aussielover

I don't know!!!! Maybe all the "landscaping" she does She also does a lot of climbing over rocks etc I check them regularly because I've seen the results of them grwoing too long in other peoples dogs. We do it for free as part of a regular consult/check up or if they are having another procedure done. But I have found some people very resistant and annoyed that they have to pay for "just a nail clip" Typically these are people whose animals are very difficult to restrain and require two people at least jsut to clip the nails!

rawhide chews, x large wizzers last here around 20-30mins (labrador). Should last a smaller dog hours!!! Pigs ears last only 5 miins (if lucky ) but I have seen more delicate eaters take up to half an hour to finish them. Tried deer antlers but strangely the dog (who is normally extremely greedy) didn't like them

I must be the only person to like the doggy smell of my dog! I think fuzzyard makes a "mist" we also use a detngling, leave in conditioner at work- it smells really nice!

I totally agree with this. A harness is not really all that much more expensive than a collar. I've seen easy walk harnesses for around $25, the same cost as a nice collar and tag. If a tool actually works and is not too irritating to the dog (like a halti where the dogs spend the whole time trying to get them off so they can't pull!) then what is the problem with using it all the time? Is a collar and a lead not a training tool? My dog walks nicely on a flat collar and lead but she is probably not highly trained enough to walk around everyhwere with no collar or lead.

But ALL puppies are put through the training program which includes behaviour in public. If "most" labs weren't mature enough then they would either choose another breed or wait until the dogs ar eolder to put them thru the training. I was told labs were chosen because they are actually quick to mature. The failed dogs are not always failed for bad behaviour, more often its because they are fearful or have health issues. They often say that the worst behaved, naughtiest puppies often surprise everyone and make the best workers Customs and police sniffer labs are very high drive dogs.

I disagree - you should have control of your dog by now with recall but labs are hyper excited etc for longer than 17 months... I don't know, while they retain their puppy-like playfulness and enthusiasm, this is not the same as actually being a puppy and having the learning capacity and self control of a puppy. I think at this age, most labs are mature enough to contain themselves and respond to commands. They must have pretty decent self control and focus for orgs such as guide dogs, assist dogs and customs to be expecting them to be working in public at this age...

Obviously not right near other dogs i find a quiet spot Could you not just put the dog back on lead take them away from other dogs and make them sit quietly next to you? Then you can just let the lead go if there is a problem? I am thinking this dog should be on a long lead and not allowed to approach other dogs for the time being. Perhaps a trainer or behaviourist who can observe your dog IN PERSON may be more helpful. Do you do obedience or any other dog sport? You could ask an instructor for advice? I also find a lot of labs need a job to do, or an activity to keep their mind busy, otherwise they can become very naughty and full-on.

I think they were referring to him being a pup in terms of growth? But he should have conmpleted growth at this age or be very near to physical maturity anyway, so 17 months for desexing is fine. Guide dogs are generally in full training or working by 18 months and assistance dogs even earlier, so I think in regard to behaviour- 17 months is certainly not still a puppy.

What is a dremel? It is interesting that exercise doesn't correspond to nail growth or lack of.

Do you guys cut your dogs nails? I have never cut any of my dogs nails- not even the dewclaw, and I have never needed to. Mindy gets a lot of exercise which helps keep them worn down and she is a medium sized dog. Not sure why the dewclaw stays short though? I have seen plenty of dogs at work that have very overgrown dewclaws sometimes curling around into the pad Maybe it has something to do with the chews my dog gets? she also does agility and regular bushwalking and scrambling over rocks etc so that may help? Also, if you couldn't cut your pets nails yourself and they needed cutting- would you be prepared to pay a vet or groomer to do it?

I would have thought whippets a good breed for apartment living? The whippets I know are very low maintenance, quiet, clean and generally sensible and well behaved. Like all dogs they need to get out at leats once a day, preferably twice and WHippets especially love to run! They can be trained to fetch a ball and all the ones I've met have been good with recall (comapred to some other sighthound breeds which are known for being a bit harder to train to come back!). The only thing I;d be worried abvout is toilet training but only because I;ve had no experience with not having a yard. Other dolers have had success in using a "doggy loo" or similar though, so it shouldn't be much of an issue. Also all the whippets I have seen at the vets and in boarding have been very clean.

Don't use a non venomous snake- they can still bite and it bloody well hurts and can cause some damage! Their mouths are full of nasties as well so best avoid a bite if you can.

It may not be dominance, perhaps he is just really excited? Humping can be a displacement behaviour, it doesn't always mean dominance. It is not normal behaviour though and he should be stopped from doing it as it could result in him getting attacked. Simply saying "no" and putting him back on lead may be enough to stop the behaviour but if that doesn't work perhaps consulting a trainer or behaviourist may be useful. He should really listen to you so I would be concerned if you were telling him no and he continued to do it...

