Staff'n'Toller

I would really like to do the Diploma as well, maybe down the track a bit. :D

Agree with LP and PF and also should say that I was shown in a workshop by another trainer how you can teach the dog that they are in control of the aversive and how they can manipulate it, that's the way I fit them now.

This is something that gets to me. A head collar puts pressure across the nose which most know is a very sensitive area, how is that any different from a collar that put pressure on the windpipe. If someone were to use an e-collar there would be no pressure at all, just low level stim which would in no way harm the dog. I think there are a lot of misconceptions over many training tools but if we're going to stop using one tool because is can damage a part of the dog how are we fixing the problem by using a tool that can cause just as much harm to another part of the dog? A mis-timed stim or misused E collar can create shutting down, frustration and learned helplessness. Just because it's not outwardly apparent physical harm, doesn't mean it is not harmful at all. This is swaying off topic of the original post, but everyone needs to put head collar use into some sort of perspective IMO. I would rather positively introduce a head collar over a number of weeks to a dog that is NOT getting walked at all because the owner is unable/unwilling to do so. I would rather see a dog happily wearing a head collar with some amount of aversive in there for pulling (balanced with R+ for correct walking behaviour) getting OUT of it's backyard each day and being mentally stimulated than not at all. Each case needs to be analysed in its individual situation in regards to owner and dog. The head collar (nor the E collar) for that matter is not something you can make blanket statements on in regards to training because every dog and owner is different!! Mel.

LP does your club hold rally-O much? I guess that's another option, come down for a few weekends if you can find a club doing rally. It's not exactly the same but at least you can praise him and it puts some interesting exercises into an otherwise stock-standard sort of ring routine. Mel.

What book are you reading? I have to say I don't know any purely positive trainers....whatever the definition of purely positive is anyway... I assume food is not happening all the time in your house? You could mat train your dog whenever kids are around with food, and release the dog once the food is gone. I was shown a video at a seminar of a person starting food preparation in a kitchen and that was the 3 dogs cue to 'get out of the kitchen'. Obviously you have to reward it though until the behaviour is quite strong, and generalise it to all sorts of kitchen type human behaviours, but it can certainly be done. Mel.

Blood testing for epilepsy is not particularly expensive in the scheme of things. Neither is medication for epilepsy. They need a stern talking to, or rehome the dog if they won't provide Veterinary care, not good enough!!!

Yep we have no problems writing out scripts for human meds that we can't get through the Vet Wholesaler, particularly if it means the client can get it quicker for their sick animal. We also have no probs writing out scripts for the compounding pharmacy. Trying to get my boss to write out a script for a medicine that we stock on the shelves is like getting blood out of a stone. He actually charges a report writing fee already. Right or wrong I can't really argue...it's his choice as a Doctor. I think he also objects because many of his colleagues in the UK spend half their working day filling out insurance forms because everyone over there needs to have Pet Insurance. I assume that the cost of writing out insurance claims is already factored into UK fees...so his objection to fee free script writing is probably connected to that. Just FYI our dispensing fee is 17.00 has been for a while. ETA: He is not a money hungry Vet either....he is far from it, he is away at the moment basically doing pro-bono work for a month. Mel.

Don't worry I saw you updated it. Here is an explanation of targetting, substitute stick for hand if you like, but later on the dog can 'target' anything you tell it to. I teach it very easily in puppy school by rolling liver treats in both hands and presenting a hand that smells like treats, generally most pups pick it up in 3-5 reps, then I add a cue. If they are not getting it I quickly remove the hand wait a couple of seconds then re-present. You'd be amazed the amount of pups that try to get a treat for just *looking* at the target hand. It's great for stand because you can start to remove the target and it becomes the hand signal instead. It tends to become a very strong behaviour and is great in class situations where you have downtime with your dog or in situations where they are not comfortable. Shirley Chong archives

I was gonna say it would make some good 'show and tell'. I shouldn't make fun of it really, I knew a client who had it very badly, but she did let the new kitten sleep IN her bed for a couple of weeks before she realised he had it. I think for a lot of people it is also immune-related, bit like chicken pox, some people get it and others escape. Mel.

It is highly contagious but I've worked at RSPCA and handled a few animals with it, and never have caught it yet. So don't worry too much.

It's a fungus actually. Mel.

I'm no expert but perhaps you could look at Knox as your 'practice trial' and try not to place too much pressure on yourself. I gather you'll get heaps of advice from the people at the trial and maybe even the judge if u get the right one.

If it's just IBD you are treating Oscar's Mummy, the RC hypo-allergenic or sensitivity control might work just as well, they are still Vet only Prescription foods. The RC also has palatability guarantee so you can get your money back if he doesn't eat it or it doesn't work. Sadly Hill's have put ethoxyquin or BHT back in their Z/d which, whilst it is used in human foods, has been known to cause cancer in mice and I can't consciously feed it to my Stafford who has had an intestinal tumour. Mel.

