Staff'n'Toller

If it was constantly happening it would drive me bananas and I would dock it as well.

If I wasn't a vet nurse I'd probably be horrified at the suggestion but seriously, they are unaffected by the process after the initial surgery and I too would do a GSP style tail - would be so much better!

Edit: Getting a vet to agree to it is the hardest part...so that's already done if your vet suggested it! :)

I'd be inclined to give it some more time Staffyluv. Sensitive little creatures they are, Staffords. :) It may be age related and was going to happen anyway but it's too hard to separate that for now in order to work it out.

I'd be surprised if any Stafford was happy to be in a pen in a vet hospital situation...they are generally just more anxious about being away from home and confined than other breeds.

I think it's good that the treating Vet decided to sedate if it was with something nice like stronger pain relief. We know that anxiety delays healing and damages the immune system so I would rather the dog be feeling relaxed and a bit 'out of it' than worrying it's head off. :)

You did a rally or tracking trial though and she had no issues with the EIC, yes?

May be just as simple as picking your times.

Move to Hobart or NZ perhaps. :laugh:

So this morning it was back to the specialist - I guess the "good" news is that the rest of her isn't falling any further apart. She finally has some decent muscle back on her front end and no hint of anything the matter there.

The bad news - yes the RH has deteriorated further then it was in January (didn't get a grading though) and yes she still has a residual grade 1 MPL on her LH but he did feel that had improved. So the main goal now is to focus on getting her so she can manage a walk around the block. The days of thinking that she may get back into the trial ring are all but over. Not even holding out hope for obedience these days unfortunately.

Will continue with the UWTM sessions since she has a few left to use of the last lot we have bought.

Completely devastated doesn't half describe how I am feeling .

Whilst you feel very sad about it, try not to get yourself worked up any further - you already knew there was patella luxation in both knees - the grade doesn't really matter, getting it surgically fixed does, and the right technique is more important to focus your energies on.

There are plenty of dogs who've had bilateral cruciate repair or bilateral patella repairs (not just a tie-back) heck, we've even done bilateral patella repair on a cat! I'm pretty certain it climbs trees now! They lead good lives. Agility - maybe not, but with the correct rehab Obedience is certainly possible. So she may not ever run around like a crazy idiot BC - she may well get back to walking a few k's, and lots of swimming.

Is there any crepitus in the joints? I'd be more concerned about that.

Get the knees fixed, first one, then the other when you can. Do the worst one first.

Maybe Stan can do an Oz tour for a year, just spend a couple of weeks in each house along the way.

http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodation/vic/melbourne?view=list

Try there. ^^

The mealworms were supposed to be for the chickens. Now that the dogs have discovered these tasy new treats (eww), I've got five hens and three dogs lining up for them. I need to learn how to grow mealworms so we can keep up with the demand.

They are quite easy to breed - can find instructions on the webz.

Can I just say Stan is my fav Greyhound, if I have a Grey in the future I'd like one just like Stan. :laugh:

Going by what you say with the awkward sits I would want to be 100% sure there is not a spinal issue.

After the all clear, perhaps you could show her how to charge up a clicker - if she has decent enough timing, and steer her towards some youtube vids on how to lure a drop and the precise moment to mark it with a click, then reward. She can do this at home sitting on the carpet with the dog in front of her.

Sometimes if the dog didn't team the cue with the position correctly in the teaching phase (this is all about muscle memory and less about the hand signal) then it's unclear, and pushing-on only confuses the dog and frustrates the owner.

She could rename it too - floor or down or lie etc etc.

We've used mortein flea killer it's good. :)

If you were going to spray anywhere else, under the furniture and all your skirting boards - the join where the floor meets the wood - is where eggs will be, waiting for vibration or humidity to hatch.

The doors are 38cm wide and the door opening is ~40cm.

I can fit two crates under mine. It's 200mm high. What you need to be careful of is the width of the feet holding the floor up underneath - i.e. will the crates fit lengthways?

Also you need to be able to remove it with a simple screwdriver set on the side of the road to get the spare tyre out. I'm not sure where the tyre is on the new ones??? But if your feet are on the main compartment you need to be able to flip the frame up easily to get to the tyre and if the feet are wider apart they sit on your tyre tool set in the small RHS compartment.

It's not a five second job to get mine off but it's OK. I've also not had a tyre go whilst in motion. *touch wood* .

I can measure my doors and post it here later tonight.

I can't this arvo sorry - only have the ipad with me but if you search the other threads you'll find my pics - white xtrail with blue water bowl under the floor.

True that Moosmum. Good point.

But that lack of judgement can go too far. In this thread it seems that the attitude of "Dog is not meeting my expectations, so I am getting rid of it" ethos is completely acceptable. And over the course of 5 pages that attitude has gained a lot of traction, and a lot of support. So now, for people who may have been on the fence about the issue, or maybe hadn't given it that much thought, the idea that "Dog is not meeting expectations? Then get rid of it" appears to be the majority view, and that's going to influence people's view on the matter. And so it has.

So, now this is apparently the accepted view, it's being expanded upon. So much so, that post #67 says "if you get a new dog....". No offense to you Clover, just picking your post because it's on this page, when measured alongside the other opinions expressed here, it would seem to be totally acceptable thing to say, because the party line has become "if a dog doesn't meet your expectations, rehome it (and get a new one later maybe)".

