kiesha09

I have two dogs already and am not getting another for a while as I don't really have time for 3 dogs at this stage. But I go round and round and round in my head about what breed to get next and I can't work it out. I want to make a decision though because it consumes my mind alot. So my criteria is: - Medium to large breed - Not excessive moulters (ie no labs or GR), 2 coat drops a year or non-shedding - Excercise requirements of 40mins - 60mins per day, but won't bounce off walls if a day was missed - Willing to please (probably not independent breeds) - Easy to train - Not hyperactive, has off switch - Able to cope alone for 8 hours per day while at work - Inside dog when home - Some form of training each day - I enjoy walks at the beach and hiking so I need a dog versatile enough to chill out and home but be willing to get up and go when we're doing things. Ask any additional questions you would like. Deep down I really want an Aussie. But I only have a small back yard and not sure of the exercise requirements and not sure of the shedding. I'm sure the shedding wouldn't be an issue but I currently have non-shedding dogs. I don't want a dog that ultimately ends up unhappy because I can't provide all it needs.

Thanks Rysup. Thats what I was thinking. I agree and thought that the 9.1 - 18kg weight range might be a bit too much for the little guy.

My dog Chip is normally around the 8.5-9kg weight range. However he went to the kennels over Christmas and packed on a bit of Christmas pudge and is now 9.5kg He's now on a diet. I need to buy some more comfortis for his regular flea treatment. The two weight ranges are: 4.6 - 9.0kg's or 9.1 - 18kg's. My girl is in the 4.6 - 9.0kg range and it would be easier if I could just get the one packet, considering hopefully by next month Chip should have lost some weight. Do you think it is ok to give him the 4.6 - 9.0kg tablet and he'll be adequately covered?

I had success with my non foodie dog with BBQ'd sausages, fritz, roast chicken/lamb, etc. I also started practicing our training in the bathroom - there were no distractions so the food became interesting enough to eat Needless to say, now she loves food and a boring piece of kibble is good enough for her.

I thought I'd start a new thread rather than derail the other 'clicker training - all types' thread and focus this one on targeting. I love targeting but I have a couple of problems. Dog 1 gets way way way too excited with targeting. He starts targeting something with his nose but then his arousal gets too much and he will mouth the hand/target stick instead. I need to some how bring things down to a much calmer level but as soon as I do one target he goes through the roof! Dog 2 is so gentle with her targeting and will only touch very quicly and softly. She will move all over the room to touch targets etc, can touch targets on doors etc. But I can't get any duration on it. She is just so quick. How can I build this? What are some other targetting ideas and uses do you have. I love Aidans measuring tape one

Wow! Great idea. I always have this issue

:D :D :D :D :D

I'm a very strong believer in dogs inside but have SO many people give me lectures about why its wrong and why they should be outside. Because that really P*sses me off I won't lecture anyone about why they should have their dog inside but I think its much better for the dogs well being. Being a pack animal they are social and need to be with their pack. Obviously its up to the individual and there are some dogs that don't even like being inside.

What groomer do you go to? I'm in Adelaide too and can't get over how good my dogs smell after they have been. Your explanation of wanting to bury your face in her and give her a cuddle is exactly how I feel. They smell amazing!!!!!

I'm going to put them in the ensuite for the time being but I might buy a fan especially for them on the weekend I think my boy would be fine to sleep with just a sheet on the floor of the crate but my girl (the one complaining about being hot) is a big fan of a soft surface when sleeping Gayle I would crate them outside but my girl barks like crazy at night so it just wouldn't work. In fact she's not even allowed outside as soon as its dark because she can't help herself from barking at the neighbours cat. Thats part of the reason she is crated because even if the window is open or I have just the screen door closed she'll hear noises to bark at.

