Mrs Rusty Bucket

Running a snake over will kill it - no need to skid. But it dies slowly... so it could still bite until it stops moving. Same problem with chopping the head off or cutting the spine but leaving a still wriggling actively biting bit lying around. If you must do that - make sure you put the head where the dogs cannot get to it. loose coils of bird netting will also dispatch snakes but that's a slow and horrible way to go so if you must do that, make sure you check the netting twice daily and arrange for removal of any caught. ...wrt violent shaking: I thought more of it as a last resort once you tried to catch a snake with bare hands (attempting to get the safe grip just behind the head) and it suddenly comes out of control - a bit much to get to the car, start it, place the snake in front of the wheel and run it over :laugh: ...however, this DIY snake catcher will make direct contact with hands obsolete... I just don't think violent shaking will work fast enough. Neither will running the poor thing over (or rolling it in bird netting). With fish - they do something I call "ikijeema" (no idea of spelling or pronunciation) where they stick a spike into the brain behind the eye or something like that - the fish don't even flip after that. But I would not want to try that on a live poisonous snake. I think if I had one out of control - I'd be trying to get far away from it while pointing it at somewhere safer (from its point of view) for it to be like under a bit of tin (not my car). fortunately the one time I had to deal with a snake it was tiny and a big metal office bin went over the top, with some big office sticky tape dispensers on top until the snake catcher came and got it. Yes the baby tiger snake was in our office. Bleah

I've had auto reminders for things like flea treatment purchases - their default system was every 6 months but they were selling packs good for 9 months - oops. I just asked for the system to be updated with specific dates for when I wanted the reminders that would actually be helpful. Eg for the desex if you want the reminder in Sept 2017 - ask them to put that in. They can do that - well my vet can. Then when they run the "get me all the reminders for this month" - that reminder won't be in it.

wow...how did you manage this?...did you step on it or sit on it?.....I had Redbacks crawling over my hands and Huntsmen dropping from the ceiling on my head (when I tried to remove them), but I never got bitten. I heard that white-tailed spiders can be a little bit nasty...and of course the funnel webs, but I actually never saw a funnel web spider here in the Illawarra. We get heaps of them here and nasty is an understatement. They're easily the most aggro spiders I've ever come across and they seem to enjoy hanging out in places you might need at night- I've found them on the bathroom floor, on the towel rack in the bathroom, in the kitchen sink, wandering up the hallway and even in one of the dogs' bowls. They're not the sort of spider you can trap under a glass and take outside, either. The last one I saw, it ran up the hallway at me with its front legs and fangs up, presumably not for cuddles. I threw a shoe at it to buy myself some time and retreated for the flyspray. The only good white-tailed spider is one that is buried under a foamy pile of Mortein. I have problems with whitetails touring through my house too. They're mostly not web and one spot spiders, they are more keen to hunt on the move and will keep going until they find some food, then hang around there for a bit... on your bath towel, in the toilet paper, in the bed - argh. So I use a regular dose of surface spray in the bathroom and the bed room and a couple of other places in the house where they show up, and spray where the wall meets the floors and along the corners of rooms... seems to slow them down a bit. Ie I find dead ones. Running a snake over will kill it - no need to skid. But it dies slowly... so it could still bite until it stops moving. Same problem with chopping the head off or cutting the spine but leaving a still wriggling actively biting bit lying around. If you must do that - make sure you put the head where the dogs cannot get to it. loose coils of bird netting will also dispatch snakes but that's a slow and horrible way to go so if you must do that, make sure you check the netting twice daily and arrange for removal of any caught.

That's about the same reaction I have to mozzie bites... sigh. I use voltaren gel and anti histamine to help reduce the itching.

This. And take really really good treats - the stuff your dog goes nuts for. Eg for my dog - that would be vegemite on toast... if she does what I want - she gets the treat, tho I think the reason she gets so excited about toast, is if she doesn't do what I want; I eat the treat!

Nobody much reports huntman bites because they're about as bad as mozzie bites and you really have to handle and annoy one to get bitten. How do I know? One of my friends used to keep them as pets, and I also spent a bit of time with the spider guy at the SA museum. I've actually accidentally put my finger on one and destroyed her egg (oops). She didn't bite me. Dumb spider set up inside the roll of paper towel so next time I used it - urk.

