SpikesPuppy

Our pet shop Shih Tzu X has had both CLs replaced, the first one was torn and before operating we kept him quiet, on pain meds etc for 2 weeks before having it replaced. Then when he started limping on the other leg, we just had it replaced straight away. General rule is apparently if one goes- the other will go too. Your girl should be fine for a few weeks, just don't let her do any jumping or strenuous excercise. As Morgan said, if it is just strained, then you don't want to operate uneccesarily. With our dog, his was torn and wouldn't repair on it's own.

My newf, at 8 years old, has almost never slept on anything but the carpet or kitchen floor (especially in summer). He has had blankets and we recently bought a huge mat for him, which he will use on command only lol. It's never done him any harm that I can see. And as long as the option of somewhere comfy is there..... Oh he does get on the couch sometimes though!!

All puppies go through the akward growth stages, many especially giant breeds look gangly, out of proportion and thin! You will probably find in a week or 2 he will be back to normal lol. Definately with a heavy breed I prefer dogs to be on the lighter side :rolleyes: He is a lovely little boy

We were feeding our non-show dogs on Supercoat, then the recipe changed and everything changed for the worse (for our dogs anyway), now the non show dogs are on OmniPro Senior (for the old boy) and my Newf is on OmniPro Lamb & Rice as he can get itchies- no itchies as yet though. My 2 show dogs are on Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken and they are doing very well so will stick with that for the time being. If I need to get some food in a hurry, I like Purina ONE from the supermarket, well, I don't like it but the dogs do well! You could also try adding some Nature's Gift tinned food (it's not a typical can food.....) for a bit of extra flavour if your dog isn't eating the Nutro anymore.

I'm having the same problem with my pup! All our other dogs have just stood at the door, but if we take to long to notice, they yip. However Ziva appears to go to the door just as she needs to tilet. Most of the time I am able to catch her but a few times I hvae not been fast enough. So she knows to go outside (and if the backdoor is open during the day, she will go out when she needs to), but doesn;'t know how to ask!! I have been thinking about the bell thing actually.

Okay Myszka- STOP. I think I am going to spend WAY too much money hehehe. Have been meaning to get a couple of leather show leads too. Damn. Am composing my email now hehe. Have never been so excited about dog collars before

Myszka- that is awesome! Can I get it done in that colour too (green is Caber's best look )?? Rom- thanks for that, I thoughtfrom the pics the chain looked a little odd. The martingale I have at the moment is a ROGZ brand, and as I said above, in general I am very happy with it, just not when the buckle moves or when I have to take it on/off (yes, I will acknowledge that I am lazy ). I am very happy with the chain, all the links are smooth and I have never had a problem with it not releasing.

Hi guys, I currently use a material/chain martingale on Caber (Border Terrier) and I think it is the 'right' collar for us, I'm very happy with it. Except for the fact that the adjustment/slider sometimes moves if he pulls or lunges suddenly, or if it doesn't do that, it is just a royal pain in the behind to take off and put on, having to adjust the size all the time. So I was looking around and came across this website 'Vasquez' collars, http://www.pawzazzpetz.com.au/gpage13.html Now they have the 2 styles, one which is a traditional type martingale and the other is like a limited slip choker. Both have the buckles so I just have to undo it to remove the collar. Anyone have any advice on which i should purchase? They aren't particularly cheap so want to know more before buying one lol.

oooh I hope we can make it. Ziva will be 6 months then, old enough for a puppy run I think

We have used it, both my Border Terriers had the puppy roll or gourmet chicken as baby pups (my 19 week old would still have it if Coles didn't stop stocking it!) as an addition to their kibble and bones. Never had a problem with it :D Makes for good treats too, easy to cut up and doesn't crumble- but can be slimey.

Like any dog food, you will find pros and cons. Personally, we like it (well, my dogs do :D ) and will feed it occasionally (not always in stock at Coles but we usually grab a pack when they ahve it). We are not far from the 4 legs factory outlet and if we had the freezer space, we would definately look into getting a case of it/buying in bulk. Also makes for excellent training treats IMO.

