aussielover

No, I think its just a herding breed thing. You'd be best off speaking with a professional or at least a knowledgeable BC person if you don't want the behaviour at all as I believe it to be quite an obsessive behaviour. I actually think it gives the dog a "job" to do, therefore fulfilling their need to work (a bit) I think for a lot of people it is more about management. If you get a solid recall and a good down-stay, then at least your dog won't be able to annoy other people. Ball obsessed dogs are very easy to exercise though

There is a well known park/beach in my area which many dogs visit, simply because it is the only beach in the area that allows dogs on it. The beach itself is not that nice, no waves or anything and often very dirty, but still, better than nothing. We visited there on the weekend, only to find that some people had decided to have a toddlers party. That was fine, we just avoided that area they were in. Then lots of families came with their kids, some quite young 3/4 years old. They went on the beach where there were lots of dogs running around. Of course I couldn't remain at the beach because although my dog has good recall, she is a puppy and if she is running, she doesn't always look where she is going, even if it is coming back to me when called and could easily knock over a kid. Also, which i find very annoying and unsafe, some kids were teasing the dogs, throwing sand at the and throwing rocks into the water VERY close to where the dogs were swimming The parents did absolutely nothing and were often not even on the beach area, but in the park, having a coffee and a chat There are at least 3-4 other beaches that are much nicer and cleaner within a 5 minute drive of this "dog beach" so while I understand that people have the right to be there, why can't they go to one of the human only beaches??? Being a dog beach, you inevitably get dogs peeing or pooping in the water, there is not much you can do about that, it is not somewhere I would consider nice for my kids to be swimming in. There are so few areas where dogs are allowed, why can't people go to people only parks/beaches! Sorry for the rant, i do understand that people have the right to share areas with dogs, but THEY also need to take some responsibility, like watching their kids.

It is different for boy dogs though as the surgery is not quite as invasive or serious. For smaller breeds soemtimes only one or two sticthces are required, and for some cats they don't even bother stitching them up the wound is so small

Yes ball obsession is often a problem with herding breeds. They go into a "zone" and get a look in their eyes.... My aussie shepherd had it and i;ve seen sooo many herding dogs out there with a "ball problem" LOL I'm not really sure what you should do- you definietely need to work on recall, perhaps use his own ball as the reward in these situations. My own dog liked to stick close to us, so if we walked away she would just follow. BUt she was totally obsessed with her own ball. My puppy bats other dog away- but it is more a gentle/playful thing she does, especially to other puppies. It has never resulted in aggression though and usually results in a game ie. little dog comes back for more. I do find terriers are quick to anger though and my girl usually gives them respect.

This. They don't do anything that will hurt themselves. You could hire my husband! He was very good at following Genevieve around, making sure she didn't jump, stretch, lick, scratch or anything else that may have REMOTELY caused injury! If she was lying still he wanted to move her!!!!! Maybe sensible cavs wouldn't, but crazy lab puppies sure do REALLY stupid things that definitely do hurt them (like running over oyster covered rocks). I have absolutely no faith in Mindy stoppping when she has had enough or is sore. I will prepare myself for 10 days of hell She can come to uni with me, she is quite calm there, she knows when shes under my desk she must sit down and be quiet (usually that means sleep).

That is a bit of a worry, however, whatever his other views, Paul Mcgreevey is actually very pro-training. What do they expect dogs to do, sit around like slobs all day?

I've heard good things about RSPCA as well. Unlike some of the others where its like getting blood out of a stone...

That is what i am worried about. I have also seen plenty of dogs that have ripped out the stiches through play. And she is not my dog so I can't really risk letting her run around when she is meant to be resting. I was more after games or training that really tires their mind (but not body) .

The lab stuff was OK until I saw that she reckons Silver labs are ok and will eventually be a reconginised colour. She also thinks a bit of weim blood is probably a good thing and is all for hybrid vigour.

