aussielover

I know how you feel, when ask them about what I could do for my pups biting and barking, I have had trainers and vets say "well shes a labrador, what do you expect?!" which I find quite unhelpful. One vet even told me I was crate training wrong because I am trying to make the crate a nice place for mindy (she has her meals, treats and tpys in there etc). She said I should just lock her in as she needed to know it was a place for sleeping only? Where as everhting I have read says the opposite. I currently have a pretty good puppy school teacher though who is quite helpful and always responds to emails, phone calls etc. and has given me some good tips.

You "charge" the clicker by making the click noise, then immediately rewarding the pup (usually food, but can be some other high value item). You repeat thhis say 50 times, so that the pup begind to realise that the "click" is ALWAYS follwed by a reward. It is important to always reward as the clicker never lies... The advantage to this is that you can more easily (well for most people) reward tiny improvements and you can use it at a distance and it is a very distinctive sound that can be easily recognised and not otherwise commonly used. Many competition and service dogs are trained in this way and you can achieve amazing results. In theory, you can do basically the same thing by using a word like "yes", however sometimes the tone of voice changes and emotions come accross in the voice making this less reliable (imo).

Could have been worse.... I would never leave my lab puppy alone in the house, I don't think we would have a house to come back to if I did I left my Australian shepherd inside from day 1 though and never had anything major. Actually, we started with a crate but she somehow miraculosy managed to escape from it every time- I don't know how to this day! The worst she did was chew some lids off shampoo bottles. If I leave Mindy free for even 1 minute she will start chewing furniture, toilet rolls, shoes left out etc. Basically anything but her toys! So she has to be crated even if I just go into another room!

Maybe use a spray bottle with water in it or something? You could use citronella as well as that is what is used in some barking collars. It will take away the yucky smell at least My friend had a dog that would eat her OWN poo. She grew out of it though, so maybe there is some hope...

Yes, I find the problem is not with the dog but with the people! My dog is fine with me but other people go on about how cute she is, and don't make a serious attempt at ignoring her even though i specifically ask them too. Which is why I have started with the lead (even in the house)... I tried this once on my dog, NEVER did it again! She thought it was a game but when she finally settled down and was released she jumped up and growled at me. Elbie sounds like Mindy- positives generally work better for her and she is very food and play motivated!

what a cute baby! 1. How much is it usually to get a puppy male desexed? What earliest age is best/reccomended? Prices can really vary depending on the vet. It all depends on location of the vet, whether they do pre anaesthetic testing and the dogs are given fluids adn whetherb the dog is kept overnight etc. Some shelters do it at 8 weeks before pups go. For large breed dogs many people here like to wait until their pup has fully matured (around 18 months 2 years). Vets commonly recommend 6 months (doesn't mean that is best though). Perhaps speak with your breeder and ask what they would recommend. 2. I plan getting a crate for crate training, food, treats, bowls, toys etc – Anything else? PS – is this a stupid type of crate to get? I prefer the more solid wire crates, but I do have a labrador, so the soft one probably wouldn't last very long The advantage to the soft ones are that they are more easily moved from room to room which is important in the initial stages of crate training. Also easy to put in the car and at shows etc. 3. Is there a Shiba owners group in Sydney? I'm sorry I have no idea, perhaps go into the spitz forum and ask there. I did a quick google search and found this site: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=60164992776 for the NSW shiba inu club. 4. Whats the best way to introduce the new fella to our home (we only live in a small 2story terrace with a small backyard). I would initially restrict to one or two rooms. Then when the pup is more confident (and more toilet trained) you can introduce them to more areas of the house. It is also good to keep the crate in a busy room initially, so the pup doesn't feel lonely in the crate. If you intend to ever leave the pup alone, it is a good idea to start getting them used to this early otherwise risk seperation anxiety. Start with 10-15 minutes in a seperate room and then build up to leaving the pup for 30mins-1hr while you're out shopping. good luck with your new baby!

pretty hard to tell at such a young age, but I can see why you might have been told staffy x. There sure looks like some kelpie too. I'll be interested to see some photos of him when he is a bit older. Very very verry cute though... he looks so cuddly!

mmm maybe I got ripped off and clover's mother was a schnauzer

My puppy attends a puppy class. She plays beautifully with most of the puppies there but there is one which she plays really roughly with. It is so rough that its hard to tell whether they are are actually fighting or just playing very rough. She makes very intense growling noises and her hackles are up. I do not like her playing like this and I am wondering if this puppy is upsetting her and we best keep them seperate. It is quite a "spirited" little pup and will come up to Mindy aggravate her. Last week we sat next to each other and this little dog kept coming into Mindy's space (it was on a loose lead)and annoying her when she was sitting calmly. I felt I couldn't really ask her to control her dog (thats the instructors job?) as I am not a confrontational person and kind of shy. In future I will try not to sit near them. So, how do you tell if dogs playing are just playing rough or actually being aggressive?

