aussielover

Maybe try puppy raising with guide dogs? You get a lot of support and i have heard many people do it to see if they are ready to get their own dog and how to train a dog etc.. The only thing is the puppy must be allowed inside (but puppies don't smell... ). you also have to devote quite a lot of time to socialisation etc. You can even do a short term foster, where you look after the puppy raisers puppy whilst they go on holiday etc.

Obviously I agree that it is better to put the time and effort into having you dog walk on a collar and loose lead but would you rather people not walk their dog at all? As sad as it is, many people couldn't be bothered to do even 10 minutes of training a day let alone go to obedience classes. I'm sure it is easy to train a dog to walk on a loose lead if you know how and are experienced. I really think it is one of those things easier said than done, especially for inexperienced owners and people who get very frustrated and emotional. I am training my puppy to walk with a flat collar only, but given the choice I would have to seriously consider a harness... Many people would also rather spend 20 bucks on a harness rather than 50-100 for a consultation with a trainer. If it is not affecting their welfare (and I personally don't think front attach harnesses affect welfare whilst being worn) and it means the dog can get out for a few more walks because it is more managable and safer, then i don't see the problem. I don't think a well fitted harness would restrict the movement... i've seen dogs running around in these with no troubles Persephone: was that when you were training guide dogs? That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea (. I might try it when mindy gets older I wouldn't use the choke chain though).

My dog hasn't discovered digging yet....

Can emmy and charlie reach the clothes on the line ? Don't leave your puppy unsupervised when clothes are out on the line. It is a bit unrealistic to expect her not to pull them off, I'm sure they look very fun and inviting...

She is toileted just before bed, so don't see why she would need to go out 2 seconds after she is put in. Maybe after an hour of barking she needs to go again, but I don't want to go to her and reward her for barking. Once I did go down to her becuase I thought she might need to go and let her out to toilet and then she continued barking for another hour after that! I initally shut the crate door, it didn't make a difference and she was better with it open ( to begin with). Also, what if she does need to toilet because she has been up barking? I'd rather her go on the puppy pads or newspaper I lay. There is no way she can come in my bedroom, she is a guide dog and they're not suppposed to be in bedrooms (as puppies at least). Its also upstairs (she isn't allowed upstairs) which could make toileting a bit difficult. I have been told I am allowed to put her outside but that would be pretty horrible she'd probably freeze to death and wake all the neighbours for sure

Hi, I have posted here before about Mindy's night time troubles. There seemed to be some improvement (actually no barking and settling straight away) initially (about a wee after we got her home). This lasted for a week. She has then started to bark and cry for up to 2 hrs when she is put to bed. This doesn't happen every night but I would say at least every second night, possibly more often than that. She sleeps in the laundary with the crate door open. There is a heater in the laundary and she has lots of blankets. There are tiles so she can lie on them if she gets too hot. She is toilet trained and does not go overnight if she sleeps straight away. If she barks for more than an hour, there is a good chance she will toilet (eiither a wee or poo). which leads me to think seperation anxiety? She is crated for around 1-2 hrs during the day, but never more than 3 hrs. she has no problems going in that area during the day. She will go in there by herself during the day. She doesn't seem overly concerned at being left alone during the day (she does give you the look though which makes you feel terrible). Is she getting to the stage where she is trying to test us? or does she have seperation anxiety and should she see a behaviourist or something? Someone recommended a DAP infuser thingy- but they are very expensive and I don't want to waste money if she is just being naughty. Guide dogs didn't know why she would be doing this, they said most pups settle within a few weeks. They said to igonore her (which is quite hard she is loud and I'm surprised the neighbors haven't complained). Any more tips or advice would be great!

Not sure which forum to put this in, but I thought breeders would have the most experience in this area. My puppy has a deep set vulva - has a fold around it, which means she is prone to UTIs and pyoderma in that area. The vet suggested it may come good as she gets bigger. she also said we might have to let her have one season so that it does come good- how would this help?. Has anyone had this problem in a pup before and what was the outcome? she is a guide dog puppy, so i don't have a lot of say in her treament plan but any suggestions I could pass on would be very welcome If she is very prone to uti's and keeps getting them she may not make it as a guide dog

Australian Shepherd. I got Clover when I was 11. She was the most perfect dog ever! Aussies are smart, easy to train and get along well with kids and other dogs (if well socialised obviously). They are pretty easy to groom- only needs a brush once a week and a comb through behind the ears (well thats what I found) They are easily handled by an 11 year old, I was doing obedience with Clover at that age. They can be trained to walk on a lead pretty easily and if they do pull, they are not overly strong (like a lab). The females tend to be smaller though. Labs are great too, but very very few just come as your typical placid lab! It takes quite a bit of work to get them to that stage! I would say my lab puppy is about 100 times more work than my aussie Also I thought maybe a springer spaniel (I love the welsh :rolleyes:)? I don'thave experience with these dogs but they seem like intelligent friendly family dogs! They are medium sized also.

