aussielover
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Everything posted by aussielover
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I do not think many SBTs have dominance problems. They are a clever and people oriented breed, which can lead to them outsmarting their owners a lot of the time. All of the sbts I know are not truly dominant with people, they are very biddable and willing to please. This is why they are a great choice for dog sports like obedience and agility and tend to excel at these activities. Most of the perceived dominance problems are due to lack of effective training. Of course there are always going to be dominant individuals within a breed; however in my experience, Staffords don't have an exceptional tendency towards this. SBTs can however, be quite dominant/ over the top towards other dogs and won't tolerate any b***s*** from other dogs.
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I find bathing my allergy dog just makes her more itchy for the next few days. I've tried different shampoos- natural, oatmeal, medicated, QV wash etc all with the same effect. She does much better if you don't bath her, she swims everyday in both salt and freshwater and I never bathe her after. And She had her first bath in over a year recently because she rolled in something really stinky. She was itchy for the next few days.
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Why won't he be able to do jumps? I know he has ED, but I thought in obedience there was only 1-2 jumps. I wouldn't recommend Gibbs do agility but he should be able to handle a 1-2 jumps occaisonally. Especially if he is handling heeling, which in competition form is pretty high impact.
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It is unfortunate that the police dog got attacked, but it seems he will be fine which is great news :) It is part of the risk of the job for the police dog though, they would face possible serious injury a number of times during their careers. On the other hand they are mentally and physically stimulated, well fed, well looked after which is more than many dogs get. They do amazing work
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I don't agree. For some dogs that are rank orientated (in my experience these dogs are few and far between), sleeping on the bed or couch may be an issue, but for the vast majority it is no major issue. It is personal preference as to whether you want to allow dogs on your bed or couch, but it is nOT going to make the dog think they are boss or "dominant" over you if you do allow them. As for letting them sleep on your bed, they will learn not to do it if you tell them not to, or you shut you bedroom door, or buy a crate. My dog sleeps on my bed at night, she is a good watch dog so I like having her near me at night. If we are staying at someone elses house or away from home she sleeps in her crate, or outside. She has no issues with nay of these sleeping arrangements. Your dog may bark when outside for 2 main reasons 1. they want to be inside with you 2. they are barking at people/wildlife/cats/ other dogs Either way this can be fixed by bringing the dog inside to sleep- a crate or the laundray might be a good spot for the dog.
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Human disorders like ADHD are being more frequently diagnosed today, compared to 10 years ago. Now, some of these diagnoses are probably incorrect, but also the recognition of emerging disorders has lead to an increase in diagnoses. I would say the same thing is happening in the animal world. There is more knowledge about animal behaviour today which leads to greater recognition of behavioural issues in dogs and cats. You may blame the vet, and in some cases the vet may be over prescribing but one must also recognise that many vets do offer behavioural counselling or referral to a dog trainer or behaviourist. In fact all the vets I have worked with always suggest the owner see a trainer/behaviourist (not necessarily a veterinary behaviourist) as the first point of call in addressing the behaviour problem.
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Personally I think dentastixs are the safer option. I give my dog a dentastick every few days because she can't eat bones. I'd be hesitant suggesting a chicken wing or neck as these are bones that more frequently cause problems (blockages etc). I know plenty of vets who won't recommend bones in this litigious society. Or only recommend bones to select (sensible) clients. but weight loss is about overall reduction in food intake anyway...
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This refers to deaths outside Australia It refers to harming Australian Citizens. As this is the Australian Criminal Code it doesn't apply in other countries as they have their own laws. Section B covers the scenario. That is incorrect. However tbh, I really can't be bothered explaining it to you because this has gone so far off topic and is totally not relevant. What does saving a child from a burning house even remotely have to do with letting a child approach your dog... I don't hate kids, I actually really like them but if it came to saving some random over my faithful dog who I love very much, I'm really not sure what I would do. As Raz pointed out no one really knows what they would do in such a situation.
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Usually generalised demodecosis like this is due to immune problems, so even if he appears to fully recover, I would never breed from a dog affected by this. SBT's seem to be more frequently affected. Did the dog present with any signs of it when you purchased him from the breeder? If he did not, and none of their dogs have it, I really don't think the breeder is obliged to provide any assistance (apart from moral support) for his treatment. There is no genetic test to determine carriers, so aside from only breeding from dogs with excellent skin and lines known for not having this problem, there isn't much more a breeder can do. The law currently favours the breeder with these issues. If you have photos of him around the time of purchase that show is has a skin condition, then you may have better luck claiming some kind of assistance from them. I would recommend discussing other treatment options with your vet. For example, it is common to do a 2 month course of weekly dectomax injections, which is what he is having form what you've described. Other treatment options can also include daily oral ivermectin administration, which is what may be recommended for dogs that don't respond to the weekly injections.