That's interesting. My dog is fast on the way to the park walking, but slow on the way back. Even tho she's had quite a few bad experiences at the park. Sigh. She gets a bit sticky around the home like she's bumped into something and it fell on her head (tho I've not seen any sign that it actually happened ie she's most sticky where I have a folded crate leaning against the wall and it hasn't fallen over. I sometimes wonder if her eye sight is not as good as it used to be in darker conditions. Dogs have a lot of senses that work better or differently to ours so those spots you think are ordinary and unchanged - probably - at the very least smell different and perhaps look different from your dog's perspective. Have you tried playing games with treats on the edge of where he starts to get uncomfortable to see if you can get a different association going for him?

training I think inline does Ballarat or they could recommend someone or a class. Sometimes posts here as Nekhbet. http://inlinek9.webs.com/ Cosmolo is also in vic but I don't think ballarat is on the agenda. http://underdogtraining.com.au/services/puppy-pre-school/

I imagine any dog that has a bit of dingo in it would have some snake savvyness. And I'm thinking that's possible heritage with some of the dogs off the lands or the outback stations. It doesn't take hundreds of generations for something like this to be passed on. Apparently a smell associated with a bad experience ie that smell causes an adverse reaction in the parent - can be passed on to the children and I reckon dogs could smell a snake out. http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/15/mice-inherit-the-fears-of-their-fathers/ But I know of multiple dogs that have lost battles with snakes.

My dog didn't get one. She got a cardboard box and some old tshirts (that smelled like me) and towels. Ie all things I would not be upset if she tore to shreds. The first cardboard box got torn to shreds. And most of my bath mats have holes in them now. This might work but with all that fur - I don't think a dog like that needs a warmth pad. https://www.ozpetshop.com.au/products/683/dog-beds-bedding/snugglesafe-microwave-pet-heat-pad.html I sometimes leave the radio on for my dog but I don't think she cares one way or the other. She doesn't always choose to be in the same room with it any more.

I think being reasonably snake savvy for a dog would be a matter of natural selection... Ie the ones that were snake savvy were more likely to pass their genes on. Especially farm dogs and dingos and dogs who share habitat with snakes. My dog finds them fascinating (have had an on lead encounter). I know we have lizards in our garden and she keeps a polite distance from them too.

If they think their youtube videos are a good representation of what they do, I would run a mile. The dogs in those videos look desperately unhappy to me. Compare that to the K9pro training videos... and I know who I'd choose.

This might have been true 40 years ago when little fluffies never left the house, there was no such thing as a lab x poodle that never learned any manners, and most people who had a dog had a clue about dog body language. Now we have dogs who don't read other dog's body language because they left the litter before they learned it. So what happens if you leave my dog to sort it - she will, without killing the other dog. But the other dog won't enjoy it at all and neither will the owner. Some dogs are really slow on the back off message (eg Rusty) and then the next dog my dog sees - gets the same treatment. Which involves being herded away at speed and chomped enough to make a dog squeal but not break the skin. The dog being herded with violence may have done nothing wrong - it may have just looked like the previous rude dog that got in my dog's face. Or it may have gotten in her face uninvited - which means it can't read her dog body language - totally stiff, upright, fixed stare and tail straight out the back parallel to the ground...ready to pounce hard and herd. And she will shoulder charge the approaching dog, turn it away and then chase it until it is a distance she deems acceptable - usually half a football oval. Which I find completely unacceptable at the park - so I prevent it as best I can (sometimes we get surprised by a dog I didn't see before she did). Most other owners do not want their rude dogs sorted out in this way either. I would teach Rusty appropriate manners by preventing and interrupting "rehearsals of bad behaviour" as much as possible. I might teach him better greeting manners. For example: holding a drop while the other dog has a sniff - not jumping all over its head and then going in for a bit of excited humping. I would not do what Willem has suggested because my dog over does it. And every dog that looks like the rude dog suffers. The Kelpie in this story deserves the owner's protection. If the kelpie has to sort it the kelpie will not respect the owner's lead because when she needed it - she didn't get it so clearly she's taking care of the owner now and not the other way about. And that leads to more stress for a dog. Dogs are like human 2 year olds when it comes to making decisions in their own best interests. They are also opportunists, and will take what they can get when they can get it. That doesn't mean that's a good way to solve a problem. That's why adult humans take care of dogs and set the rules and not the other way about. If you let the dog set the rules and enforce them - you can be in a whole world of trouble. IMO it is not about how they behave regards other dogs outside the house in public - this can / have to be controlled by the owner(s), and the 'let them sort it out' approach I'm talking is definitely not meant for public places respectively with foreign dogs. IMO this 'let them sort it out' approach also doesn't compromise the leadership of the owner - because it is dog vs dog and a (pack)leader doesn't bother about the ranking below him/her as long as no pack member challenges the first rank. IMO the problem here is not even a real ranking / dominance issue - the beagle just wants to play and overdoes it (might be typical for beagles)....all what he needs is to learn that it might hurt when he keeps on going after the kelpie snarls her teeth. It is also reassuring for the kelpie making the experience that she can keep him off her back - at the moment it is only confusing for her: she shows all the right signals (so her instincts are intact), but doesn't get the right response...that is what causing her the stress. I only can comment on the information the OP provides here, but based on the information I definitely would consider this not so popular approach - it could solve the whole issue pretty quick. Trying to micromanage the whole situation with more or less success over a longer period could do significant damage too, and will maintain the stress for the kelpie (it will always be an unsolved threat for her). Furthermore, if the OP finds out after half a year that it doesn't work out it won't increase the chances to rehome the beagle either. edited to correct some spelling .... With my dog - having to sort out another family dog (that she didn't live with) in a private home yard, lead directly to her being extremely nasty to dogs at the local parks. So it's not at all separate in her mind. I want my dog to seek my aid and protection when she's in trouble - not sort it out for herself because I don't like the way she does that and you never know if the other dog really will be herded away or turn around and make it a fight to the death. If my dog has to sort things out for herself - she also ups her game when it comes to protecting me and that's also a bad thing. And this all stemmed from the other family dog and the other family member saying "let them sort it out". Bad idea. That dog has since died from head butting a car - because the other family member did not think it could be trained to behave appropriately so didn't try.