Thank you everyone Her sheer joy at lure coursing is one of my fondest memories- she was certainly a little black bullet. She loved her walks- being part Whippet, she was pretty much exhausted after a short, brisk walk, and she would barge through the front door and greet with me a big, tired grin as if to say "Man that was FUN. Sorry you missed it". She also learnt several tricks that mum taught her, including how to walk up a ladder, weave through her legs, shake hands. On the good days, we could not have asked for a better or more devoted little girl. And one of mum's proudest moments was winning 2nd Best Kept Dog at the Bayside Festival, one year after we had Iko. It was just a little fun competition, but there were over 30 dogs entered! Storm, thank you so much. I knew there was someone else I was forgetting. If there is anyone else who I have forgotten- it's not because you don't matter, but because I suck with names!

Hi, http://www.petsplus.com.au/pet-shop.asp?id=659 That is basically what a metal/wire crate looks like (though designs may vary as will the number of doors etc). They are also avaliable in a soft material, often called Soft-crates. If the dog or pup is introduced correctly, many adapt very well and regard the crate as their 'den' or their home. It is their safe place. All my dogs are crate trained and if the doors are left open, they will often choose to sleep in there, even though they have the choice of the couch! With pups, it can be very handy for when you can't be there to supervise 100% (protects the pup from dangers such as power cords or small objects and also protects your valuables!). It can also assist with toilet training as most pups wont toilet in their sleeping quarters and so will cry to let you know they want to go outside. For adults, it can help reduce stress if they are already crate trained, if they need confinement either at a vet, groomers or due to injury, as well as travelling, a crate trained dog is more likely to be accepted in holiday parks and motels, especially if it is a large breed. It can also be very useful if you have tradespeople or similar wandering in and out of your house, no chance of your dog escaping because someone left the door or gate open. If you wish to do obedience or another activity with your dog, they are also very useful. If you have children, your dog can see the crate as it's safe place, as its home and you can teach your children that when Dog is in his crate, then he is off-limits. Also useful at feeding time if you have kids or multiple dogs. Do a search for crate training here or on Google and you will get some more information. I am a huge fan of crates, after using them only since late 2004, and can say with 110% confidence that correctly used, they are not cruel. Just looking at my dogs who choose to go into the open crates of their own will is enough for me to say "yay crates".

For those with young children, I would definately look into crating the dog/s to eat or placing then in a room blocked off with a baby gate or similar. Or feeding them outside etc. Because yes, kids are unpredictable and it's better to be safe than sorry IMO.

Thank you everyone for your kind words. I don't believe I have anything to be flamed about but I have beeen here long enough to know how some people react, especially without knowing the full story or the circumstance. Onslowsmum- I think you hit the nail right on the head with your comment "too many demons from her past still haunted the poor little darling." She was a good dog and I know she tried her best. Some photos for those who did not have the pleasure of meeting her With Caber Her most favourite thing in the World (after my mum), Lure Coursing, photos taken by Tess32. (Oh, Knuckles is a nickname, she would go into a total body wiggle when ever you said it to her, probably becuase the only way you COULD say it was in a silly, giggly voice!) For such a little dog, she had a big presence, the house feels so empty without her. Though Rascall hasn't stopped grinning for the past 2 weeks. he can be a bit of a prick that way (said with love). And mum doesn't know what to do with all the extra time in the morning, each day before work she spent at least half an hour with Iko, either playing with, grooming or walking her.

As some of you already know- we have had some problems with Iko, the Kelpie X Whippet (probably) that my mum found in the middle of the road. Right from the start, she and our old Shih Tzu X, Rascall, did not like eachother. We began crating them in turns (1 hour in, 1 hour out), after a while, we were able to have both dogs together in the house, as long as nothing 'exciting' happened (no food, no rough games, noone coming to the door etc). Basically they ignored eachother. However, apart from a few spats throughout (when any of the above happened), Iko began attacking Rascall at random, we could see no obvious trigger. Her body language gave us no warning either, it was at all different times, all different areas of the house/backyard and she would just fly at him. She also had a few goes at Spike over the years, but she was excellent with Caber. We spoke to several experienced dog people, behaviourists, veterinary behaviourists gave us different medications to try, we also spoke to several dog breeders. She was also tested for Thyroid problems as well as ageneral health check up for both her and Spike & Rascall (her main 'targets') We tried absolutely everything in our power but she got worse and worse with her unpredictability towards Rascall especially. She also went for Caber 2 and a half weeks ago. We looked at rehoming her, but with her other behavioural problems (all of which she had when we brought her home), we did not believe this was ethical to do. Constantly seperating her from the other dogs was also becoming increasingly difficult to do. So we made the decision to put her to sleep and 2 weeks ago, on September 22nd, she went to sleep for the final time in my mum's arms. I know some, maybe many, people will not understand our (my mum's really, as Iko was her shadow) decison, but we believe it was in the best interests of the dog. Not that it matters, but we spent a huge amount of money on her, as well as much time and effort. We did NOT take the easy way out- this is something that will haunt us both forever. But I believe that though she was not always quite 'right' and often seemed confused, she had a very happy life with us. I know that she was very much loved and very spoilt and she has left a huge hole in our hearts. If we had not adopted her from the pound where she spent her 8 days, she most certainly would have been euthanased then and there, but we took her on and gave her a chance. To everyone here who helped with her over the years (in particular Bilby, Ashley & CavNRott), and in more recent times- I thank you as does my mother. [centre]RIP IKO[/centre] 2003 (approx year of birth)- 22/09/2007 We will miss you every day, but thank you for pawprinting our hearts with your little white feet. I will post up some photos when I can get photobucket to work. P.S- The reason I haven't posted this until now is because of the reactions some people have in these situations. I wrote this up on the 23rd, but have been putting off posting it because frankly, I am expecting to be flamed for the decision. If you must flame, go ahead, but know that this was not undertaken lightly.

