aussielover

Shiloh is probably just very tolerant although you didn't say how old the new pup is? There comes a point where annoying puppy behavoiur is no longer tolerated (usually around 4-5 months) before this a young puppy can pretty much do anything to a well socialised and stable adult and not really be punished. You should separate the dogs when the play is too rough, for Shiloh's sake. Feeding Shiloh first isn't going to establish pack order, if that is why you do it? I would feed them separately in crates or different rooms to minimise risk. You are the boss so you dictate what behaviour is acceptable... if you find the play too rough, you decide when the play ends. They are very cute btw

I am a GSP lover. I've walked and looked after a fair few as well, they are high energy dogs, higher energy than the average lab. If your lab is a laid back relaxed one then a GSP might be a bit of a shock for you. My lab is pretty high energy and gets on well with GSPs. They aren't as into the rough and tumble as labs but prefer running and chasing games. If you have an active household and lifestyle a GSP could be ideal for you. They require as much, if not more training (as a puppy) as a lab. GSPs are on my list of dogs to own one day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xP4jEGdKmM

No, none in my area either. The closest is about a 30 min drive. I'm not too fussed though, we have a lot of large off leash areas (unfenced) including beaches so I can't complain. In my experience fenced parks are too small and attract "naughty" dogs (and owners )

Most likely excitement behaviour. My female does it to her toys if she gets over excited. Desexing won't fix this if it is dominance or excitement. I would desex a male lab at minimum 12 months or when they've stopped growing.

D&R- what a pretty girl! KTB- Elbie and Hoover look so cute together as always LS- That photo of ruby made me laugh- Mindy gets that exact same look of innocence on her face when shes done something naughty

You could add one of each ;) You already have a staffie though so perhaps it is time to try something new? Aussies are a great breed and very versatile and adaptable I find it hard to believe one could not love an aussie, though i am biased!

I think there are quite a few breeds out there that will suit one person. In some ways, if you have had a dog for a long time, getting a different breed does make the transition easier as you don't have the same expectations. I absolutely adore aussies and labs and both my dogs are/have been the absolute best companions and dogs ever!!! I love a lot of breeds and would like to own quite a few different breeds.

Previcox is a selective COX-2 inhibitor where as metacam is only partially selective for COX-2. It was originally thought that COX-2 were responsible for the unwanted side effects of NSAIDS but now it is thought that COX 2 also plays a part in maintenance and healing. I had my girl on metacam for 5 years with no side effects. She was on the a dose at the higher end of the accepted range as well. You have to regularly check liver and kidney function when on any NSAID long term though. I used previcox for a while as well, but found that metacam was easier for everyone to administer.

From the amount of info given it is impossible to say who is to blame. Most likely it is a combination of both the dog owner and the relative's fault. The dog owner should have had the dog muzzled, or at least under better control or told the kid to back off, if they knew the dog was aggressive. It could be the first time the dog had done it- but usually there are other incidents that occur before a full on dog bite/attack occurs. The relative should not have let the child approach the dog without asking the owner- if that is what happended, though there is nothing to say this is actually the case. Ideally the relative should have been able to read the dogs unfriendly body language but of course many dog owners can't even read that. Perhaps they could have given the dog more space but I would not expect a dog to lunge out and bite me if I just walked past it. I fully agree that kids these days are more likely to pat a strange dog without asking. Dogs these days are expected to have a higher level of tolerance and behaviour than in the past imo. Also the attitude that "it is never my fault- always blame someone else" helps contribute to this problem. I hope the child recovers and the dog owner seeks help for their aggressive dog.

she is quite good about giving the ball up- i just want to avoid touching the slobbery ball if at all possible But teaching an out command is also a good idea.

Yeah a ball on a rope could work! Thanks staranais!

Hi guys, thanks for your repsonses, We don't do obedience trialling and I don't think we will in future. Though I think in retrieving trials they aren't supposed to drop the item either- and I was thinking about getting into that? Do you think it would confuse the dog if in one situation she has to drop it and in another keep it? I would say her natural instinct is to hold the item though. Using a clicker is something I hadn't though of For some reason exchange for treats doesn't always work - odd because usually she will sell her soul for food. And also there is the problem of not having treats= not dropping ball. I just play fetch with her as exercise, I suppose I usually initiate the game because I carry the ball? How do you intensify desire for the ball? I think she enoys playing tug or chasey more than ball fetching...

Well I have a suspicion that my dog is allergic to oatmeal. After I bathed her in aloveen and put on the aloveen conditioner she went nuts- as a puppy she was always itchy after baths. I use malaseb as she is atopic and recurrent secondary infections are a problem for her. I am also looking for another type of shampoo that is more gentle than malaseb to use in between malaseb washes.

Look at working line GSDs- they tend to be more straight backed and high drive. I also prefer the look look of the "old style", staight backed GSD. I believe there are a few threads on wokring line GSDs here already- perhaps you could do a search of them. I think Kavik has a WL GSD with a lovely straight back and very handsome too! Perhaps PM her? (Hope Kavik doesn't mind...)

