Starkehre

Well that all sounds very positive. Hope there is still more good news on Jess to come.

Hi Polomum, have you heard how poor little Jess is this morning yet? I do hope it was nothing serious. Good luck

Hi muffinclay, I understand how frustrating this must be for you. However, the longer you keep allowing puppy to pee on the carpet, the harder and longer it will be to train himout of it. If you were vigilient, he would not be able to sneak away. If it was me, while you are not playing with him directly, training him or having him outside I would be crating him. I know it is really hard to keep such a close eye on them, but this is where your crate will come in really handy. It does not have to be for sleep only. There is nothing wrong with him learning some quiet confinement times and times he can have a quiet game in his crate on his own. It sounds to me like he is either confused. Back to basics. Look at it this way, every time he manages to pee where you don't want him to, then you have trained him to do this, unfortunately and inadvertently. If he pees inside, clean it up, (without puppy watching you) and realise that you have let him and yourself down again. It is not his fault. I am not trying to sound harsh. Just trying to explain that if we allow an accident before the pup is toilet trained, it is our doing. Set yourself up for a win. Work the situation so he cannot pee in the house. At 12 weeks of age, provided he is well, which it sounds as though he is, he should be able to hold on for quite a long time. I suggest less frequency with the empties, maybe every 2 hrs during the day. He should be well and truely holding on all night by now. Good luck. Edited cause I always think of something I want to add later.

Hi Ci, I take my dogs to see Lyn Mawson, canine muscle therapist, and she is in Alphington. She is also an equine myotherapist. Not chiro, but her work involves ultrasound, which most physios use, as far am I am aware. I find her brilliant, and I have bee using her for about 10 years on my Rottweilers whom competed in agility. I also take my dogs to Christian Langeder for Bowen, but he is in Frankston and I get the feeling that will be difficult for you to get to. I know a lot of people that visit Lyn, and I have always only ever heard excellent reports about her work. If you are interested and think this is accessible to you, please PM me and I will forward you her number.

Hi Maf101. Thanks for the update on how Riley is going. She is growing nicely and the photos are gorgeous. Perhaps I misunderstood your post, and if I did, I do apologise... but are you saying that Riley is going for 3km walks? If that is the case, perhaps no one has explained to you that it is much healthier for Riley's joints and bones that while she is young, she should not be doing any or perhaps very little "forced walking." Forced walking is a term used to describe popping a lead on your dog and taking it out for a walk. That is not to say that you have forced Riley to walk. She may love her walks with you. But with puppies this young, and particularly large breeds, need time for their bodies to develop properly first. Typically speaking, natural play in the yard, (ensuring jumping on and off objects is kept minimal if not eliminated) very short walks to visit areas where you are socialising and trips in the car or in your arms are terrific for now. She is still such a baby. She does not require walking exercise at her age. Mental stimuli will be of tremendous benefit and is what you can be working on, and of course some on lead training at home... in the house and in the yard. I would be waiting until she was atleast 4-5 months old before doing any walking, and even then, just a very slow stroll for a very short distance, most to see new things. Real excercise can wait until she is 12 months old. Of course others may have differing opinions, and this is just mine. I am not going to mention vacccinations and safety periods again as others have addressed this. She really is a sweety.

I am certainly no vet, however, if it was me, I would be resting the dog much more, atleast for another 2-3 weeks, then reassess the option for surgery. Short daily straight walks on leash. No free running, jumping or twisting. Encourage quiet behaviours only if possible. Others have mentioned weight. He may well be over weight, but whether he is or is not, if you do decide to keep him somewhat quieter for the next few weeks, then he will no doubt need his food cut down considerably, if he is generally so much more active. It certainly will only be of benefit to him to be carrying less weight with this injury. Once the ligament has healed, it may require stretching or low impact exercises, such as swimming and manual stretching. The injury will probably not heal or heal well with all this action he is currently doing. Forget that the dogs wants to do it and can do so without limping. When he is chasing etc he is in drive, therefore all else goes out the window, his ligament pain pales in comparison. I hope you get it all sorted out.

