Crest_Fallen

Can someone please tell a newbie what exactly ecollar is? I honestly have never heard of it and would like to know more. Any info would be greatly appreciated as I am about to start training my 12 week old puppy. :p

Thanks for the replies. I forgot to say that I am near Fremantle, but the one at the K9 centre would be ok. I'll look into it.

Hi everyone, We have a chinese crested puppy who is about 12 weeks old (due for his vacc any day now). We would like to take him to obedience classes and also agility when he is old enough. Can anyone tell me how old puppies have to be before they can start going to training? Initially we would like to do a puppy socialisation class but then move on to obedience and agility. Any other information you think may be helpful would be appreciated as it has been many years since we did obedience and agility (my goldie is nearly 10yo).

My Goldie was desexed at 10 months old (I tried waiting until 12 months on breeder's advice but she was coming in for her second season and she went right off her food the first time and lost too much weight - way too stressful). Breeder said she had finished growing anyway (much to my relief). The Spotted Devil, can I ask if this would also apply to toy breeds? I have a Chinese Crested Powderpuff that is only 12 weeks so not yet desexed but he does like to zoom about fetching. Taking him jogging is definitey not a problem here but if he runs up and down on the hard surface in our back garden is that a problem?

My mum once adopted a corgi who was a singleton (same parents as her other corgi). She was quite miserable in her personality to put it mildly although she did enjoy the company of the other corgi (despite the same socialisation from the time she was adopted - obedience classes and daily walks). Her full sister from a previous litter was nothing like her temperament. I know of a breeder who had a singleton when my goldie was little and she appreciated me bringing my puppy over to 'teach' the other the things they normally learn when they have littermates.

With my goldie (now 9yo) I took her everywhere with me from the day I got her. I never took her to public parks or beaches but always to friends' places who I knew there dogs vaccinations were up-to-date. I am also taking my new puppy out with me places too but carry him rather than letting him walk. I will also take him to meet other dogs who I know are vaccinated, but it will again be at a friend's home.

If you want to use a harness when he or she is an adult, I would start off using a harness when she first comes to live with you. If she is a large breed, you wont have any problems finding one to fit, as there should be small size harnesses for the smaller breeds that would fit. Not sure if you can get adjustable sizings though. Crates are great if you have a wagon but otherwise I would use a harness.

Awwww, Alfie is so cute. I want to give him a big huge. Congratulations on being chosen as his parents. From what I was told by my puppy's breeder it is not safe to take them out to public places until they are fully vaccinated. That means waiting until their last puppy vaccinations (although I do take my puppy out but I always carry him). I could be wrong, but I believe as long as you are socialising your puppy with other dogs that you know are up-to-date on their vaccinations and the 'play date' is taking place in someone's home (reducing risk of germs) rather than a public place, it is quite safe. When I got my goldie (9 years ago) I was encouraged by breeders to take her out everywhere when I first got her. But I only took her to friends' homes where I knew their dogs were up-to-date on vaccinations.

I found Better Pets and Gardens sells barf too and came across "Pet Custom Diets" which I am told works great for dogs with allergies. It is all 100% preservative and additive free. The ingredients are Camel, sweet potato, vitamins, minerals, sunflower oil although I think it also comes in roo. It costs around $5.50 for 600 grams.

My new puppy wasn't keen on the food the breeder recommended either but have found he loves raw (he got so excited when I got the raw chicken necks out for the cats for dinner so I gave him one and he got stuck into it). So he now eats raw chicken necks and barf with a sprinkle of kibble. I put him on Eagle Pack Puppy but I can't say that puppy is overly keen on kibble at all so I think it will be the last bag I get of it. He will only eat a little of the kibble if it is mixed with his barf though.

I have a 10 week old puppy who the breeder told me is not at all toilet trained (which I didn't expect he would be at that age). But since arriving home with us, he has only had a few accidents. A couple were not 'hearing' what he was telling me and the other was when he was distracted (investigating house). I never growl at him. I say No, pick him up and take him outside. When I want him to do a wee I stand near the area I want him to do his wee and just wait quietly. When he does his wee I immediately say Good Boy or Clever Boy and give him lots of pats. We started by taking Levi outside often and we were lucky, I can predict when he needs to go and then give myself another opportunity to praise him for his efforts. Dogs naturally love to please so if you can catch him doing what you want, it is much easier on both of you. Even overnight he has largely cried out when he needs the toilet, although I did also end up (after getting up every 2 hours) putting a tray with newspaper on it, for 'emergencies'. Being a small dog he does have a small bladder. If I am going out I leave him the newspaper so he has somewhere to 'go'. Really it is really about having lots of patience, predicting when they are likely to want to go and praising them heaps when they do it. Give him time, he will get there. Gorgeous Westie by the way.

The best way to avoid your puppy or dog being car sick is to take them for a drive between feeds, never just after he has eaten. Our new puppy gets car sick too so we are doing small car trips each day so he gets use to it. We also like to go to the beach etc with our dogs. We also make sure all of our windows are down a little, which seems to help. Today was the first day my puppy hasn't been 'car sick' - so there is progress.

When my dog was a puppy I mainly focussed on recalls. It is good to do as puppies as they naturally want to come to their owner. If you want to offer variety, I would try things like roll over and shaking hands on top of the basic obedience commands.

18 months is still very young. I started one of my dogs when she was over 6yo. She never did master 'sitting' (she was an ex-show dog so was taught to stand) but we had loads of fun joining in. If you dog is a bit over-excitable, it is more of a reason to start going. I think you will both gain a lot from the classes (and it is fun doing training together too). If she is really an excitable dog, once she has mastered basic obedience, she may enjoy agility too. That is heaps more fun than obedience

Just wanting to send you HUGS. I really hope Brodie will be fine. I must admit, I was surprised that the breeder didn't offer a full refund. Many years ago my partner and I purchased a pure bred dog only to discover he had major health issues. The breeder offered to give us another puppy or a full refund - we loved our boy so opted for a full refund which went a very small way to cover his medical expenses.

Not knowing her background makes it really hard to assess. It sounds a little like she is trying to fit in to the pack and work out the hierarchy. I think getting a behaviourist in sounds like a great idea before you make any major decisions. Sorry I am in Perth so I can't recommend anyone. Goodluck and I hope everything works out for all your furkids.