Mas1981

I would get blood tests to test how all her organs are functioning like thyroid and get her blood sugar tested. With the Nutrigel my cat hates it to however I just smear it on her and she HAS to lick it off. HAs your dog been eating normally? What food is she on? Do your dogs eat together and do you watch to make sure one isnt eating all the food? Is she maybe crate bound due to her broken bone and is maybe depressed and has lost a bit of muscle?

I would also go for the pet hair eraser, to me it looks better

Just thought for those of you looking for some practice agility equipment this may be helpful to you?? http://www.topbuy.com.au/tbcart/pc/Dogs-c157.htm I found it while I was searching for a soft crate

I saw that is has been hacked when i tried to go onto it the other day Thanks for answering the question about the size, my lab is quite small and only weighs 31,5Kg.

I thought Mason wouldnt work for a toy either but when he found a pine cone he kept fetching the instructor said lets use it to our advantage and he worked for the pine cone!!

It does sound very full on, poor Mason will probably sleep for a week after the sunday session....

He's on a raw diet, although it's a diet that I'm not satisfied as being 'balanced' atm. The problem being that he goes "off" various meats. He's "off" raw meat just now, and for 2 weeks I've had to cook his meat. Predominantly chicken. Not what I wanted to do, but he's too lean to be able to take the 'bad luck, that's all you get' tactic. In addition to the meat he is on Digestivite (nutrients), Intestomine, Omega Blend Oil, Enzyme tabs (can't remember the name without looking it up), Vitamin C. He's not long ago finished a stint of tissue salts and some gastro drops for his stomach. There was also another holistic substance which tasted (and smelt) foul - I used to syringe that down his throat - it made a big difference to his coat and stool condition (prescribed by naturopath). I offer chicken wings during the day as well and for the most part he's been eating them, although he left the two I gave him yesterday so I didn't bother offering more today. I cooked up some beef meat mince and up until recently he was enjoying that in between the chicken (wouldn't eat it raw though) but in the last two days he has gone off that. Sardines he gets once or twice a week. Occasionally a raw egg, although he refused the one I offered him a few days or so ago. Won't touch roo mince (cooked some up the other day, to see if that would make a difference - he ate only a small mouth full). Up until last October he would happily eat it, but then he went off it and won't touch it since. Once in a blue moon he'll have a good gnaw on a roo tail, but it seems he needs it to sit in the sun for a day or two - perhaps to dry out the meat a little and reduce the richness of it . But that has been too difficult to allow, as it only attracts the flies and maggots and, worse, the european wasps. Won't touch lamb necks - that was the first food he went 'off' when his digestive woes began about 13 months ago. Has turkey mince every now and again - sometimes he'll eat it, sometimes he'll walk away from it. His food treats are roo jerky and he's enjoyed them, up until 2 weeks ago, when he went off them too. Although now he's started back to them - not over the top about them like he once was. Was good with BARF Rabbit for a stint - was the only thing he would eat, for a while. But now won't touch that either, unless it is a blue moon. As a pup he was introduced to many different raw foods (including vegies and fruit) and he loved them all. He won't touch anything vegetable now and only very occasionally and semi-reluctantly will have a small piece of a banana that I might be eating. Once in a blue moon he'll take a piece of apple. Won't touch carrots, yet as a pup they were one of his favourite treats (other favourite was a few raw peas at a time). Wow he must be really difficult to feed!!! I was just asking because I seem remember him being on raw but I wasnt 100% sure and I was just going to say that if he was eating anything with yeast in then the ears may take longer to clear. I feed Mason about 3/4 kibble ( yeast and soy free) and a quarter raw but he cant digest bones so he only gets boneless meat or mince, usually beef or roo. I am lucky with my lab tho as he will eat a piece of paper off the floor if i let him and my 2 ridgies were the same Funny you should mention him going off the roo meat though as a friends pup had been getting roo meat with VAN and she suddenly wouldnt touch the roo meat all of a sudden, she stopped eating it for about 2 weeks and then one day decided to eat it again .

I use my electrostatic broom to get the hair to one spot and then I use the electrostatic pan and small brush to sweep the hair into into the pan. I have seen the Bissell carpet and floor cleaners and I am quite keen to get one and give it a go!

Thank you I will definitely consider one of these!!

Daisy Mason is the same he does his best work for food OR when he knows dinner is coming up and if he works he will get his whole dinner. I was shown though on friday morning how to use a toy and the clicker for training and I was amazed at how Mason actually worked for the toy!!

