Muttaburra

Try practicing the "sit" command. Sometimes better to put the puppy out of the room altogether while eating, especially if it is full sit down meal.

The pup is 8 weeks old? There is a lot to learn for you and I think you already have a problem. Firstly I would recommend you get a crate of appropriate size. Then find a place in the house where the pup will not be disturbed and can be quiet and relaxed. Make this the place where the pup sleeps. Do not give the pup the run of the entire house, the pup is already attaching itself to under your bed, it is better to stop it going there in the first place by closing the door or putting barriers to stop it getting under there. Let the dog attach to it's own crate and bed only. This is just the beginning, please get as much advice as you can. Is the growling and snapping play? Is she wagging her tail with the other dog, doing play bows? or does she seem afraid and lashing out in fear? Also check into the training section of the forum, someone may be able to direct you to a trainer up your way.

That could work, but don't make the water too hot, it could damage already inflamed tissue. There are some grass seeds that don't work their way out, I think it is the wild oats and similar. Structurally there is a barb on the very end, then all the way along the seeds more tiny barbs, movenment caused this seed to spiral inwards, these seeds can travel into the body and could lodge elsewhere. Is there some way you could raise funds, sell something, borrow money to have this removed properly by a vet. The reason it is expensive is because it has to be cut out, surgically removed, because of the barbs, it just won't necessarily pull or slip out like a splinter. At this stage, you are all the dog has got in terms of getting help, so it is down to you to solve this. You might also be able to help the dog in the future (once the seed has been treated) by trimming all the fur away from the paws, so they are less likely to catch seeds. Do you know anyone else who might be prepared to give the dog a loving forever home? That vet sounds a bit expensive, an initial consultation of around $50 then $250 for the op, then $35 for antibiotics is a lot less than what they paid last time, and this would be what mid-priced vet would charge.

From the front view they look absolutely fabulous daaahling. But from the top view, maybe the should have a slimmer waist. Though as you say, they run it off a bit in the summer. Most long dogs, whippets, afghans, greys etc, have very narrow and deep chest cavity, so you really wouldn't want them storing too much fat around heart and lung area. They look very shiny and nice condition too!

Yep, and you can also put a tea bag on each of your eyes too and have a beauty sleep. I've never tried it but supposed to be good. ;) Sounds like a foreign body to me, some sort of scratch or irritiation, that has gone on to get infected. The vet can look close and see if there is any ulceration occurring.

I don't recommend pushing, that can be like a "play" move to a dog. Otherwise plenty of good information in the above posts.

LB, on the left, is that Henry from Westie Rescue a few months back?

What a lovely dog. Pragmatic time. Either your parents are prepared to put in the effort to correctly groom this dog or the clip it short (to a more flattering length than last time) otherwise the dog will suffer. Do Shelities have those spots like on the legs? or is that a BC thing. Also some things could be added to the diet to help the coat keep its condition.

Bayer Killtix collars will do it, kills paralysis ticks and fleas. Let the collar out of the pack for a day or so to "air" before putting on dog.

Some dogs escape from backyards when owners are not at home, Terrier type dogs are earth dogs and it is in their instincts to dig, and dig they will. Also terriers are bred for their tenacity and determination, which means they often won't give up. So an unsupecting owner may have made their fences dig proof only to fine the dog has climbed out somehow. So that would be more of a containment issue than a training issue. Younger dogs too, may not be fully trained and will run off in a moment of excitement or distraction. My niece let my JRT (Gracie) out once, she was completely day dreaming and just opened the door. Gracie had an espape problem when I got her and still needs more training. In short, accidents happen, and it takes time to fully train dogs, plus they often do things people don't expect. This is one of the reasons I would not let anyone else look after my dogs, they are smart, fast, agile and sneaky, mostly well behaved but prone to occassional silliness.

The biccies don't sound too bad, maybe not digesting the peanuts. PS. do you have a recipe, they sound yummy, stuff the dogs, I want some!

Nothing much to add to the great advice here and what you are getting at training. Consider having him on the lead (or a halti) when taking him through doorways or any difficult situations. Also, until he is trained up to an acceptable level, you could ask other members of the household to ignore him as much as possible and not to pat him, that way all the positive reinforcement comes from the trainer and he will start to look to you as leader. Ignore his requests for a tummy rub or pat. Only pat him when you initiate it, same with toys and play. You also might consider starting agility training or similar early with this dog, weaving through poles etc should be easy to set up in the backyard. Also get him a kong or a treat ball, that's a great way to keep his very active braing occupied. All the hard work you put in now will pay off in the long run.

Also, what treats are you giving the dog? Smoked bacon flavours and some of the pigs ears that are smoked or have that flavouring give my dogs diahorrea, in fact one of my dogs seems to be very allergic to them. Also make sure that there is always plenty of fresh water, change water daily.

I agree, a trainer or training school would be a good idea, especially if you have 3 dogs, you'll want to get them organised to live together. What is the sex of the puppy. While you are organising the training, it's usually a good idea to give the dog exhibiting such behaviour a good check over to see if there are any sore spots or injuries. Also take the dog to the vet to ensure it is completely healthy. Can I ask if you have followed any ideas about the pack order with the dogs? This can also be worth looking into especially when introducing new dogs together.

M575, very sorry, I got it wrong about your JRTs not being behind the fence, I should have asked first. Please bear in mind though, that one days your JRT's are likely to bolt, especially if there are 2 of them to egg each other on. They are extremely fast on the fly and have a high prey drive and although extremely loyal they were also bred to work (hunt) independantly. Glad they are ok.

