aussielover

Have you tried the RC sensitivity control? It has blue whiting and tapioca. I use it for Mindy as we think she is allergic to chicken. She also did fine on the RC hypoallergenic which has hydrolysed chicken protein (which basically means its not like chicken anymore ) though obviously i prefer the blue whiting one.

Could you clicker train lola? That way you could either reward tiny steps towards drop more accurately or you could cust click everytime she naturally goes to lie down, so hopefully she begins to offer the behaviour more often and then you can put a command on it. I know some dogs find Drop more difficult and seem more reluctant to do it, but seeing as it is a natural position and a basic command I think you should perserve and you will eventually get it

LOL I wish!!! Wouldn't you have to keep running in and out of the ring if you were to do the above?

Sorry I shouldn't have said a lot of clubs, but I do know of one or two that look down on use of food and basically think tug is superior. Also some instructors within our club (which encourages the use of food) think that tugging is superior, but they don't actually go so far as to stop you using food.

So sorry to hear about your loss He looked like a gorgeous dog with a lovely happy smile. You will know when the time is right to get another dog. It varies for everyone, some people need another dog immediately and some people need more time. I think you'll know when you feel ready again.

I know in agility a lot of clubs don't like you to use food, because a) they think tug is a superior reward and keeps the dogs in drive better and b) they don't like their grounds being littered with dropped treats etc as it can distract the dogs... Obviously it is ideal to train dogs not to be distracte by food, but it can be really frustrating when you're just starting out, so its understandable in a way.

Can you ever make another type of reward more rewarding than your original primary motivator? Eg. can a dog whose main drive is food, ever learn to like say, a tug more than food? Especially a dog that had zero interest in toys and tugging to begin with... Although, I tend to find that a lot of dogs who have high drive for food, also have high to reasonable drive for tugging and vice versa.

I would not, but I know my parents would, they are quite specific. We turned down a blue merle aussie puppy and got an older puppy that was a black tri, purely for colour. My dad absolutely refused to get a blue merle, for some reason he really doesn't like the colour. They are also adamant their next labrador will be black, though this is based on more practical reasons- less visible shedding, can't see dirt on them as much etc. If I was going to get a pet only- colour would be more important to me. For a competition or working prospect, obviously colour would not matter at all. The only thing that would rule a dog out for me in terms of appearance is physical structure- I like a dog that can keep up with fairly high physical activity, and coat type- needs to be wash and wear.

Just come back from seeing Mindy. She is doing a lot better now. She was able to stand up and wag her tail. She is also eating small amounts now and she was able to drink some electrolyte solution while we were there. They said she was very hungry which is a good sign. We have to limit her food intake though in case she regurgitates. She is not totally out of danger yet, I won't be able to relax until the weekend is over, but things are looking much more positive at this stage. Thanks again for all your support and kind words

Do they feel guilty- probably not. Guilt implies you feel some kind of regret for your actions, which I'm not sure that dogs do. Do they know when they've done the wrong thing- yes I think many dogs know when they have done something unacceptable and may anticipate punishment/displeasure, which can result in a "guilty" look, even hours after the event.

Poor Honey! I'm glad she is fine Good on you for taking action and reporting it

Totally agree. I tend to find prices between vets in the same or nearby suburbs are quite similar. Consults fees may vary, but sometimes this is made up by cost of medications, hospitalisation etc.

True- absolutely agree. I also don't understand why agility people in particular- think that a dog MUST take a tug as a reward. With reagrd to working dogs- I always thought the reward was in being allowed to work- particularly for herding dogs?

Its a "second look" surgery to check if the wound has started to break down (the enterotomy site and adjacent intestine) which can often happen with septic peritonitis due to the bacterial contamination and fluid environment making wound healing difficult. It is also another opportunity to lavage the abdomen. But she is not having it today and will only have it if she deteriorates again. We really won't know whether she will need another surgery or not until after the weekend because wound breakdown typically occurs 3-5 days after surgery. Our most immediate concerns now are DIC due to sepsis and wound dehissence over the weekend. Her overnight vet is absolutely amazing though, I trust her completely. She was the one who recognized Mindy's condition and pushed for surgery (others thought it was a toxin- but to be fair they weren't present when Mindy got worse overnight) and she brought her dog in last night as a blood donor in case mindy needed a transfusion. She is also happy to talk anytime and didn't mind me calling for updates during the middle of the night. Overall I am very happy and gratfeul for mindy's vets and nurses who are all fantastic and really seem to care about her. One of the nurses even put a pillow in her cage with her to make her more comfortable which was really sweet.

