Zug Zug

Are there any breeds that you like the look of? I know this sounds a bit shallow, but some people like bully type breeds, other people like fluffy breeds, others like dogs that look like farm dogs, etc. That will help us narrow it down. There are breeds in each of those categories that could be a good choice for first timers. If you have a big yard and are fairly active - does that also mean you'd prefer a larger or medium sized, more active dog? Just a few thoughts to help get the ball rolling: - flat coated retriever (if you like mid-large sized, friendly sporty dogs) - Australian Shepherd (if you like a farm-type looking dog, and like to train your dog to do tricks) - Hungarian Viszla (if you like a mid-large sized, sporty lean looking dog - they are very nice to train and the girls in particular a favourite at obedience clubs) - Whippet (if you like an athletic, lean and sweet-natured dog that is less boisterous) All of these breeds would need daily exercise, not weekly. Also - do you have any allergies? If so, that can be a really important issue when choosing breeds (and is the reason I have a standard poodle - also a smart and active breed, but certainly NOT low maintenance)

I've been waiting for mine for ages too - but I think I'm still within the 30 days (just)

I am using epiotic for his ear cleaner and the vet prescribed mometemax as ear medication. Anyone used these before? Thanks for your reply I am going to go back to the cotton balls. Yes I have used it and found it too harsh for my dog's ears - his ears were more irritated after cleaning than before cleaning and he was very unhappy about it because I think it was stinging his ears. I switched to 'Blue Ear Power' cleaner (there are recipes online for htis) and found it much better, and it cleared my poodle's ears up really quickly. It seems to be quite soothing, and is both effective and quite gentle. An alternative may be to dilute your epiotic so it's not as strong. I have also had knowledgeable people recommend a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water as a gentle solution to use for routine ear cleaning. I have heard several people say their dogs have found epiotic too strong. I think it's just that infected ears are so tender, you really need to be careful. And every dog is different I suppose.

Always thinking about it, but won't be doing it until our older girl passes on. Then I will be trying to convince myself to wait a bit longer. I do tend to want to 'leap' when the time comes, so the more thought done before then, the better!

+1 :laugh:

Aww she looks lovely! Stay positive. It is just behaviour - you can sort it out. Very glad you weren't badly hurt. Agree with all the advice and also agree that you should not let her in the bedroom, at least until you've had your first visit with a behaviourist. The bed issue may be a bit loaded - she needs to sleep elsewhere.

A lot of dog attacks happen that way. The owner thinks the dog won't bother leaving the yard. And they don't. Until they do. And then everyone acts surprised.

High potential dogs in low potential home? Yep - my two both fit that category. But I am doing my best, we are all having a good time, and they are very happy and well cared for. The rest is jam. It's just that I really like jam. :)

Poor woman - she is clearly devastated. I can't imagine watching that happen to a dog I'd shared my life with for 14 years.

I think what you really want to know is how much socialisation they will have with people, and in the house Not so much where they sleep, if you know what I mean Having said that, it is something I would take seriously. If they are away from the house (and family) in kennels, then surely it's harder to dedicate the time and energy to bring them all in and do all the socialisation than it would be if they slept inside. Certainly the toilet training side of things is something that would concern me. Dogs in kennels usually toilet inside their kennel and that gets them off to a bad start. Dogs raised inside are often taken outside multiple times a day to wee, and that is a really good start (this is what was done with my most recent puppy - and BOY it made a massive difference he was so easy to house train!!) If it is possible, go there and have a look LONG before there are any puppies on the ground (because we all know what happens when we look at a litter of puppies, don't we?). Ask yourself the questions: Do the dogs come in and out with the people much? Are they happy, relaxed animals? Do they respond well to you? Are they the kinds of dogs you would like to live with in your own home. Then go away, think about it, and be very honest with yourself about it. You'll know.