Everyone does it differently, I guess. But I found I could get many more reps in if I could turn the barking on & off at will. Bark - quiet - bark - quiet - bark. Rather than having to wait for a bark to ask for a quiet. I guess I'm just impatient & don't like waiting. Edited to add - I also like to have a speak command so I can ask for it when I want to, for various applications. So that's another reason I chose to teach it that way. I'll admit, that is how I taught mindy quiet. I also like her to bark when people come to the door, or to be let outside to pee, so it does have other useful applications. Everyone does it differently, you're quite right, I just think that people should know the risks of teachyng speak, especially in an already vocal dog.

But if the dog is "speaking" ie barking already- then it is just as easy to teach quiet. And no risk of attention seeking barking.

yesterday i spoke with a man with a psycho border collie. His mother (in her 70's) has just taken on this dog who has already been rehomed 4 times before. He now has the dog, because the dog jumped up in excitement and knocked the mother down requiring her to have a full shoulder reconstruction. Erm, why would a frail person in their 70's take on a 12 month old BC that has clearly had no training at all and belongs in a very active family or a performance home??? I was very close to taking the dog off both their hands... (it was a good-looking dog!) but I think one trouble maker at a time is enough.

I've seen a number of fights happen because of inappropriate mounting. If any dog does that to mine, i instantly pull them off. One person I saw had a golden as well- let the dog continually mount another dog and just stood there. Just as i was about to say "aren't you going to do anything" the other dog, who had previously been tolerant, turned around and had a real go at the dog. The owner was shocked and started accusing the dog of being aggressive etc but pretty much everyone who witnessed it said that it the goldens owners fault. (i wonder if it was the same golden???)

There is a vaccine that requires only 2 puppy shots (can't remember the company though, sorry) It is more common to do 3 puppy vaccinations though. I would say yes to the 3rd if you're using the 3-vaccination course. Otherwise you could titre test and see if you need to re-vaccinate. You will end up paying them same if not more, if you go down this path though but it is the only way to be sure the puppy has the required levels of immunity.

A dog is not a fashion statement. Personally I think a greyhound would be suitable, they would be more than capable of jogging for an hour, if like any dog, you build up to it. I also think a lab would be suitable, but seeing as its not fashionable at the moment..... Any dog on 2hrs+ of running exercise a day thats suddenly gets its exercised reduced (ie when kids come along) is likely to become destructive. Why don't they just wait until they have kids and then reassess?

Mindy is going in for desexing on Wednesday. We are getting her back from Guide Dogs on Friday at lunch. I am concerned about keeping her quiet for ~ 10 days. She is used to getting 3 (off leash) walks a day for around 30 mins each time and also other shortish (10-15 mins) leash walks. I am not sure she will cope not being exercised as she gets a bit mad if she even misses out on one of her walks. I was thinking about getting her some interactive toys and of course keeping up the training. I might work on some more tricks with her as well. I am also considering buying her a crate (she has outgrown the one provided and they only have one size for puppies). Do you think a soft crate for a 6 month old lab puppy is aksing for trouble? She is not a chewer generally but being cooped up may bring it out... How do others manage in the post op period?

I'm so sorry for your loss ;) RIP Sookie People deal with grief in different ways so I really can't say what would be best for you guys. However, when our beloved dog died, we got rid of all her things- it was too painful having them in the house. It might be nice to them to a charity though (we didn'; becuase our dog was old and so were her things). We kept her bed and bowls though, which we now use for our puppy. It might be good to keep some practical things like the bed, crate, food bowls etc to use when you are ready to get another puppy. Just put them in the garage or somewhere you can't see them. From my personal experience, getting another dog did help me. Maybe you could foster or do something temporary while you decide? Because you were so ready to for a puppy, perhaps it would be best to get another puppy, which will obviously never replace her, but may help the healing process. My mum was intially resentful to our new puppy and would compare her to the old dog saying things like "Clover wouldn't do that" etc but the situation is quite different- Clover was an old dog who really didn't do much and the new pup is an 8 week old lab- very full of life, mum couldn;t really cope. BUt now puppy has settled down she really likes her and even sayd she is better trained and more affectionate than Clover (though she still loves clover more). Anyway, again, i'm so sorry to hear about sookie, you must be devastated. Do what "feels" right to you.