Yeah there is a huge difference between Z/d and other foods. Are they sure it's food allergy? Rates of actual food allergy is apparently quite low, it's worth having intradermal testing done to see exactly what the dog is allergic to. The proteins are broken down so that scientifically the molecular weight is very low, thus they can be eaten and the body does not identify them as allergens and produce a histamine release. I have tried raw with my Stafford as well, but the issue is still that whatever protein source is used- it's large portein molecules in it's complete form. Z/d Ultra- guaranteed to be less than 3000 daltons in molecular weight. Z/d Low Allergen- guaranteed to be less than 6000 daltons in molecular weight. Royal Canin Hypo-allergenic: Royal Canin Sensitive Skin:

I've been through Z/d, RC hypo-allergenic and RC Sensitivity Control, I'm now onto RC skin support which is supposedly better for general atopy. I found the Hypo-allergenic to be not quite as good as the Z/d, the Sensitivity Control is Whitefish and Tapioca. Skin support is same price as Z/d varieties though. Z/d costs a bomb because wholesale- it costs a bomb!! Hills have had about 3 price rises in the last 12mths, it's getting to be beyond a joke, we are really embarrassed about some of the food going up 20% in RRP but there's nothing we can do about it. Mel.

Haha very good, I like my 400D it's a very nice camera. I don't get to use it enough though! Mel.

I don't think this is what you're after but I bought these. Ebay weave stakes and just got some pvc, end caps and coloured electrical tape from bunnings. I think they worked out at $8.00 a pole, but that was before the aussie dollar started to climb. I take them down to the park but I do need to loctite the poles into the stakes as they do come out when I'm pulling them out of the ground again. Mel. ETA: If you just wanted the metal plates and then supply your own poles, I know someone who would make those plates out of aluminium in Melb, he does a bit of agility equip.

Well if you find another body, I have the 2 kit lenses to sell from my 400D, I've been too lazy to put them on ebay yet.

We did surgery on my Stafford girl for a very small intestinal tumour that we found by ultrasound, the only indicator was that I felt she had pale gums one day, did the paranoid Vet Nurse routine and ran some biochemistry. Both of my favourite Vets (without talking to each other) said her gum colour was normal and she didn't look like a dog with cancer e.g. a bit overweight, fantastic coat and muscle condition etc. BUT As we went in we also found a mass in the actual stomach, I can remember my Vet saying "it's plastic, feels like a USB or something" it was a furry toy mouse from one of the cats, totally hairless (stomach had broken down the hair) but the plastic shell remained, I had no idea she'd eaten it, she's not the type of dog to eat stuff like that. If they don't find anything consider IBD or a maldigestion problem.... Hope you get some answers. Mel.

I use it on my Staffy as she can't take steriods or NSAID's orally anymore. I find it works very well although when spraying it on it makes her sneeze. We have put out quite a few bottles now and haven't had anyone say it doesn't work. You need to do it 7 days consecutively then break though. It is more expensive than neocort but it's easier to apply and safer than tabets as it doesn't enter the bloodstream. Mel.

You're welcome to PM me if you have particular questions on the Cert IV in Companion Animal Services. I'm just finishing it off now. General info is here. Delta is considering a huge revamp in the way they offer the course though, so requirements might be different next year, but the content and lecturers look to be staying the same. Mel.

Frudix is actually one of the cheapest drugs around, it comes in 100 or 1000 bottles, so buy it in a 100 bottle, should save you some money. Unfortunately Vetmedin is very expensive but works exceptionally well and there is no generic equivalent on the market, if you have a CHF dog you'll greatly extend their lifespan by having them on it. I guess it's a matter of how long you want your dog around for. The chewies come in a 50 bottle, and the capsules in 100 bottles so do the same as with buying Frudix. Bear in mind that people with large dogs on Rimadyl, Zubrin, Deramaxx, Previcox et al are also paying a fair amount -the drugs are expensive even at cost and we are paying a Veterinary wholesaler to supply these for us, it's not just 'freight' it's all the permits and regs that go with it. I think the more people that try to obtain scripts will find that Vet's will start charging script writing fees and so they should!! It costs me $70 for my doctor to write out 2 scripts for me each time. If you're going to use your Vet Clinic and expect to get in when you want, get the best diagnostics and phone support, then not buy the drugs from the clinic you'll find the goodwill will go out the window. Mel.

Thanks for the replies, being in mostly pet dog obedience at the moment I just wanted to see if there were many variables.

Yep once the preventatives came off Schedule 4 we stopped charging dispensing.

Open up the Yellow Pages and look for the emergency centre closest to you under Vet Clinics. I would recommend Bundoora or Highett if you're anywhere near those two. Otherwise you have Mt Waverly, Hallam, Airport, Werribee...not sure about the peninsula. Mel.