They have wire crates so it's as cool as a crate can be. The cooling mats could be a good idea. There are some really good suggestions here so I shall have a think about them. They could be penned in the ensuite which has tiles and I could put a bed in there for options. They don't 'need' to be crate exactly but I want them to be crated or confined because they either (a) get in my bed which I don't want for a number of reasons (seperation anxiety and possessiveness) and (b) they bark at my front door or any open window or go out the doggy door and bark outside (I can easily close it off so isn't really an issue).

After being crate trained as puppies my dogs used to sleep on my bed. But about 6 months ago I decided they should sleep in their crates again and that is where they have remained all through winter. After some initial objections they have been great and I often find them in bed in their crates before I even go to bed. THat was until last night! My girl Kiesha last night was banging and banging and banging on the crate door and I thought that she must have needed to go to the toilet so I let her out. But instead she just wanted to go and sleep on the tiles because they are obviously cooler. So I think she is actually getting hot in the crate. I went to put her back in the crate and she tried to avoid it at ALL costs, yet normally she is the one to go running into it. This morning I noticed my boy was panting when I let him out so I guess he's hot too. What bedding do you use for your dogs in summer in their crates so they don't get hot? I want them to remain in their crates overnight but don't want them to be hot either. I also have the fain on in my room but it doesn't directly hit them.

Can you give him a big bone to occupy him while he is outside or are there issues with food with the other dog around? I think he sounds like he needs some more mental stimulation while he's outside. There also sounds like there is some kind of behavioural issue re the weather thing. What about one of those cooling mats? Could you get one of those for him to replicate the cool tiles of inside?

Being that it was New Years last night Chip and my other dog went to stay with my parents but mum said I had to take him to the vet first before she would look after him. She knows that if he refused to get up to get his breakfast there must be something seriously wrong! He has a sprained elbow which could have been caused by any number of things. He's on some anti-inflams and is to rest. I've also booked him in to see the doggy Chiropractor. Funny thing about the whole situation though is that I dropped the dogs off at Mum and Dads last night and after the 1 hour drive I got him out the car and he appeared totally fine. All of a sudden he would bear weight on the leg and had no limp at all. He was still kept quiet but showed no effects at all. She even took him for a few 5 minute walks to loosen the joints as recommended by the vets and he was fine. Also woke up this morning with no limp either. My partner and I arrived at lunch time to pick them up. He had shown no limp all day. Within about 3 minutes of me arriving he started limping around again bearing no weight on it at all. I think he likes the additional attention he gets from his sore leg so put it back on Within 2 minutes he was fine again... so he's still being kept quiet but I'm sure its not as bad as he sometimes makes it out to be. ETA an explaination about the kennel. Its a very different set up to the usual kennels you see around. It is only for small dogs and there is only 10 dogs at at a time. Given that all dogs get along it is more like a home environment with a communal living area with couches, TV and kitchen. The dogs are rotated around from being in their room (which has a doggy door out to their own balcony and outdoor area) where they can chill out to being let out into the communal area where they can again go out a doggy door to a communal play area. I'm very happy with the kennel set up and was very aware of how things work so I'm not at all worried about it. They get to play alot but they also get down time as well. I didn't really explain myself that well unfortunately.

My dogs have just spent the last 12 days in a wonderful kennel while I went away over Christmas. I picked them up yesterday and they were very excited to see me and come home. The lady that runs the kennel commented that they played with a lab x poodle and would play from sunrise to sunset. They both looked fine when walking to the car. When I got home they both were totally exhausted and went straight to their beds to sleep. Sporadically they would get up and get a drink or go out to the toilet and I noticed that Chip looked a bit stiff. I put this down to probably playing so much he was a bit sore. This morning after a long nights sleep (they slept through from 8pm to 10am ) Chip isn't putting any weight on his right front leg at all. I'm not sure if its his leg or his shoulder. I'm still of the opinion that he is a bit stiff and therefore after not moving all night its gotten a bit sore but am no vet so its just a guess. Would you leave it a bit before taking him to the vet or go straight away?

