Staff'n'Toller

Call the breeder. The Guide dogs don't use Labradoodles anymore, they tried and found that only 30% of the litter was actually hypoallergenic so they abandoned the breeding plan. Unfortunately this is what happens when you cross 2 breeds together who both have tendencies for Hip Dysplasia, and don't xray and score the breeding bitches and dogs before breeding with them. It's also buyer beware when you are shipping pups from interstate and you can't get evidence of original health tests for the parents. Sorry you have to go through so much grief, and your girl so much pain , hopefully she will be much better with her knees in the correct place, if you keep her thin depending on her build, you may see little symptoms of the Hip Dysplasia until she's much older. Make sure you find a good K9 physio and get your girl into some controlled swimming so she can build up the muscles in her legs again now. Mel.

Teach the sit with a cue- many people 'stomp' their feet like one-two (left-right) like a march on the spot as they command sit. Make your stop over exaggerated and slow down your pace beforehand to give the dog some idea that you're coming to a halt- you can speed that up later. Then once you've practiced it, and proofed it in different environments you can start to fade out your sit command, then slowly fade the 'stomping' to a softer stop. Mel.

He had Anal Glands (Sacs). Just as well I did a search on the internet before I called the vet. I told him that I thought it was the anal sac. He said if that was the case, then he would only charge me to squeeze it/them out without consultation. It turned out that I was right so I paid only $14 I think. If it wasn't anal sac, it would have cost an extra $55 for him to find out why Panda was scooting. All dogs have anal glands. Having impacted anal glands is a common problem and not serious. They simply need to be emptied, whereas an abscess of an anal glad is both painful and a more complicated problem. Yep abscesses definitely need antibiotics and sometimes flushing out...and wolf82 might need to learn how to empty them on a regular basis- can be a one off type of thing, just depends on the dog. Mel.

Oh well I guess it needs to be one rule for all otherwise we'd have Hills, Iams, Euk reps etc all flocking here. I'm sure they are still contactable thru the website. Mel.

Exactly why I posted the article, in your eyes whatever benefit you think the dog is getting out of it, may be totally incorrect. I'm just posting a different POV who may not realise the article is available.

I've had a subscription for a year now, it's a great publication- no commercial advertisements, and Pat Miller almost always writes an article each month on training. Mel.

Hey! Don't be too hard on yourself! You got the "Pat" bit right!. :wink: Yeah don't be embarrassed- I had to go searching for the video- I wasn't sure who the producer was, I just know it's not Pat Miller. Mel

Nah that's Pat Hastings. :rolleyes:

I thought some Trainers and Handlers may be interested in an article printed in the July edition of the Whole Dog Journal. Biscuits, Not Rolls Why you should never use the “alpha roll” (and what to do instead) is available for purchase from their website Written by Pat Miller from Peaceable Paws Dog and Puppy Training. Cheers, Mel. :rolleyes:

Sorry I have only just realised you had posted an update. I just wanted to say good on you! A big pat on the back for going ahead with the allergy vaccines! I know what you mean about the tummy problems- my allergic Staffy is the same I'm lucky though she does fantastically on the z/d. I'd go with the proplan Turkey if it works! Consequently Advance also make a Turkey based food... I wonder if your boy is allergic to corn? There's alot of corn in the Science Diet range. Keep is posted eh? :p Mel.

Sadly alot of dogs with CHF need to be put to sleep when the time is right. Often we are keeping them alive with the medications. Although you are faced with a difficult decision, deciding to euthanase is much less difficult than watching your dog drown- which is essentially what happens- I wouldn't wish it on anyone. A good rule of thumb is to count how many good days your dog has in a week, and how many bad days, when there are more bad days than good- then quality of life is questionable. Please make the decision when the time is right for you and your dog- it's the kindest thing you will ever do for Cooper! Mel.

I have an old sewing machine at home so I bought some cheapies and stitched them up to the size I wanted. Mel.

Me too Erny.... Mel.

I second InspectorRex, I believe that Eagle Pack is the closest commercial dry food to a raw/natural diet and certainly a much better alternative than some other brands on the market. Mel.

Not sure there's much left to say HR.

Except NDTF does not have "preferred training methods". They teach all: explain, demonstrate and practice in the principals of each and it is up to the graduate to chose which method they wish to adopt/practice in (such as the person you know and refer to). NDTF might not, but ADT certainly have preferred training methods, and since that's where all the NDTF trainers are sent to complete their practical experience, I think that's certainly a consideration. Well I hope they have established a good reason for the use of demonstrating positive punishment on dogs just for the benefit of their students. Mel.