And to me that's simply not acceptable view point to be expounding, supporting or accepting.

But yes Katetk, rehome the dog if you have no interest in working with it to build a good relationship (your responsibility to do this btw, it's a fundamental aspect of dog ownership), if you can't be bothered to do it, the dog is definitely going to have a better life elsewhere with someone who will. In future, don't get a dog if you aren't prepared to deal with the fact it may not meet your expectations, because the simple fact is that dogs have individual personalities, and if you aren't prepared to accept that, don't get another one.

To be fair, I made the first comment and I also said in the distant future, not "when you go out next week to get a new dog". I also said that it might be acceptable to rehome the dog because in the back of my mind thought the husband is not happy about the dog staying and that some dog owners cannot forgive a dog for killing a guinea pig. Their horror and grief put a barrier between the dog/human relationship and that dog would be better off in a home with a fresh start. Thankfully this is not the case in this situation.

My statements were made from looking at things from a wholistic POV. If the dog is not happy and the dog/human bond is not present, or the dog is unhappy in a muli-dog house then sometimes no amount of training will help that fact. :)

I've recently purchased an xtrail and want some pupy bars but still thinking about how I want the back 'fit out' so will watch this thread with interest! I think I read in one thread that double doors on the back weren't really doable in an xtrail??

I read that recently but I have double doors on top of a false floor so... Colin was also going to put a divider in but I asked him not to.

If you do a search using those key words isolated to the 'general discussion forum' only, you'll find quite a few threads on PB's. :)

K9 nosetime

For those interested in the nosework seminars you might be interested in looking at this page. The finer details are not yet set as I understand but work is underway and as more news is available I'll pass it on!!

I got your PM - thanks for that. :)

I generally use black dog wear or rogz depending on the activity. I have a K9pro leather - haven't used it yet but it feels gorgeous. :D

It's time to upgrade to something stronger - clip and stitching wise - firstly you want a lead that WON'T fail, secondly you want a lead that feels comfortable and somewhere down the list is the price but good quality and cheap don't go together where leads are concerned.

See I have never once considered rehoming any animal I have and I have never not bonded with one either.

I don't know how you can't like a dog, that seems very human to me? I worked in a shelter for years and can honestly say I did not meet one dog I didn't like, no matter the personality.

This isn't having a go at all, I agree the best thing is to rehome sometimes and i know noone hates their dog, I just genuinely don't understand not getting along with a dog.

Shelters are artificial environments for dogs, they reap any attention they can get and it often changes their behaviour when attention and food are made contingent on good behaviour (as is the case in boarding and training kennels).

Some people need dogs that need them, others prefer independent breeds. Sometimes people choose the wrong breed or just the wrong dog. Sometimes the dynamics are wrong and neither dog particularly likes each other.

I think we can easily dumb them down but I firmly believe dogs can identify when they are being treated differently and where interactions may be tense with their humans.

I love my Toller to bits but geez he is the first dog who is not aware of where his body is in space, it annoys me no-end and it annoyed my other dogs constantly that he rushed around, bumped and stepped on them! Doesn't sound like a big thing but constantly being the peacemaker in a multi-dog household can be wearing when you add in other aspects.

Before you submit your letter to the sporting committee, confirm with your council about their lease arrangements.

I have been accosted whilst taking a training class with council's blessing at a local soccer oval, and it turned out that their hire agreement was for midday-5pm and it was not yet 11am on that particular day.

Let them know in your letter that you are well aware of their lease agreement times and what area/s is included in that lease. ;)

Perhaps it is the time in your life where guinea pigs are the appropriate pets and not dogs?

They are showing relatively normal terrier behaviour re the GP's so if you were to consider another dog in the distant future perhaps look at some other breeds.

Are you sure it wasn't an intern? Once of the specialists here use interns. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss further. :)

I don't know where you are located Justrace, but you are welcome to come see me after classes on Saturdays in Donvale if you wish. I do free fittings of equipment (the only cost is the piece itself) and I have gentle leader harnesses, blackdogwear balance harnesses and halti headcollars. I think I have some of the blackdog infin8's there too. :)

Do you have some ace bandages or some vetrap? Could you try a body wrap or put a tight-ish t-shirt or coat on her?

Obviously you don't want to irritate the wound with clothing but it may calm her.

As a general statement I will say I have been to the emergency vet once for an opioid injection after patella surgery on one of mine and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. :) We have to assume it is pain and treat accordingly. If after that they are still acting strange...well..okay. :laugh:

It may be that his night vision is not as good as it used to be and he can't *see* in which position the other dog is.

We use a column heater in the laundry with our old dogs at night and they sleep soundly. It means the central heating can be turned off but their room is quite warm and it's economical to run.

I would try pers's suggestions first and I would try a thundershirt + DAP diffuser before I would consider any type of punishment.

ETA: If you think he is perfectly healthy then take a clean urine sample to the Vet and ask them to run an in-house urinalysis on it, it will give you a fair amount of information.

Getting a bit fed up with the additional "output" with this food - though otherwise seems OK. I really wanted to stick to an Aussie brand.

Are there any other Australian made besides BH, VIP, Natures Gift, VAN and Advance I could try?

Hills Adult varieties are manufactured in Australia but is not Australian owned.

Royal Canin may be moving to manufacture in Aus too - but the same applies to ownership obviously.