This might have been true 40 years ago when little fluffies never left the house, there was no such thing as a lab x poodle that never learned any manners, and most people who had a dog had a clue about dog body language. Now we have dogs who don't read other dog's body language because they left the litter before they learned it. So what happens if you leave my dog to sort it - she will, without killing the other dog. But the other dog won't enjoy it at all and neither will the owner. Some dogs are really slow on the back off message (eg Rusty) and then the next dog my dog sees - gets the same treatment. Which involves being herded away at speed and chomped enough to make a dog squeal but not break the skin. The dog being herded with violence may have done nothing wrong - it may have just looked like the previous rude dog that got in my dog's face. Or it may have gotten in her face uninvited - which means it can't read her dog body language - totally stiff, upright, fixed stare and tail straight out the back parallel to the ground...ready to pounce hard and herd. And she will shoulder charge the approaching dog, turn it away and then chase it until it is a distance she deems acceptable - usually half a football oval. Which I find completely unacceptable at the park - so I prevent it as best I can (sometimes we get surprised by a dog I didn't see before she did). Most other owners do not want their rude dogs sorted out in this way either. I would teach Rusty appropriate manners by preventing and interrupting "rehearsals of bad behaviour" as much as possible. I might teach him better greeting manners. For example: holding a drop while the other dog has a sniff - not jumping all over its head and then going in for a bit of excited humping. I would not do what Willem has suggested because my dog over does it. And every dog that looks like the rude dog suffers. The Kelpie in this story deserves the owner's protection. If the kelpie has to sort it the kelpie will not respect the owner's lead because when she needed it - she didn't get it so clearly she's taking care of the owner now and not the other way about. And that leads to more stress for a dog. Dogs are like human 2 year olds when it comes to making decisions in their own best interests. They are also opportunists, and will take what they can get when they can get it. That doesn't mean that's a good way to solve a problem. That's why adult humans take care of dogs and set the rules and not the other way about. If you let the dog set the rules and enforce them - you can be in a whole world of trouble.

beagles can be escape artists... The more consistent you can be about intervening when he's being rude - the better. He will learn. Beagles are insanely smart. Any kind of sniff out the treat games you can play with him would be good too. I roll kibble up in bath mat, or scatter it over the lawn or put it in a bob a lot or kong wobbler (tho the food release hole in that is too big), any kind of puzzle sniff game that you can think of to engage beagle nose. In Adelaide there is a tracking club (find the sock and cheese game) that a beagle would definitely enjoy... There might be one in your state. It would be time consuming to actually compete but learning the techniques would bring much joy to your beagle and hopefully wear his brain out. Just exercise like a big run - can make dogs fitter not tired. Trick training tires their brains out and encourages sleeping. Teaching beagle any kind of impulse control - ie basic "its yer choice" with food in your hand could be a good game to play too. I play that one with my dog in front of telly. If the dog can back off the treats - open hand with treats in, if dog can stay backed off from treats, give dog one from other hand. Gradually increase the difficulty by changing one thing... (duration, distance, location of treats...)