Pup needs to learn to be comfortable and confident in his own company. Don't go to the crate when he is quiet and disturb him by praising or treating him. He is training you really well by the sounds of it. May I suggest that if the phone disturbs him, leave a quiet radio or tele on near him, so that he will receive some comfort from that, and it will also assist with drowning out the other noises in the house. He will sleep through this. Gradually over time, you can turn the tele lower and lower, and then off. I understand your need for hurry as you have to go back to work... but was there a great need to day time crate him for these few days while you have been at home, as soon he will be kept in a different situation during the day. Things will be changed for pup. Start with what you intend to go on with I would say. Early days crating is more easily done overnight initially, because everyone goes to bed, house is dark and all is quiet. You can try mimicking that during the day, but I don't see the point if things will be different when you go back to work. Pup is at the age where he can hold on all night from 11pm til 6am. You can choose to keep taking him out during the night for an empty, but I would suggest you gradually start weaning that tight back to one empty, then not at all over a week. I also suggest emptying only by your reckoning and not his. But people tend to differ in this area. Try to settle into one system as soon as you can. Get a plan and stick with it. Puppies need structure and boundaries, just like kids. I know it is hard, but try not to be frustrated. Good Luck.

I agree. Sounds like you are expecting too much. I always say when training, you need to set yourself up for a win. Work the situation so that pup will not eliminate in the house. Otherwise everytime she does, you are not moving forward, and in fact are going backwards. Everytime your pup eliminates in the house, you need to consider that you are training your pup to eliminate in the house. As dancinbcs has said, you need to wait outside until pup goes to the toilet. Just wait quietly, in a non intimidating way. do not stare down at pup. Try to face the other way, and just peek out of the corner of your eye. If pup does not go, then straight back into crate, no play, no reprimand, just quickly and quietly, no fuss. Try again in half an hr or so. A 12 week old pup can hang on for quite a while, particularly at night if emptied before bed and remain quiet and crated. But generally they won't hang on during the day, as they are not focusing on toileting where you want them to. They have generally gone to the toilet before they have even though it about it. With your pup, I doubt that she even realises yet where you want her to go, as she has been able to eliminate in the house. The behaviour you desire will take quite a while to be really solid. And whilst pup is still eliminating in the house, the solid training is still not even getting started. It is likely that she won't just grow out of it. By doing what you are doing, it is just instilling the behaviour you don't want. Good luck. You will get there. With puppies it sometimes might feel like we are getting no where, and sometimes it seems easier to not stick with our plan. But it is important to keep it up, as things will get better more quickly.

Our left overs go in the bin at our house. I would never feed our human left overs to our dogs, just as I would not eat my dog's left overs, (not that there are any, as our dogs eat what is given to them). Dogs' and humans' digestive systems are different and not digest the same types of foods in the same manner. Things like onions, chocolate, macadamia nuts, grapes and other listed toxic foods for dogs I would never risk, in large or small quantities. The possibility of loose stools, sick or dead pets and high vet bills to achieve a positive feeling I may get when food has not been wasted is not even worth risking, IMO. I find cooking smaller quantities of food is a more affective way to save food, rather than giving left overs to my dogs. I have more respect for my dogs than to feed them our excess food that I may have inadvertently cooked or ordered too much of. Particularly if it has added salt, spices etc that are not normally part of a dog's balanced diet. I understand that we all have different ideas, and in no way do I expect other owners to have the same opinion as I do... but if I was to ever feed my dogs left overs, I would feel as though I was treating my dogs as though they were a rubbish bin. I am not at all judgemental towards others that like to feed left overs to their dogs. Nor do I believe my way is more correct. It is simply my way.

This is what they are feed. And don't forget the tinned MY Dog, ... I think

Hi Ruffy dog, IMO yes it might be confusing for a 12 wo puppy to come to terms with it being OK to wee on the puppy pads and outside. I think what you are doing, although I fully understand your reasons and that you are trying to do your best, is probably confusing him. It is a lot to expect from a 12 wo pup. I prefer to train them to go outside from day one. However, if I was in your position where you want Ruffy to be an inside dog, and you are going back to work soon and it will probably be extremely tricky for him to not have any accidents while you are at work and he is so young... what I would do in your situation is train him only to the puppy pads. I certainly would not reprimand for eliminating outside, but when training, I would be always encouraging him to empty on the pads and work on that. Over time as he matures, you can gradully move the pads nearer to the door. Eventually when he is house trained to the point where he does not have any accidents in the house, only on his pads, then the pads can be moved out the door, and he can be encouraged to still go on the pads, but outside... if that is what you want to achieve. Males are wonderful at holding their wees for long periods of time provided they have not had too much to drink and are well etc. Obviously it is not ideal to encourage this if it is not necessary as it can cause bladder issues. But lots of owners can get their dog to hold on all day while they are away at work. Personally, if my long term plan was to have my dog locked inside the house all day while I was at work on going, then I would always have a puppy pad for him, Right through into adulthood. Yes, they can usually hang on when an adult, but it is much more comfortable for them to be able to relieve themselves if they need to. Best of luck with your baby. You sound switched on, so I know you will work out what is best for you and Ruffy. I bet he as cute as a button. Oh BTW, what you are doing with the biting will eventually work. Do not let him hurt you. And let him know it is not a game.