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Overlong Soft Palate In Staffys
aussielover replied to StaffordLUV's topic in General Dog Discussion
Yeah it was the vet was arrogant and ignored my continuing statements about wanting to breed and compete. My boys temperament is to die for and a couple of breeders and said he could be shown but his color would hold him back and real golden isn't favored right now and his has a massive hate for standing set accordingly he prefers to sit on people feet, so showing would be a massive trial for him, he'd hate it and it would take along time to even get close to a title. once hips and elbows done theres only one more real test for him is eyes and heart then we'll have the go ahead from the breeder to breed him if we wish. Good Luck :) Shame about the colour thing- I actually prefer the dark gold colour in goldies. And interestingly a lot of field bred and working goldens are the darker colour. I think its very sad when a vet recommends/does the wrong thing just to make money or to get themselves an exciting procedure I have met vets though that think the JPS surgery is great and they genuinely think they'll be helping the dog in the long run... which is a bit of a worry as there is no evidence to show that it does actually prevent HD. -
Agility Training Talk Thread
aussielover replied to Vickie's topic in Training / Obedience / Dog Sports
I am so annoyed with myself. Had a club trial yesterday and after a great start, I mucked up the second half of the course. Completely my fault as I did a last minute change of tactic (as my dog was running faster than I expected) and obviously my dog picked up on my confusion we could have gone up to the next level if we had a clear round... She did the second attempt at the course perfectly, so I guess it goes to show the difference between good handling and crap handling... and that it is almost always the handlers fault when there is a mistake. Was very pleased with her second run as not only did she do it perfectly there were lots of distractions as all the beginners had their turn before and had dropped food all over the place (big deal for a lab to ignore) and some had even peed on some of the equipment or in the ring! -
Really? could you please cite the relevant sections of legislation? You have legal no duty of care if someone has a heart attack in the street, even if you are in the medical profession, and it could be said that you are making a concious choice to allow them to potentially die. Obviously if you are a firefighter or something and you choose to not help them or rescue an animal first, then you could be held legally responsible. I really don't see how, as an average person, you could possibly be held responsible for another persons accidental death even if you decided to get your own family (including pets) out of harms way first.
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Glad all is OK allerzeit! Blockages are not much fun and can be really scary (and expensive). My girl had a perforation from a bone foreign body! Luckily we caught it early and she didn't need an intestinal resection and only had localised peritonitis but it was still really scary and she was really sick for about 5 days. Needless to say, she doesn't get bones any more!
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I like the jenny ireland ones (formerly called harmony harnesses). The only problem is that they come with a lead, I wish you could just buy the harness itself, as I don't really like the lead provided. http://www.petpalspetcare.com.au/petshop.aspx These harnesses are very easy to use, you only have to slip it over the dogs head and do up a waist strap and are 2 colours so you can see which bit goes at the front. They also have a back attachment which personally i find more convenient, but I don't actually use the ahrness for a pulling dog. Otherwise the easy wlk ones are cheap and easy to use, but only have a front attaching part. http://www.petsplus.com.au/pet-shop.asp?id=1060
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Cavalier or one of the spaniels.
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Some supermarket products are ok. You just need to check the ingredients and the concentration/ amount of active ingredient. I only use advantix for tick prevention and heartguard for heartworm protection, although that is extra cautious as there haven't been many reported heartworm cases in sydney.
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Doesn't sound like a typical presentation for HD. However, if you decide to get the xrays done- go to a vet that is experienced as others have said. Poor positioning can make a dog look like it has HD or even a luxation! ,
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Could you please explain how you would lose your dog if taken to court? As far as I know, dogs are considered property in the eyes of the law? Which means unless they are on part-ownership you can pretty much do what you like with them (except cruelty or welfare related issues)?
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I would recommend bathing them in Malaseb and then applying a conditioner like aloveen or PAW which are both soothing and smell nice. Malaseb is quite drying but if the underlying problem is bacterial or yeast then it should help. My labrador swims every day in salt water and does not smell (well she smells a bit salty sometimes but not a typical doggy smell). I don't bath her at all (she is allergic and most shampoos irritate her anyway). I don't think regular bathing is good for retrievers as it strips their coat of natural oils that would be essential for a healthy coat for water work. Clipping may help, if its just that they have a "wet dog" smell but I have met labs and GRs that are clipped and still smelly- although its more of a "yeasty" smell.
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congenital cataracts can have environmental causes such as exposure to toxins, inappropriate nutrition of newborns etc
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Lab cross Goldie is a common mix for guide dog and assistance dog orgs. However as far as I know Guide dogs VIC and seeing eye dogs have their own breeding program and would never breed 2 carriers together. Its only Guide dogs NSW and ACT that use outside ANKC reg breeders I think
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Surgery For Elbow Dysplasia
aussielover replied to Mason_Gibbs's topic in Health / Nutrition / Grooming
Sorry to hear that MG Do you know what type of ED he has? -
So sorry to hear about your little one In regards to foods, I am not much help (I have a lab who eats anything ), what you are doing currently seems to work well for most dogs. Additionally you could try giving her some of whatever you're eating, I often find human leftovers are highly valued. BBQ chicken is also a favourite as well as sausages, roast, salmon etc. Tinned A/D is also good but may be a little rich. I know when my dog was really sick she could not tolerate it very well and i/d was better for her.
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Heartworm Prevention Help
aussielover replied to RiverStar-Aura's topic in Health / Nutrition / Grooming
Are you a Bayer rep nowstarin? If you use panoramis you're still doubling for fleas. Personally I use heartguard and advantix. For me it is the most economical. edit to answer original question ! In reagrds to giving every 4 weeks. It is best to aim to give every four weeks but a few days out here or there won't make a difference. In fact I think they say you can miss up to 3 months of heartworm prevention before you have do a heartworm test before resuming prevention. -
IMO, its the dog itself not necessarily the breed that is important. I think most of us agree that an outside only dog is not what we would consider the ideal situation. However, that is the reality for many dog in australia, plenty of whom seem to have adapted fine and have no behavioural issues. I know dogs of lots of breeds from cavaliers to border collies to saint bernards who are outside only and have never known anything different so live fairly happy and contented lives. If they have their heart set on a dog and in order to prevent them from going to a pet shop or BYB, I would suggest perhaps an adult rescue dog who is already well trained or a "typical" family dog such as an older labrador, golden retriever, cocker spaniel etc perhaps an ex breeding or show dog who may be used to being kenneled or outside only but also has some training and maturity. Please remind them though that an under stimulated, untrained young active dog will be a nightmare to live with and possibly very destructive and dangerous to the young child (in terms of knocking them over, jumping on them etc).