mita

I've noticed more posts in winter about dogs, previously house-trained, getting iffy about going to the toot.

Imy, I've got to admit I don't give a liver treat reward for toilet-training...it seemed to confuse the dogs I've had. Tho' I know some people have used it with some dogs. That's interesting what your girl does... A quick 'pass' on her toilet spot...then minutes later, a 'long go' . I wonder if the first is a 'marker' on the spot....then later the 'real thing' over the top. One of our tibbie girls does a bit similar. As soon as the other girl goes to the toot, this one does a 'wee bit' on the top of that'. Then goes off & sniffs around for a while, until she finds her spot...& goes properly.

These are the steps/hints I've gathered from settling new fosters....& from other people. May be handy to pass onto new owners...as dogs have to learn the place/time rules in each new property. Get rid of the smell (to the dog's sensitive nose) of the mistake 'spots' in the house. Dogs go back to that smell to do their business on top. I've found Sunlight soap for first cleaning, followed by some drops of Nilodor (from Supermarket). Sometimes I've also sprinkled some granules of the 'keeping pets off gardens stuff' to deter dog from a 'favourite' spot inside the house. Establish the dog's spot in the garden by watching where it first goes & taking it back to that spot. Routine at first as for puppy...first thing in morning (early as possible) , after meals, some various times, & last thing at night. Keep back door closed while you do this...so dog gets the idea there's an inside the house...& an outside the house. Stand close at first...watch for first sign dog is going to toot...& use a cue word...I say 'Toot, girls' to ours. Then praise (& small bit liver treat?) when doggie completes it. That cue word, used every time, will gradually get associated by dog with doing its business. Then gradually stand a few feet way...& do as above. Then further back again...until you're standing in the door. Eventually, you can just open the door, say 'Toot, girl!' & the dog will run out to her spot. In winter, keep track of grass up to toilet spot as bald as possible, so no cold wet grass spikes to make doggie uncomfortable. (Another trick, if person already owns a dog...let a dog loose in the garden first instant it comes to the new home. Most dogs will sniff until they find a scent spot of the resident dog...& go to toot over top. So it learns,Lesson 1, where the toot spot is.)

Great advice from everyone. Yep, I know the 'bottom not quite touching the ground thing'...& I counter it thro' the Nothing In Life Is Free method. Our small breed dogs would rather jump up to get the good things of life (attention, treats etc)...so the command 'Sit' sends them in an opposite direction. Which they don't really like. So I don't say 'Sit' for the tibbies...I say 'Bottoms on the ground' (No...they don't speak English!) But it's a reminder to me that the treat or attention won't be forthcoming until the bottom is actually on the ground. I turn & ignore (taking the treat or attention with me!) if the bottom doesn't make it. Then I hear the thud of a bottom hittng the ground behind me!!!! Consistency finally makes the penny drop! For dogs that are passionate about eating things...food, shoes or whatever, I like a nice big Kong. Gives them something to chew on & have in their mouths...& there's the smell of food, too.

Our Gracie, the tib (10 yrs), has a tendency to skin allergy ...but controlled with no colourings or preservatives in her food. But lately, she'd had digestive upsets from food...more the other end. I gave her some Supercoat dog biscuits & there followed nights of loose bowel movements...tho' first she threw it all up. She'd done well for some time on Tuckertime, a dog roll only available at vets. But I've just changed her dry food to Hills over 7 for small breeds. The vet said to see how she goes...but added that her own dog has a far more food-sensitive tummy so she gives him a special dog food. Next time I'm in that clinic, I'll ask this vet what this product is...obviously would be available in Australia.

What a loving boy your Cooper was...he waited for his dad to come home & then gave you the precious gift of gently crossing the Bridge in his own time. His wonderful little spirit will be with you always...

We thought we were the only folk with a red-haired Sheltie that was, to put it charitably, over the top. Who went thro' life causing mayhem, always with a big grin on her face. THEN Cordy got Shelby...who turned into our Shelley's twin. Poor God...both Shelby & Shelley are in Doggie Heaven together. When God says, 'Come!', Shelley will turn to Shelby & say, 'Never mind him, it's just a suggestion.' Then they'll go find some shadows...or anything really...to chase happily for all eternity.

Any chance of finding something made of lambswool at a thrift shop, so pup has her own lambie stuff? It's the odour that tells her it's lambswool. I was going to suggest you spray something on the bottom of the coat to mask that odour...but it's v. hard to fool a dog's brilliant nose for detecting odours. Also it'd have to be something your nose could live with...& also not mark the coat. Try some perfume, perhaps? But I wouldn't count on it working.

I found Frontline was getting ineffective...& changed to Advantix. But this is how it works best for our 2 tibs. 1. In the really bad flea season, I apply it every couple of weeks. 2. I cut the hair back for an area about the size of a 50 cent coin in 2 places. One between their shoulders & the other on back between hips (where they can't lick it off). That stops the stuff running off along the hairs & gets it to the most flea-y places, rear end & top end. I can comb over the cut spots. 3. If I notice a flea towards the end period of an application, I give the dog a Capstar tablet (vet suggested this.)