I would be stepping in every time I saw Rusty being obnoxious and pulling him away. I would wait till he focusses on me and then releasing to see what his choice is. If it's straight back to harassing Annie - I'd be putting him on lead, or separating him or putting him in a crate (provided he likes being in a crate and has been crate trained). I'd only allow him to be off lead around Annie when I could supervise and intervene. And I'd be as consistent about stopping him from harassing her. And I would also be setting him up for making choices about it... ie grab him, hold until he pays attention to me, then release to see what his choice is and if he makes a good choice he can stay off lead and free but if he makes a bad one - he's separated/on lead/in crate. I think he'd learn pretty quickly what he's supposed to be doing if you could intervene and train (reward for good behaviour / separate for undesirable) instead of watching and going "poor Annie".

Just wondering what you want to achieve by doing the dog training course.. That one doesn't seem to offer a nationally recognised accreditation like a certificate III in dog training. The ones that I know about are National Dog Trainers Federation - which will teach all methods of dog training and which ones to use when and which work most reliably... Or Delta / Australian association of Pet Dog Trainers who use mostly the reward / no reward system and controlling the environment to train dogs (and owners). I could not find any descriptions of how the company you mention trains a dog. Do they use treats, do they use punishment, do they use clickers, do they use slip chains, do they use controlled environments? do they use shock collars, do they use prong collars (aversive and aversive relief training). And I'm always a bit worried about someone who will take a dog away from the owner and train it and then go back to the owner and spend one session training the owner... It's good that this person says they take the dog back to the home environment to see what the owner has by way of doggy distractions but is that enough? I've read some shocking stories about trainers that use a lot of aversives in their dog training, and some dogs are tough enough to cope with this and still be a great pet, and some are completely traumatised and ruined by it. I don't know if this group risk that or not.

...my thoughts too... Because they both need help and the kelpie has quite likely developed issues that won't just go away because the other dog starts behaving? hard to tell but post #4 is all about medicating the kelpie and nothing about training the other dog - as if there is nothing wrong with that one. Chances are if it stops harassing the kelpie - the kelpie won't be so stressed it pees everywhere. Or the kelpie could have spey incontinence...

Why are you getting the behaviourist in for your kelpie when it seems clear to me that it's your second dog Rusty that needs training to behave politely? http://suzanneclothier.com/he-just-wants-to-say-hi#.VtKP_3lf3YU

You think his own bed at the same height as yours will make a difference? My dog just tries to push me out of my own bed, off the couch, out of the chair, off the beach towel... Doesn't work tho cos I'm a wee bit heavier than her. One time she did put her legs up against me and push, and she fell off the bed. Kharma.

I would be keeping Rusty on lead around her until he learns to be polite. My dog suffered from the unwanted attentions of a giant poodle cross, and we're still dealing with the fall out from that. She thinks that any dog like that has to be seen off before it can get started and that can upset the dog and the owner. And it's behaviour I don't want her doing. Protect your Kelpie.

I would definitely do what blink blink says - dog won't settle, stay in place, dog goes on lead and is put where I want the dog. If dog can behave, I take the lead off. If I was really peeved - dog would go in crate so dog can't get joy from undesirable behaviour.

what about a pedigree poodle - do they have rescues for those? Or you could ask a breeder if they have one they want to rehome (too old or not suitable for breeding). http://www.poodleclubofvictoria.com/

It might have been in the link of toilet training threads, "umbilical method" gets recommended often. For the collar grab, it helps if you "train" collar grab first. Like the harness play a quick game, start with five treats, reach for collar, say dog's name, give a treat, let go, count to three then repeat until you run out of treats. The idea is the dog looks forward to you reaching for her neck. Then when she jumps... you grab the collar, let her jump up and down but just hold her away from you so she is not jumping on you. Don't force her down, or up, just out and away... Try to let her go when she's being a little bit calm and not fighting or biting. Get home greeting, ignore absolutely everything, march straight through house and out into back yard, continue acting boring (or collar grab, hold until she's not jumping, let go - see what choice is, but don't talk to her or go near her dinner until she's calm. The second she starts getting excited about dinner prep - stop dinner prep and walk away until she's calm again. You're probably only going to get a couple of seconds if that of calm the first few times... but it's worth it. You might want to consider using all of dinner as training treats... That's where I taught my dog a calm sit stay... well a drooly one anyway - in front of dinner. Calm for a second, ok, then gradually over weeks - build the duration. sometimes make puppy wait a short time, sometimes a little bit longer, but mostly a short time. I time how long my dog can stay before she loses it and then I know what the threshold is, and make sure I give her permission to eat before she gets to the threshold time. And then about once a week - I time to see where our threshold is now...

Yes TSD pics like that deserve to be in their own thread not a BB thread - we will never think to look for them here.