Muttaburra

Mindura Sorry I skipped over this post, this is important m575 and puts it in a nutshell. Lovely photos by the way, a tricolour and a tan and white, both very pretty. Just remember that they usually live quite a long time, small terriers, up to 15yrs or more, so set up a lifestyle with them now that you will be able to maintain in the long term. Sweet little girls.

Nicely said GB. Just to add that JRTs require a lot of time and dedication, and getting 2 as pups (any 2 pups of most breeds as well) you will need to be extra vigilant with the training. They are a lot of work but you will get heaps back from them once you start to devote some time to them, they are also very rewarding dogs to raise. I strongy recommend you research the JRT breed as much as possible so you know what to expect. Definitely always on the lead when going for walks. Take care of your precious pups.

Just curious, what is his relationship like with your other dogs? Have you tried feeding him separately away from the others?

They are most likely to be playing, their young age and the fact that they are litter mates is indicative of this. Jack Russell Terriers are full on when they play fight (all puppies play fight by the way), its just that they are so smart, and such great little performers as well as being vocal, they can look pretty convincing. For now it would be desirable to let them play, through playing, they are also testing each other to determine pack order and in the long term this will mean more peaceful relations. As soon as you can determine who is the most dominant pup, start to observe the natural pack order between them, feed "bossy boots first" and "not as bossy" second, pat bossy first and other second, they can both get the same attention, just in a set order, this is what dogs understand. Maxi makes a really annoying "mosquito" sort of growl when playing and Gracie has an annoying yap, and then they will have a great game together. Here's the news: they may not grow out of it, and that is not a bad thing. What you can do, once you are confident that they can play without injury, is just turf them outside to play. Don't keep breaking up the playing, they will 1. Start to recognise is as a way of attention seeking from you. 2. The might not get the chance to sort out who is the highest in the pack between them and get confused, this will cause real conflict. Keep most of your 1 on 1 for training sessions, otherwise, just hang together like a pack.

Abbey You sound like a very responsible person and it would be good to see lots more people preparing and asking lots of good questions like you have. Most I cannot comment on because I don't have much direct experience with puppies. The biggest problem that I can forsee is having 2 undesexed bitches in the household, this really will cause a lot of upheaval and be very hard to live, and it really is best to have the females desexed first. Generally speaking small dogs and pups should have warm dry shelter, and I am inclined to have small dogs as indoor dogs, though of course it is nice to have a secure yard to let them out as well. Have you notice a "pack order" with the 2 existing dogs. You will need to respect that when introducing a new dog, although being a pup they will most likely let him know his place. Giving too much attention to the pup in front of them may cause some issues. The same with toys, dogs don't really have possessions the way we do, they have territory and pack order. Basically the top dog owns everything (the top dog should always be a human), and all things need to be distributed in strict order down to the bottom dog. You can use toys in one on one training with your pup, otherwise best to keep them to one side, until you are sure all the dogs are settled and playing well together. Grooming may vary, depending on what the coat turns out like. I personally prefer a shortish clip on most of the small fluffy breeds, it makes maintenance easy and keeps them clean, and reduces matting and pest infestations. Early attention needs to be given to worming, check for earmites and fleas, and seek vet advice on treatment. A visit to your vet with your new puppy for a health check and to set an immunisation schedule and check if there is anything needing immediate attention. Both the breeder and vet should be able to advise you on diet. I believe young pups need to fed several times a day.

BittyMoo Yep, I have found transference works well for all sorts of things, I used for Maxi to help cope with thunder. Now he will bring me the ball for a game when he hears thunder. Thunder still gets to him sometimes though. Maxi was also a chronic humper when I got him. Sometimes it can be insecurity as well as dominance. Luckily he is also obsessed with balls, so I can usually distract him when on off lead in the park. If she is on the lead and tries it on other dogs she meets, just stick with the 3 second greeting, a quick sniff and move on before anything gets a chance to happen. I don't bother with them humping much, but if it really irritates me, I just tell them to go "outside if you want to do that". Also any attempt to hump human ankles should not be tolerated. A little bit of obedience training, socialisation and confidence building in your dog might help. Good luck.

Yep, when all is said and done, your dog should not be that "gassy". There also could be something in the dried dog food causing it. As suggested the vet can help. There is an excellent plant called Slippery Elm, a powder is made from the bark, then mixed to a porridge consistency, and mixed through food. About 1 teaspoon a day of the powder is enough. It is very neutral and is often used on human babies for digestive problems. What it does is line the intestines with a very neutral bland mucous like substance, thus reducing any inflammation and giving the gut time to heal if it is still a bit sensitive from the gastro.

