lappiemum

Just saw this thread, and am interested if anyone has any more info. We are current member of Altona, but haven't been for months, mostly because I'm usually showing my boy, and I'd rather not confuse things too much at the moment....! However, my girl (who we want to do agility with) was getting really, really bored - and then would muck up! - so would stay in the same class getting more and more bored....there's a pattern here I think!! We were also hoping to trial, but Altona does nothing to encourage (or support) that with members.... Anyway, we're in Yarraville, so if anyone has any suggestions for somewhere that isn't a) too far and b) insanely expensive - I'd love to hear it!

that's funny!!!

Hi Kobieholly- Sorry to hear about your troubles! But from what you have said, it sound very typical of a dominating and strongwilled dog. You can give all the obedience training in the world, but the real issues are upstairs - by the sound of it, your lovely lab thinks she is the top dog of your pack, and when outside its up to her to protect and defend and make decisions for the pack. I would advise you to get in contact with a dog behaviourist - not a trainer, but someone who can educate you and others in your family about Holly's behaviour, and help you understand what she is thinking, why this leads to her actions and way you can overcome her negative behaviours. Depending on where you live, there are other DOLers on this site who can probably point you in the right direction. It is likely that the latest round of undesirable behaviour is a result of the stress of the move to unfamilar territory adding to her underlying problems, not so much the space issue. As such, its important that you get a behaviourist out sooner rather than later. The good news is that for the vast majority of such cases, you can overcome these problems. But you will need patience, understanding and the ability to be (at times!) more stubborn and strong willed than Holly. She's obviously a very loving, and very smart pooch, who takes her role as pack leader very seriously - but this isn't good for her, and it certainly isn't good for your family.

We had Vern for our puppy preschool at our local vets, but only for one of our dogs. Was interesting...... Was that at the Yarravill vet clinic ??? Yes prob there, you didnt have me as the teacher :p I used to get great feedback Yep, was yarraville. We like the vet (the older guy); Vern was ok, although I think there were a number of people in our class who found his dogs skills good, but people skills....??LOL After doing a bit of research, I found his post puppy school options to be at the expensive end of the scale.... so its disappointing that the fee wasn't being reflected in employee salaries.

I spoke to DogsVic last week and asked about when the online system for payment would be up. Their advice? pay by check/card on your membership reminder form, and don't hold your breath because its going to take more time before they get anywhere near finishing the website renno's....(ok, I'm paraphrasing, but that was pretty much it!!)

Hope its all good news for you!

Hi muffinclay- its true that some cleaning products contain ingredients that actually make the smell like a good place to go.....! My suggestion is to persever (there are some good behavioural suggestions in this thread) but to clean up any accidents with a product like unrine off - its costs about $19 for a spary bottle from your local vet or good petsupplies store - it breaks down the enzyems in the urine that makes the area smell like a good place to leave puppie puddles. Just spray it on - worked a treat for us!

What else could I be doing to aid in his recovery? Keep him quiet and rested - but resist the temptation to baby him too much (should it occur!) as its been a very traumatic expereince for him (as well as you) and you don't want him to sending him any vibes that could be negative - the soon he's up and about the better! The Ciprofloxacin is a generic human antibiotic ($91) vs the vet's original recommendation of another antibiotic which was $760. Has anyone any feedback on the use of a human antibiotic on a dog? Not sure on this - my advice would be to watch him regardless, but there are vet nurse people on DOL who may have better knowledge of this. What should I be looking out for in terms of future cardiac issues - if he's had an arrest, does that mean that his heart will be damaged somewhat and more susceptable to another? You can get his heart tested when he recovers, but i would keep an eye out regardless. The biggest one - he seems much better within himself today although his cough is waining. Is that a good sign as it shows his lungs are clearing? or a bad sign that he's not bringing enough up? I'd say its probably a good sign, if he seems to be more 'himself' overall - its best to look at 'symptoms' as a whole, so don't worry too much, but just watch! Good luck and let us know how he goes - what a traumatic experience, but hopefully you are through the worst!

sounds like it could be seperation anxiety. i'd recommend you have a professional trainer come over, because if its not addressed it can become worse, and even end up with other problems.

I've just gone through this thread am in good feelings overload... She is just sooo cute, and you are a very luck girl. You're mum must think that you are a very smart and responsible girl - well done! Congratulations on Marnie - it sounds like she's as clever as you!

