sheena

I didn't start with my girl until she was two & a half years old. I never bothered until I went to a Dancing with Dogs seminar & they showed me what amazing things you could teach your dog using a clicker. I was hooked & we play free shaping games inside at night (part of her routine before going to bed). I might decide that I want her to put her paws on a certain toy on the floor...it's a bit like playing hot & cold. When she does the smallest movement towards the correct object I click & throw the treat (not at the object)...she comes forward to get the treat & immediately remembers what it was she did to get it & goes back to that, then tries something new, and so on...until she scores ...Then it's a big "yes" & a big party. I just love that moment when the light bulb suddenly goes off

For marking every tiny little step, I find the clicker far more effective than just saying "yes". My dog goes nuts when she knows I have the clicker out. You have to first teach that the clicker has value. Best way to do this is to throw treats & as your dog is about to take the treat, click (the treat is the reward)....dog soon catches on that the click means treat is coming. Free shaping is great fun...& that is basicly what the first poster said....dog moves a paw, you click & treat etc. I also use "yes" but mainly for big steps, like going through the right poles on the start to the weave poles, or doing a lovely 2o2o on contacts. That's just what works for me & my dog.

SV???? Malamutes can be prone to ZRD too so may be worth ruling out. Glad you plan to do a scraping as it really is the best way to see what is going on - it should at least tell you if and what bacteria is present. I will ask for that test as well In the meantime he has attacked his tail and it is red raw and he is in obvious discomfort Not sure what I could put on it tonight to soothe it? Get some calandula tea & sponge it on...you might be surprised

After reading about it I sent away for the Double Silver. No good dropping hints in my house....If I want something, I go get it

Most of the ticks that were getting on her and attaching (biting) before getting their nasty little tummies full of Proban & falling off, were what we here on the farm, call bean ticks, but I am sure some are also paralysis ticks, as we have them all here except cattle ticks. They start off tiny & if left they grow quite big like a bean (hence the name) & are generally easy to pull off. I was looking for something to actually "repel" ie stop the little buggers getting on her in the first place. The vet had recommended Proban + Advantix + daily Permoxin + antihistamines (twice daily). I have taken her off all of those except the Proban. The whole idea was to get away from more chemicals, on top of the Proban. We did get one very small paralysis tick off her a few days ago, but it was dead & very much imbedded. I am a big sceptic, but seeing all the other chemical methods have let me down, I had nothing to lose & so-far am very happy with the results, but only time will tell

Well, it's almost a week since I started applying the esssential oils to her collar & I am most impressed. Maybe we are getting one small tick off her each day at the most. I thought at first that maybe the ticks had simply "moved on", but the small calves are covered in them (only they are much, much larger)...poor things, maybe I should put collars on them all too . The new born calves get a lot of ticks because they spend a lot of their day, just sleeping in the grass & the ticks simply just crawl on. I still have Bindi on Proban 48 hourly, but no longer the Advantix or the Permoxin, & she hasn't needed an antihistamine now for a few days. I will keep her on Proban for the duration of our tick season.

WOW ...that sounds like a good one & it wouldn't stink the house out like the sardine or liver ones. You could probably use that crumbled bacon you get from delis & of course, you would use the whole egg...shells & all. Can't wait to try it. thanks

I bought a salmon head for my girl, but it is still in the freezer...not sure how to tackle it. someone told me to remove the teeth as they are very sharp & may injure the dog.

Yes.....for me too...please. I have started a thread on the Training section looking for recipes for doggie treats. I have posted one for sardine biscuits. The house smelt yummy afterwards ...if you are a dog, that is. Teflon is used for all sorts of internal body parts, & I am sure I have swallowed my share from cookware. If it were dangerous, then it wouldn't be allowed to be used...would it . Good idea to line your baking tray with baking paper.

They can be nasty little buggers. I have some of that head lice shampoo in the cupboard, but would check with the vet first before using it, also I am trying to get away from having to wash her in something, just something to spray on to repel. It is probably still too early to tell, re; the successs or failure of my home remedy using the essential oils. I made up the concentrate which I dabbed onto her collar (yes, I've had to put a collar on her ) & I made up a solution with water, vinegar & the essential oils & sprayed it onto her undercariage mainly, & some on the rest of her when I groomed her. All this I did yesterday morning. So far, today we have only got one tick off her & she smells delightful. She went for a swim tonight after training, so I will repeat the treatment tonight.

Thought I might start a thread for anyone wanting to share recipes for homebaked training treats. I wasn't sure if this is the right thread or should be under Health/Nutrition. I have a few, but I baked this one up yesterday & Bindi goes nuts for it...mind you, like a lots of home baking, it stinks the house out for a while Whisk together 4 eggs, shells & all (I did these in the blender),1 teaspoon crushed garlic or good sprinkling powdered garlic, half cup parmeson cheese & two tins of sardines,(with their liquid). I used sardines in tomato sauce. Or you could use a couple of tins of salmon or some other tinned fish. Mix these together really well, then add 2 cups of wholemeal plain flour, or buckwheat flour if your dog is intolerant to gluten. Mixture should be sticky, but firm (not runny), add more flour if needs be. Spread this into a large slice tray, or small baking tray lined with baking paper. Spread it thinly with the back of a wet spoon. Bake at 180 for about 35 minutes, then let it cool & cut into little bits. Freezes well.

I didn't even get a reply to my email with just an enquiry from the NSW supplier. Not good business

I wouldn't work either for boring old kibble. The treat has to be something really yummy & not something she would get in her normal food. What treats have you tried that give her the runs? Dried liver will give her the runs, but there are lots of other things out there if you don't want to make your own....like dried lamb puffs (made from lamb lungs) they work magic.

