ChristineX

Thanks GoldenRules - will do that. .. I checked the fence a few minutes ago, and the top was woblley - 2 small clamps and a bit of wood to bridge the gap - and hopefully its stablised. I am thinking though that this fence will ultimately need to be replaced.

I don't think anything is going to make you feel better - but they were on your land, killing your birds. No flaming from me. Just sending hugs to you, and their owner.

Came home to my second-worst nightmare - the side fence (super 66) has a crack from top to bottom. It was not there yesterday, and now there is a good half centimenter gap at the top. Next doors are clearing the block to build a new house, and the change in level has been worrying me - rightly as it turned out! So, I've had a quick trip to bunnings - 8 star pickets and lattice - and knocked on my newish neighbours door. Fortunately, the husband was in - his english is pretty good - and he's helped fix his side - now for me to fix mine. He's also paid for more than half of the supplies, so currently I like my asian neighbour. But my heartrate is still way too high! Is there anything else I can do to help keep this fence up?

Hi Chellz, working in the cancer area - no such thing as 0%risk. Desexing drastically lowers the risk of mammary cancer but I don't recall anything that said the earlier the better. I do remember reading articles that recommend desexing later for performance dogs though, for the reasons you have mentioned. Ella is your dog, you make this decision. I'd personally be really irritated if one of the vets at the surgery I take my two to tried to push me into somthing like this. I do recall a number of threads on this issue last year (I think). Have a play with the search function - a lot of it was really interesting - we have a lot of research minded people here who found all sorts of scientific papers to peruse.

Kate (IT) spayed about 5 months, Incontinent at 2 - turned out to be due to starting Hills Z/D low allergen (intolerent to meat proteins). Fixed with 1-2 Good-O's a week (much to her delight). Nature's Gift organic dog food - makes her extremely incontinent. Solution - feed Good-O's for two days, give the Nature's Gift to the male dog. A friend, who is one of those people who can cook, makes up a curry everytime his Keeshond starts to leak. Apparently fixes the problem. ChristineX

On my experience last year, legally if the cat has entered your property, in the words of the ranger "its a tradgedy, nothing more". Of course,the neighbours were a different story and spent quite a bit of time trying to get a petition up to have Duke put down. Consensus from other cat owners in the street - I'd done everything they would have wanted done if it had been their cat. Very happy when neighbours moved out.

Hi Mim, doesn't sound like the same dog, if it is, they have moved him to someone in the Perth area! Fingers crossed for both (if different dogs). Always seems with the rare breeds, either there are none looking for new homes, or a veritable flood.

Hi All, I've just been past one of my local pet stores, and there is an add in the window someone is selling one male basset hound, affectionate, approx 4 years old for $300. (Oh,location Perth, WA). Just in case someone is looking to add one of these to their household.... Interestingly enough contact details are for a cat motel. If anyone would like their number,let me know and I will pm it to you. I'm not chasing this up personally as my IT Kate has made it very clear that she will not tolerate strange canines in her house. (appparently, coping with Duke is more than enough for her).

That forum did have some interesting comments!

I really liked his comparison of good kid rearing (ie, mannered, respectful kids) - countries that had a culture of this tended to have low and stable dog agression issues. Countries where feral kids were normal tended to have high levels of dog aggression. I'm sure I used to hear "if you can raise a child, you can raise a good dog" somewhere.

Not so much dogs - but apparently the wire crate is cruel (caging the dog), but the soft crate is okay.(??) And here I thought they did the same job? I don't argue - its a bit like trying to tell the person who told me Duke was agressive and should never be allowed in the park when he was screaming in fear after being broadsided by a cocker who came out of the dark..... no point arguing, people can't be convinced.

I've just been checking out the link/s Huski gave me - looks like I am slowly being draggd into 21st century technology whether I like it or not, this year!!! (much to my brothers relief, my inability and reluctance to accept mobile phones, internet, broadband etc has been a cause of much anguish to my gadget loving brother)

Hi Staranais, yes, with K9Pro. Given duke is already seeing a dog shrink here in Perth (kathy), we are getting her involved too, so probably not starting until feb/march, I think. Huski, thank you so much for that information! I think it is going to be a lifesaver for me!!

Hi, having been reading back over old threads this Xmass, I notice some of you take videos's and email them to trainers/friends for help and critique. 2011, Duke is being enrolled in Drive Training so I've bought myself a video camera. Can I email these, or do they need to be put on YouTube for the world to see? I've been a bit horrified at my size (new years resolution coming right up, here) and I'd rather keep them a bit private! ChristineX

I use a gentle leader front clip (I think) for Duke (one leash only) - who had a massive enough pulling problem (usually 4 feet in the air, and hitting the end like a demented epileptic swordfish). My GP actually wrote out a script for a harness for me! Duke got the harness on during the obedience class time, gave a few shakes, nearly took his legs off, and has been fine ever since. Pulls sometimes, sometimes leans into it, but something about it calms him down where the normal round the neck types seem to stress him out. Those few times where he has gone leaping, he has been swung around to face me which has been pretty useful. I guess it comes down to whatever suits the dog you have in front of you. Those double leashes, though, sound difficult to master for a person like me with 'clumsy' genes.

