Crazy Daisy

Your dogs are so beautiful Love the photos

My goal is to start Ruff in agility. I hope he likes it because I think it looks like fun and would love the exercise.

I made them surprise me when Ruff was going up as I couldn't handle the pressure I just did a normal class and then they said "here you go, a new certificate, you passed" Might be a while before that happens again

Thanks for the replies. He wasn't that hungry as yesterday was his first birthday and we had given him his birthday cake and he had been playing with his new toys :D I'll just have to write last night off as a good socialising experience. He had fun meeting lots of new dogs after class. I wasn't frustrated with him, more with myself. Lots more training at home and on walks this week I think!!

Ok, now I know that this is all my fault but I am so frustrated with myself!! Ruff and I haven't been to training for a couple of months because of a few things like me not wanting to go out when it's cold, rain, him getting desexed etc. I can make all the excuses in the world but the truth is I've been slack. So I went tonight, normally Ruff is in class 2 (there is beginners, class 1,2,3,4). So I thought because we hadn't been for a while I would put him in class 1 again. Well I don't think they would let us in class 2 at the moment. I was so off my game and couldn't get his attention to save my life. I even had cooked him sausages as a treat knowing the first week back would be hard. He wouldn't listen to me at all, he had his head in the grass the whole time. I tried everything, got the keys out and jangled them to get his attention, offered the sausages, gave him heaps of praise, tried doing a faster pace to get his nose off the ground. I swear people thought I was mad as my voice went so high at one point Arrrgghhh, I can't believe how much it stressed me. Training him at home is great but I realised tonight just how much I need to get him back to training. So after my vent..... I want to ask, what else can I take next week to try and get his attention on me? He is normally a very food driven dog but even freshly cooked sausages wouldn't work. he's not interested in toys either. Thanks for listening, I've calmed down some what now.

I was wondering this too and a friend of mine who has a rotti says she alternates between the two. I want to put a bit of weight on Ruff as he is starting agility and seems to lose a lot of weight with all the extra running around. She said to feed the working dog until get gets to a good weight and then use the adult as maintenance.

Sounds like a vampire mother of a kelpie.

Atlas knows his good side He has his head tilted at the same angle

Wow, is she standing next to you on the ground?? She's huge. And very pretty

I love the second last shot with him leaning on his paw. Very cute boy.

Oh my he is beeeeeautiful!!!! Please keep lots of photos coming. I so want one

Aw Ruff is gorgeous! How's he coping?? Not long to go now! He gets his stitches out at 9am tomorrow And as soon as the vet gives the OK we are going to start agility on a wed night!! I can't wait. How's your little man coping?

Ruff 8 weeks Ruff will be 1 next week

Daisy 7 weeks Daisy at 4yrs

I had a GSD x kelpie who was scared of Asians. He would cower and pull me to the other side of the street to get away from them. Figure that one out!?

That's interesting, I thought they had a lot less than that. We have the same problem with Boston Terriers. My OH got our little girl over 14 years ago and she was $650 the last breeder I spoke to wanted over $2000. I think it's just because they became more popular. Definatley on the "when I have a savings account with savings in it" day.

I have a friend in Sydney who has two mals, one was desexed at 16 weeks and the other just after his 1 year birthday. Both males same breeder same lines. The one that was desexed later is not so lanky and has a more lushious coat. Not a huge personality difference, if anything I would say the one that got desexed later is a little calmer. I think large breeds take a while to fill out, that's why I left my Ridgeback x till just before his first birthday.

On my dog I use Advantage, malaseb wash and spray apple cider vinegar 50/50 on the irritated areas. This has worked a treat and his hair is growing back now too.

Another vote for the furminator. I use mine on lots of short coated breeds.

If you don't want to spend a huge amount of money on scissors I have always found Wahls to be good. I also have a pair of Jaguar curves that are about 10 years old and I couldn't live without them. 30 blades can run hot if you are doing a lot with them. I have some ice cubes in a freezer bag and sit the blade on there for a minute or two if they start to run hot. 30's also get blunt quicker as the teeth are so close together, as they are a very close blade beware of them getting hot which they will do if they are blunt.

Hi, I remember seeing a post a while ago on allergies in shepherds but can't find it. I used to have a shepherd x kelpie from the RSPCA who was allergic to everything, grass, fleas, pollen, red meat, bones.... I now have another rescue who was very short coated when he was little, I know he has ridgeback in the x because his litter mates had ridges, anyway, he has developed a very shepherd coat and now at 11 months has started showing signs of a similar allergy to my last shepherd, dry flaky skin, hair loss on lower back and slight redness and thickening under his belly and between his legs. The vet says it's just an allergy, no mites and these are the things I've tried to no avail. Advocate, bathing in Malaseb, chicken and rice diet. What else can I try? It drove me made with my last dog and I never found an answer after 8 years.

Wow, I have been looking for info on this story as I couldn't see from the news anything that looked super bad except it was a puppy farm. But when you see photos on the website of tiny puppies that only look a couple of weeks old and it says "available NOW" that is so sad. People who walk past a pet shop in Brisbane and see a litter of cute little cross breeds have no idea where they've come from and what problems they will have when they grow up. I just hope there will be enough foster parents in Brisbane to help take on these dogs while they work out the charges.

Thanks so much for your replies. I think they both know I mean business now Ruff has been a lot better now and I have worked with him everyday on general obedience and he has calmed down heaps. He even went up a level at training!! Thanks again Leah

Thanks Erny, I will definately give them a totally different space from each other when they eat.

Hi Steve, I am only new to the forum and on another thread (http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=167544), they suggested I try TOT with my 6mth puppy. Ruff is a 6mnth old male Ridgeback x and Daisy is a 3.5 yr old Shih Tzu. Daisy has always been top dog at home and at my grooming salon but now Ruff has started to attack her during and after meals times and then 5 mins later they are best friends again, he is getting too big and I'm scared he will do some real damage one day. Ruff has great control when I'm around. I place him in a sit and walk a couple of steps and place his bowl down, then return to him and give an "OK" command and he woofs the food down. After he's finished and I've gone inside he still attacks my Shih Tzu who is in the laundry, even after I take the bowls away and they are both finished. My question is should I put Daisy inside FIRST and feed her and then go out to the laundry and do TOT with Ruff? Also if this is going to be his area to eat dinner should I then let him inside? or can I put he straight back into the laundry so she can go outside to the toilet? Thanks Leah