I need some help with this. My lab brings the ball back but then won't release the ball. I have to get it out of her mouth- she is fine with this and will happily release it once I go to take it from her mouth. Unfortunately, it is covered in dirt and saliva (and any other nasty thing it may have rolled in) so I would prefer it if she could just drop the ball at my feet and then I could kick it or use one of those ball thrower things. I have tried a number of methods - exchanging the ball for a treat: doesn't usually work and she will be uninterested in the treat or grab the treat and quickly try to also grab the ball, so its like a race to see who can get the ball first! - waiting until she has dropped the ball to throw/kick it- doesn't work either as she will hold onto it for several minutes or wander off and drop it in the bushes or something

Hello everyone with gorgeous puppies! Zeus- it sounds like you're feeding too much. An 8 week old puppy doesn't need puppy milk, he should be weaned by 8 weeks. I'm not a big fan of cans, apart from the fact I find the smell horrendous, they are mainly water and don't offer any dental benefits like kibble does. I am not really a fan of pedigree either- my lab puppy was on it and started to eat dog poo. This stopped when the brand was changed. If you can't afford a premium kibble like royal canin or nutro then I think Purina Proplan and supercoat is often recommedned here and is reasonably priced Puppies generally don't need kibble soaked unless they have oral/chewing issues or you are using rehydratable kibble (which i think Advance makes). Young lab puppies like bones- I found lamb flaps great for my 8 week old lab ETA- I feed my 8 week old lab puppy 1 and 3/4 cups of dry food per day until she was 4 months where she went onto 3 cups a day. She is now on the equivalent to 2 cups a day. This is what Guide Dogs recommends for their labrador puppies.

They are very smart- which is not necessarily and advantage in Obedience- it means you have to work harder! People say they are dumb because the dogs are actually too smart- in some cases I think they are smarter than their owners ;) Boxers are very playful and retain this well into adulthood, some would say they can be eternal puppies. But I think this also makes them eager to please and fun to work with. Good Luck with whatever you decide!

The several people I spoke to about it swore a huge difference after clipping. I cant personally vouch for that, but I did have an in-depth conversation about it each time and I was quite convinced by them. I imagine you are right, the shedding of a clipped GR would be shorter and yes, much less noticeable. With GRs, the long hair is not that hard to sweep up- it tends to form tumbleweeds- but over summer it can really pile up. Its not unusual for me to sweep 4 times a day and still find fresh hair. (Of course I do have black floorboards... ) The sheer volume is amazing. Shorter hair to sweep up would definitely be easier to live with. PF- Surely a clipped, white poodle would have the same sunburn issues? If you clip a Goldie- you reduce the shedding of the top-coat (guard hairs? sorry not sure of the correct terminology) because you have clipped it off! The remaining undercoat stills sheds but it is not as noticeable. For example, most of the hairs that my lab sheds are the long black hairs on her overcoat. Her undercoat is actually a more chocolate colour but I do not ever see those hairs unless I use an undercoat stripping brush. Sunburn issues would depend on how short the clip was, although we do many tick clips on GRs using a 7-10 blade (which is a failry close clip)and have not had any sunburn issues. I think clipping can make them more fluffy as the hair grows back thicker. It certainly would not be good for a show dog, but for a pet- if it means they have less chance of getting tick paralysis and are allowed to go swimming more often I think it is ok

Sunnyflower, firstly I am so sorry to hear about your Cav Cavvies are the sweetest little dogs! You said: "If we are going to get a pointer we may as well get a Viszla" However, I think that Pointers are not as full on as as Viszla, Weim or GSP or any of the all-round gundogs. The ones I know personally are beautiful animals, quite laid back and relaxed and not as "full on". Any young gundog including Golden Retrievers will be fairly active as a young dog and require regular exercise, but I think English Pointers are the most relaxed large gundog. Goldies and Flatties are very sweet but some can be pretty full on as young dogs, almost as much so as a labrador and from your requirments/description I would not really recommend a lab. I think some people even say that Flatties are more full on than labs and remain puppy-like in attitude for a long time. But the right breeder should be able to pick a suitable puppy for you- but perhaps ask for a calmer, more laid back one? Or you could get an adult rescue? Have you considered a Greyhound? They are also very sweet dogs with low shedding and exercise requirements.

HOw awful! My parents are walking in Yorkshire at the moment- luckily they are dogless for now. At least the authorities seem to be taking it seriously, unlike here in australia where they basically turn a blind eye or do a half-assed ninvestigation out of obligation.

My lab is an avid rabbit hunter and catcher (rarely ). She would love to do this job! She spends most of her time sniffing out rabbits at the park! I think she is actually a beagle in a labrador body lol

Great! Thanks! I freeze all her bones so they last longer and she chews them better!

Do you do dog sports with your dog? Which Ones? How obsessed are you NB. For questions 2 and 3- I realise that perhaps you can't get titles in all the sports listed, so for those sports in which there aren't really any titles- if you compete at a high level or you dog regularly wins at competitions, then I consider that to be "titled" for the purpose of the poll. Can a dog be excellent at numerous dogs sports or does it depend on the sport? THANKS

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