This holds BIG concerns for me for a number of reasons...firstly....these trainers present themselves as people that can take any dog with any problem and fix it using only positive/food methods. The website also presents these people as 'some of the highest qualified' in the country and proclaim their Certification Level 4 as the be all, end all. Now if this is the actual case and this qualification is what they present it to be, then having a problem dog, would not present a problem....(pardon the play on words!) It strikes me very odd that a group of people, that loudly proclaim their method of instruction IS THE ONLY CORRECT WAY, and yes, they are indeed that vocal, will pass off or ignore dogs that are disruptive or difficult or come with problems. The next concern is this, and this is happening in my region.....These instructors have falsely told people that correction collars are not allowed (against club rules) on the premises of the training/show grounds.....therefore with that statement, and a dog show coming up in a week, no one would then be permitted to show their dog on a choke chain of any sort, in fact martingales are also considered incorrect, but head halters and body harnesses are acceptable. Now saying this, we have a large group of people that have been turned away through one reason or another from this group of instructors. They have been told that their dogs are not suitable, they as owners are to blame, or a combination of the above. They have an unruly dog with no hope of getting the instruction and support they need to turn that dog into a good member of their neighbourhood. This is the dog club...the Canine Club....the place where most would turn to with a dog, looking for help, and yet, because the intructors with their Certification 4 diplomas will not deal with dogs with problems and issues, be it dog to dog or dog to human, these dogs and their owners are left hanging and risk the worst fate because they are being ignored. This is where I came onto the scene, with a lot of years of practical training behind me, and when I say that, I mean training that makes a better social pet, AND can be used for trialling IF the team wishes it. I do not just do "pet" obedience...to me, obedience is obedience, full stop....I will polish you and your dog should you wish to trial, but to me, the same rules apply regardless of what you are going to do with your dog. I had a new student today....this makes in the past three weeks of getting together to train, the numbers going from a start of 4 dogs, to a group of about 12. All these dogs come to me with some issue or another....all are different little personalities to sort out and all are being taught the same disciplines, albeit with slightly different methods depending on the dog and what it needs. In less than three weeks, I've taken a dog with lead aggression issues to being able to be within a couple metres of another dog and most times, not reacting. This same dog that pulled her mom around, today did a stellar heeling routine full of tight circles and direction changes and really wanted to work....by the way..no food involved. I have a couple Sibes that because of their Delta training, would simply not even sit without food in front of them...they both now work well with praise only and are corrected only slightly for slow responses. And then there is my over the top GSP who's energy levels make me tired just watching her.....she now settles into work and heeling and is far less flakey...she is a play machine....high praise makes her worse....so we know now to keep the praise quiet and sporatic to make her work her best. All my class did exceptional today as they learned a lot of new things in both obedience and simple behaviour training. All but one came with a correction collar, and all dogs are learning to respond to the rattle that a properly fitted and used choke chain will do. Tails wagging, and people smiling because they are learning. But I will also mention that I'm in the black books with some, specifically the instructors that also train in the same location, simply because I buck the system.....(in their opinion) That I do not have a Certification 4 diploma issued by someone (I really don't know who issues them) to tell me that I am capable of training someones dog. And yet those same people with that slip of paper, won't take the dogs I have in my class....why.....simple answer...because they are NOT easy to work with, and these particular trainers and their methods do not want to show that they do not succeed, or it simplyl undermines what they are pushing out there as propoganda stating that their method is the only "HUMANE" method to use, and anything less is archaic..... Do I say no to my dog? Damn straight I do..I don't couch it by saying I use 'whoops' or 'wrong' or 'uh oh' etc....call it what you want, it's a negative tone, it's the same as saying NO....but perhaps the word NO is concidered politically incorrect now? That negative tone replaces the mother dogs low grumble when a pup is naughty, and the quick pop on the correction collar (is that politically correct enough instead of choke chain?) is the neck grip and hold that mommy dog does when needed. Pups know the rules....it's very clear to them and if we watch baby pups and their moms we see them being taught to respect.....then suddenly we humans take over and that well behaved pup that doesn't nip or bite, turns into the hound from hell.....why? Because we stopped being 'mommy dog' and began to rationalize with the pup.... I do say please and thank you to my dogs when they do as I ask or when I am asking them for a behaviour or action....but I do not reason with them. They love me anyway, and I"m pretty sure won't grow up and write a novel about how horrible I was to them as they grew up. (Remember "Mommy Dearest"?) I agree with you 100% I had a dog that was very dominant and we went to a club where i was given terrible advice 10 years ago, I think if I had been 'the leader' more with her instead of trying to be her friend I would not have had half the issues I had with her and probably half the struggles too. When I got my lab pup last year I was probably a bit too harsh with him as I did not let him get away with ANYTHING and I did say no when he was mouthing me or jumping etc and he knows thats bad behaviour. Know that he is older I hardly ever have to say NO and he is a lovely well behaved dog I get compliments all the time

