aussielover

What breed do you think could have coped? Doesn't sound like an ideal home for any dog if you ask me.

Perhaps because there are no consequences for "going wherever" ie in the house, he does not realise that he MUST go outside. For most dogs, being treated everytime they go in the right place is enough, but for some, you may need to say "NO" or whatever and immediately put him in the desired toilteting area (outside). Obviously only do this if you catch him in the act. You don't have to yell or anything a firm no should be enough to let him know you are not happy. Continue to treat him when he goes in the right plcae. I think he is old enough to understand what is going on. My puppy was fine from 12 weeks and generally got the idea- it was only due to our slackness and inattention that she has had 2 or 3 accidents inside since then. Good luck! Perhaps get the vet to check he doesn't have a UTI- which can cause frequent peeing.

Are you kidding??? I agree the dog should not start viciously attacking the child or even draw blood, but you would PTS if it even snapped near a child who had injured it? The OPs dog has not "chased down a child and killed it" so i don't even know why that was mentioned here...

Does she get off leash play as well? Guide dogs (NSW- have both labs and GRs in their puppy program) recommend that pups between 6-8 months should get upto 30 minutes on the leash each day as well as other short play sessions. After 8 months they can get 30-60 minutes several times per day. I have heard a lot of breeders recommend less than that though. What has your breeder said?

Why is it unacceptable for a dog to snap at a child and not at an adult? I would say the dog may have more serious problems if it is snapping at an adult. Snapping at children could be due a rank or hierarchy issue, dogs are more likely to see themselves as being above kids in the pecking order. Or it could be due to children annoying (accidently or not) the dog at some point, then the dog feels the need to defend itself or give the child a warning. These issues could be resolved by rehoming to a family with no young kids and/or with the help of a professional. Obviously I think snapping is unacceptable whether to adult or child and if it were my dog i would have him assessed ASAP. Of course, every case is different and any aggressive behaviour should only be assessed in person, by a professional behaviourist or expereinced dog trainer.

To be honest, this actually sounds like a good idea. i personally don't think it is a great idea having a puppy run around whilst you are eating dinner or sittting at a computer and not able to watch pup. It would be better if you could get him a crate that you could pop him into when you can't directly supervise, so he can still see you and be part of the action- just not under your feet or running around the house. This will really help with toilet training also. When you are at the computer, tie him up to your seat, that way he can still be with you and you can watch him When pup can settle on his bed/mat when he is older, he will have earned the right to be "free" during mealtimes etc 8 hrs is pretty standard time for dogs to be left alone imo (i'm not saying it is ideal but many dogs learn to cope just fine) Make sure he has lots of toys, kong, treat balls etc to keep him entertained. Do you have a fenced backyard? It might be better to leave him outside, so he doesn't toilet inside and can have a sniff in the garden etc.

What is the best type of bone for a puppy that doesn't tend to chew (ie will swallow chunks of bone)?

Staffy and kelpie? He loos a bit like Koalathebear's Elbie, except brindle and a bit stockier. It is pretty hard to tell at 16 weeks, should become more obvious at around 6-9 months.

I thought beagles were pretty easygoing? There are heaps in my area that are all lovely dogs and generally very easy. They may not win obedience competitions but they do all the basic stuff like come, sit, down etc. Mindy has 3 beagle friends that she plays with and all are walked off lead with no probs They are some of the most dog and human aprropriate dogs i have met- happy to have a play at the energy level of the other dog and happy to have a pat by a human but not pyscho and jumping all over you lol!

aww what a little cutie! Regarding the biting, the first few weeks of having Mindy were quite bad, she would grab onto our pants and try and wrestle with them which was not fun for us! When she bit us we would do the high pitched squeal and stop any interaction with her immediately, if she persisted she got a firm NO and was then put in "time out" either in her crate or outside (depending on the weather). At 12 weeks she had really calmed down a lot, not sure whether it was to do with her becoming more settled generally or the above methods though! Now (17 weeks) she is pretty good, she will try to mouth strangers still though. She is fine with members of the family though and doesn't try to mouth them.