Good on you I saw! I am by no means a pro - just clip my own dogs. But I have found over the past few years that my abilities have improved, and I am generally really happy with the finish. And compared with taking them to the groomers (which I used to do) I touch up the clip more often, which means I can keep more length on them and in turn that means they are nicer overall. Previously I took them to the groomers, got them cut SHORT(!!), then 7 weeks of growth they were really quite woolly, then back to the groomers to get cut very SHORT again. These days things stay far more even and consistent and nicer, basically because I do little bits of touching up every other weekend to keep things looking nicer. I use a no. 4 blade for the body. I find the small amount of extra length looks nicer (just my preference). I use a no. 30 on face and feet, and generally scissor the legs, topknot and tail. Sometimes I use a 5/8 clip on comb for my standard poodle's legs.

I have just finished my couch to 5k program and am ridiculously proud of myself! My older dog loves running with me (I am exceptionally slow), and my younger dog does too at times, although he is far more for me to manage. It is nice to have a form of exercise we can do together.

The combs can be useful for some longer lengths, but for the 'base' of your trim (by which I mean the body of your dog, primarily) it is better to use a full toothed blade. It will be smoother, nicer, and go through the coat more easily, For the longer parts, you can potentially use a clip on comb or to get a nicer finish you might end up using scissors (a true art - and something that takes some practice to get right) There are some fantastic youtube clips online to watch, and they will give you a really good idea how to go about it. Try this one for starters:

My girl Zamba is a bit like that. Very challenging, a huge character. Love her to bits. She has been with us now for almost 12 years. At 13 - 13.5 years old, she's still pretty hyper. Although these days she does pause to sleep for longer periods as well. God love her - I have never had any illusions why she ended up in the pound.

I am heading across to Victoria shortly for some training sessions which will happen over a couple of days at KCC Park. I am looking for somewhere nice to stay, that would be within (say) 30-40 mins from KCC Park, but is also nice and gives me options for things to do and see for the rest of the time I am there. I will have my dog with me (obviously) so it needs to be dog friendly and I'm hoping to be near a beach and some nice shops/cafes etc. Is anyone able to give me a recommendation? There are lots of places on the web but I don't know the area at all so I'm really not sure what I should be looking for. Can pay between 100-200 a night. It will be a Friday and Saturday night in October. I am happy with a cabin in a caravan park if it is a fantastic waterfront kind of location. Other than that, perhaps a b&b or farmstay? Thanks in advance anyone!

Just adding - My friend had a visitor at her place with her 2 dalmatians in tow a few years ago, and this visitor died unexpectedly of a heart attack while they were wandering around the garden. The two dogs were a huge stress to my (older) friend on an already very stressful day. Her friend was lying dead on the grass, she had to call an ambulance out to her rural property, the two dogs were running around everywhere. And for the next week and a half, the family refused to come and collect the dogs, which had developed a taste for my friend's chickens. Luckily, eventually, the woman's brother came to get the dogs. I don't know where he took them, but I do know he didn't want to keep them himself. So yes, it really is important to have a plan and make sure your family knows what your plan is, and what you need them to do if the worst happens.

I think healthy older people can be wonderful owners for the right dog. Yes, if they're getting towards the end of their life you would want to talk about 'what if' plans I think. It would be good to have those plans reflected in a will, so everyone knows what's what. Breed choice would be very important. I really think there are some breeds that would be too dangerous for an older person. And of course tiny dogs can trip people up (even younger people at times) and this can be a serious consideration for people who aren't as nimble as they once were. But let's not forget the great company dogs can offer older people, and the great health benefits of getting out and about with your dog. So I think it would need to be an overall assessment of the right dog, for the right person, with the right support, and a breeder as back-up. I hope I am never in a situation of living without a dog. I know it happens to most of us eventually. No wonder therapy dogs are so very popular in retirement homes.

So sorry for your loss Penumbra. I don't have danes, but they are gorgeous dogs and I wasn't aware they could live that long. You obviously took wonderful care of him over his lifetime. I hope the pain is fading and your good memories are in your thoughts of him now.

