mersonmalinois

Yes, the pumpkin pie filling comes in a can. Be sure to get the type that isn't already spiced up with nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. Should be in the baking section or canned veggies/fruits aisle. Good luck!

I don't think she looks all that thick, but you would know what weight is best for her. Folks here mix canned green beans or pumpkin pie filling into food to help a dog lose weight. They fill up the dog but do not add lbs. Your grey girlie is lovely, btw.

Chris Christensen Systems works best on my dogs' coats.

Equal unless a committee member's dog acts a fool in class...then that is acceptable??

I agree with you on that one, I guess her reasoning is she has paid her membership and given up her time to help run the club so should be entitled to train there as well. Hi, Corine, Most obedience clubs here are run by volunteers also, but imvho, the club members and especially the committee members should lead by example. Don't the non-club members taking classes pay for their sessions? Don't club members get a reduced rate on class fees compared to people off the street who want to train their dogs? I wonder how the owner of the sassy dog would feel if her dog was f#*%ed with by another dog? The class should be a safe environment for all students and their dogs and definitely more so at the advanced levels of training. It's no fun to go to a class and have an A$$hole dog that will mess up your dog's training. Not fair at all even if the woman is a committee member. She should know better than that. Susie

No, actually they don't if they interfere with the rest of the students in the class. I don't know what it means to be a "committee member", maybe an officer of the club?? Whatever the moniker means, that person should know better than to bring a dog into a training class that has aggression issues. It's not funny nor is it cute when that crap goes on. The other students come to class to train and have a positive experience with their dogs, not to have to worry about the antics of a dog that starts fights. Sounds like this person needs to take private lessons until her dog can handle the class environment. I would be completely pissed off if I had paid to train in that class and had to deal with a sassy-assed dog picking on other dogs.

Yep, they are pretty much made of that material along with plastic pig rail that is velcroed into place. The DuraWhelp is a snap to put up, clean and store. I was fortunate to get one from a friend for next to nothing. They are expensive, but truly worth it. We love ours and have never had a problem with puppies in it. I wonder what we should do with our old wooden one??

They are hard plastic. Here in the states we buy them at Walmart, ToysRUs, any big store with a decent toy section.

We have a lovely, HEAVY, wooden whelping box that my DH made in 1995. It did well for a few litters, but it was such a chore to break it down and store it in the garage. We now have a DuraWhelp (4'X5'). Wooden whelping boxes are nice and sturdy, but a colossal PITA to clean, sanitize and store.

Why not use a plastic swimming pool for a whelping box? I know a lot of people who do with excellent results. They are cheap and after the puppies are too big for it, you can take it outside and allow the puppies to swim. I personally don't use wading pools as whelping boxes, but they are an economical, easy-to-clean alternative.

They are simliar to Nylabones, but the plastic seems harder to me than most of the other products. I hope this link will work: http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/de...&iProductID=372 They come in various dino shapes and last a long time. I like using natural bones too, but they are messy indoors. The DDs are great for inside the house.

They are made by the Nylabone company. They are harder plastic and don't create a mess like the gumabone bones, etc.

Dental dinosaurs work best for our dogs.

Oh poo poo on that, Angelsun!!! People who start to "frost" early are just getting their platinum coloration sooner. It's not "gray" but "platinum", the most precious of all the metals!!!

It just means he is more prone to "frosting" and getting whiter around the muzzle/head. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with aging faster or that he will die younger. It's kind of like humans who get gray hair faster...just means their hair is changing, not their health nor longevity.

Some Belgian Shepherds have more "frosting" than others. It is not faulted nor is it indicative of old age. Some Belgian puppies can be frosted too.

Nutro Natural Choice High Energy Formula.

The people who actually train and title in schutzhund are typically level-headed, smart dog people. The "fruitloops" are the ones who claim they have "working line dogs" (with nary a working title in the pedigree) and then have a go at the sport and then quit. They don't want to have to put in the hours necessary to train & title. At least that is how it is with many breeds here in the states...all talk about working dogs, very little action or titles...just aggressive dogs who give the true working community's dogs a bad name.

It's been a LONG while since I dabbled in schutzhund, but as I recall the bark & hold is an exercise to push the dog's nerves/character and to see how it handles the pressure. It is not allowed a cheap bite during this exercise, but I think they are encouraged to be close to the decoy without making ANY contact. If the decoy acts aggressively or attempts to strike the handler, the dog is allowed the bite. I'm sure others will share more up-to-date info, but that's what I remember about the exercise.

K9: totally agree, I will add though, its more of a game, I feel its not until the dog is worked in the bark & hold in defence drive that I would consider the dog protective by any means. I believe the bark & hold is a component/exercise of all levels too.

Well, ok, but there are many exercises in all three levels where the dogs must attack/re-attack/etc. and are scored on their duration/depth of bite on the sleeve. Maybe only low level courage tests, but bitework nonetheless. Oh, and to anyone who has not seen the sport or been around schutzhund titled dogs, most are the most sound, stable and trustworthy dogs you will ever meet. They understand the sport as a GAME, not a mission in life to kill humans. I doubt very much if many Sch III dogs wind up in rescue. There is a LOT of work that goes into those titles!

Hi, K9, I am somewhat confused by your info on Sch 1, Sch 2 & Sch 3. All three titling levels of schutzhund have elements of obedience, tracking and protection/bitework. At least they did when I trained it with my Rottweiler in the early 90's. The schutzhund titles BH, FH and the AD do not have any protection phase. The BH is basically obedience/traffic surety, the FH is advanced tracking and the AD is an endurance test. Thanks for clarifying! Susie

We would have the dog sit, show the treat, say the word and then give the treat. You jackpot them for a while to associate the word with the treat and then slowly taper off to waiting for a few seconds. You can then increase the time and also put the tidbits on the ground near the dog, but the dog cannot get them until the word is given. My Rottweiler Gunther (died in 1998) was very good with this exercise. I would put him in a down stay, put two treats on both paws and then say words that were close to his release word. He knew the difference and would not take the treats until his word was said. "Ok" is a word that most people would use, even a person wanting to steal or poison a dog. A unique word is the best...kind of like a password on the computer. Hope this helps! Susie

You have a lot of good behaviors going already, good job!! When we lived in Albuquerque, NM I trained at a fun dog training center. We taught the dogs a food command word. Say the word, give a treat. Continue that way so the dog associates the word with food. We progressed into gently correcting the dog for picking up tidbits off the ground or taking something without the "food" word. I'm sure others will have better, more update ways to teach this behavior, but it worked for us several years ago. The only problem is making sure that everyone who may care for the dog knows the word. Or if the dog is picked up loose and taken to animal control. It won't eat without the command being given. I know a hungry dog will eventually blow off the command if it is starving, but it was something to consider. People in class picked odd words, "roulette", "jade", etc., something out of the ordinary for a command. Good luck if you decide to teach it. Susie

You, Dave & Blocker are in my heart today & always. Peace, Susie