I would absolutely not recommend a labrador puppy for them! They are getting it for a one year old child? That is the craziest thing I have heard in a long time Being the current owner of a young lab puppy, I honestly don't think they realise what they are getting themselves in for. I did not even realise how much work would be required for a lab pup and i have had other dogs before, including working breeds. Labs are very quick learners and will quickly learn to do the wrong thing if not given suffiecient supervision and training. Labs are high energy pups (well, most of them) and if left outside with no attention and training it will be absolutely guaranteed to destroy the garden. I was actually at a guide dog puppy preschool today and every single person said their pup was more work than they expected (except one person who had already had 4 or 5 pups before and also had a failed guide dog at home). And these are people who are dedicated to their pup 24/7 pretty much and pups from successful guide dog lines (so you would assume good temperaments). So perhaps you could pass on that story to your friends. I can't imagin a baby lab (or any baby puppy) sitting ouside all day and night by itself, I actually find that quite upsetting to even think about My 12 week old puppy is so smart and already knows over 20 commands! she also brings in the newspaper. I can't imagine what trouble she would get into if I hadn't taught her lots of tricks and done heaps of training though... I'm not saying I personally believe this and I know lab people will flame me but I have heard from a number of people including vets and guide dog trainers that reckon the chocolates are more excitable and more boisterous. I think alot of this maybe had to do with the type of people that insist on having a chocolate and the type of people breeding them just because they are popular at the moment. I'm sure well-bred chocolates (from breeders not breeding primarily for colour) have the same temperament as any other lab though. I don't think they are ready for a puppy at this stage. Perhaps a nice quiet older dog who is used to being outside might work? or a goldfish... I agree with the suggestion of visiting a good breeder with lots of little puppies and some young dogs who can perhaps help them realise this is not the breed (or species) for them. In fact, I would even offer my own puppy but she is too good now and surprisingly good with kids, people keep saying how calm she is (but they don't see her at home when she has her psycho moments :rolleyes: )

I keep tripping over my puppy! When she is going psycho, she can barrel into you and that hurts too! Of course the puppy biting hurts as well, but she has gotten a bit better, especially with taking food. She used to snatch it from your hand, nearly taking off your fingers! But she is more gentle and delicate about it now.

Exactly what sas has said. A bad puppy pre-school can easily ruin a good dog. Bad experiences at this age are likely to affect the dog for the rest of his life. But even good experiences can have their downside. Think of it like this: You take your new puppy to pre-school, it's a wonderful preschool where he gets to run and frolick with the other puppies, they all get along soooo well and puppy is having a ball. He loves the other puppies and drags you through the door each week in excitement. It's great fun! Fast forward a few months later to obedience class where your now rather large puppy is dragging you all over the place, pouncing on the other dogs and being a right pain in the arse. You try bribing him with steak, sausages, cheese... but he doesn't want a bar of it here. "Why doesn't he listen to me!!" you cry. Well why should he? You've spont the past few months teaching him that other dogs are the best, most fun thing in the world - and now you want him to forget that and pay attention to YOU? I don't think so! Thank very carefully about what you want from your dog in the future. A small mistake at this age will take years (if not a lifetime) of work to correct. As people have said before a GOOD puppy school isn't a free-for -all play session the whole time. In fact, a good school will teach your puppy to ignore other dogs/puppies at the appropriate time- in between play intervals. You puppy should also learn to obey you and perform commands whilst in the presence of other dogs. We do not allow puppies to greet each other at the beginning of each class, instead puppies are allowed to play when the owner says it is ok and then the puppies play for around 5 -10 minutes in between training exercises and discussions

There have been miminal problems with proheart injections in Australia, however in america there were some deaths related to a bad batch (which can happen with oral meds also). Having said that, there will always be a few dogs that react to a treatment/chemical no matter what it is. Heartguard is a "tasty" chew, most dogs find it ok to eat (unlike the yucky sentinel chews!). It is a once a month tablet. Personally I find things like sentinel to be better value than the injection. My current dog is on heartguard though. You should get your dog used to having a tablet though, it is easy when they are puppies, perhaps get yur vet to show you how or use a pill popper. This is useful if your dog ever needs things like antibiotics (most probably will at some stage) or other meds. There are some meds that can't be given with food, so it is useful to have a dog that is ok to pill.