YAY oscar!!! He is a lucky boy if he doesn't get left for more than 2hrs very often! Mindy is also very, very good when left, BUT she is also lucly and would not be left for more than 2-3hrs. I think mostly they just go to sleep.

Give him time I see plently of beagles at the beach who are more than happy to enter the water for a swim, so i odn't think it is a breed thing. My puppy was 5 months old before she started to LOVE swimming. She followed two other labs into the water one day and hasn't looked back since LOL. She has even started launching herself off banks and the small wharf/jetty like a real lab! Before that she would just paddle around in the water but not really want to swim. I would never force a dog to go in though. You may find it is a blessing that your dog isn't drawn to water. At least you won't have to deal with a wet dog!

You shouldn't be taking a 9 week old puppy out for a walk anyway as he/she isn't fully vaccinated yet. You can carry your puppy in your arms if you would like to socialise him. Practice with a light weight lead in the house, using lots of praise and treats for good walking. I find cat collars are nice for small breed puppies- very light and soft. Otherwise you could try a body harness, but really puppies should be taught to accept a colllar and a lead without fuss (unless there is a medical problem). It is unlikely a puppy would be toilet trained at 9 weeks old. Often they are not reliable until 4 months of age, and even then, there may be a relaspse in the "teenage" period. Book your puppy into a good puppy preschool- perhaps you could tell us what area you're in and people may be able to recommend a good school. A bad puppy school is worse than no puppy school at all, it may teach your pup to be fearful or too boisterous around other dogs, so you must try to find a good oone. You will leanr how to teach your puppy to sit and to do tricks if you wish. There is a good dog trick subforum on here as well. Good luck and enjoy your new puppy

Why don't they actually list their criteria or tell you straight up??? When I was looking into puppy raising and fostering, Guide dogs had a list of criteria that you MUST satisfy before they would even come out to do the interview. That included a fully fenced yard, able to be with the pup most of the day (cant be left >3hrs), able to attend monthly training sessions and live in the sydney area. They also had a house check and interview, but it was pretty casual, just discussing things like are you aware of how destrcutive a puppy can be, are you prepared for that etc... I don't have a problem with house checks, but I think it is perfectly reasonable for the (potential) adopter to require a police check. I do agree that some of the organisations are painful to deal with and require well-meaning, responsible owners to jump through hoops to get a dog. A friend of ours whose 17yo!!! Bichons had recently passed away was refused a dog by a rescue organisation. I'm not sure of the reason, but seriously anyone who has has dogs live to the age of 17 can't be doing anything too wrong. They turned to "free rehoming" and got two gorgeous lucky little doggies who are completely spoilt and doted on. So rescue missed out on a great home for one of their dogs.

I can't think of many high-energy/very active type dog that would be happy in a courtyard by themselves all day. Having said that, the right dog in a generally active breed could suit. For instance, we were in a very similar situation with our australian shepherd girl for a number of years. She was walked for at least 2 hrs a day, an hour in the morning and 1hr+ in the arvo. She was perfectly behaved by herself during the day, but we did get a dog walker in a few times a week to take her out for a run in the middle of the day. Now aussie sheps are probably too high maintenance coat wise (though tbh, we didn't really do much with our girl- a brush and a bath once a month but she seemed like she didn't need much) So personally I reckon the right Kelpie, BC etc might work, you just have to find a good breeder that really konws ther dogs.

Really wouldn't recommend teaching speak tbh They sometimes will start barking for attention if they have been rewarded in the past. Sure it is cute, probably ok for dogs that are naturally quiet

it sounds like excitement or fear to me. I would just call her over, pop her on lead and move away from the man. You could work up to moving a bit closer if it is actually fear, and reward her for calm behaviour.

That is so sad Bu at least you have given him the chance to live out his days very happily, being loved and pampered. to you guys