when needed, he actually looks very nasty when his back is up and he has that huge deep snarling bark. However Lestat is not your normal Lab and if someone told me he was a x somewhere back in his lines I would believe it. One that did surprise me lastnight was my male Sammie, Mistral. He is hardly known for his bravery and the breed are not guard dogs (although used to hunt polar bears when needed and kept the wolves at bay from their tribes they do not make useful guards), he would ususally be more likely to invite an intruder in and have a coffee with them But I went outside with him last night on lead and my neighbour was walking up our driveway (being in the country there are no lights so it's pretty dark). The min Misty saw him he jumped infront of me and snarled, barked his head off, I had no idea he could even make sounds like that He stayed in front of me the whole time, not moving a muscle and as soon as I said to be calm he settled and greeted the neighbour as the friend he is. He's a good boy, but I really think if anyone raised a hand to him Misty would be off like a flash. To be fair though a dog of his size (and a wolf like look) with the coat all puffed up and going crazy looks pretty scary.

It wasn't just before dinner, it was quite awhile, I will be keeping an eye on him though. I think its the smell rather then the sound. It's a new kind of spray we have tried, he never reacted to it before so this one will be going in the bin. Poor baby, I feel kind of bad about doing this to him Ah well, lesson learned.

I have found out what the trigger is! Fly Spray......yep, thats it. I didnt even think about it until I sprayed some while he was outside and then wouldnt even go in the house.....silly dog. Thanks for your help guys

Mine get by on a 30-40 minute walk a day, none if I can't be bothered, and a frisbee run once a week or so. They are very laid back inside, generally just lie around looking gorgeous and angling for pats and treats. I think they would be a good match for collies, they seem to have similar temperaments. Maybe contact Kerry Webb (Ngalla kennels in Tas) she breeds both Aussies and Collies. She'd be able to give you a run down on how they get along together. How many collies do you have now? You had 3, didn't you? I am also considering a different breed for my next dog, after we sell our house and move, but I keep coming back to Aussies because they are just so easy to live with and so responsive. Other breeds I'm considering......Finnish Lapphund, Collies, Pointers (big departure there but I adore them), Tibetan Terrier. Yep I had three. I am really missing having more than one dog. I couldn't get one yet but is never too early to start getting into a breed. I know Collies do suit me and I would ALWAYS have one (or three, heh) but the only other breed I've had is a Shepherd. I love the LOOK of Aussies, but would have to be careful I didn't get a high energy one. I would do obedience, but not competition obedience. Samoyeds - I do like them but all the ones I've met have been hyper? No to Goldies (and labs) - too destructive as young adults for me Thats a shame, they really shouldn't be IMO. It's a herding breed that requires mental stimulation (sadly a lot of people buy them and have no idea how big one will get and how to cope with a breed that is so clever and the dogs go hyper on them. Look at all the border collies stuck in yards never getting out, same thing) and if it's not given, yes the dog will go silly (like all working breeds). Mine are show dogs and we dabble in obediance here and there (many of the dogs in my boys pedigree have obediance titles) and although they have moments of being silly I wouldn't call them hyper. They can be a little silly when we get home but they settle quickly.

I never ever reccomend my own breed but I have to say what you have listed sounds like a SAmoyed would be perfect for you. Beautiful big coat that sheds once or twice a year and it's not nearly as hard to keep clean as people might think. My dogs are very laid back in the house provided they are walked, although its an active breed they are not hyper and have a knack for training if you can convince them you know best The walks you suggest are what my dogs get, as well as free play in the yard If you have ended up with a Samoyed that is aggressive to other animals or people something is very very wrong! Samoyeds should be able to get along with everyone. Mine all live together, I have an entire bitch and male and a desexed dog. They are able to happily live with other dogs that I have brought into the house without any aggression. The love nothing more then being with their families curled up getting cuddles or playing with their doggie friends. As for size, my boy stands at 22 inches and my girl is 19inches, the hair adds another 2 or 3 inches to them so they look pretty big, weight would be in the 20's.

Maybe, he did, hard to say. If anyone would be upset by that it would be Misty, poor dear is a sensitive soul

Your friend looks stunning Shell! Dinner! (little froggies waiting for their bug dinner)

On his walk/obediance training session he was his usual nutty self. Excited and happy but not having issues of any kind. As for somewhere different, no nothing has changed. He was able to eat dinner tonight in the kitchen. I had him heel in and when he sat he looked around and realised were he was. He stayed calm, was nervous but calm. Ate his dinner (all be it at my feet the whole time and occasionally checking things out) but he managed without bolting out of the room and hiding in the bedroom, so its a little better.