Its today in Bunbury, they will only be back much later

One of my puppy owners ,against my advice,took her pup to a delta class.He was a huge ,boisterous pup,very food driven.It was them that told her to walk him in a harness so he wouldnt pull-riiiiiight,thats why we use a harness on them trailing,so they pull us????? He pulled her over several times in his harness,but she had to get up,and reward him for it? Next they told her to take his food away EVERY meal,,no swapping for something better,sometimes a couple of times-end result was extreme food guarding by 14 weeks old.And dont get me started on the jumping up,which had to be politely ignored or rewarded when he sat-so then he would launch at you ,and sit for his reward. He came back to me at 16 weeks old as she was desperate-i had him walking on a loose lead in 10 mins,because he only needed one good correction to learn the boundaries for that.I used TOT ,with feeding etc,and i told her to NEVER take a dogs food away again ever(unless she really needed too,but always have something better as his reward) As far as the jumping,well he only did it once(boss grip on the muzzle and the ah ah).Once he learnt my boundaries,he settled amazingly fast,and i was able to incorporate more positive methods. They were amazed at the difference after being at my place for 10 days-he was happy because he now knew what was acceptable,and what wasnt. I also had,have 2 bloodhounds that never needed any correcting other than tone of voice/facial expression-they would be devastated if i said ah,ah to them,but then have 2 males that are more headstrong,they get a combination of training methods to suit their personalities. Purely positive is not suitable for all breeds/individual dogs,and i think that where a good trainer is invaluable-knowing how to approach training for that dog. I sometimes look at all the snotty little out of control kids you see running around,the results of only positive re-inforcement methods,and cant help but wonder if the same happens with our dogs sometimes. I cant help but agree with you on the jumping issue, ignoring jumping dogs does not work in my opinion, my mum came to visit for 3 weeks when Mason was 4 months old and he was going through the jumping stage, my mum used to tell him off for jumping on her, by the time she left my pup didnt jump. A friends dog has never been told off for jumping and at a year old she still jumps on people more often than not.

Maybe they just dont like him My friends lab is as happy as but there is one lady at our club that the dog cannot handle she barks at her all the time and her fur goes up on her back.

I agree 100% with your view on antibiotics and I dont think I will allow my dog to have cortisone again, makes him feel terrible. I also agree that when the infection is too far gone that the colloidal may not always clear it up. I also prefer to leave the ear well enough alone when i can, however when he starts to scratch the ear its the colloidal every day for 5 days and then i go to every second day for 5 and every 3rd and so on.... seems to be helping. I cant remember from your other posts but what is Mandela eating at the moment?

Depends on the "team", as with any method of dog training. I think you're in the wrong class, if you're not open minded about it then you might as well go somewhere else. In answer to your question (statement, whatever), it doesn't take long at all if you know what you're doing. I have had everyone at our club coming up to me simply amazed by the progress Berri made in SUCH a short period of time, I think I'd been going for 2 months when half a dozen people asked me if I was trailing, and why not. These are people who had been working their dogs with check chains for pretty much forever and Berri had over taken them. I went to a positive workshop on the weekend and the people there had so many "wow" moments as they got their dogs to do things they had never been able to do before. I don't (well, rarely - I am human after all!) say no to my dogs, we have a great relationship. They have to work for everything they want and need, food, getting in and out of the house/car, going for walks, play etc. I establish my authority over them in a way that doesn't involve saying "no", and they respect me for that. Firstly im not attending these classes just listening in to hear what they have to say and how they operate.I went to see how the "others" train dogs.Never too old to learn new things By team do you mean the training class or dog and owner? the training class in nationally accredited and they adhere to the rules of that organization so as i have seen by looking at all three classes at different places they all operate the same. You say it doesnt take long if you know what you are doing..The reason people go to dog training is because they have no idea what to do.The trainers have the ideas..not the owners.. So logically all dogs should be able to do what Berri achieved in the same amount of time? Using your method. Unless they are on check collars of course 2 months of training from scratch is VERY good to be able to trial your dog. Wow from 0-trial in 2 months is not something I have heard of before, I have been working with my dog from the day I got him and he is one year old and no where near ready to trial. I must be a shocking trainer

I wouldnt do it before 24 months with such a big dog but thats just my opinion

I feed Holistic Select, no health issues and no excess weight, I do feed my lab quite sparingly but he does tend to pick up weight very quickly on any food IMO its one of the best foods out there.

Yip I think thats what I am going to have to do!!

I tried Mason in a 42" today and it was HUGE. I however think that if i got a soft crate I would be able to get it behind my 2 front seats without too much of a struggle. A 36' or 42' wont fit in the boot so thats a bit of a problem.

I like the one in the first link, looks easy to fold and carry too.

Just measured my car boot and it is only 100 x 57, me thinks the crate and dog wont be fitting in the one car Hubby has an Elantra but prefers the dog not to go in it, that has a lovely big boot though.

ahhh very very true - I should add that we have a Kia 4wd and a Magna so plenty of room in both for luggage ... we don't travel with the crates up/open (our boys travel in car harnesses in the back seats) so our crates travel folded up in the boot of the car Same here. I wanted an XXL sized crate for my boy but there was NO WAY it was going to fit in my car We bought the XL instead. Still plenty of room for Kei and it fits in the car fine ;) He looks very comfy in there

The crate would only be for trials and seminars so he wouldnt be in one for hours at a time. The problem car wise is that I only have a little Getz so I am not sure how I am going fit a HUGE crate in my car, it would be folded up though as Mason wears a harness for travelling. I have no idea how big the crates will be when folded, going to visit a friend today who has a 42" so I will get a rough idea how big that is and if Mason would fit.

Yeah Mason would be a lot bigger than them he weighs around 32Kg, not sure how tall he is though He is the same height as another collie we know though, he isnt a tall dog at all.