VJB

As far as I've been told, Stilbestrol will only possibly cause problems while the dog is taking this medicaton. It can have an effect on bone marrow suppression from memory. I was always worried that it would somehow catch up with us that we used this drug for a year, but I recently asked the vet and he informed me that you would not see problems once off the drug, only while currently on it. I was relieved to hear this. After just looking on internet, it appeared to cause vaginal tumours in humans (not sure about dogs).

My dog was desexed at six months and wet her bed a month later. We used Stilbestrol, but were advised to change to Propalin due to Stilbestrol now being banned for humans and also the concerns of nasty side effects in dogs. I know of several vets unwilling to give this drug, choosing Propalin to be a safer option. On researching, I found some information on the use of an implant called Suprelorin. It has been used for years as a contraceptive for entire dogs, and it was noted that it seemed to have a positive effect on incontinence issues. I contacted our vet, who then got in contact with the makers of the implant. It is a very safe drug, and Heidi had great success for 10 months without any dripping etc. Once she started dripping, we put another one in. We had another one inserted about 3 weeks ago, and unfortunately she is still having drips, but she is very out of sorts at the moment due to mystery illness that may be triggering some incontinence. I can't think why the implant would work so well the first time, but not the second. The implant is not marketed as an incontinence treatment at this staged, although I think Heidi is on some sort of register to gather information for the makers of the implant. All in all, I'm hoping the second implant kicks in soon, and that we have another year of no dribbles.

First dog was a rescue and was spayed at 5 months. No incontinence ever. Second dog, spayed at 6 months, leaking 1 month later. My girl was on Stilbestrol, but was informed of the high risks associated with its use, so changed to Propalin for a short time before doing some internet searching and coming across the use of an implant "Suprelorin" to treat incontinence. It has worked wonderfully for us and we have now just had our second implant inserted. The first one lasted 10 months and we had only just started seeing a slight dribble from Heidi before putting the second implant in after it was cleared with the manufacturer whether we could insert another before the 12 months had passed. It has been a great relief for us to have found something that gives us nearly a year of "no stress" with worrying about incontinence issues and the medication affects. The implant has been used for many years as a contraceptive, and is considered very safe. It is only now being used for incontinence.

I would take him to vet asap.

So sorry for your loss. Very hard and sad decision.

SUPERB! Beautiful photo.

And such a fine "other nurse" you are Stormie. Hope your dog has a speedy recovery.

A GSP ticks lots of the boxes for what you are looking for. Very wash and wear coat, and providing you give the amount of exercise you have suggested in your first post, then you would have a contented GSP who will happily sleep and relax with you for much of the day. (got to get through puppyhood first, which can require more mentally stimulating activities to keep them amused). They are a very people orientated breed, and inside/outside access is preferred. I find them to be very alert and quick to train, though more effort in some areas than others is required. Recall is something that takes work, but certainly not impossible. My dog comes back easily each time if I have treats, but might stray a little bit if off sniffing the ground. She has never run off from me though, and stays close when bush walking..... I guess each dog is different. As long as they are able to be part of the family happenings when you get home, then 8 hours is ok. Lots of people work away from home for this amount of time or more. You may be better off exercising your dog before leaving home for that period of time, especially when it is young, as a tired dog is a happy dog. Also look into mentally stimulating activities your dog can do (any breed) while you are away from home. I think most would say that a GSP can sometimes be slow to mature in some ways, but they do get there. Heidi is now just on 2 and 1/2 and has become a delightful member of our household. She is lovely. It takes work and understanding to get the results you want. This is for any breed.

Agree, and I told owners last night that rather than telling him off, maybe adding a distraction would be a better way of dealing with it..... This is the first time dog for them, although one had some dogs when growing up...but first time owners as adults. They are great dog parents, and learning stuff along the way. He does not go to training, and probably hasn't been around another dog since this happened, but I know that they do attend the local dog park without any issues. I am going to go down to their place in the next few days with a bag full of treats to show her a clicker and how it can be used in loads of situations..... as she may well be able to use a clicker to help get past some of this. I know the owner feels terrible about what happened,, almost guilty... highly possible that the dog is picking up on this, even though she is attempting to be 'normal'.

Yep, I get what you are trying to say. Makes sense.

Yes, and he does enjoy his crate. It is in another room, and it is a larger pen/den type hexagon thingo. Maybe they could bring that to the front room as it is currently in another lounge room area.

I also wonder about this. I would continue with the normal routine and not fuss over him. Perhaps try a DAP diffuser or spray as well. Is he of a nervous temperament normally? No, this was the first thing I asked, and she said that they were not make any attempt to pander. They have been verbally stern with him for the barking in the lounge area at night, but I am unsure how this is working as they eventually go out to him and he stops barking, looks at them, waits for them to go again, and continues to bark at noises etc. I wouldn't say he has been a nervous temperament before, just usual puppy stuff. I will talk to owner about a DAP diffuser or spray. It would be best to deal with this now, before neurotic habits form. He's such a gorgeous dog.

