Fudo

Glad I can keep the coven entertained :p

I'm a guy but rarely ever post. I learn a lot by reading stuff and post if I think I can contribute something useful to another (excepting this post I guess). I just don't feel the need to chat and post photos. For a while I thought I might get into the spitz thread (not much happens in the Akita thread) but it was just too full of estreogen (SP?). Too many *squee*'s and stuff for me (sorry girls).

I'm sure there was a Woody Harrelson movie made a few years ago that should give you some tips...."Natural Kong Fillers" ETA: I gave myself a chortle when I first thought of this, but now I have read it back, it is quite lame. Probably one of the reasons I rarely post...

Thanks Ams. Anything grain free really. For a while now its been Canidae but I like to have a few options up my sleeve.

Hello I have always purchased food from Pookinuk, but they have just advised that they can no longer offer the $5 delivery fee to my area (Ipswich QLD). Turns out that Pookinuk's courier company can no longer provide the $5 service to the ever expanding "Brisbane Metropolitan area" defined by Australia Post and so have revised the scope of the $5 service area; freight fees to my place would now be $30. Might be something for others to be aware of too... I have no issue with the decision; that's business. I just don't want to pay 1/4 of the cost of product in freight. So my question is, who do you know that delivers to Qld with cheap freight rates? I found one online place at Samford but their links are dead so maybe they have folded? Thanks

...and others that may be able to help. A few weeks ago we moved to a bush block and are having trouble with grass seeds. I have found three that have penetrated his skin but have been able to remove them before they became problems. I currently groom Fudo (akita) with an undercoat rake and a thing that looks like a large hacksaw blade curled into a loop. Grooming occurs weekly in the norm but daily when he is blowing his coat. I give him a general once over and all over rub down with my hands almost daily, but this is proving to be insufficient to find the grass seeds before they penetrate and cause a sore. Even when I do find them, if he happens to move before I can grab hold of it, it can take ages to find it again due to the denseness of his coat. My question is, can you recommend another style of brush / comb / tool (and supply the brand name of it) that I could use daily that might be able to catch and remove the seeds? Obviously in so doing I don't want it to damage or cut his coat. I imagine that if such a tool exists it will have fine teeth? If it helps, the grass seeds are similar to cobblers pegs but about 1/3 to 1/2 the size. Hope you can help! Thanks

Thanks all. I had looked at vacc certificate before I posted, but not well enough it seems!! A second look shows that this particular vet didn't stick the label inside but she wrote "C5 triennial", so I'm guessing that must mean a C4 with KC added. Thanks again.

Hello This afternoon Fudo went for his routine vacc and he had the triennial vacc for the first time. Not until well after we left did I think of a question. I am aware that he has to go back yearly for his kennel cough vacc, and it is this that leads to my question. This afternoon, the vet only gave one needle (there was no inhalant either, I believe KC can be done that way). So does that mean that my vet forgot to give the KC vacc or does the triennial vacc that he did give contain KC virus and that component of the vaccine only lasts 12 months? Hope that makes sense.. Ta

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. I am going to change meds and protect for ticks; that is not the issue or the question. I suppose that in a nutshell my question is, how exposed is Fudo to those other things if I don't protect for them? Further, if he does get them, are they easy to treat? Are they painful or expensive to treat and is prevention better than cure?

Hi I have read some posts lately (there is a particularly good one in general: "FAQs") about parasite prevention. Fudo is currently on Advocate and Virbac tabs. I went with Advocate because our risk of tick exposure is low and it covers all sorts of things that the other top spots don't; so for spectrum of coverage and ease of application I went with Advocate (NB> use of Advocate requires a tape wormer, hence the virbac). Shortly though, we will be moving and our tick exposure will rise significantly and Fudo's current regime will need to change as a result. I have used killtix / preventic collars before when we have gone bushwalking, but they really stink and I just don't like them in the house. So a reasonable change for us, without using collars, might be to use Sentinel Spectrum and Advantix. Neither of these things though treat / prevent mites, demodectic (sp?) mange and some other things (I think) that Advocate treats. So my questions are, just what is the risk of contracting these "extra things" that Advocate treats wrt a dog that doesn't meet many other dogs or got to dog parks; and if he should contract them, are they painful / difficult to treat / expensive to treat? Thanks ETA: The extras that Advocate covers are ear mites, sarcoptic mange and demodex.