How can you achieve this? My main problem is motivating Mindy to move forward whilst on the lead. It is very important she walk on the left side only and not be allowed to sniff things. She is an 11 week old guide dog puppy (lab). As she is not fully vaccinated and only very young, we only do 5-10 minute walks on the pavement in our street or at the shops which was all ok'd and encouraged by guide dogs. She does not pull on the lead, but will sit and refuse to move especialli if she is not allowed to do something (like sniff). This has increased lately. I can encourage her forward if i use a happy voice and a treat in front of her but this is only effective for 2 meters, so the walks tend to be very stop/start. I practice walking her on the lead in the house and garden, scattering her toys and some dry food for distractionand she is fine in the house or garden. It is just when we get outside that the problem starts. She is not scared becuase her body language is fine and she will trot happily if you hold the treat in front of her. She is actually better up at the shops (as I think she wants to stick closer to me). firstly, am I expecting too much of her at a young age? and if so, what age is appropriate to teach walking on a leash? any tips for how I could overcome this? Guide dogs recommended the treat method. We can use a halti if neccesary but I don't think it would help at all with this problem (possibly make it worse) and I want her to be able to walk on a colloar anyway. Thanks

The front attaching harnesses are good for dogs that are pullers. I have seen many labs walked in them successfully. Obviously it would be ideal if you could train your dog to walk nicely on a flat collar and lead, but in the meantime maybe give one of these a go.

What park do you go to labsrule? I've never been to one that as a seperate area for small dogs

I take my dog to work everyday:D

OMG pepper is adorable! I haven't seen a red tri border before.

Thats ok so long as dog food is not the only thing the cat is having. Cats can't produce some essential amino acids that dogs (and people) can, so this needs to be provided in their food. If the cat just has some dog food on the side.. well thats fine

Mindy had puppy pimples from a mild UTI- she had a 7 day course of amoxil which cleared it up (didn't really need as puppy pimples will resolve by itself usually). What exactly did the endoscopy show? If it was me i would pursue a diagnosis and then decide based on prognosis. It sounds like the breeder may want to PTS anyway, but should ask what they would do for the pup if you do send her back. I'm sorry you have had such trouble though, especially when you were expecting a great experience. I hope everything turns out well for you both

NO, dogs can eat cat food, but you can't feed cats dog food (wow that looks confusing!). I find cat food smells more than dog food, so they probably like that.

OMG OMG there's a Bernsese Mountain Dog puppy for sale on the DOL puppy listings! I always look for them, but hardly ever see pups for sale. I want!!! She's in SA though and they would prefer someone in SA And I have an 11 week old labrador puppy... I've always wanted a berner, however realistically, they are probably not suitable for my lifestyle at this time But still, one of the cutest puppies ever.

WHat age does the desctruction start? So far my puppy hasn't managed to destroy any toys yet but I'm sure it will come as she gets her adult teeth and her mouth gets bigger!

It all depends on the individual dog. Some are happy to lie around all day with a quick 15 minute walk. Some are happy to walk for an hour twice a day. I have kept my two fit (aged 7 and 9) and they have a free gallop most mornings (if they want it, or they may choose to just sniff and pee), plus a 30-45 minute walk in the afternoon - and they never say no if hubby wants to take them out again around 9pm. Like any dog, the size of the yard doesn't matter, so long as they get their walks. Thanks, I like to do long walks which sometimes take the whole day and I would usually walk my dog for at least 2 hrs a day. So, good to know they can manage this as I have heard from some that they are lazy! I'm thinking they might be a good dog for my parents who are retired/ do part time work. My parents like to do long walks as well but my dad prefers the dog be on leash (where as mum justs lets the dog do whatever ). We are looking after a guide dog puppy at the moment and they have decided that they would like to get an older dog when she leaves us. The question re garden size was just because I'm not sure if I would feel comfortable letting them off lead at an unfenced park and especially if there were SWFs there. Most of the parks in my area are not fenced and we don't have a big yard.

Yay for Charlie and yay for Emmy And well done to you CW EW for being so dedicated to Charlie

My friends grey barks when people come to the door. I doubt he would actually do anything though, though apparently if he doesn't like you he will keep barking (luckily he likes me as I am the bringer of treats and walkie time!). Do you need to have a big garden to have a grey? Also, if you're fairly active and like long walks (on lead obviously) are they suitable?