I don't see a problem with rehoming an active 3 legged dog. If she has a behavioural then as with all rehomings, it is not ideal or ethical imo to rehome her. If she is just very energetic and the hyperness can be reduced by regular exercise and training etc then I'd say she is rehomable, 3 legged or not. I also think she'd have more chance of doing agility at a low level, for fun, if she had the amputation. FOr example, I think there would be minimal probs with her jumping at 200-300 and not doing things like the A frame, weavers, tyre (high risk obstacles), I know my club has lots of people who train just for fun. She'd be quite suitable for obedience, so provided she is trainable, I wouldn't worry about not being physcially able with this. A kelpie I know is three legged (missing the front leg which is even harder) and is actually still faster than many dogs. It can play fetch with ball and leads a very active lifestyle.

Just spoke to the vets and Mindy has improved a bit overnight which is positive. She still needs to be closely monitored and is still very sick though. she is probably not going to have another surgery today due to the improvement but may need it over the weekend if she deteriorates again.

Just come back from visiting her. The vets have been great and let me stay for 4 hours. They are taking very good care of her and doing everything they can. Unfortunately she is just the same, even getting worse At this stage I am hoping for the best, but expecting the worst She may have another surgery tomorrow if she makes it through the night. Thanks for your continued support.

Thanks guys for your thoughts, I really appreciate it. I just spoke with the vets and she is still critical although doing a little better. I am going to visit later on this afternoon if she is still stable. I feel totally guilty as the cause was a bone shard and I had given her a bone in the morning

She has septic peritonitis due to a foreign body (bone frgament). She had surgery last night but will likely need another surgery tomorrow to check for wound breakdown and to lavage the abdomen. It is still touch and go at the moment, with septic peritonitis having an up to 50-60% mortality rate. Thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts

Mindy is very unwell, possibly has septic peritonitis. She was fine today until about 2.30pm when she vomited 4 times and had severe acute abdominal pain and was taken to the vets straight away. At first it was thought to be some kind of toxin ingestion, but she has gotten worse and now has to have an ex-lap to see what is going on. She had two ultrasounds, the most recent shows free fluid in the abdomen and radiographs indicate a foreign body. She is being prepared for surgery now. Please send good vibes for her I am very nervous as we have previously lost a dog during anaesthesia for emergency surgery.

:eek: How horrible!!! I really hate seeing people force their dogs onto/thru equipment. Glad your girl was at least ok after this! I would have shoved the instructor through the tyre :D

I like Beardies and regularly look after a friends Beardie. Overall I would say they have lovely personalities- they are energetic when you want to be but quite chilled/relaxed at home (if you are there). They can be quite vocal if left alone though, although I;m sure with proper training and stimulation it wouldn't be too much of a problem. Many people mistake them for OES, they are a very cute looking dog :D . They have quite a strong herding instinct like many herding breeds. The grooming would be the main disadvantage for me personally. They are not really and wash and wear dog. You can have them clipped off which does make it a bit easier- depends if you want to go down that path though ( i know heaps of people are against clipping double coated breeds). Personally I think they look quite good in a clippped coat and it would definitely make them more manageable.

I think "board and train" can be a very useful tool. Of course it all depends on the owners level of commitment. A friend's dog did a B and T program and came back really well behaved. Although they slacked off on the training the dog has overall improved and they are smart enough to realise they don't have the time or inclination to continue the training themselves so they reguarly send the dog off for a weeks training. Wouldn't be my coice but it seems to work well for them, and it has saved them from giving up/rehoming their dog. The dog seems happy enough with this arrangement as well and looks forward to going off with the trainer. I would never send my dog somewhere where thay advertised themselves as "boot camp" but I would consider a "board and train" for a really difficult dog.

I find that most herding dogs tend to have a strong instinct and if allowed will try to round up dogs at the park etc. Even my show-bred aussie shepherd had quite a decent herding instinct for a dog had come from a line of dogs that hadn't worked for a few generations. Sadly I think a lot of gundogs, particularly labs and goldies are losing their gundog instinct and water heritage. I know quite a few that won't play fetch and hate water!!! Personally I think the essence of a retriever is their love of water and their love of a good agme of fetch. I would be quite disappointed if my lab didn't love water and chasing balls.

My lab is the same. She does kill rabbits and bring them to me but obviously for her to catch them they were probably already sick/dying anyway. She also brings me dead birds. She is quite gentle in the way she carries them- natural gundog mouth I suppose.