Zug Zug

Am I understanding this thread correctly? Someone had their dogs removed (seized) because they'd been de-barked? Even though the dogs were well cared for? Please correct me. That doesn't make sense to me. What would be the point of seizing these dogs? Or perhaps I have completely misunderstood what this is about.

I have never seen him scratch at it. I don't even think he's aware of it much. If it doesn't clear up this week (i.e. now that his face is cleaned off and I've got full access) I think I will get the vet to remove it. He has lots of warts now (he's 12), but this is the only one that bleeds like this. And it's much bigger than the others.

My bichon Mozart has a wart on his face. I asked the vet about it a few months ago, and he said it was nothing to worry about, but to come back to him if it got bigger. It hasn't got any bigger, but it has been bleeding constantly for months. I have given up trying to care for it through his usual beautiful furry face, and shaved all his face hair off today. He looks like a toy poodle Nothing wrong with toy poodles, but a bichon should look like a bichon. He didn't like the clipper on his face AT ALL! Anyway, see photos below - one of his usual beautiful round face, and several showing his face now and some close-ups of his wart, which is bleeding as always. It is not just bleeding because of the clip - it is always bleeding slowly and with his furry face it got quite smelly. I am using salt water on it, which is what the vet suggested. Is that the best thing to be using? Any thoughts? Should I be worried about this?

It's been a long time since my last post here, so I thought I'd just pop in. Zamba and I have been working almost exclusively on her stays, and have kept things very slow and steady. She is a lot more comfortable with them than she was, but I am not pushing her hard. She does seem a lot more relaxed, but the true test will come when she has to do stays with dogs she doesn't know. At the moment we're really only practising around dogs she does know. Not perfect yet, and we have a long way to go. We won't be trialling again until March next year at the earliest, probably later than that given I'm going OS for a while between now and then. Most of the other Open exercises have gone backwards a bit through lack of practice, but we do them all once a week and there is nothing that couldn't be polished up again really quickly when she's ready.

Several neglected Kongs at my place too. Just not interested at all. And squeaky toys - just not interested. My bichon does sees no point in toys. The poodle x is only interested in toys if there is a human in the game as well (i.e. throwing things for her or tugging at things)

Does he pick anything up in his mouth in normal play? If he does, you can start by encouraging that and each time he picks something up you start a game of chase, then turn around quickly and offer a reward (to trade for whatever he has in his mouth), etc. It's really easy to teach in this case. If only all dogs had this natural behaviour! But lots of dogs don't naturally pick things up, so... You might need to teach him to pick something up in his mouth. You do this in stages. Hold something in front of him and click/treat him for looking at it, then for sniffing it, then for putting his teeth on it, then (gradually) you move to the point where you are clicking him for biting it, then holding it in his mouth. This usually takes a little while - almost always a number of sessions over a number of days. It can be frustrating but you need to be patient and creative. He'll get it in the end. When he does it often happens very quickly. Then, once he's able to take it happily in his mouth, you start asking him to do that from a lower and lower start position, until he's picking it up from the floor in front of you (while sitting, then while you are standing). Then it's an easy progression to throwing it small distances etc. to fetch it back to you for his reward. And also to getting him to fetch other things. Usually you need to take a few steps back to get them used to picking up something different, but once they've got a few fetch toys under their belt, they'll fetch lots of stuff from then on. Except metal. Metal is an acquired taste.

My sympathies. I am allergic to dog hair also. It's nothing to be sneezed at (sorry - bad pun) - it can actually make your life really miserable. I love (seriously - LOVE) lots of breeds. But I can only live with low-allergy breeds like my poodle x and my bichon. But there are lots of low allergy breeds - at different sizes and with different temperaments. So there is still some choice available - just a bit more limited. I go into denial sometimes too. Maybe I can have a kelpie. Maybe I can have an Aussie Shepherd. Maybe I can have a Flat Coated Retriever, or a Welsh Springer. All breeds I absolutely love. But then I come back down to earth when I spend a few hours around them. I really can't. I get itchy. And sneezy. And irritable. It's not good. If you do need to rehome your dog, he will be fine. I have a poodle x I got from the pound and she loves me lots. It's not wrong to do to them, so long as you find them a good home. Your health, and your family's health, are also important. While it is hard to hear, and even harder to accept, your husband makes an important point.