The Delta course does cover the four quadrants of dog training, they just choose not to use a couple of them for various reasons. It is a Cert IV in Behavioural Dog Training, but because it also satifies the ANTA requirements for a Cert IV in Animal Care and Management, due to it's health and husbandry modules, it is given the title of Cert IV in Companion Animal Services. In general you'll find that NDTF graduates and Delta CGC graduates can discuss this type of topic until the cows come home, but individually, we do what we do, or study the Certificated course we choose because we believe in and follow the principles of that organisation and their preferred training methods. It is no secret that they are different in many many ways and my advice to Fido666 is to go and observe an ADT centre in action because that's where you'll be doing most of your nominated training hours to fulfill the requirements- no-one can tell you if you're going to like one or the other better- only you will know that. For the others that have asked, if you live in Vic, you want to be a Dog Trainer but you haven't handled any other dogs than your own, then the NDTF course will certainly give you tonnes of hands-on experience because you need to do kennel work as well as class experience. I'm doing the Delta course now, but I've worked and studied for years under ex- NDTF trained trainers, and for me, and for the training principles I follow now, doing the NDTF course would be covering old ground and not heading in a direction I'd like to take....but as I stated before- it's a personal thing. I know of someone who has completed the NDTF course but refuses offers to work for ADT until they bin their correction chains and open their minds to the possibilities of using other training equipment- both physical equipment and primary reinforcers. Again, it's not a dig, it's just personal preference. For me, I'm enjoying the heavy emphasis on reading dogs stress signals both in classes and when interacting with their environment because when you're stressed you can't think, and when you can't think, you can't learn. Class sizes and individual dogs become an important issue that is not addressed in many training schools, private or otherwise. I'm also enjoying the fact that because we seem to have an abundance of workplace trainers as our tutors, we are covering alot on 'Learner Outcomes' which is also an important issue that is not thought about in many training schools. It could well be the reason why we see frustration in our human (adult) students, and may account for the fluctuations in member retention over longer periods of time. Cheers, Mel.

I put my Toller on EP Natural (the purple one) at 5mths and he has done really well. The holistic varieties are a bit more expensive due to their choice ingredients. At the moment (in my area) they are doing an 18kg bag for the price of a 15kg. Mel.

Kirty I have multiple dogs and do use halters when I'm walking more than one. Makes for a much more relaxing walk for me! Mel.

Kirty you can train at Knox without a check chain- friends of mine used to train their dogs there and they used nylon martingales i.e. Blackdog Training Collar. They can't force you to use any piece of equipment if you do not consent. Other clubs you could try are Sherbrooke- they are a positive club using flat collars or halters or no pull harnesses. Or Croydon Obedience who have a big agility and flyball contingent and are moving to clickers, targetting and other positives, a few of their trainers are undertaking the Delta CGC Instructors course this year. Cheers, Mel.

You can put a dose of Frontline or Advantage on your mumma dog, it's ok for lactating bitches. It will eventually kill all the fleas since the pups are so close to her but it might take a few days. Important that you get on top of it pretty fast as it can cause anaemia in young pups. Don't forget to worm them with some puppy syrup at 2,4,6,8 weeks. Mel.

We are fairly lucky in Melbourne, there are quite a few positive clubs around, might mean you need to travel through a couple of suburbs to get to one though. Try the Delta Society link for further info. :D Mel.

That's a shame you only have one school available to you. :rolleyes: Staffy's are usually fairly sensitive and they shut down with harsh methods. Being younger, and in a club situation you may also be pressured into doing things that you don't want to do or feel is necessary for your dog. Maybe a better option would be to buy some books on positive training and join a few discussion lists through yahoogroups.com, there are so many online these days and you don't *have* to go to a training school to have a well trained dog. Good luck, don't be forced into using any equipment you don't want to - no-one can make you. Mel.

This method has always intrigued me- we are trying to convey to the dog that we are eating from his bowl then giving it to him, as the next member down in the pack order. I don't believe we can ever be sure that the dog perceives it that way though- what if the dog thinks that *he* is eating from *our* food bowl? We can't ever presume to think that dogs perceive things the way we do. I think meal regimes are highly anthropomorphic, I've never read anything to suggest otherwise- it links back to our old 'wolf pack' falacies. Leadership is holistic and all embracing, it's what you do with your dogs all day long that makes the difference, making them work for the resource is more important than how the resource is presented. Mel.

Has he had a Vet examination to check the cruciate and hip luxation? Mel.