Just wondering what people think is the best option for your dogs when you go away and can't take them? I used to leave my dog with family friends but I think my current pup would be too much for them and their house is not really suitable for a young, active dog.

I think more likely is the fact that her size intimidates other dogs , even if they are medium/large size, in comparison with her they probably feel tiny Although my aussie shep would often try to herd white fluffies but no other type of dog, and I've noticed other herding breeds doing the same.

Why was the child leaning over into someone elses property in the first place? Im not blaming the child as they probably didn't know better but where was the supervision? I find it wrong that a dog can be declared dangerous and put down if it bites someone that steps onto my property without permission... The uncle sounds like an idiot though- giving the dog a beer because it was panting??!!

Thats a worry! I had not thought they were in SA either! Glad she appears to be ok! I live in a heavy tick area and its not fun I'm yet to find one on my dog though and she does a lot of bush walking. She also swims a lot. I use advantix. I had not heard that ticks were becoming resistant to frontline?! Something to keep in mind though, thanks for letting us know. I was actually going to use frontline spray on my dog as well, but I think I won't bother now. I will use permoxin spray instead. You could try to get some permoxin spray- you migt be able to get some from stockfeed type stores but be careful to check the dosage, maybe ask your vet? I think it works immediately to kill any attached ticks because its what we use on tick dogs at work... 2-3mm is a very small tick, so unlikely to cause major probs, especially if it wanst attached for long. I would keep a close eye on her though and try to keep her as quiet as possible (a big ask I know lol) for the next few days just in case.

What a sad puppy! Glad the EB is ok now!!!

The child could have just as easily run up to a dog on a leash, has happened to me countless times. You almost need to beat some of them off they are so keen to get in your dogs face. It is frightening how many parents just stand and watch while it happens too! Unfortunate for the child that this time it was bitten, sadly it means possibly the death of a dog. Children are what they are, but so are dogs they cannot tell a child to back off, they snap that is what appears to have happened here. I agree in general, you can't prevent kids running up to your dog. But that wasn't what happened in this situation, unfortunately the dog ran up to them. No one can really say whether the kids would have still run up and hugged the dog if it were on lead. Hopefully the owner could have intervened when he saw the kids approaching (although doubtful given that he didn't see the dog being off leash as a concern ). I think in this particular situation, being on leash could have prevented the incident. I also think the penalty for the dog may be more lenient had the dog been on a leash and the owner given a warning.

The dog ran up to the kids... It is unrealistic to expect a THREE YEAR OLD to know what to do. The only way this could have been prevented is if the owner had it on a leash and under their control.

K9pro do this I think. www.k9pro.com.au

Most things, including chocolate are fine in small quantities. We do however know that Xylitol is quite toxic to dogs, and even small amounts can kill. Why would you want to risk that when you can entirely avoid it? I don't call removing potential toxins like ratsak, snail bait etc from the dogs environment "too anal" so why would being careful about certain foods that have been proven to cause serious health problems be any different? I'm sure this lady didn't lay out her candies for the dog to come and eat, it was an accident he got into her bag, we all have stories of wandering nosey dogs getting into our stuff and we learn from it and I bet from now on she doesn't keep candies in her bag or at least keeps her bag well and truly in a high spot. I wasn't responding about the OPs situation- which I am sure was an accident and i am glad that the dog is fine I was responding to your comment that you think people are too anal with letting their dogs eat certain foods. I can tell you I have seen some very sick dogs, some even died for things that may seem to be harmless eg. bones, macadamia nuts, onion, dark chocolate, coffee, sultanas etc. I say better safe than sorry. I do not think we should trivialise the danger of dogs eating some foods.

Most things, including chocolate are fine in small quantities. We do however know that Xylitol is quite toxic to dogs, and even small amounts can kill. Why would you want to risk that when you can entirely avoid it? I don't call removing potential toxins like ratsak, snail bait etc from the dogs environment "too anal" so why would being careful about certain foods that have been proven to cause serious health problems be any different?

You are correct. It is toxic to dogs. Xylitol is often used as a sweetener and is highly toxic to dogs. It can cause liver damage, hypogylcemia and even death.

I would always advise people to get a second opinion if they are not entirely comfortable with the recommendations or diagnosis. A few years ago when we had our old dog, her treating vet wanted to do a CT myelogram for a neuro workup. However, I felt this was extremely risky and possibly inappropriate so opted to get a second opinion from a neuro specialist. I was made to feel extremely bad about this decision by the treating vet. However, the neurologist advised not to do the procedure as the information wouldn't really be useful for treatment options because we were not going to do spinal surgery on a geriatric dog with central CNS signs as well anyway. So I can see how some people would either trust their regular vet or be pressured into doing a procedure.