megan_

Lamb neck noissettes (from willies or the butcher). You can get them about 1cm thuck

Yes - waasay to big (not to eat, but it would be a few meals)

I think it depends on state

The test isn't whether a dog meets the standard for it's breed. The test is sbout whether a dog has a suitable temperament to rehome safely. Fearful dogs don't fit that criteria ( unless they're acted because they're in a shelter, in which case a good temp test will help determine whether this is the cause of the fear). My girl would fail this test no doubt. She is a lovely, well mannered little sweetie. She is fearful and reverts to aggression if not managed properly. She is not a suitable dog for 99.9% of families and SHOULD fail a good temp test. This doesn't make her a bad dog, just a dog that isn't safe in the hands of Joe average.

She's still very young. These things take time. What Caesar Milan methods are you using? Some are very forceful and would make a shy dog not want to look at you...

I think kelpiechick runs agility in the northern suburbs

Sorry but none of these things are safe to do agility with. I'd suggest looking at some youtubes but it is far too distressing. Try a slip lead with no collar. Very easy to pop on when he's finished and take off as you get to the start line. If you post in the agility thread I'm pretty sure that is what experienced people will say. Anything with a loop or that dangles can get caught.

You're going to take the harness off when he's working though, right? They can get caught on equipment and can be very dangerous. Most of the agility people I know just use a slip lead - easy on, easy off.

I'd ask Steve on this forum before doing that...

If you wait until after 16 weeks then you'll miss out on his critical socialisation period - and he could land up scared of novel things. Not a risk I'd be willing to take.

Sometimes you're not choosing to save your dogs at all costs, you're choosing to stay and die with them. That was my first point that I'm struggling to communicate. I think when most people stay they still think that they'll survive with their dogs. The alternative isn't really considered. Re: the last QLD floods, no doubt there could have been better planning, however some areas had flash flooding. I remember emergency services being criticized for having a nonperson policy, but in those cases saving a dog could have meant one more person not being able to fit on a chopper.

I'd always leave early. However, sometimes things happen without any warning (eg your house catches on fire, you have very, very limited time to get out. Finding pets could mean you don't make it). For the people who say stay: Would you stay if it meant dying? At what probability of death would you leave? Often people stay and defend but I doubt they think they will really die.

yeah, that is what I was saying . It was more aimed at the op! I understand the hoovering kibble, Lucy it too.

Or ditch the bowl and make them work for all their food - you'll have a well trained lab in no time :)

CAn you post the measurements? I have a forester, so most probably won't fit any way..

Boron is an essential mineral

You can get a special deal on the compacts at a place in Hastings - sway has the details

Fingers crossed. You have weighed up the risks and taken the less risky call. The rest is up to the anti-venom and Spud.

Agree. Her behaviour could impact the puppy at a critical development time. Even with an older, very stable dog I'd only get one that could be assessed by a qualified behaviourist (like Cosmolo). Why? Because when dogs are stressed and anxious things can go very wrong, very quickly. For example, she might be frantic and the other dog tries to play with her. As she gets more and more anxious if the dog isn't stable and respects her space a fight can ensue. Stress doesn't bring out the best in dogs... You obviously love her and are trying to do the right thing by her. Give sas' program a go and let us know how it is progressing.

It's funny BC because my sister says I only talk about Fergus

How smelly is your food staffyluv? I agree with Corvus that working for food can be important because you can use it as both an active (get him hyped up) or passive (get him to calm down) reward. Toys tend to be active only and there are times when that isn't appropriate. Can you just not feed him at all for 24 hours, or even more? I don't know about big dogs but the amount of food you described him getting seems enormous to me . Could you try cutting it down a lot? If he isn't used to "working" for his food then it is going to take some time to get him used to this (why work when I can get a bowl of food for free at the end of the day?) and he'll need to be hungry. I dog-sat my cousin's dogs over the break and they were very unresponsive to doing anything (even sitting) for food because they were used to getting everything for nothing. It was only after 4 days that I managed to get something out of them. The std schnauzer would just walk away, but she wolfs down her food - it was just that the whole concept was foreign to her. I think it is Cos who has said that every dog - bar a very ill one - is food motivated. Dogs need food to live and they know it.

Today is Ferg's fifth birthday. From the moment I got him he has been my heart dog and words fail to describe how he has enriched my life. He has the most beautiful temperament and I often get stopped on walks and told how gorgeous he is. He has stayed overnight at the vets a few times and I'm always told how sweet, gentle and funny he is. In fact when he had bad gastro a few months ago and stayed overnight on a drip, the head vet said that the vet nurses were carrying around like a baby all night :) . Even when he was in pain he never snapped at the vet and just given a gentle lick when he's been hurt. He is also one of those dogs that speaks great dog, which helps him avoid trouble. When I first got Lucy (puppy farm rescue) she stood as still as a statue, terrified. Fergs had a sniff then left her completely alone for 24 hours. He didn't try to play with her or bounce in her face - he knew she needed time. I got up in the wee hours of the morning to find him outside with her, sniffing around with her following him. He gradually introduced her to the house and slowly began playing with her over the coming months as she learnt to relax when I was around. He has been instrumental to her rehab where a happy-bouncy-in-your-face type dog would have made her life hell. If we go to the park he avoids trouble makers, where other dogs seem to want to say hello to everyone. He is as smart as a tack and has great problem solving skills. I know most people say that about their dogs but he regularly blows me away with the things that he solves. He loves free shaping and problem solving. When we went to the Uta Bindel seminar 2 years ago I had a few people telling him that they wanted him. Even Uta came up to me during the break and told me how smart and motivated he was. He is a snuggle bunny and will drape himself on me when I sit down, and yet when I go to work he is completely relaxed when I walk out the door. He looooves his training and is so focused. I see people struggling to get their dog's attention at school and I'm glad I've never had to go through that. He loves his agility and is great at it - shame about the handler. He is very patient with me as he is my first agility dog and I still have my learner's permit. But the true spirit of Fergs can't be summed up in words. He is just the most awesome dog who has brought me so much happiness and joy. Fergus McGergus, I never knew how much I needed you until you came into my life. Some happy snaps:

There's such a thing as a Muslim culture, hey? You learn something every day. I need to tell my Australian-born Muslim co-worker about her issues with dogs...

My vet said taht Maslab is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal shampoo. If your dog doesn't have a secondary infection then it isn't really going to help (other than being really strong and very drying). I'd stick with the calendula tea and anti-histamines. Something like telfast is good without bad side effects.

It is only a fault because when the standard was written they only allowed solid colours. There is no health reason. There are dogs being shown and bred with true faults (eg overjoyed, bad hips etc).