Steve, like Allerzeit,not sure how much help I can be, but I'll put my hand up too. (owner of one secondhand 'done nothing' with dog). ChristineX

No pain relief, but it was very carefully clipped back until there were no hanging at odd angle bits. No ripping either - I think with cracks reaching to the nail bed, probably a bit dangerous, too. As it was, this was the first time Duke has had to be restrained by two people for a third to work on. I think, if this everhappens again, I will ask for a pain killer beforehand. (for Duke, I'm sure I will be okay!) Hey, I just noticed, the swelling on the toe/nailbed has gone down!

Hi Rottifan, I wound up taking him to the vets as it was obviously causing a lot of pain. We spent about 45 min with the vet, with both a vet nurse and myself hanging on to Duke so the vet could clipper the hair away and trim the nail and check things out (this is probably the closest Duke has ever come to biting someone, by the way. I think it hurt). His nail by this time was at a 90 degree angle about a third of the way from the nail bed. Because the vet can't be certain that the nail is still intact under the nail bed - he's on antibiotics but we decided to skip the GA and surgery as there was that element of doubt (and she knows I will bring him promptly back in if anything is wrong). The aryldite sounds like a good idea - Duke is relentless in pursuing cats/prowlers and noises at night - which is probably how he injured the nail in the first place. Right - trip to Bunnings coming up! This has not slowed him down in any aspect of course. 2.30 am he caught something - either a pigeon or a bat and I am so not going to have a good look in case it's something I don't want to know about. He was willing to swap for a handfull of good-o's so what ever it was is now binned. This year - I think the longest he has been between vet visits was 4 weeks. And apart from the 6 weeks post vaccination reaction, it's all been trauma caused by him not slowing down a fraction!

Hi Vesper12! Another question - how do you know if you are too soft to have a black russian? Or tell if someone else is. Thanks, ChristineX

The good ones work on finding more training thru-out their careers and work in increasing their skills continually. And yes, I've heard that the franchises its take this (max) two week course and you are set! The latter ruin a lot of good dogs, and the former always have more work than they can handle. That's why word of mouth recommendations are so important.

Hi, Duke has done it again, this time he has managed to smash one of his front nails. While its all hanging together, the nail is bent halfway down, with large and jagged cracks and obviously painful. Any recommendations as to how I can manage this until it heals? Its not bleeding, and as my bed is clear of blood spots, I think he's managed to avoid damaging the vein in the nail itself (yes, he sleeps on the bed). I do wish he was more like Kate. Once she got thru her adolescence, she stopped hurting herself! ChristineX

I've been checking out the Black Russian on the internet, and I tend to find two different views: 1. The BRT is a dog that is not for the novice, needing a massive amount of socialisation and training to make it a safe dog (for people other than its owners that is). A lot like a giant schnauzer, but much easier to live with. 2. Lovely fluffy black dog that will play with your kids and protect them. Don't leave them in the backyard because it may windup protecting the backyard from you! So. Which view is the more correct one? There don't seem to be any breeders in my State that I can go have a look at this breed - still, it's currently 4th on the list of which dog do I get next. Although not on the basis of view No. 2.

Hi Joelle, thank you for starting the thread! Normally when I post, it tends to be about Duke, but today, it's Kates turn - 8 yr old irish terrier, normally placid, tolerent to the point of absurdity (hey, she puts up with Duke). Wed night at ob training (with gingerbread treats, which apparently top good-o's), every dog that came close got told to "GO AWAY". Kate's attention would then swing totally to me (she really has fantastic focus at training). Is this resource guarding? Do I need to do anything, or just not bring the gingerbread to training again?

Tiggy, I will keep an eye out for you next year!! (yes, it was maximus, isn't he utterly adorable??)

Hi ValleyCBR - I thought that was you! (stewarding as well) One of the best obedience dogs this year (not the beginners class, the next one up) was a lovely brindle/black staffie - the Judge raved for hours after about the quality of his heeling! And the blue Great Dane (beginners section) in obedience was amazing. ONe hairsbreadth further in the recall and her handler would have gone flying!!! We also have pointers and german shorthaird pointers, irish terriers, soft coated wheaten terriers and a jack russel doing agility here in WA. Plus the ex-pound dogs!