Karen, you gave Wags the most loving gift of all...freedom from pain. And his lovely spirit will always be with you.

So pleased to read this...I am not alone in that our tiny Tibbie girl, Angel, will not take a tablet. An experienced vet, ex-Rugby player, once gave up because he could not get her tiny locked jaws open. The funniest hint I ever read was in an old DOL thread on this topic. Somebody used to crush the tablet, mix it with peanut butter, then smear the peanut butter down the front of the fridge. Their dog then used to spend ages licking...determined to get the last piece of peanut butter off the fridge.

Are you able to block the dogs' vision of each other thro' the fence? A cheap & easy way to do it is to get some of that thick plastic which is used as weedmat under landscaped areas. Line your side of the fence with it. Then sprinkle the area next to your fence with pet repellent granules used to keep dogs off gardens....

A friend of ours had the op for 'fixing' snoring. Not only was it appallingly painful, but his wife woke to find him choking in the night. The op site had opened and bleeding. Fortunately his wife was an experienced nurse & her immediate actions saved him....before he was rushed to hospital. Like you, we have 2 dogs (tibbies)...one snores & the other doesn't. We've got used to the snorer (sounds like a small freight train). When LB2's tibbie comes to stay, she also snores. And the two of them synchronize their snores to go one after the other....so no peaceful pauses!!! But tibbies are only small dogs....no big spaces like a Lab's for the snores to get added resonance & amplification. So I can imagine how BIG your problem is. Maybe the safest way to deal with it is for the Lab & pal to sleep in another room.

Even with gentle Shelties & buddhist Tibbies & wossy cats...our dogs are always fed in separate places where they can't even look at another's food. So worth it, for peace of mind at mealtime.

Our Tibbie girl got painful hotspot after painful hotspot...so I listened to the people who advised no artificial colouring or preservatives. And switched to Tuckertime dog roll (from the vet's) & Supercoat lite kibble...with veggies & can of tuna in springwater added. The hotspots stopped...after 3 years of battling them constantly. She'd had no skin allergies up to age 7 yrs (was a showgirl...like Best in Breed at Sydney Royal standard). When she was desexed at 7, she developed an allergic reaction to the material used for the internal sutures (vet's diagnosis...& painfully obvious). From then on, she suffered hot spot after hotspot. Then for past 6 months (since change of diet), she got not one hotspot. UNTIL I grabbed a pouch of PAL chicken 'mince' for small breed dogs...when vet was out of Tuckertime. Next day, our girl had a hotspot! I double-checked the ingredients...& among them was 'colourings'.

I grabbed a couple of cans of the Pal Natural (Chicken & Rice)...because it said no aritificial colours or preservatives(& we have a dog that need to avoid them because of skin allergy). But I was disappointed when I saw the fat level was 9.7 %...nearly 10%. I've got to keep one tibbie's weight down & the other get an upset tum if there's too much fat in her diet. So it'll be back to TuckerTime roll (from the vet's) for our dogs...as the 'soft food' to mix with Supercoat Lite (or Bonnie)....along with lean chicken & veggies.

The RSPCA has dog obedience training classes at Fairfield...just across a few suburbs from you. Dates, times & other info are on the website: http://www.rspcaqld.org.au/training/basic.htm

Our late lovely sheltie girl came to us from a good breeder. By age 7 months, Shelley was growing taller than standard. So the breeder sold her to us as a pet. We then got her desexed. All thro' her life, Shelley was often mistaken to be an adolescent collie. The family nickname for her was 'Horse'...as in 'big as a horse'! But she was very beautiful...even at age 15 years, she was a knockout. We also had, at the same time, a little tricolour male rescue sheltie called Danny. And he was slightly smaller than standard. And all thro' his life, Danny was often mistaken to be a female.

Oh, Karen...Staffyluv's so right, DOLers come straight thro' with support at times like this. An awful lot of us would know just what you mean by that going nuts feeling. You're doing the best you can for Wags...which is why he's so happy to be home. Let's know how thing go.

That's a brilliant suggestion re checking teeth.

Poor Godzy. It sounds like there's some massive build-up of a reaction to something in his nose....which gets some relief...& then starts all over again. What on earth can this 'something' be! Thinking of you both, Val....because you've just had some surgery, too.

Just having my daily check...along with all Wags' other good friends.

So good that Wags is eating & responding so happily to people. And great that the bleeding has been checked. I know what you mean about some dogs only wanting to wee in their familiar place. Our Sheltie used to 'hold on' until she got home, whenever we took her out. You're right...there is such a 'hole' in family life when one of the 4-leggeds is in the vet hospital. Here's hoping for more positives this week.

Must be hard being separated from Wags for the weekend. But he's in the right place for the care needed with the site left open. Also he'll get pain relief. The waiting's not easy, is it. I'm waiting until mid-week, too, for the results of Gracie's path tests...

Stopping by to check if there's any news. And to say warmest thoughts still coming your way.