Leema

Not sure about what? I'm certain we'll be safe once the swelling is down, but I'm wanting to know if there is any 'safe' time before then.

Nothing I have read suggests discharge before the red discharge. Has this been common in your experiences?

I have not noticed any red discharge at all.

Okay, I'm posting because I am sick of supervised toilet breaks and kenneling Clover during the day (and Clover is too!). But, I'm not sure when I can stop. The problem is that I have not noticed any discharge at all until today... And that discharge was more a clear/snot (not green) colour than the blood discharge normally described. On the 9th of July my other two dogs started to hump Clover. Approximately the 16th of July her vulva was swollen. (Did not record exact date. ) And now today, 24th of July, is the first time I've seen discharge and it's the clear/white/mucousy discharge... So I don't know where we are up to. Most documentation I've read refers to the 'changing to straw' as the sign of readiness, but I don't believe it was any colour to start with. I have been checking A LOT and also wiping with a tissue to observe colour. I don't want to breed her ATM (or perhaps ever) but I just want to know when we can return to normal life again. At the moment I'm just waiting until she is no longer swollen, unless someone has a better idea.

My parents used to use these guys for their Chow Chow: http://www.townandcountrydogs.com.au/

My dogs don't have a problem with just getting egg, but many people recommend only feeding eggs with other foods - like with mince. Lots of dogs have loose bowels after eggs. Somethings this can be reduced by feeding other things with things, sometimes not. If your dogs still can't eat raw with other stuff, then you could try cooking it or not feeding it all together.

With a young puppy here, I have found that new plants are the most tempting. I think when you plant new plants you should try to fence them off until they're 'not as new' - Clover just finds the freshly turned soil so fun! I would definitely consider putting a little border around garden beds... At Bunnings I saw trellis that you are supposed to put on top of fences, but I thought it looked great to put as small fences in garden beds. But I'm not sure what kind of gardening experts you have, and what lengths they'd go to.

Not sure what the payment is - might be payment for part of the site? I joined for free ages ago but only access the forums.

I always used Clover's 'regular meals' at that age instead of anything special. She was keen to work for it as she didn't get fed unless she worked. :cool: I have used diced beef, 'smoked ham' and sausages as training treats, though.

Hope you see improvements soon, then.

Sorry, have not read whole thread, but here's my suggestions. Stand means legs straight and still. It doesn't necessarily mean standing from a sit or from a drop - it just means legs straight and still. What have you been clicking for? Straight and still or standing up? This might be your problem, clicking movement instead of the 'staying-in-a-stand' behaviour. For me, it was fine to teach Clover with a lure to a stand - we clicked when she was still. We dropped lure ASAP, and she would take several steps until standing. Fine again. Once she knew the cue "stand" was "eventually have your legs straight and still" I would block forward movement and she started a kick back stand. Often people have problems with stand, but I think most problems stem from trainers not knowing what they want, either. And if you don't know, how does the dog know? Make sure it is clear what you are going to click for.

Our foster is a pawer. It is inappropriate and we are teaching her to stop. We have two methods as there are two opportunities she takes to paw: 1) When we are patting her while we're standing up and she's sitting on the floor. When she raises her paw we say "UH-UH!" and withdraw our hand so she's no longer getting pats. Slowly/calmly we go back to pat her and, if she does it again, we say "UH-UH!" again and walk off. 2) When we are sitting on the couch and we are cuddling her, or she decides that she deserves to be cuddled. When she swings her paw, we say "UH-UH!" as she raises it. Then we say "OFF" and elbow her away from us. She then goes away as it's uncomfortable to have an elbow pressing against you. I don't know why we give her a second chance. There's really no good reason to. I've just realised that's what we've been doing now. :/

I taught Clover distance behaviours by: 1) Ask for behaviour at a distance. 2) Click that behaviour when performed, regardless of where it is performed. 3) Throw reward back to where the dog was when you asked for the behaviour Repeat process. The dog will learn there is no point coming closer to you for the treat as the treat is always delivered behind them, where they were asked to perform it. Stand was the hardest behaviour to learn to do this with, so I recommend teaching sit and drop at a distance first. I did find I had to teach all distance behaviours individually in this way, as Clover did not generalise working at a distance.

Cassie, I always visit the supermarkets for things marked down but haven't found much of late. Only found a huge stash of beef heart the other week, and I still have some beef liver in my freezer to bag up eventually. So not looking too desperate at the moment but just the supermarkets have had full price on all their gross offal. Who buys it at full price, seriously?!

All the organs at the supermarket have been expensive of late. Does anyone have any good sources of organ (particularly in Adelaide)? I do have a butcher nearby who has lots of liver for cheap... But I do want some other things, too. (He is at the Hallett Cove shopping complex.)

I like this method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEwiH8CeUE If you would like me to give you a hand doing this I can - but it's a pretty simple step by step approach.

I would stop the free feeding thing personally... I remember reading of a dog in a Jan Fennel book (her first one?) who was pretty much starving himself from having food available 24/7. Jan related it to him believing he was controlling food this way as a pack leader. I just think dogs do see value in food when it's constantly available.

I think you need to teaching him to eat everything in his bowl instead of letting him eat only as much as he wants to. Of course, changing to fattier foods etc will help, but if he's a 'take it or leave it' kind of guy with food, I'd recommend this: http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/Writing/TeachEat.html

Visual is always stronger, as far as I'm concerned. But I don't have hand cues for Clover because I think verbal-only is more specky... Don't go deaf Clover!

My standard response...

This is just puppy stuff. Dogs don't have hands. They investigate everything with their teeth. There's a number of methods that do work. Emitting a high pitched yelp when the pup bites. If a pup was playing with another pup, and one hurt the other, the hurt pup would yelp. This is the sound you a mimicking. It is a sound that lets the pup know that you are hurt. Some dogs get more excited by the yelp (so this doesn't work for all dogs). Say "NO", and press your hand deeper into the pups throat, so the dog gags and spits your hand out. The dog soon learns that putting his mouth around your hand results in discomfort, and will soon stop. This is also a good method as the dog learns that he controls his own behaviour, as he must let go of your hand, not you pulling your hand away. Ignore your dog when it bites. Leave the room long enough for the pup to forget he was playing with you. He will soon learn that biting means you go away, which he certainly won't want. 'Sin binning' does work, but is harder. Say "NO" and pick the puppy up, holding him away from your body, then put him in a boring place that he will never use otherwise (e.g. the bathroom) and leave him there for several minutes OR until he is quiet. Say "NO", withdraw you hand, and give the pup a toy instead. Reward the pup profusely for chewing on the toy. It may help to use a word for biting. For my dog, I used "Vicious". When I wanted him to stop biting, I taught him to become placid with "be cuddly". It may seem a bit backwards, but the dog will learn to stop biting on command. Many people advocate not allowing any mouthing at all, and it's important you have very clear guidelines if you are going to permit some mouthing.

I like the instructions here: http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/%20Dog1/levels.html I believe mat behaviour starts at level 2.

Turkey. :cool: Turkey necks can be cut up into good size portions (though they're mostly bone). You can also get turkey wings and drumsticks. Lamb shanks, necks and off cuts are good too. Even you give a big bone meal one day, you can even it up by a smaller more meaty meal the next day (e.g. mince).

I like this guide for 'teaching your dog how to eat', provided, of course, there is no underlying medical problem stopping the dog from eating. http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/Writing/TeachEat.html

I haven't read all posts, but I'm the only one that pays for dog stuff here... And that means, if we break up, the dogs are MINE!! MINE!! MINE!! We've been living together for ~3.5 years.