My dogs have just spent the last 12 days in a wonderful kennel while I went away over Christmas. I picked them up yesterday and they were very excited to see me and come home. The lady that runs the kennel commented that they played with a lab x poodle and would play from sunrise to sunset. They both looked fine when walking to the car. When I got home they both were totally exhausted and went straight to their beds to sleep. Sporadically they would get up and get a drink or go out to the toilet and I noticed that Chip looked a bit stiff. I put this down to probably playing so much he was a bit sore. This morning after a long nights sleep (they slept through from 8pm to 10am ) Chip isn't putting any weight on his right front leg at all. I'm not sure if its his leg or his shoulder. I'm still of the opinion that he is a bit stiff and therefore after not moving all night its gotten a bit sore but am no vet so its just a guess. Would you leave it a bit before taking him to the vet or go straight away?

When I was in this same situation I made it very clear that I was 1) Not seperating them and 2) Not giving them up. My ex OH was pretty accepting of this really because he didn't want them seperated either and deep down he knew that I did all the walking, paid for all the food and medical expenses, did the training, did the pooper scooping and in general basically did everything for them. Have you spoken to him about what he thinks?

I have just downloaded the iphone app for Sue Ailsby's levels. These are based on the revised version of the levels. Does anyone know where I can find complete explainations for each exercise for the new version?

We had to do this as part of a year 11 biology project at school. It was stopped the year after we did it. I completely agree that it should not have been done and am glad that it was removed from the curriculum. Having said that there was just the one chicken that died the year we did it, so it wasn't most of them. Once the project was finished my chicken and a number of my friends chickens all went to my parents chicken coop. My chicken will still come running up to me when I enter the pen and follow me everywhere He also lives the life of luxury now

I booked our dogs into a kennel over Christmas way back in June and only just got in. So I doubt that you will have much luck finding one that is available. Especially not a good one. Can't your dog go and stay with your parents or your sister? IMO a visit a couple of times a day isn't enough for that period of time. I can understand leaving them over night for a night or two with visits but not a week.

I feel guilty after reading this thread! My two get one walk a day at night that is between 30 mins and an hour depending on what I'm up to. Same goes for the weekend really. In summer all walks are pretty much offlead and in winter all walks are on lead during the week and offlead on the weekends.

Ask another dogs owner for permission before allowing your dog to play with their dog. For this to work your dog therefore needs to have a RELIABLE recall to be off lead!

Wow! These sound really interesting and I think I'll definately have to give them a go for my two. They hate thunder and are very noise reactive. I look forward to hearing how those of you who have already bought them go with them.

I mean this as no offence to your brother poodlefan but does it piss anyone else off when people say that your dogs are spoilt because they sleep inside? It really gets me fired up! My dogs sleep inside but you know what they have to work their little butts off to get EVERYTHING they want! A sit for a pat, a drop and wait for dinner, patient sitting in crates to be let out, a drop on mat at door to be patted by visitors, loose lead walking to the park etc etc. I bet half the idiots who make this comment spend hardly any time with their outside sleeping dog but when they do the dog get pats/food/attention/walk etc. all for FREE! So whose dog is really the spoilt one!! Sorry rant over now.

My OH came into my life when there was already a routine established with the dogs. They are inside 24/7 unless they so chose to go out the doggy door and hang outside (not very often). So there is no way in hell he would EVER question that. But even if that weren't the case there is no way he would EVER tell me what I am and am not allowed to do. That is not how a relationship works. But good luck to you if you think yours will work with his attitude being like it is because he sounds very controlling. For me if my OH had said no dogs inside, I would have said well actually no YOU inside! About 6 months after OH and I got together I made the decision that the dogs weren't to sleep on my bed anymore and had to sleep in their crates next to the bed (on his side). I have often woken up to find the dogs have magically 'escaped' and are sleeping on the bed or have caught him busting a jailbreak (as he calls it). He is adament they should still get to sleep on the bed. So we have made a compromise that they can come up for cuddles early in the morning on weekends if we are sleeping in.