Simply Grand

For future trips my 3 will go to kennels together and I'm sure will be just fine, tho I will miss them like crazy!!

I haven't been away for more than a couple of nights since I got the first of my dogs 2.5 years ago because I haven't had the money/opportunity. I know I would miss them lots I did go away but as long as I knew they were being well cared for I would definitely go!! You will miss them but you should still go and enjoy your holiday :)

Hahaha @ Janba! Poor boys, everyone poking around down there.

Oh I didn't know they could go up and down! :D Riley has one undescended, pretty sure it's not a yo-yo and he's 9 months now so I don't think it's coming down. He will be desexed shortly, I have no intention of asking the breeder to pay for anything as Riley was sold as a pet and I view it as just one of those things. I suppose if I'd been after a show dog it might be different.

Have to agree with Liz. Male or female, when you're caring for a child or animal you have a responsibility not to have a big, physical temper tantrum around them as of course it will freak them out!! As you now know the dogs should not have been in together, it was only a matter of time before the serious fight happened. Pending the behaviorist's advice, I too think you should probably rehome the Lab, work hard with the Neo and not put any of you in that situation again.

I know of someone whose 8 month old boxer has colitis. Symptoms are constant diarrhea and blood in the stool. Apart from that he seems healthy and happy. It has been going on for a month or so and the vet has told them that it should be controllable with diet but they're not sure exactly what the diet should be so they are going to a holistic vet. I'm not sure how they diagnose colitis but could be something to consider.

Oh huntia and gorgeous Cherry *hugs* You mention the look of trust she gave you when she had the final injection, well I think she trusted you to do the best for her and that's exactly what you did, so do not feel guilty. Her life may have been short but it was sounds like she was happy and much loved xx

Clever Georgia! That's awesome :) I wish I lived near a beach, I love the water, Sax and Riley aren't the biggest fans of swimming although they will do it, but they LOVE racing around in the sand.

Oh no, so so sorry Huntia. Rest peacefully baby girl

God that a terrible explanation! Let me know of it doesn't make sense ;)

Cos, I only have 3 and they are little but I have clip things that go into the seatbelt things on the back seat then clip onto the harnesses with a spring clip (trojan clip??? Like on the end of a leash). So I could have 3 dogs on the back seat. I also have a short leash secured around the base of the passenger seat (the leg thingy where it is attached to the floor of the car). This leash clips to the harness of the dog in the footwell. This could be done behind the driver seat too so I could secure 5 dogs to anchor points, provided they weren't too big. It would mean only 2 people could fit in the car tho, in the front. Please excuse my expert technical language

Just remembered also my dad used to call our cat Furry Features... Along the same lines as Dog Face and Cat Face :)

Yes!! Not Saxon, my oldest, but Riley the 9 month old seems a bit precious about rain. Not sure about Quinn yet, she's only 10.5 weeks. I make a point of taking them out on their regular schedule whether it's raining or not. And I go too, mainly to show them it's just water, we go out anyway when we have to! Probably not in a thunder storm but normal rain is just par for the course.

Yes, the basis of Leslie Nelson's Really Reliable Recall (which I'm a big fan of) is that you condition them to respond to your call without even thinking about it, as when they start thinking and weighing up their options chances are they won't come :) I can see it working with my 2.5 year old dog, he's pretty good at coming to me when I just say his name and/or come but if he's reluctant and I call "saxsaxsax" in a quick, high voice he just automatically spins and runs over. Riley's initial one wasn't conditioned properly and I started over using it so it lost its effectiveness so I'm now working on getting the automatic response to the new call (it's such an embarrassing call too, I couldn't think of anything else at the time )

I've found my 9 month old Sheltie has regressed in his recall in recent months, he's been choosing to ignore me too often for my liking (in the fenced dog park). I decided I had to make myself even more exciting than whatever else is around so I've been trying whenever his attention is on me from a distance I start running away from him but look back and call and talk to him in an excited high pitched voice, like "come on Riley over here, this way, come on!". Once he's engaged and running I let him catch up and either pop several high value treats in his mouth and/or have a play and ruffle him up. Then send him off again so he sees coming to me doesn't mean the end of the fun! I've also changed the call I use, as he was ignoring the old way I figured I need to condition a response to a new call. I only practice this in fenced areas at the moment until it's more reliable. And like wuffles said, with all my dogs I reward recalls as often as I possibly can, even when they are solid, so that on the occasions I can't depend on rewards but need them to come they still do it automatically.

I forgot one of Riley's until I said it today - Pointy Face, because.. um... he has a pointy face hehe. Re the teaching puppies their name, Quinn is 10.5 weeks and seems to be responding to Quinn, Quinny and Quinston just fine.

Oh gosh dyz and pme, I'm glad you and your dog's are ok. Very scary, crashes definitely shake you up even without injuries, and I think if you've had one you become more cautious as you realise they don't just happen to someone else! This is a great reinforcer for me, I do always have my guys harnessed and clipped in to achor points (2 on the back seat belts and 1 in the rear footwell) but the thought has crossed my mind sometimes that it would be so much easier to just put them all in without the harness rigmarole for a short trip... But then I think what if this is the one trip where I happen to have an accident ,so they all get strapped in!

Oops

Well there you go... Weas I had no idea your dogs were actually called Chelsea and Diesel! I thought they were actually Weasel and Fox

Oh and collectively the dogs are puppo's and the cats are puddins, although sometimes everyone gets called one or the other regardless of species.

Heehee, thread is cute! Mine have lots but I'm not sure they properly respond to them all... Saxon: Sax Saxxy Saxomaphone Monkey (as a puppy he used to hang on to me as I lifted him out of the car, like a little monkey) Chicken (since I accidentally clipped him very short and he looked like a plucked chicken) Scruffy / scruff head / Scruffle Fluff head / Fluff bum Grumpy Bum Riley: Riles Smiley Riley Smiles Fluff Head Lassie Cranky pants Quinn: Quinny Quinston Baby girl missy oh and Fatty!

Oh dear, Quinn not only walked into the vet on lead and sat on the floor for her 2nd vac yesterday (at 10 weeks) but she also walked out of my house and across the road to get to the vet (we live over the road from the surgery) ;) She was also on the floor of a different vet surgery for puppy school tonight along with 8 other puppies. It's a personal choice I guess, with 2 other dogs myself who go out and about and me working with dogs all day I figure trips to the vet are the least of Quinn's worries and worth the risk. Having said that though I've not had a dog sick with a contagious disease yet so I suppose if I did I may feel differently?

Dancinbcs it hadn't really clicked in my mind that pet shops dump their unsold puppies at shelters/pounds, though I honk have had heard it. That is absolutely disgusting, on the shop's part and especially the people that breed the pups they sell. What terrible life for a puppy - be born, go live in a glass box for weeks when you should still be with your mum, then get dumped at a shelter where you are unlikely to find a home either and be put down Daveri, sorry I don't know much about breeding, I feel your frustration tho. She could have 10 pups in the litter! $400 each means she's gonna need to come up with $4000 before she gets the money from selling them! I just don't get how she's planning to do this ?!? Hopefully after one litter she will at least realise it was a stupid idea and not do it again.

I don't think a Furminator would work on a GR coat, especially if it's the undercoat shedding, which it sounds like. Like LizT said you need an undercoat rake and lots of brushing right down to the skin. It can get all matted if you don get it out so probably a good idea to get on it ASAP! Hydrobath and blow drying will help too.

:laugh: @ raz I couldn't actually hear anything as every time I played it Saxon and Riley barked louder than the ad... Very cute and clever tho!