What a gorgeous puppy! My female JRT (short legged) has the cabriole legs too. And she looks like Daisy Duck from behind. Steve, thanks heaps for that diet info, it makes a lot of sense what you say.

hesmyhero I agree, caution is very wise with puppies, and keep an eye on her just to be on the safe side. JRT's are very expressive dogs, as you will discover, they will naturally point like a pointer, put a paw up in an expression of surprise or in submission, (paw up then roll on back), and their ears and eyes and eyebrows are amazingly expressive. Since the big boof neither chased the screaming JRT and the other JRT was still sitting there in a submissive posture but quiet, when you found her, I doubt anything happened. Did she appear to be ok over since yesterday. JRTs are bold and adventurous, it's very important to keep them safe and enclosed in a fenced area. They could just run off after something and that will be the last you will see of them. (They can easily get lost, stolen or injured at any age.)

Curious, your post asks some very sensible questions. The fact that you are in a unit does put some extra pressure on you to have your dog not bark, although this problem often arises with people that keep their dog in a backyard too. The issue and solutions are the same. I have two JRTs living with me in a unit, and have no problem with unwanted barking, so it can be done. A lot of barking problems start with separation anxiety, these will then evolve into dogs barking out of habit or because it is "fun", or if they are bored or lonely. So my suggestion would be to concentrate on learning techniques to deal with separation anxiety in a dog. The other aspect is exercise, which will help relax the dog. You could perhaps, after studying a bit further, draw up a schedule of how you are going to settle the puppy and the goal to be achieved and reviewed at the end of each week. Alternatively you could go for the lounge lizard type of dog, like a rescue greyhound or another breed of dog that has a relaxed personality. The main advantage of considering a rescue dog for your situation is that there are hundreds to choose from, and if you go through a rescue group then the dog will have been in foster care. The foster carer would have a pretty good idea of whether the dog has barking issues and if it is adapted to unit living. Many JRTs are adapted to unit living, as well as other breeds, so you could contact Jill, from JRT Rescue on this forum, or try Cordelias Rescue also on this forum. These two are based in NSW.

I wouldn't be letting the dogs eat dynamic lifter, just doesn't sound like a good idea to me, maybe Salmonella poisoning? A well socialised and freindly dog would not normally attack puppies, unless they had a high prey drive and mistook them for a small rodent or something. Now assuming your puppy was in one piece by the time you found it, and that the neighbours dog had ample opportunity in that time to harm it if so wished, it would appear that the bigger dog is not particularly out to hurt your puppies, but probably just curious to look at them. Always best to not leave them unattended with dogs that you don't know. An unsocialised dog could attack a puppy, since they would not have any understanding of what it was or how puppies are treated in normal dog society (pack life). Ah, I see you have now heard the JRT scream, they can be very brave up unto a point but if something startles them they will scream like that. As for barking, be careful what you wish for. What were your puppies doing outside of their fence? I thought you kept them behind your fence. Also the neighbours dog should not be on your property but somewhere behind it's own fence. Sometime, if your neighbour is willing, and when your pups are fully immunised, you could arrange with them to go for a little walk with them and their dog and your dogs, so they could get to know each other better.

The other thing to consider, is if you intend for your dog to be an indoor dog, and you eventually are planning to leave it at home unattended for normal working hours, 9 - 10 hours a day, you might also consider giving it a place inside where it can relieve itself. Usually a laundry or bathroom with some newspaper laid down. Of course outside is always preferred, but you cant expect an animal to hold on for long perids of time every day.

Hi Michelle. Just to clarify one point about the bite that injured your daughter. Was the dog just trying to get a better grip on the plastic, or did it growl/snarl then lunge and bite your daughters hand. This is important to work out the level of agression that occurred. The solutions are much the same in either case but you need to know what level of agression you are dealing with. Smacking is not a good way to start with a pup, especially around food.

A puppy will usually learn quite quickly that the pain of a needle sharp claw piercing the skin is not worth bothering the cat more than what it wants to be bothered. Both pups and kittens will play fight. Keep an eye on them and always allow an escape hatch for your kitten where the dog can't get to. Also make sure they have thier own separate sleeping quarters. Photos, we want photos, pleeese!

$165 for desexing a female dog is very cheap where I come from. Don't quibble over $20, just try and find the best vet, one that specialises in small domestic animals is best. Please post more photos from time to time to show their progress, they will grow very fast at that age. Also let your mum know about the Dogzonline forum, just in case she has any questions too.

Its probably the noise of her nails on the floor and the surface can be a bit slippery and hard to get a grip on.

M575, yes, I see where you are coming from. They are only 2 months old, puppies are naturally active at that age, and JRT puppies even more so. Playing together is not misebehaving, they need to have that time to get to know each other and their boundaries with each other. If one of them is hurt, believe me, you will know it, the noise will peirce your ear drums. Try them with a rubber ball to play with, see how they go with that. Also you can give them a Kong, one each with a bit of something tasty inside it. JRT's are very determined dogs, that is in the breeding, and they will play with the Kong until they have got every last bit of peanut butter, or the treats out. This way they will also get used to having something each, related to food, in the same room. Also pat them while they are trying to get the food out of the Kong. (check what is suitable for pups). Please consider getting your 2 girls desexed by the age of 6 months, this will help to prevent any hormone related tension between them. It won't stop the natural dominance of the breed though. If you wait for them to go on heat you will have hell to pay, please don't even consider it. I think you are on the right track with wanting to bring in structure to their day, perhaps write out a little program from them and check in the Training Section of DOL for some help. You can have Free Play Time, then Nap Time, then One on One Training with each, then Play time With a Toy, and so on. Training at this stage would be more like 5 minutes to start with, learn to get the dogs trust with easy tasks and rewards like the Sit command.