Meea

That IS sad Jak! There are lots of different types of classes and I would guess that the danger really is for inexperience puppy owners who have some expectation that the person running the class knows what they are about. These same poor souls think that the salespeople in Petbarn pet shops have their best interests at heart!! For those of us that have done it before it should just be a valuable tool. I wouldn't let someone tell me what to do with my puppy and I haven't had any trouble going my own way in classes if it is not what the instructor recommends. My experience has been that they recognise an old hand when they see one. I am not going to make them look bad but neither do I do something I believe to be wrong. Meea

again again :p honestly so much for the big push into NSW with no bloody followup.

I would recommend it. You are competent to ignore any rubbish advice you hear and to control what you choose to take on board. The benefits of a mixed bag of puppies outweight any negatives in that case. I always do it as I have inner city deeries and we have to be able to survive in communal dog parks. I have never had a problem with those I have done that with and the sight of him joyfully greeting the doxie dogs he met in puppy class 7 years latter is still terrific. Not all the dashounds in Sydney are as thrilled as those two mind you when 50kgs of deerie gallops up to them to play!! In reverse the owners of those two say they have never had any trouble with theirs worrying about big dogs so call it your civic duty to exposure your guy to as many littlies as you can! FYI it is clear that both my rescue deerieXs missed this vital bit of early puppyisation!! which only convinces me more.

Ring DogsWA and ask for the contact details of the breeder with her prefix. (assuming she came from WA else whichever state you where in.)

Please let me be the person my dog already thinks I am

So damned georgeous - I am so overdue a new puppy!!! Welcome to the deerie club! Meea

Sauted Marina - sucessful . Especially calamari - which is at least v. cheap although maybe not what I am after for her coat/skin. Will try again with LESS cooking. Tks folks!

I had been trying sardines and mackerel. A) because small and B) because cheap. Maybe the too oily smell has something to do with it but they eat the tinned version like no ones business. Last night I bought 200gms of mixed marinara and some garlic salt and tonight I shall cook gourmet and try them bit by bit to see if it makes any difference. Honestly - what part of raw means extra kitchen time for moi!! Horrid beastie.

Cook it.. at least initially. Then work backwards to less cooking. What is the impact on whole fish with bones with cooking?? Or I guess you mean start with fillets? I guess I can just sear the whole one in something acceptable - keen on the Garlic salt idea myself...mumble mumble...

background. I have three dogs all of which approach raw fish differently. The healthy weight sound good coat dog eats his with enthusiasim. One down. The heart murmer, always overweight, arthriticky ACDX, does everything with it before eating any. drag it around, roll in it, bury it - dig it up - bury it some more, smack it around. The skin allergy girl who is the one I REALLY want to eat it - cries. So far I have tried whole weenie fish, chopped up medium fish, covering in their favourite slop. Reactions stay the same. What tips do the DOL geniusus (sp?) have to teaching them that this stuff is food!?? Meea

I had the stereotypical acute accident a couple of dogs ago and of course Ihad to commit to pay before they would take the bleeding screaming dog out of my arms - in that case I was 4 grand in overnight and really how do you stop then? With the benefit of hindsight I would say that I should have not have proceeded but in the emotion of the moment away you go. That incident left me approx $12K in the red and it took me many years to get out from under it. Dog survived but never really a well boy everafter. Never darkened the door of that surgery every again - even though it is just down the road. These days every new animal is insured and I have a low rate CC in the knicker drawer for emergencies. My vet does over the GE payoff option as well. But of course since I am prepared I have not had to use it!

I have had huge yards and tiny inner city yards and the dogs have treated them the same. Sleepies until walkies!

My first Deerhound went to 14 with hardly a problem. Since then I have been well down in the single figures. My Avatar dog passed last year not making 8 . Considering that the early dog lived on supermarket Pal and greyhound meal I too am looking hard at the preservatives!!

Rays Camping, Camperdown

I have had a doggie dedicated worm farm for approx 6 years. I find that they eat the poo but I can't put anything else in there or they will eat that in preference so kitchen scraps have their own bin. They may be worms but they are not stupid! I had heard the worm/worming theory and have not tested it I just just bag and thrown out the weeks worth after worming - first week of every month for me. Worms do a fine job in summer but 2 XL and 1 medium dog do generate a bit ooo much in winter even though they go in the dog park mostly. Sometimes I still have to toss - expecially in winter when the worms are dormant. I think composting on the ground would work better for me but I just don't have the space. Meea

I think the Rogz beds are the best I have ever owned. The deerhounds can't tear them and I am still using the one I first bought about 3 1/2 yrs ago. They do flatten a bit over time but they are still the best I have every had. I buy the flat ones as the podz are super exxy!

Would you always make that conclusion? Frantic offering of already learned behaviours is not necessarily a sign of stress. I agree - my cattle dog distance works me especially when I am training a new dog (the cheek of me!) as I work through exercises with the new dog/pup - Jordan is doing everything perfectly. Not stressings so much as gratuitious attention seeking! He was staked at an OT a few weeks ago and would have got a good pass if he had been in the ring with me.

Paid - going dogless

Normal reaction to Hills ZD at our place !! Vets seem to push this but it doesn't seem to work my lot.

I have used them with great sucess over the years and have not had a problem. When I get a puppy it wears it as soon as I leave it and any barking stops quickly so they don't get a lot of spraying. Older dogs who are habituated to barking take longer. I have a sonic collar too because some dogs just bark through the spray collar while others ignore the sonic tone. I just use which ever has the best effect. My current problem is a dog I took on 12 months ago with SA. Ignores the sonic and will yowl through the spray if he really needs to but has gone from constant yowling to only when he hears me coming home very quickly. If you want to buy a spray collar they will sell direct from the manufacturer, along with refills and batteries. Much cheaper than retail! Aboistop are in Vic somewhere - something crossing?? breeds: deerhound, ACDX, greyhound, deerhound X something and spaniel (the spaniel was the toughest!!) Meea edited for: spellunk

I have had two deaf dogs over the years - one sighthound (rescue) and one ACDX (from 9 weeks). No worries with either - lots of big arm signals and vibration. Never felt the need for remote shock/vibration collars. I taught attention and once I had that - there were very little problems. I have had hearing sighthounds that were worse on recall that this one! As with a previous poster I found once the dog realised there was a way to KNOW what was going on they were relieved and stuck with it.

Your pix look exactly like my Calleighs feet - she has been affected by touch allergies on her forelegs and feet since moving to Sydney 2 years ago. (Apparently in SA they didn't have grass!). I keep her just under control with antihistamines (sp?) fish oil and Sebolyse wash. (found Malaseb useless, Pyohex good, Sebolyse best - only a 5 min soak too which is a benefit in winter). They can get so bad that she gets infections and then need a course of antibiotic to clear it up, when this happens she gets yeasty smelling as well *sigh*. I would like her to wear sock but she won't have it! Tips anyone? I tried taping with vetwrap - maybe superglue?

distressed frustrated donating now - planning to bid on EVERYTHING... what a day..

Could perhaps maybe some kind Moderator (T?) link this up with all the threads about: ' my precious pup won't eat..............instert list of prime product!'

Dolers are brilliant!