I have noticed that my puppy particularly likes to play with other labs and golden retrievers. At puppy class she gets on well with a lab x golden and she likes the GR puppy. I also observed at dog parks that labs in particular like to play with other retrievers but perhaps its just that the size is suitable and they are naturally playful breeds of dogs? My pup is scared of the rotty pup (it is quite dominating, but exceptionally cute) and she plays really rough and aggressively with a staffy cross pup which I don't like (the play, not the pup!). I feel bad trying to break up their "play" but I don't like her getting that worked up (hackles up and intense growling). This pup also aggravates her when we are meant to be having quiet time. She has recently met 2 lovely labs and a golden retriever which might account for her fascination with older labs and goldens, but she definitely plays best with the lab x and the golden puppies! My Aussie girl was actually obsessed with Schnauzers for some reason! She would LOVE every schnauzer she saw and would get all excited and start whinig and stuff. It was pretty cute as she used to ignore any other type of dog!

My labrador pup eats bird poo (but not dog poo)- is this normal? I do pull her away when i notice it. She is on a commercial premium diet.

I think pretty much all puppies do that. My pupy sits initially but then aslo starts jumping and play biting after receiving cuddles. I tell people to ignore her or get up and walk away when she does this. I have started to keep her on lead when introducing people so I can limit her excitement and pull her away if needed.

OMG he's so cute and so little! My puppy is only 11 weeks and is already really big!

A friend of mine was asked to run a puppy school where she worked- she freely admitted that she had NO training experience at all and had never run a puppy class before. The employer said it didn't matter- they would tell her what to do. She said she really felt pressured into taking the classes, but thankfully she stayed strong and resisted! Which goes to show how dodgy some "puppy preschools" really are.

definitely keep going with the food exchange but I would keep another leash on him so someone could pull him away while i am exchanging the bones. I probably wouldn't try to interrupt him too much as this may actually cause him to become more worried and aggressive. What kind of dog is he? perhaps he will grow out of it when he feels more secure and settled? However, if the problem persists I would probably seek professional help. Good luck!

What a cute puppy! He looks very tiny! Most staffies and staffy crosses I have met have been pretty boisterous (in a friendly way). But how the dog behaves does really have a lot to do with how the owner trains it. I agree with SBT- he does look like he's got some kelpie in him, so you might be in for a bit of a challenge in terms of exercise requirements and the amount of mental stimulation required!

Get an AUSSIE They don't shed that much and share characterisitics of both goldies and GSDs. Just joking- I know you've already made up your mind.

Well done!!! I am having troubles walking my 10 week old lab puppy on the leash, I hope I can sort it out. She can only go for very short walks though, so not much chance to practice in the real world. She is actually ok in the house when I practice walking her on the leash. Obviously there are just too many distractions outside!

Yes I have tried with the crate next to my bed, it makes no difference and in fact I think she persists with barking for longer because she knows I am there. She acts like she doesn't like being in the crate at night, which I am confused about as she will go in there voluntarily to nap during the day? I am thinking she is just going through a bit of a naughty period and trying to test the rules a bit...

haha, I found Mindy inside the diswasher one day!

Ummm, I wouldn't say an off leash park is better than puppy class to socialise your dog, as you have even less control over the situation there. Also, some older, aggressive dogs may be visiting the park and REALLY scare your pup. If your dog is already a bit nervous/wary then I wouldn't recommend an off leash park. Do you know anyone with a well socialised older dog? Or even a puppy of similar age and temperament to oscar? I would offer my puppy, but she is pretty boisterous, sorry I've forgotten what type of dog oscar is, but Mindy is a lab puppy and pretty big, goofy and playful, so might frighten yours! With regard to your puppy class, the instructor should take charge and take control of the aggressive and chasing puppies.

Yes! basically letting Mindy break every rule we had set! I would love for her to sleep on my bed as I think she would really settle well and sleep through the night without a problem, but unfortunately guide dogs need her to sleep in the crate. I have a heater in there for her now, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference.

well, they do have each other which I'm sure makes a difference.

yeah she has a towel, a fluffy blanket and my polarfleece!

We only left our dog for 4 hrs max, otherwise we'd get a dog walker to come halfway if we were going to be longer (spoilt dog!). But I think she would have been fine for 8hrs...