Oh my, that's an nasty one. I am geussing it gets like that very quickly, forms the pustules then starts to scab a bit. My Maxi (JRT) got that a lot when I was staying on acreage with paddocks (lots of different grasses and plants). It can be food allergies but from what I have read a good way to proceed is to try and eliminate any of the more obvious plant contact allergy candidates. As mentioned Various grasses Wandering Dew Plumbago (sky flower hedge plant, pretty blue flowers) Maxi very allergic to this. Any "sandy" areas she may lie in, fleas and lots of little bities can live in the very sandy soils. I find that since moving off the acreage and nailing down the exposure to plumbago I am pretty much on top of Maxi's allergy now, but still occassional occurances. Now I have to hand a simple cortisone cream, available at chemists on request, and at the very first signs of the rash, rub it into the skin for about 1 minute. (after that he will lick it off). This usually settles it down after 2 or 3 applications. Never ever use Lanolin.

Squeak Get into the habit of checking twice daily around 12 hours apart. Start with the head, run your hands around (your dog will think it is getting wonderful pats) the face first, examine eyes and gums to see it anything is there. Next go around each ear in a complete circle, then look as far into the ear canal as you can see. Then starting from the top of the head do the entire neck. Feel behind the head and around futher back behind ears, the throadt and especially and creases or natural wrinkles. Then go all along the dogs back and sides, then flip the dog on its back (gently) . Start at the throat and down to the chest, look into any swirls or fur, then the underarms the rest of the chest the abdomen and belly and the under legs, go all the way down to the genitals and anal area. (In serious tick areas ticks can go into the anus). Next examine each leg right down to the paws, inbetween the toes and a pad divisions, I once found one sneakily attached under the little web between the toes, almost invisible. And dont forget the tail. It sounds a lot, but if you do it right your dog will soon enjoy this as a treat of your attention, and co-operate. Observe your dog and get to know their normal behaviours, if your dog seems a bit agitated and starts acting strangely, like extra naughty or yapping or something check for a tick. Also if the dog suddenly becomes a bit depressed or shows any weakness in the back legs, look to finding a tick and removing it asap. Usually weakness of the back legs requires immediate vet attention, but I recommend finding the tick first and removing it as a priority. Anecdotally I have heard that any tick protection can fail. If you are in a heavy tick area consider a Killtix collar and Frontline Plus applied fortnightly. There are other good protections as well. If you have a very hairy dog or a large dog consider an internal treatment.

Yep over the last month have pulled out about 3. Seemed a bit on the dead side by the time I got them so the protection is working to some degree. They love humidity so the rain will have brought them on, also will be spring soon so expecting an early tick season.

TGD so glad to hear your puppy is on the mend, in fact I'm sort of glad I didn't read this post up until now, since all I would have been good for is wringing my hands with anxiety. Please keep us posted on his progress. (just a note on caffeine in coffee, tea or chocolate - chocolate is a no no because of another toxic component - tea and coffee generally bad for dogs due to caffeine being toxic in big doses - but if after a shock and there is no internal injuries half a cup of weak coffee - quarter teaspoon - can be given as a one off dose to help kick start the system a bit.)

My brother (who knows nothing about dogs) took on a couple of Shitzu x silkies. These dogs have the most adorable nature but the coat is hopeless. One is particularly bad and mats very easily, while the other is a lot better but the fur on his belly is so fine, its like gossamer or sticky spider web and form lots of little mats all over. Sometimes his little penis sheath gets attached by snarled hair to his stomach. When looking after my niece I did a session of grooming with them, the brushes they had were useless. I bought a brush that would work properly (for humans) but then she lost it. :D Anyway, I go up there every 3 or 4 weeks and trim them right back, trimming back most of the fur below the knee and the feet (now its winter I only take off what drags on the ground and gets wet. They tell me they bathe them weekly, and things do seem to have improved since I started cutting the fur. I can tell you some people have absolutley no idea and common sense just doesn't seem to come into it.

Dear Erny, offering you the deepest sympathy for the passing of Kal. You and Kal have touched the hearts of many.

Have been thinking of you Erny and hoping for the best for you and Kal, hugs

Sending healing thoughts and good wishes for you and Kal Hugs Aber

Krisite You are doing everything right if you are going on to obedience, there's nothing like hands on training followed up by a few follow up sessions at home. Patience and repetition go a long way. A fun way to reinforce commands is to incorporate them into a play session. So instead of just throwing the ball for the dog, give them the command "sit" first, for example. Work at extending their vocabulary of words they understand. Maxi knows the name of serveral different toys, we have Footsie, Big Ball, Ball, etc, and he will fetch whichever one I tell him on command. Play hide and seek with the ball and soft toy. The great thing I have found about the JrT is that they seem to have a natural keeness to work with you. You can experiment with giving instructions to the JRT and will sometimes be surprised how much they understand. Both of mine know how to "go round" "under" "over" "up" and so forth, these commands were taught "on the fly" within minutes. JRT's as you have probably noticed have boundless energy, but I have read that it's best just to exercise them as you would an average dog and not attempt to "tire them out". Many JRTs will just become more wound up, so the more exercise and excitement the more wound up they get. Make sure that they have some nice quiet times away from the excitement each day. You can be sure that JRTs will learn very quickly and will challenge you from time to time, so you have to be fair but firm and even strict in some situations. They must be kept on a lead near roads, this is because they are just so fast when they dart towards something they can be out of earshot by the time you give the command for them to stop. It is in their instincts to investigate things and they are a breed that is regarded not to be safe near roads. And just a final word on pre-emptive correcting, when you get to know your dog better you might be able to see the expression and body language that tell you it is about to do something naughty like chew a shoe, so as soon as they look like they are going to chew the shoe that is the best time to correct them and redirect them. It is always harder to do it after. Main thing is have lots of fun and take care. :D