What breeds are generally only suitable in more experienced hands (ie have at least had a dog before) and may become dangerous or extremely destrcutive if not handled by an experienced owner. From my readings and experiences Breeds suitable for more only experienced owners (not generally recommended for a first time owner): Doberman Rottweiler GSD Great Dane CAO Maremma Anatolian Siberian husky Alaskan Malamute American Pit Bull Terrier American Staffordshire Terrier Please feel free to disagree with me (and add reasons please ) or to add any suggestions. Many people here have mentioned to prospective first time buyers that GSDs, Dobes and Rotties are not really suitable for the inexperienced dog owner, so that is why they are on the list. The others are on there mainly for their size and power as well as being wary of strangers and very protective of family (LGDs) Exercise requirements and size (mally and husky) Potenital dog aggression APBTs and amstaffs Peopple who have researched really thoroughly and have spent of time with the breed (eg getting to know breeders, going to lots of dog shows etc) and are extremely dedicated first time owners are not included in the "inexperienced" group

What are the differences between lappies and samoyeds apart from colour and size?

Please don't board your pup at the vet unless it is ill or needs medications that a normal person would be unable to give. The other two options are good

Occaisonal flatulence is normal, but if it is constant, it is probably something in the diet.

I'm so jealous!

Try 52 kilos of pup who acts like a kangaroo at times of over enthusiasm 52 kilos thats more than i weigh

Well some people in my area feel it is appropriate to take their HA dog to the shops with them and leave them tied up outside the shops A lot of people, especially kids, don't know that it is not appropriate to approach or pat a strange dog.

OMG you lucky thing!!!! Photos please!!!!!

Thanks Dogmad!

Thats handy! A friends dog would eat the poo when she tried to pick it up. Yuck!

Well as wrong as it is, you can't really compare a dog to a child. Also, dogs have more chance of defending themselves than a human or child does, especially if the aggressor is muzzled.

I have tried it and wouldn't really recommend it. Though these days my puppy doesn't really drink after 8pm anyway unless we have been to puppy training or obedience class (which is later at night) or for a walk later at night. Even then she is perfectly fine to hold on until morning. She sleeps through the night till 6.30am so isn't really drinking then. However, i think the option of having it there is neccesary because depriving them of water may lead to urinary tract infection. Maybe keep them quiet from around 8pm so they don't really need to have a big drink before bed. I think it is more important to get them settled at night. At 16 and 21 weeks, they should be sleeping for longer periods during the night.

Hi Catherine, thanks for your reply. She is fine at home, she doesn't jump on guests or anything either. I am unable to exercise her too much due to her being a large breed puppy only 17 weeks old, so I think to walk her for 30-45 mins and then let her run around would not be a good idea. She receives around usually 2-3 leash walks per day only for 10- 15 minutes and then she is allowed off leash time at the park twice a day as well for around 20 minutes.

Our first dog Teddy was a pet shop puppy He wasn't an impulse buy, we had been discussing for ages, I guess we just didn't know where else to look, both my parents were not "doggy people" and had never owned pets before. We were lucky with our next dog Clover because we wanted a rarer breed, only registered breeders had pups available. We never had any health issues with our girl and all her problems occured due to old age Although some would say this breeder is less than ethical now she is breeding dogs that are not recognised by the ANKC. HOwever, I still feel she really cares for her dogs and looks after them well.

Is Boss a submissive dog? genuine question- are many pitbull/amstaff dogs submissive to other dogs? I wouldn't have thought it typical of those particular breeds given their working purpose historically... I guess you know your dogs best, but having read thru the posts more thoroughly, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the two of them alone together without supervision. Puncture wounds all over Boss does sound quite serious, perhaps it was just the way you worded it? I've seen some fights that looked and sounded pretty serious but neither dog had even a scratch when it was over. I still think PTS is too extreme, I'm sure if the prob can't be sorted once you have consulted a professional then a home could be found for razor by himself, or you could rehome Boss. I've never used K9 pro myself but he has a fantastic reputation herre on DOL and I've used some of his methods such as TOT with great success and always received very good advice online from him when I've had problems, so thats who I would be contacting if I had the probs as you are having