Hi, a while ago a followed a link to a dog that does tricks on command on utube, I think. Fairly cleverly put together, and sort of cute. I really would like to show it to my niece who is staying over tonight, but I cannot remember where I saw the link or where I could find it myself... not that great on the computer. Can anyone help me please. I am pretty sure I first saw the link in this section of DOL. I appreciate anyone's help. Cheers.

Thank you for all the advice. Yep, Peptosyl sounds familiar - it looks like that American product, Peptobismol (probably wrong spelling). And it seemed to do the trick with Max, although he HATED the taste of it!! I'll try the not worming on an empty stomach thing. He's not having the chewables, just the regular tablet. And I actually under dosed him last time - the pack said up to 3kg give one tablet, over 3kg give two. Max was only 3.2kg and knowing what reaction the tablets have, I only gave him one. I'll keep looking for a suitable wormer! You are most welcome maximum. Don't underworm. It will not work, and then you are risking upset tummy for nothing. Worm at full dose rate, but with a different wormer perhaps next time.

I also worm according to Miranda's frequency.

The pink stuff you used would have been more than likely Peptosyl. Brilliant product. Of course must be used with care. There are numerous "All Wormer" intestinal worm products on the market. It will not hurt to try any of these, of course only when pup is due to be wormed. There has been much talk of some owners choosing to alternate different branded products in case the worms are growing resistant to these, but of course that is not the issue you are having concerns with. I have always used Drontal, as I do find it to give my dogs the best and most thorough worming. I have never had any problems with vomitting or looseness. However, what I tend to do with my guys, (is give them a small bland 2x2 dog biscuit about half to 1 hr before I worm. This way I am not worming on a completely empty stomach (has been known to cause tummy uoset), nor I am worming on a full tummy (can be known to dilute product affectiveness). Another thing I do when worming (and this probably once again is not a concern to you, as you seem to only have the one dog, and several cats), is I worm each dog consecutive days. That way, if there is a vomit or loose stools, and I miss who has done it, then I am fairly sure it will be the dog that has most recently been wormed, and we can reworm or keep a close eye or both (using my disctretion). Just a tip. I am sure you will find a wormer that suits your pups tum tum. if it the chewables you are using, it may even be the preservative or coloring in the wormer that is disagreeing with him and not the active worming ingredients. Good Luck :D

I tend to find swimming with the dog in pools and beaches a bit of a headache. As your dog has already had that one panic, she will probably try and climb all over you and scratch you to pieces. This is what they do. Plus they have to keep moving in the water, so, you will hav to keep moving also to avoid her trying to climb on you like a rock. If it was me, I would take your little girl along to a dog pool, and let her learn this way. I am sure, given the calm opportunity she will be fine. You will get to see exactly how she is going better if you are not in there with her, and she will not be clinging to you. she will learn to be a confident and independant swimmer in no time. I have always swum my dogs at dog pools. It is great and they love it. All different breeds over the years. Personally, I would skip the life jacket. They can set the dog in the water at an unnatural balance (depending on the jacket and fit), and they just teach the dog to rely on the jacket. Pools are safe and supervised. The people there will help you if you need assistance. Just MHO Thanks for that, i found out yesterday that getting in the water at the beach with Stella might not have been such a good idea when she just about tore strips off my legs trying to climb up me! I think she was trying to climb up me like I was a rock!!! So, you said it! She did it! ;) It is now a job for the pool manager at Woofpurney, he was very helpful and funnily enough the second time I took Stella there she was a little better. I will be taking some pictures this week when we go on Friday to show you all. Well done Stella. It is amazing how quick they pick it up. Most dogs will swim by themselves, fairly naturally, but it comes quicker and smoother if the situation and environment is more ideal. I think the whole stick in the damn thing was just a bit of a shock to her. She probably was in such drive chasing the stick that she did not even notice the water and became terrified when she hit it and realised. She will be fine now. :rolleyes:

I tend to find swimming with the dog in pools and beaches a bit of a headache. As your dog has already had that one panic, she will probably try and climb all over you and scratch you to pieces. This is what they do. Plus they have to keep moving in the water, so, you will hav to keep moving also to avoid her trying to climb on you like a rock. If it was me, I would take your little girl along to a dog pool, and let her learn this way. I am sure, given the calm opportunity she will be fine. You will get to see exactly how she is going better if you are not in there with her, and she will not be clinging to you. she will learn to be a confident and independant swimmer in no time. I have always swum my dogs at dog pools. It is great and they love it. All different breeds over the years. Personally, I would skip the life jacket. They can set the dog in the water at an unnatural balance (depending on the jacket and fit), and they just teach the dog to rely on the jacket. Pools are safe and supervised. The people there will help you if you need assistance. Just MHO