I am so sorry for your loss I have a beautiful boy who will turn 8 a week from tomorrow. And he is the most wonderful, loving, caring, there when you need him dog. Nothin' like the love of a Noofy to make you feel special.

Thanks Warley & Kiash Always wanting to learn.

It's not like I sit there every meal with my hand in the bloody bowl! Well, I did with my Dobe but that was for the reasons stated above. I only did it for the first week or so with each of my pups. Hmmm. Stones, I too would worry about chipped teeth. I don't have a dog at the moment who is at risk of bloat (except my newf, but he is not a gulper), but am not sure what I would do if I had another dog at risk. Maybe one of those puppy feeder bowls, with the raised bit in the center?

The only dogs I have ever lived with who had/have issues with food being removed or people close to their food bowl are our Shih Tzu X, who we never did anything with as a pup- left him alone so now you have to count your fingers if you take something from him and our now gone rescue maltese X who had a handful of teeth but would growl with all her might. Every other dog you can do anything with when food is involved. If my dogs are so wary of me and think I am going to take away their food because I fed them with my hand in the bowl, why do they bring bones and other treats to me either to 'swap' for a treat or just to much on beside me, completely relaxed and content with my presence? Oh and the origin of my placing my hand in the food bowl? Came from when I had my Dobermann..... she was a gulper and I was worried about bloat- having my hand in the bowl meant she had to eat much slower.

Sorry to hijack, but just curious- what is it about the Rotti bobtail gene that is different to other bobtail breeds? Or do other breeds with bobtail genes have spinal problems but we just don't hear about it? Always wondered about the issues that could arise through breeding bobtails as there are issues in the Manx cats as well as Manx mice and rats.

What persephone said! I agree, it's not bullying- it's swapping. I'm giving my dog a yummy treat in exchange for whatever they have. ATKING food and not replacing it with something I would consider bullying, and I would not do it unless it was an emergency (say dog picked something up on the street and I had no treats or toys with me), but even so, I would give as much praise as possible to the dog for surredering whatever. I also teach my dogs to 'spit' on command. Which means they will drop whatever they have in their mouth- so they actually have 'ta' which is give something to me, and spit which is drop it.

Okay, she is gorgeous!!! I really like the Staffords with those markings (big white collar and white front legs), absolutely stunning. It can be really hard to decide what to do, with everyone giving different opinons. Go with what you feel comfortable with. Good luck with her

Hi You might want to consider crate training your puppy- a search will give you more information. But basically you will be confining the dog at night and at this age, most pups can go through- but it may help to take her out once or twice through the night to start off with. I have found that with crate training, it means the pup is confined when you can not watch it 100%, so not only is it safe from chewing things it shouldn't, and your belongings are safe too, but the pup will also usually cry to let you know it needs to toilet- few pups will toilet in their sleeping quarters. I have a 19 week old pup and she was sleeping through most nights by 9 weeks old (got her at 8 weeks), every few nights she will need to go and because her crate is in my bedroom, she wakes me up. She is given free range most of the day but if I cannot watch her, she goes into her puppy playpen, which is near me, and again, she will cry out if she needs to toilet.

Yep, that's what I do- except with food. But once they move 'up' to bones, they get so keen for their treat that my Borders actually bring their bones to me and drop them at my feet!