Maybe somehow you are inadvertingly rewarding her for the wrong behavour & she really thinks you don't want her to go walkies. Do you give her the treats when she is walking nicely...at what point in the process do you treat her. eg. don't treat her for standing still. Do I make sense :D Have you tried any clicker work with her, especially "free shaping" which is when you click & treat them for them taking the inituative & offering a behavour.

Has any body's dog been given this vaccine...or do you think it is a real problem with dogs that get lots of meaty bones. If you read this it sounds like most dogs over the age of three have the disease :D Here's the link http://www.ehow.com/about_6629578_vaccine-...io-disease.html

I have this problem a lot, usually with chook pellets, if OH is not around. You will probably be storing it in something like a garbage bin, I imagine. So open the bag in the car & then transport a bucket full at a time to your storage bin, until the bag is light enough to lift. This Black Hawk stuff sounds really tempting, I feed VAN plus raw meat & meaty bones, but I might get a smaller bag & alternate it with the VANs, just to give it a go.

This is not one that you could leave your dog alone with, but I use it as an inside toy...special treat, while supervising http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...p;ParentCat=449 Its a Babble Ball & she now has the two , one that makes 20 different animal sounds & the other talks like Daffy Duck. She has so much fun with them, & her antics usually have us in stitches :D

Thanks everyone for your help. I can't use the magnetic tag, as I don't want to take her off Proban. They say that it has to be used free of other chemicals, otherwise it is not efective & I love my dog too much to start experimenting with "just" something alternate. I am looking for something to suplement the Proban. Tick collars are no good because she is on Proban, & also she is always swimming. It's hard to keep her out of the water on these hot days. I have bought some rose geranium oil, lavender oil & almond oil & am going to make up a recipe that I found. If it doesn't work, then at least she will smell sweet Obviously I will have to apply it daily as she will be washing it off. Also bought some calendula tea while I was at it. If the essential oils work, I will be shouting it from the rooftop. Another thing I don't like about tick collars, is what it might do to us humans & grandkids who are cuddling her a lot.

Think I'll best move to Perth ......I hate the little buggers Just have to watch the Great Whites over there

I have tried mixing garlic powder in with her food in the past, & I thought it was working for a while, but then this time last year after being on the garlic for some months, the tick problem presented itself & I took her off the garlic as something was making her sick (chuck). When I stopped the garlic, she stopped being sick.

That's much a matter of the right approach and taking it easy with the introduction of it. ie Desensitision or habituation. Yep, and remember you are not vacuuming the dog with this attachment. You use the slicker to remove fur then activate it away from the dog to suck down the fur into the vacuum. So the only real fear the dog has to get over is the sound of the vacuum itself. My dog is the biggest coward on 4 legs so if he can tolerate it any dog can :-) That's not so bad...then. So is the the vacuum cleaner running all the time you are using this attachment on the dog or do you have the thing on the vacuum cleaner without the motor running...groom the dog, then turn it on :D

I have just been doing some Googling & come across some recipes using almond oil & rose geranium oil and some others using these two plus lavender oil plus aloe vera gel or American Pennyroyal oil. Has anyone tried these as natural non-toxic repellents ?

It's that time of the year again. My Border Collie girl is on Proban 48 hourly for ticks, but of course, the ticks still have to get on her & bite her before they die. I can't pick them all off as there are too many & they are very tiny. The irritation is driving her mad & she is scratching day & night. The only way I can give her a bit of relief is to give her 1/2 Cetirizine (Zyrtec) every night & sponge her down with Permoxin daily. She goes swimming, so the Permoxin washes off. I have had her on Advantix as well, until I started on the Permoxin, but that didn't keep them off either. Can I increase the Cetirizine to 1 whole tablet daily or 1/2 twice daily. I have seen those magnetic tags advertised on DOL. Has anyone tried them :D Probably no good for my dog as she doesn't wear a collar & you can't use them with any other chemical treatment. Would the calendula wash help with this Also does any one know if these little buggers can survive in her bedding etc. If so anything I can spray on that (maybe permoxin). Sorry about all the questions, but any suggestions would be greatly welcomed. I am not too keen on the Permoxin as she licks it off like a pussy cat would. ;)

Ok...so you've got me there....what is a Thunder Coat & how does it work Google "Thunder shirt" and you'll find it... I know of another user on here who swears by it for just generally calming their dog in situations which normally agitate her! :D Thanks for that...I have got this on order ...Calming Cap. Has anyone ever used one of these on a stressed dog? http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...p;ParentCat=449

Here is a copy of the email I sent them & their reply (really worth persueing) (Their reply) Dear , Thank you for writing. The shipping software on our web site can only calculate shipping in an envelope to a certain weight and once the weight of an item surpasses that amount the software assumes the item will be shipped in a box which raises the cost of shipping. If you are placing an order for just the Rapid Rewards Treat bag just make a note in the comments section of your order to reduce shipping fees to $7.95 per Linda and we will adjust the amount manually on our end prior to completing your order. The comment section can be found as you are checking out of the store. Thank you again for choosing CleanRun.com. We appreciate your business. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact us. Sincerely, Clean Run Customer Service Team (Linda, Customer Service Supervisor) 17 Industrial Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075 www.cleanrun.com Phone: 800-311-6503 (U.S. and Canada) or 413-532-1389 (Overseas) Fax: 866-758-6503 (U.S.) or 413-532-1590 (International) IMPORTANT: Please include the entire contents of this email message in your reply. It is critical for us to have a complete history of our correspondence when helping solve your customer service question or problem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 9:56 PM To: Clean Run Info Subject: treat bags, (original message) Hi, I was wondering why the Rapid Rewards treat bag cost 32.35 to ship to Australia when the Trek & Train one cost only 7.95 in postage??? Cheers,