Thanks for the advice, i will get a crate for him tomorrow. (Should have got it today actually!!) As for tonight, I can only leave him inside his pen, and hopefully get up to let you pee.... Bobby is gorgeous. May I suggest that for tonight when he sleeps in his pen... that you downsize his pen it a bit, so it only includes his bedding, so in essence it is a similar size to a crate for him. As others have said, I would wake up atleast once through the night (depending on what time you last empty him before you go to bed, and what time you get up to first empty him). Being a 10 week old male, he is actually old enough to hang on over night (approx 11pm - 6.00am), but as he has just recently come home, and also is yet to be trained into his new environment and new routine you will have for him, I would expect to take anything from a couple of nights to a week or 2 until you can stretch him to sleep right through confidently with no slip ups. They are all so different. Best of luck with the new baby.

Ain't that the truth Zig's crate....the night before he arrived... Zig's old bed... Zig's new crate... Zig's new toy... Zig's new bed... You get the idea Love your crate, but then I am biased. LOL. Perhaps I should add to my instructions on crate care.. that also cats are not to be placed on top, LOL. For the next photo, can we have the crate facing the front so we can all see the brand name?! Zig and the cats are gorgeous.

I'd have to setup motion detectors to fire a hidden camera! Or... what about a stealth bomber?? :rolleyes: This is fun. I think we are really nearly onto something.

Damn it, I'm not going to start redecorating because of Barkly!! The baby gates were compromise enough. I won't do it. I won't do it. I won't do it :rolleyes: Ask someone else to do it. Someone who doesn't suffer from Couch Moving Phobia (which is incurable, I believe). :cool: It's the same thing you'd do for a toddler. Like move a stool away from near a stove. I've found that managing dogs & managing toddlers are remarkably similar. The couch only fits where it is (in an aesthetically pleasing way). Maybe if I bought a new couch, I could rearrange things...and a recliner, and a big LCD TV, and a media center, and... Oh, come on Luke... why don't you just buy a whole new house??!!

I apologise for what I am about to write up front, as I know it is not going to be of any assistance at all. More of just an interesting observation. One of my dogs, now nearly 6, still, to this day, when it is wet, will pee and poo on the concrete instead of on the grass. :p Sure it bugs me, but otherwise she is a fantastic dog in pretty much every other way, so I pick my battles, and pretty much tolerate it. Funny, as she will compete in the rain and wet grass, but when not in drive, she hates getting her little tootsies wet, (princess). Sometimes, if she goes on the wet grass, she even lifts one leg, like to say .."well, if I can atleast keep one foot dry???".. :p The reason I am posting is because my OH and I were just talking about this same thing last night. I was making the point that pups that are around 8 - 12 weeks in the wet or Winter months are sometimes concrete foulers later in life. Merely an observation. Oh, and BTW, I am refering to a Rott, not a Cav She really has no excuse, bless her cotton sox. Good luck. When training my girl, I was up twice through the night initially, taking her out on to the grass, rain and all. I actually don't mind the rain, so it didn't bother me, but it certainly obviously was enough to bother her, to stay with her for her entire life. A real tricky one.

I have been told by 2 vets now (one being a specialist) that any over the chemist counter, human grade "dry eye" drop or ointment is fine also for dog. Provided they are not prescription, hence containing any prescription drug, then the dog v human thing is fine. I am speaking of such products as Systane, Bion Tears, Polyvisc and Lacri-Lube. I believe this is also true for ear products. I have been using my own dry eye drops and ointment on one of my dogs that has dry eye for several years, with no adverse side effects. This is just my experience. I am not suggesting that if you have doubts, to just do what I am doing, however, if you have a good vet that is happy to comunicate with you and not just try and constantly sell you products, then ask them, and they may say the same thing... which will then help you feel more confident and give you the green light to use these much less expensive products. Worth an ask. I am very confident using these products and have on 2 dogs. Good Luck.

My initial gut feeling, and going from experience is that Luka is too warm at night. He is wanting to somewhere cooler.

Still soooo many people calling them English? - It's a Staffordshire Bull Terrier! or SBT! OMG, isn't he the most adorable little thing A big awwwwwwwwwww.... Thank you LuvMyWhiteShep. We think so, but of course we are biased.