Hi all I know that there are several leather workers on DOL but I can't remember who they are. Could people please give me their user names, or better still, could the leather workers please get in touch with me if they can help? I am after a rolled leather collar, black in colour to fit a 53 cm neck. It will just be used for general purpose around the house; when we are walking or working I have another collar that I use. It will need a D ring to hold his council rego tag and name tag. Oh yeah, with silver coloured / nickel plated fittings (just don't like gold / brass coloured!). Thanks

Hey Poppydog I use Snippets in Briggs Road at Raceview (maybe it's Flinders View?). I have only taken Fudo there a couple of times; when he is at the end of a coat blow and I get them to wash and strip the last of his old coat out. But on the two or three occasions he has been there I have been happy with the result and Fudo has always left happy.

Hello Just an update for those that are interested. Went to see our trainer today (didn't go with the Paw Man; PM if you want to know why). The trainer was very happy with Fudo's obedience, his reaction to other dogs and the way I handled him. I am stoked. Regarding the reason for my original post, there was something that I didn't mention because I didn't think it was significant until later. When the other dog approached Fudo, Fudo was half way through a crap and the other dog approached from behind and began to growl. Fudo then had to choke it off and turn toward the other dog. The trainer feels that this was significant, and that insofar as growling at me, he was still actually growling at the other dog, I just hadn't diverted his attention towards me fully, he was still focussed on the other dog. We demonstrated at training today that Fudo is completely calm around other dogs that are also calm and unruffled; it is those that are barking / jumping / lunging towards him that he shows any interest in. We had other dogs approach and walk a circle around Fudo within one or two feet of us and Fudo made no attempt to move or make a sound. So, I'm happy. Thanks to those that provided advice.

We are booked in to see our trainer next week for him to observe us and offer solutions. Dark Angel - No, he is generally happy to leave other dogs alone. If they are interested to have a sniff etc, he is tolerant of that and will return the introduction. If the other dog does any sort of posturing he will return in kind; the bigger the other dog, the bigger the response. What I mean by that is, if it is a swf lunging toward him and barking, he will just strain at the end of the lead toward the other dog. If it is a large dog lunging and barking he will strain at the lead and growl. I genrally counter this with a tight lead and keep walking. On this particular day, we were stopped for a drink, so rather than interrupt our drink, I asked for a sit. He certainly doesn't get praised (even indirectly with encouraging or soothing talk) when he does this! When he did sit after correction, he growled and looked at me. He then stopped growling, looked back to the other dog (that was now perhaps 5 metres distant), and focussed on the dog again. I have little experience with this (thats why I'm seeking advice), but I tend to agree with your beliefs / theories / analysis of the situation. It also fits with our trainers belief (phone advice), and they way I have interpreted what others said above. Hopefully we'll find out some more certainty when we see our trainer next week. Corvus - Yep, have spoken to his breeder. She didn't have much to offer except to ensure that we were strong leaders of Fudo. I really don't think that is an issue. In all other respects my partner and I consider him to be a model dog. Very obedient (to both of us), tolerant of others (including the sometimes over enthusiastic affections of our toddler and his friends) and laid back. We often recieve compliments from friends and strangers regarding his good behaviour, good nature and good (loose lead) walking.

Thank you for your replies eveyone. I have made contact with "the paw man" here in Brisbane but haven't yet received a reply. Does anyone have experience with his services? I will let you know how we get on if you are interested. NILIF is something that I used to do a lot. Now I really only practice it with food and getting in and out of the car. Until I hear from the trainer I guess NILIF is a good thing to go back to first principles with and apply to all situations. PF - Insofar as asking to "sit and down" when the other dog approached, I did that to demonstrate some level of control and authority. Also, I had read on here before that someone else had done it. That is one of the dangers of the internet I suppose; potentially applying unsolicited / un-researched / invalid techniques. From your response I take it that that was wrong? Your answer intimates that but you didn't provide an alternative. Thanks again everyone.