Lots of talk about working kelpies, as if they are all relatively similar to one another. Not my experience. I've seen lots of kelpies on farms over the years. Some of them stocky, some of them quite tall and slender, one of them was called a 'dingo kelpie' and he was light in colour and very slender. He was just a kelpie though - no actual dingo in him (well, we were told no actual dingo in him). All of them seem able to hop on sheep's backs (well, the ones who wanted to could - it didn't seem to relate much to stockiness of the dog but perhaps a bit to willingness and being up for it...?) From what I've seen working kelpies are different depending on who breeds them. Some of them with thick coats, some with thinner coats. I'm actually a big fan of the working kelpies being described in this thread. Lighter built, slender, with a sleek coat. It's just an aesthetic thing in my case - I think they look nice and I have a preference for dogs that are not too heavy. But every farmer has his/her own preference. Usually based on a much-loved dog from days past.

The more I think about it - Boston Terrier!!!!

Oh no. I don't know what else to say. That is awful. I'm not even laughing - it's just too awful!

What - no poodles???? (Oh that's ok - they weren't always my cup of tea either, but I love them now) Would need more information on what kind of child he/she is. Gentle, robust, sporty, whatever. But from what you've said, I agree JRTs would be great, and maybe a Boston Terrier or something like that. Smaller, loving, but also solid enough to be able to stay on their feet most of the time. In my experience JRTs are pretty headstrong/sporty. Bostons probably a bit more gentle a lot of the time. Tenterfields or possibly Manchester Terriers as well? Beagles are great, we had one as teenagers. But they can be very independent and can be quite strong physically, so perhaps not an ideal kid's companion dog...? Depending on the age/preferences of the child? I assume your child will want to teach the dog some funny tricks. A beagle is likely to say 'dream on' and go back to sniffing the ground. They take a bit more effort to train - but it can be done and done well if you're persistent. Also depends what 'look' you and your child likes. I know it shouldn't be your primary concern, but a dog you and your child consider beautiful and appealing is likely to inspire you both to give it more love and attention. Strange, but true. I also agree Staffies are great. Yes they are also quite strong. How old is your child?

What gorgeous photos - and what a great 8 years he must have had. My thoughts are with you as you grieve for Harry.

I'm not sure if the changes to the rules in CCD will change the outcome, in terms of poor heeling evident in the ring, but the dogs still getting through regardless. It just means the stays are further away. I think this is an odd change and probably not really that good a thing but oh well. I think CCD is as much about giving people a chance to try the sport, before they get so bored with training that they just drop out of it altogether. While I can definitely see what people are talking about with dogs getting through with questionable skills (and then getting a shock in Novice), having recently passed Novice and finding it hard to get my out of sight stays together for Open, I don't see this as different to the jump in skills between other classes. There should be different (higher) standards at higher levels. I thought the gap from CCD to CD was OK. I didn't find it easy to pass CCD with my first dog, I can tell you! But having said all that I don't see it as a huge deal. A few more metres on the stay will make a small difference, but probably not a big difference. ETA - just noticed the higher pass mark as well. OK that will make a bigger difference. I think that's harsh for a beginner's class.

Well, it could be harmful if said fly is sitting on your cheek when the dog decides to catch it! (Don't laugh - this happened to me with one of my own dogs once. I nearly jumped out of my skin - but full points she got the fly alright!!!)

Hmm. The whippet I grew up with was 'almost perfect' too. She was in our family before I was born, and taught me to walk (holding onto her back). She stopped me from going off with a pedophile once, when I was 6 or 7 years old. Only reason I didn't go was that she was growling and lunging at him - something she never, ever did. I remember telling her off because I thought she was being rude. She died when I was 12. Amazing, amazing dog. But you could never have contained her to a yard. She was a roamer, and terrified of thunder storms. So no, not perfect. But perfect to me. RIP Winkle.

Hmm. Zamba is dog aggressive and though good, will never be perfect. I was going to say Mozart (my bichon) is perfect. This is something I often tell the rest of my family! But then I remembered he is not really reliable with his house training. Even at 12 years old, he will occasionally sneak off for a poo (oh God how awful you might think - but happens so rarely I almost forgot about it). Other than that.... I mean he's sweet-natured, can mix with any dog and soothe them into niceness, stays on his bed without fail, hardly ever barks, loves to play, the list just goes on and on. I had one other 'almost perfect' dog once. She was amazingly obedient. A rescue dog - she was beautifully trained before I got her - never could work out what she was doing in the pound! But she was TERRIFIED of men! So I guess she wasn't perfect either. So no - and I bet I never do. They're all great, but none of them are robots are they? Their quirks make them more interesting in lots of ways.