Run free to a beautiful girl who clearly gave you so much joy and love. Very moving tribute, and a very special girl indeed. :D

Just seen this family walking the dog a moment ago. Since the incident, he apparently will not sleep in his bed either. It is kept at the end of their bed. He will only sleep on the floor next to the owner. I asked if he feared the front door, and it appears he is ok with it. He is quite jumpy at night time though, and reacting to any movement/noise made. Owners hubby came home last night from work at 10.30pm and it took the dog a long time to settle again. Even when 'settled' he is on guard though, and daytime he is now more tired than usual. I told them not to praise or comfort his fearful behaviour. In the evening, the front door is shut but he will not willingly come to his bed in the bedroom. He is waiting out near the front door and barking in an insecure way. Woo-woo-woo-wooo... type bark. Owner goes out to tell him to be quiet, which he responds to, but starts barking the moment owner goes back into bedroom.

My friend has a lovely 9 month old Lagotto. A few evenings ago, it was very hot down here in Sydney. They left the front door open, and the dog was having a sleep just inside the screen door. Quite late in the evening, another dog (from the street) suddenly appeared on the other side of the screen door, and has given the Lagotto a major scare, and it apparently took him over 2 hours to stop barking. He hasn't slept much since, and will not settle. I would love to give them some advice on what is best to do....... we don't want to make things worse. Any ideas??

Heidi has one, and enjoys bobbing it about to get her food out. It is noisy, and sometimes I use it inside on a rainy day for added mental stimulation. I close off all the doorways and put it in the hall way......yes, it is very noisy, but entertaining. I do find that she barks at it if it gets stuck in a corner. I can't leave her with it without having to get up at least 3 or 4 times to get it out of an awkward situation for her. She will sometimes pick it up, and I don't like the thought of it falling out of her mouth, cause it's quite heavy, and I have visions of her paws getting stomped on by the toy... ouch.

Yes I think I actually asked about the other scents in the hospitality section of the website.... especially the vanilla scent. The reply I got was that there are specific odours that bond with a particular scent well.... this is why there are different sections for different needs. But, on a whole, for an average dog owner, any of the scents would work, but for boarding kennels etc, then it is best to use the products from the actual pet odour list. As far as the difference between odour go and other urine products, ..... well, odour go is just for odour removal, as well as a hospital grade disinfectant.... it bonds with odour molecule and kills the odour. The urine off type products have an ingredient in them to break down the urine enzymes, so these products probably have quite different uses. I did use urine off when Heidi was a puppy, and I would prefer that as a complete removal of urine enzymes,,,, because the odour go products probably aren't made for that purpose. The other flavours are definitely worth trying. I love the Talc. The natural scent is actually one of my favourites, nice, fresh and clean. The apple is also great. I have the lemon, but like stormie, I think I prefer the apple.

It is a great product. I was initially surprised by the price, but bought a 5 litre bottle of Apple scent. As I was pouring it in the washing machine during spin cycles when doing dogs bedding, it can run out quicker, so now I spray the bedding when its on the line. Given I paid something like 50 dollars for the bottle, it has in fact only just run out about 2 months ago. It lasted me nearly 2 years. I'm sure I would have spent more if using other products.

I think this is the best product ever. Odourgo. Comes in many different scents, and I've mentioned it on here before. It is an odour neutraliser, which bonds to the odour and gets rid of it. It is not a cover up deodorizer. Safe to use on all furnishings, floors, toilets, decking etc.... and also very cost effective because it comes in a concentrated form which you can dilute to your liking. I will try and find that thread. here

I'd have either, and I just love my girl to bits. My Dad has boys and they are great as well, but our house has only had girls, one at a time.

What a classic.... very funny. Gave me a good laugh while having breaky. :D

Keep strong Chase, healing vibes sent in concentrated form.

I use TuckerTime as training treats, as Heidi loves loves loves it, as well as it is a very good food. Available from pet supply stores or your vet, it comes in a log which I cut and dice up and put into little bags in my freezer. I can cut the pieces up very small... probably better than the Chunkers, and it is less crumbly. Great value for money too. Not sure if this is exactly the type of food you are after,... but its good stuff, soft and palatable.

I couldn't agree more. I'm still learning heaps and love every bit of it. But loads of people are just not interested in what the dogs needs are necessarily, just happy that they have got themselves a dog. I wish that all breeds wouldn't be be viewed under the same umbrella when it comes to dog ownership....and basic needs, by the average dog owner in society. The basic needs for a Chihuahua vs a GSP are different in many ways, and as soon as I hear about people getting dogs, I have to hold myself together..... as I almost go into trying to ask them what they are going to provide for their dogs, depending on the dogs natural instincts etc.... I get worried about dogs left alone with no company, when they are a breed that requires lots of human interaction. And I also think that something should be done to educate people more about dog ownership. I was getting a massage the other day when the lady massaging my back said "oh, my sister and me bought a Pom-chi X at PP in hornsby the other day" Me "oh, um, wow.... um.. Massager - "yeah, we've had her a week and she's very vicious so we can't do anything with her and have to keep her locked in the laundry". Me "oh dear, well, PP has itself a bit of a bad name, but as you've now got her, maybe you should get into some dog training places and book yourself in too...you will learn a lot, plus make your dogs life a happier one because you will understand how she thinks depending on her breed/s etc, and you are better prepared to provide the stimulation she's looking for. Also, she's probably petrified. Massager - "hahahha,,, she's just a dog, she'll be right, surely something so small couldn't require much" :rolleyes:

I also got Heidi at 12 weeks, and never had a issue that I felt was because of not finding us until she was 12 weeks. I also agree with others saying that it depends how much effort and social experiences you are prepared to offer your new pup once it is home.