aussielover

I think people need to do their research into any potential animal related services they may want to use. Vets, kennels, dog walkers, daycares etc vary hugely when it comes to quality of care, knowledge and experience (not to mention price). I generally find word of mouth recommendations to be pretty useful, sometimes a business will have a flashy website, but it really tells you nothing about what goes on behind the scenes when you aren't there. I don't think any of the tasks given to your grand daughter were unreasonable in themselves; however ignoring her concerns about aggressive dogs, and giving her a dog to walk that was too strong for her and obviuosly not giving enough supervision is wrong It is a shame your grand daughter was put in such a bad situation, I hope it hasn't turned her off working with animals I prefer to send my dog out with a dog walker for the day, than put her in doggy daycare where she'd likely be in a cage for a lot of the time or else running around in an enclosed space with a large number of unknown dogs. Our dog walker is great and takes Mindy back to her home in between walks, she also goes out on each walk where there are only 4 dogs at a time and she's much cheaper than a doggy daycare. Obviously there are still risks involved (like her running off) and its not as safe as a kennel, but its much more enjoyable for her.

The dog pictured (it was labelled as being the attacking dog, Axl) did not look at all like a neo mastiff. It looked very much like a boxer or boxer cross to me. I think most people realise that sticking your hand near 2 fighting dogs head is not a good idea. However in the heat of the moment, people often do stupid things, they would normally not otherwise do. It is simply an unfortunate accident, sadly it looks like in this case, the dog pays

This is not new. We took our dog to the uk 6 years ago and there was no quarantine back then. I wish Australia also had the same policy

Isn't walking onto someone's private property intruding? I would fence off the front yard and also change the fencing in the backyard so the kids hand couldn't get thru. Although I think it is unfair, I think there is the definite possibility that sujo would be found liable if there child were to be bitten

Sorry this has happened to you I hope you can sort things out, but if you can't its probably best to return the male to the AWL. Did they meet before you brought him home? It may be that these 2 just don't have compatible personalities. Do you think she would feel less threatened by a smaller, younger, submissive dog? Would she keep attacking even if the other dog didn't fight back? I guess the difficult thing with rescue is that you can't really be sure of the true temperament. Did he come from a foster home and how was he with other dogs there? My honest opinion is that I would return the male, it is not worth the risk and stress to either dog and I don't know if I could ever fully trust them to be alone together.

I like this. I can also see how breed may be relevant though. For example, I go to a special pet shop that sells breed-specific stuff like calenders, note paper, keyrings, T-shirts, dog collars etc. If lots of your clients are purebred owners, then they may also be interested in this sort of stiff

Mine sleeps on the bed, but she'll also happily sleep in her crate when needed

He is gorgeous! At this stage I would not be letting him get up on the couch with you- that is a privilege that has to be earned by good behaviour imo. Not something I would invite a new, young dog who is pushing the boundaries a bit, to do. I wouldn't recommend you push him off you either. Instead it may be better to keep a lead attached to him so you can pull him away with that and avoid giving him the oppportunity to mouth you- which is a very unacceptable behaviour and should be stopped asap. I also think you should look into crate training and NILIF If he is reactive to other dogs, I highly recommend you see a professional if possible, I am sure people could recommend a good trainer in your area. I think its better to see someone who can properly assess the dog and determine a suitable plan for him, rather than trial and error yourself which may or may not be effective. Good Luck with him, he looks lovely

How long did you walk him for? I agree with Perse- it looks like he is not lifting/placing the front feet correctly. I would have this checked out by the vet asap This is not normal; I would not expect a 7 week old puppy to get sores on the top of the paws from a short walk. If you want to practice lead walking it is safer and more productive to do it in your own backyard until the pup is older. 7 weeks is very young.

Eukanuba is good but can have a higher grain content than some of the other brands I previously stated. Having said that, its about the individual dog and what works best for them. I don't think there is any one food out there that is the best for every dog. It may take some trial and error to find the best food for your pup. My dog is on eukanuba fish and potato (she has allergies) and I have found it good for her, although being a labrador, she does have something of an iron gut and eats all kind of crap anyway

One word: food. Get the clicker and treats out and Pippa is jumping around offering behaviours for a treat. We call her a Mini-Lab :p I've seen a few at agility that do some really nice work for tugging as well. Pippa is very cute. I haven't seen many black minis (I havent actually seen any), they are adorable

It depends on whether the hernia is just fat or if intestine is incorporated. If it is large enough, sometimes the intestine can become involved and there may be a potentially very serious situation. I recently saw a hernia op on an 9 wk old puppy, the intestine was incarcerated and was beginning to become de-vitalised. Luckily it was caught in time and there were no complications and the pup didn't need a resection.