OK, after a lot of phone calls I finally found one with a free room at christmas, and set up to keep dogs separate for exercise - Yay!!! So they're all booked in to a place a friend from dog obedience club recommended to me this morning. Bencubbin. They are labrador breeders in Two Wells. He even comes to pick them up (for a fee) so that makes it nice and easy for hubby while I'm away. Wow Bed and Biscuit looks amazing on the website. I rang them (and most of the others) today, but well and truly full at this stage. Well worth remembering for next time though, if we ever need to do this again.

Mortonplace, please don't misunderstand what we're trying to say. I do believe that the RSPCA kill animals - including healthy animals, in some cases. But unfortunately I don't believe that animal welfare can be managed without killing some healthy animals. Which is awful, isn't it? But an awful reality, unfortunately. I think the video is an emotive product - made by people who have obviously been impacted personally by the loss of some dogs that were special to them. It is brutal in some places, but I don't find it convincing or persuasive. It's a very one-sided presentation of some information that may or may not be truthful, but is certainly not a balanced presentation of facts. I don't believe we should only support 'no-kill' shelters. I do think we should only support ethical breeders. And I do think we should also support public education about the responsibilities of dog ownership. I have no doubt that the RSPCA do things that I would oppose, at times. And where they do things that contravene public values, or their own policies, they should be made accountable for that. But I don't think putting down animals is, in itself, necessarily a bad thing to do. Sometimes, unfortunately, it is probably necessary.

Thanks! Keaton have advised that while they still have a spot free at this stage, they can't take a dog that is dog aggressive because all the dogs exercise together so that won't work unfortunately. I have left a message at Murray Bridge. And yes it seems we've left it very late. Had a few PMs and contacted several places today, but most places appear to be booked out.

We live in the Western Suburbs. We are looking for a good boarding kennel for our dogs for about 10 days over xmas / New Years'. I don't want to send them just anywhere. They are old dogs, quite the odd couple and need to be kept together in a kennel that suits the two of them. Both still healthy and active - but older dogs need to go somewhere that keeps an eye on them at that (sometimes hot) time of year. One of them (the female) is dog aggressive so they need somewhere they can get exercise in a yard that doesn't involve her mixing in with other dogs she doesn't know. And I need to send their food with them. They need to stick with the food I give them - they can't stomach anything else these days. Any recommendations?

I think the argument about not much being done in genuine cruelty cases is a different one, but I don't see how we can expect them to stop euthanasing healthy dogs. Are we suggesting that no dogs should be put down? I don't agree with that. Some dogs are not suitable for rehoming. Others are, but no-one wants them so they stay in the pound for week after week after week. What are we expecting? RSPCA don't have the funds to provide permanent homes for dogs no-one wants. I don't work for the RSPCA or anything like that. And I don't know the details of why the dogs in the vid were put down, and it may have been unnecessary. I have an ex-pound-poodle at home, who I am proud to have given a home to for the past 11 years. But I know that's not available to every dog that winds up in the pound. I wish it were.

Is it purebred? Shih Tzu?

Aaahh, congratulations! It's great when you get that feeling that says 'we're actually getting somewhere!!!'

I would keep it around and provide your dog with lots of very nice experiences in it. For example, get your dog's favourite chewable treat and leave it in the back of the crate, and let the dog go in and find it there. No pressure - just something that smells too nice to leave. don't worry about shutting the door for more than a few seconds initially. but close it occasionally just to get your dog used to a door that closes, and then opens again later. Build the time up gradually, but stay nearby so your dog feels the reassurance of you being handy. I'm not sure about the use of a soft crate in a thunderstorm though. My dog would scratch it to bits. A solid (metal) crate may be better suited to stormy nights I suspect. I keep my soft crate in the boot of the car (for outings) and the solid metal crate set up under a desk at home (for nights and for keeping the dogs safely tucked away during parties or when kids visit).

Great effort today Dova! You came very close today - Pebbles is just a really lovely dog. If I wasn't allergic to dog hair I would be plotting to steal her from you! Zamba and I had a bit of fun in vintage class, and then a lot of fun running around with the scent hurdles at lunchtime. She loved that one - and so did I. If she were a bit younger she would have loved to train for agility. She had a great time and we came home exhausted with a nice little medal saying what a great old girl she is. It was nice to be back in the ring after such a long break.