That's a beatiful puppy, I'll bet you have already fallen in love with each other. Don't worry too much about the eye, certainly ask your vet's opinion when you see him and try the exercises. The dog will still be able to see properly, at least in humans the brain kind of sorts the information out and the person can still see ok. I don't think much of the breeders attitude, but at least now you are seeing eye to eye (sorry for the pun) Do keep a close watch on it in the future. If it bulges more than normal or changes in appearance in any way then check with your vet, and that would apply to many pug, cavilier, boston dogs. You still have a wonderful dog that is one of the most loved and endearing breeds, these faults do occur from time to time.

Don't forget to back up the desired behaviour with lots of lavish praise to reinforce the good habit. :p

Is that a JRT I see tucked away there in your avatar? Mitchie has just seen a noisy monster from outerspace come in and level her whole world, all the smells, the plants and everything familiar to her is gone! Your little dogs trust in the world has been shaken. JRT are earth dogs, very attached to the smells of the earth, and also extremely sensitive dogs (despite their playful and stoic exterior) Now, assuming all goes well with the vet visit and there is not illness happening you could try this. Put Mitchie on a lead and take her for a walk around your "new yard". If you have a favourite game take her out there and play that game. How about a nice new squeaky toy, give it to her out in the yard. Give her a bone (chicken neck/wing) to eat out in the new yard. Don't sook her too much when she is shaking, try to ignore that. Whenever she is quiet and calm give her a reassuring reward or pat. Because JRTs have such HUGE personalities, its easy to forget that they are really quite small dogs and they can feel vulnerable at times. Carry on about your household routine as normal. Maybe get a kong and put some peanut butter in it and give that to him, he needs some distractions. In time he will forget the monster.

:p Oh no! that doesn't sound too good. Is it likely to be a flare up of the condition she had antibiotics for or something still not diagnosed? So sorry to hear this.

Erny, have most of the big seizures stopped? There could be some additional medication needed to help with the small ones. (Epilim or similar?). Hoping the next few days will see things settle down. Hugs to you and Kal :p

LM Well that's new to me LM, where did you get that information from. They would only be snappy and growly if their owners have allowed them, same as any SWF or lots of other lively dogs. The only reason a JRT needs to be considered carefully for families with small children is their tendancy to jump up and lick the face, they are so quick at this it's important to be confident you can train them competently. My JRT's Maxi and Gracie are fantastic with children from small toddlers to older children. They are a dog that does need very hands on training as Mckafee has discovered. This is due to their superior intelligence and lightening like reflexes. It is very easy to mis-train a JRT, due to the speed at which they learn they will quickly repeat any behaviour - wanted or unwanted - if they find it has been rewarded in some way - intentionally or unintentionally. JRT's are renowned for training their owners, and hence, often need the attention and training near to that of a young child. JRT's are the best doggone dogs in the world, ask most JRT owners.

Kirty I think Rusky has some good hints there. Often habits like chewing shoes from separation anxiety become a more complex as the dog gets older and sometimes turn into "boredom/lonliness" breaker activities and games. Firstly, it's clear that you have become frustrated with your dog and your dog is losing respect for you. Dog's need consistencey and respond best to reward. Obedience school will be great for giving you both a fresh start and getting back in step with each other again. Also be consistent about the "dog pack order". Always feed the same dog first (in this case Champa would be the first dog, since he seems more naturally "forward" and dominant of the two), pat the Champa first etc. If you keep favouring one then swapping to the other your dogs can become unmanigable, Champa is probably really confused, he knows he should be above the other dog. All the humans in the family are above both the dogs. There are some good techniques for conditioning your dog into this understanding in a positive way. He does look like a fabulous dog, you will have to learn some "dog language" to help him understand that you are a good and fair leader. There is hope. (from a world weary Jack Russell Terrier owner) :D

Wolf82, now that it turns out it wasn't a thick face washer, but a thin peice of material that has now gone from the dog's system, could you please put something in subtitle of thread such as "OK now, not what we thought it was" so that people understand it is no longer urgent help needed.

Ah, that's good, just checking to make sure I didnt have "foot in mouth disease" One of the country vets I used to take him to, was a farm animal vet and definitely did not like cats, he was ok though and gave the starving students (like me) discounts.