Once your dog knows sit and drop and stand individually, it's a lot of fun putting them together. I would teach it like this: STEP ONE: teach sit and stand and drop separately (you'll need other instructions for these bits if you don't have them yet) STEP TWO: Start by having your dog sitting/dropping by your left hand side, take a small step forward with your left hand down at nose level with a treat. You're telling the dog "Yes!" as they stand up to approach the treat and as soon as they're firmly on their feet you're letting them eat the treat. Do that a few times (maybe 10?) and they'll have the idea. STEP THREE: Then you can move to the step forward with 'stand' command as you show them an empty hand that looks the same as before, but has no treat in it this time. As soon as the dog stands up to approach your hand, say YES!!! and the reward that follows really quickly STEP FOUR: Then it is just gradually making that step smaller and smaller and the hand by your left hand side moving forward slightly becomes the signal (no step required - hand gets gradually flatter so you're no longer looking like there is a treat in it, but eventually just using a flat hand to give the signal, occasionally with a little treat wedged between your fingers as a nice surprise for your dog) STEP FIVE: Then you try doing it from other angles e.g. from standing in front of the dog, from a few steps away, from across the room etc. to gradually increase the level of difficulty and challenge for your dog. Then you get to have lots of fun. Sit, YES!!, stand, YES!!!, drop YES!!!, stand, YES!!! and so it goes on. Eventually it's sit-stand-sit-drop-stand-drop-sit-drop-sit-drop-stand - YES!!!! Some people call this doggy push-ups. A fun thing to do in the lounge room when the weather is bad or when you just want to have fun together

My 10kg poodle x has needed a clean a few times. Around $450 or so from memory, including full anaesthetic but not including any extractions. Cost of anaesthetic depends in part on the size of the dog

I am scared of my leash

Chihuahuas can be very barky. Smaller poodles too - although could be good if you raise them carefully I would be very concerned about barking issues in your circumstances Still think French bulldog or Boston Terrier

If you like Frenchies - I assume you like the brachy-faced breeds? Given that, and your preference for easier coats, I would suggest perhaps skip the bichon idea and go with either a Frenchie or a Boston Terrier. Both great little breeds. Someone may also suggest a pug - which is great but I hear they are massive shedders so I am hesitating to recommend one for a small apartment (I don't have any direct experience though) I also think that Border Terriers are absolutely wonderful dogs - very compact, smart honest looking dogs. A bit more energy, but honestly I want one of these dogs one day. You lucky thing - your boyfriend sounds lovely :) ETA: I actually love bichons and they are great dogs. I had a gorgeous bichon for 13 years and he died last year and is very much missed. So when I say skip the bichon it's not because they're not brilliant for your situation. Just because you indicated you preferred lower maintenance coats, and they have a high maintenance coat. Felt like I needed to add this - I think mainly out of respect for Mozart's memory!

Definitely a slicker and a long toothed comb! You had it right the first time I would say. Tell them to hold the slicker like you would hold a pen - i.e. gently between your fingers, not roughly in your closed fist. Then they brush in lines from one end of the dog to the other, brushing the hair thoroughly in very small sections. If you can't see the skin between the lines of hair you are brushing, you're not getting down to skin level. Then go over with the comb to check you haven't left any knots behind. If the comb doesn't make it through the coat, you need to go back to the slicker and keep working on that section. The more often you do it, the easier it is to do And for the average pet owner - yes off to the professional groomer every 6-8 weeks. The other thing I would call an 'essential' is some powder for the ears - to make plucking ear hair easier (much, much easier). This is a very common issue with oodles - not all of them but many need their ears plucked regularly to prevent ear infections forming.

I was going to suggest this too - I know I'm a bit late to the party on dog things and Patricia McConnell, but this book opened my eyes to so many things. I'm a much better dog owner because of it, and the books and things I've read and researched since :) Yep me too - great books Also David and Ruth Weston's book 'Dog training - the gentle modern method'. My bible.