Hi Rock - have sent you a PM - forgot to ask where in melb you are?

We had Vern for our puppy preschool at our local vets, but only for one of our dogs. Was interesting......

Like this No he is not allowed on the bed. There are 2 places in the house he is not allowed. One on the bed and the other on the lounge. I was hoping to avoid the blanket on the lounge if possible. Would like him to realise it is out of bounds. is this a bit too much to expect? I just think there are some places you have to keep to yourself. This is the place for us to snuggle and have alone time. Does that sound corny? Think will have to invest in something on the floor. Though he seems to love just lying on the tiles with nothing underneath! No, if its out of bounds, then that's the rule. Our two are not allowed to sleep on the bed either, although they are ocassionally invited up for a few minutes when I need to get my OH out of bed on a weekend....LOL. IMO, if you are happy with your dog on the bed, that's fine - but you need to establish the rules - you get into bed first, establish where you are sleeping and then invite the dog up - never let him/her take over the bed. Its the same with the couch - and if you don't want them on the couch, then that's the rule.

I had been assuming that the pup was jumping up on the couch when there was no-one on it..... They don't need to be ontop of you to be close to you - my boy likes being at my feet when I'm on the couch. BTW, we do invite them up for pack time on the couch, but it has to be invitation only.

Hi Catandgrant- This is actually very easy to solve. When he jumps on the couch, don't make a fuss and yell at him (that's just excited dog barking to him). Certainly, don't offer treat as an incentive to get off, as he will interpret that as you rewarding his couch jumping in the first place, and may end up jumping on the couch to get you to give him a treat (they're very good at training us humans!!). What is happening is that (like any puppy) he is challenging your authority, so you need to do what the pack leader would do should a junior pup try to take over the pack leaders resting spot. You sit down on the couch, and spread. You keep spreading out until you take over the entire couch, and there is no room for him. You don't need to make eye contact, you don't need to speak to him (infact, the pack leader would never do that - just ignore and spread!) - all you need to do is take over the entire space. He will be forced to move off the couch; and will understand that as pack leader, that's your spot. You may have to do this several times before he gets the idea that is YOUR couch, and NOT his. This method has worked a treat on my two former couch potatos who decided they wanted couch time when they wanted (and not by invitation only!); and the added bonus is that its an easy, non aggressive method but still reinforces the fact that I am pack leader (and has all the responsibilities for food, shelter and saftey), and that they are pack followers (which don't have to worry about these things) - its a benevolant dictatorship, if you like . Try it - and be persisitant (it can be a battle of stubborness sometimes). Just remember that yelling doesn't help (although growling sometimes does....!) - be calm and assertive, and remember that you are in charge!

Euthanising toads by freezing them is a more appropriate way of disposing of them as the toads fall asleep as their blood temp is lowered and then die. Spraying has the effect of acid on their skin; it may kill them faster but there is a lot more suffereing. At uni level, if you are working with toads and need to kill them, ethics approval requires that toads are frozen. And yes, you are correct that many people will think that a brown frog, or native toad, is a canetoad. By picking them up and examining them, you are less likely to make a mistake - (esp if its dark).

Hi RW. Your post is interesting. I mentioned my thesis before, and my research looks at why some introduced (aka ferral) species are fine to have around and why others are demonised, irrespective of the environmental impact that each species has. For example, while there is indisputable evidence to show that cane toads have had a negative impact on their local biological webs and are thus consider (rightly) as a pest species; other introduced species, who may have similar environmental impacts are not so despised. Why? A good example of this are brumbies (wild horses) - they are part of Australia's historic folklore and culture, and loved by many. Yet environmentally, their impact on the alpine heathlands in NSW and VIC has been devastating. Or the continued introductions of trout to Tasmanian rivers - by the parks and wildlife dept-(where they are the fish equivalent of lions in the savvanah,and have wiped out native fish and vertabrate populations. How about the ubiquitous gecko in north QLD? These guys are actually asian house geckos, and are quitely forcing out the native geckos to the point where people now think the asian version is the native. Or the lovely goldfinch bird? Beautiful song, lovely to look at, and yes, taking up valuable nesting opportunities, forcing out the locals and eating native insects. My point is that we tend to emotionalise those species we have the most contact with - and in the case of canetoads, its ok to dettol them, or shoot them with air rifles (something I know that a non-DOLer advocates) or practice golf swings with, because they are 'bad'. But no-one who loves animals would do that to a horse, would they? Dispose of cane toads humanely, and please make sure that they aren't toads (like the the painted borrowing frog, or the native toadlet). I know its easy to despise them, because they are 'ugly' and venoumous, but not animal deserves to die in agony. And yes, put up netting and seal the areas they may get into. They are a fact of life now, and its better to just put in place proceedures to deal with them. Hope this helps some people.