Umm some puppies and dogs do. Some entertain themselves by barking excessively, digging up the yard or irrigation, ripping up trees and shrubs and bedding etc. There is no way my dog would cope with being alone for normal working hours. She never sleeps during the day and is a massive busy body, who would find her own fun if it wasn't provided for her. If we're away longer than 4 hours during the day we have to get a dog walker for her. Luckily someone is usually home or else I am able to take her to work with me.

I would recommend you change food (gradually). Some people have found Science Diet not to be the best for their dog. You could try Nutro, Royal Canin or Canidae- people seem to have good things to say about those brands. You could also try a DAP collar (adaptil) if you think it is stress related. Keep up with taking her out regularly I think getting 2 puppies is fine if you have the time- which it sounds like you do (lucky you!). I know quite a few siblings from the same litter or raised as pups and they have all turned out to be lovely pets. Hope you can find a solution to this yucky problem with your girl!

just curious but, in what way are they different and why wouldn't you recommend them for first time owners? The Schnauzers I have met seem to be much more chilled than their mini counterparts.

Maybe get one with a more suitable temperament (eg not highly excitable and likely to jump)? Although I have to agree that 1) a puppy and 2) an energetic breed like a schnauzer perhaps wouldn't be optimal for this situation. Maybe the OP could look into getting an adult dog through a breeder or rescue, that has been tested with kids and already has some basic training.

What may be a minor problem for you, may be a major problem for someone else. If they couldn't deal with the problem and it was overwhelming to them then i don't see the problem in rehoming to a better situation where the new owner is happy and confident in dealing with the problem (or maybe doesn't even see it as a problem). I've seen threads here where people are supported and encouraged to rehome or PTS a problem dog. If it becomes so stressful and possibly dangerous (especially where children are involved), then surely the best solution would be to rehome if possible.

No xmas pudding as this often has raisins or sultanas in it- which can cause a problem for some dogs. Not to mention the fact its very unhealthy for both human and canine!

What a lovely post You're not going to make me feel bad for putting my children's safety first, so don't waste your time Look, it is probably better that the OP rehomed the dog- its not like they dumped it at the pound or euthanased it. Its probably much better off where it can be understood and properly trained by people who are in a better situation for the dog, rather than remain in an unsuitable home that couldn't really deal with it. I don't think its right to judge people rehoming dogs without knowing the full story. I just hope the OP takes on board the advice of other knowledgeable posters here. What especially appeals to you about the mini schnauzer? Although they are lovely dogs for the right people, they would not be my first choice for an inexperienced owner with young kids. Are you actually getting the dog for your kids or for yourself? if it is the former- i also think they are a little young to really appreciate or be involved with the care of the dog. It might also help if you told us the breed of the previous dog so that you can avoid similar temperament traits and energy levels in your new dog.

My uncle had a border terrier that was outside- he seemed to cope fine (no bad habits and not over excited). I don't think it got a lot of interaction. I think most dogs would prefer to be inside, or at least have the option to come inside. I personally think you really need to be spending at least 2-3 hours training, exercising or playing with the dog if it is outside only, otherwise the dog would have a pretty isolated and solitary existence (unless they had other dogs/animals to keep them company). BTW you have to brush a non shedding dog much more frequently than you have to brush many long/double coated breeds. I don't think issue is brushing, but shedding. Personally, I barely notice it but I've always had black dogs, so its not really as obvious. If the issue is brushing- a short coated breed is the way to go, but obviously they can shed as much (sometimes more) than a long coated breed. A long coat is a deal-breaker for me personally. I don't have the time or inclination for regular brushing and I don't like it when long coated dogs get wet as they take forever to dry (compared to short haired breeds). I don't see why you are so against people that prefer to do minimal coat care and brushing?

I think there are probably other breeds that may be more suitable for you. Are you prepared for a high energy, highly intelligent dog? If you have had issues with jumping/excessive energy- perhaps you could consider a lower energy dog, such as a Cavalier, Bichon or Dachshund Having said that I think that given the right training a mini schnauzer could be very suitable for a family with kids. They are great, fun little dogs but could take advantage if you struggle with basic training.

They sound like lucky dogs

No, no you don't Wow, she is just gorgeous! She has very expressive eyes and ears.

What are you feeding her? How much are you feeding her? What breed and/or size is she? Is all her worming up to date? How many times per day exactly does she poo? There could be a medical or behavioural problem which is causing her to poop excessively- have you spoken to your vet? Young puppies really need to go out almost every hour (depending on the pup, and also after they eat, drink, wake up or play.

Why don't you go and look in the rescue threads on DOL? Should give you a pretty good idea of the breeds/breed mixes. In terms of actual papered pedigrees- I think they would be pretty few and far between. From personal experience, I would say in general around 10-20% of dogs in shelters look pure-bred but could simply be the result of BYB or unregistered breeding of two pure-bred parents.