Toads and frogs look pretty different to me There are a number of frog species that are commonly mistaken for toads - its always best to double check.

Dogs die from eating snail baits :rolleyes: - a pup will have no chance if he eats some. And yes, get rid of all the snails you can find - they may have become contaminated. Be very careful with whatever you put down - assume that the pup will have a go at eating whatever he can find!

thats why its best to pick them up individually and freeze them - that way you can ID them properly.

The hopping would probably excite her, and if the toad is frightened it will puff itself up with air so this may interest her as well (this is the stage when the most poison is being secreted, through the glands on the side of the head, although toads are pretty much poisonous all over - even as tadpoles!). Actually, you may be interested to know that keelback snake (Tropidonophis mairii) is one of the few predators that have developed a tolerence to toad venom, and are able to include smaller - med toads in their diet. A fact sheet on these gorgeous reptiles is here at : http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/inquiry/factsheet...ke_20080709.pdf - if you have these guys its a good thing, as they are non venomous and quite shy, but do like their toads! Predatory birds, such as crows and ravens, have also learned to flip toads over and eat them from their stomachs - they avoid the skin as much as possible and it doesn't seem to affect them too badly. Goannas and other snakes, however, don't fare so well. Good luck with your toad control!

I lived in NQLD for 20 or so years, and have cane toads as one of my PhD subjects. Being squriting with disinfectant is a horrible way for a toad to die - it essentially eats into the skin secretions and they die in agony. And no, its not good for frogs either. A far better way to euthanise is to collect the toads, put them in plastic bags and freeze them. Their body temp goes down, they lose conciousness and die. Then you just take them out and dispose of them. The environmental agency in your area will be able to advise on the best method for disposal; in some areas there is a collection service and in others they will just tell you where to dispose of the toads. The reality is, however, is that toads are here, and even if you clear your yard completely, you will still have them if you live in a toad area. My advice is to use fine mesh chicken wire or shade cloth in areas that you don't want toads to invade, esp around water bowls. Toads love cool, moist (but not wet) areas to sleep in during the day and are active at night, so keep that in mind and clear areas/pick up objects that they are likely to nest in. Toads are territorial, so you have a large one around it will usually keep its territory clear, and eat smaller ones who invade. However, remove that large toad, and there will be a mini race between the smaller toads to see who can get that new vacancy. The masses of cane toads you see in pics etc is when there is a push to extend territory and range - you get the fastest, hardiest toads in that lot, and then once the population is established there is a period when breeding takes place and you see lots of toads everywhere - this is also when you get those hugely overgrown specimens! However, once a population equalibrium has been reached, your actual numbers will fall and the toads will reduce in size. They are also likely to have much smaller range within an established population. My dogs in NQLD were never interested; but my two down here in Melbourne would probably be very interested. The best strategy is to train them to leave toads alone, which is done in a simlar way to snake avoidence training - most dog trainers will be able to advise you one that.

maybe buy him a copy of the Ceaser Milan book - if its a bloke thing, he may listen to the advice of an dog "expert" whose a bloke too....

I don't know a great deal about snail bait as we don't use pesticides in our place - and I don't think our neighbours do either. I would assume that, like most baits, if the snail consumes the pesticide it affects it rapidly; IMO what you need to be careful of is ensuring none of those affected snails are tossed over your fence! Oh, you may be interested to know that my dogs have now progressed from snails to mice....so you may need to consider in the future if you have any mouse bait lying around too!

One of mine used to bring in snails - and eat them on the rug in the lounge, leaving bits for me to stand on - ICK!!! She has now grown out of that - either that, or she has managed to clear the back yard of all snails (either way a good thing!)! My advice - don't worry, but don't bait your snails!!!!