Leema

You could get a big crate and board is up, so the pup only has a small section. For me, I had a smaller size difference (between pup and adult dog), but we still had a smaller crate for the puppy... This was also so that chewing didn't matter on the small crate! It was a cheap and nasty thing from Cheap As Chips/Kmart/Bunnings or something - but he loved it. Hope that gives you some ideas.

This is great, sharing our toilet commands! One of my mates heard me telling Mac 'empty'. The next time we saw him, he tried to command Mac with 'unload'...

That's right - just the 'normal toilet training' stuff with a command. So when the pup is sniffing around, about to go, put your command to it. I used "empty". ;)

As for venues - maybe you could contact obedience clubs? We could use there halls etc, plus they could also provide more participants. ;) Plus, I think it'd be hard to find another inside place that'd allow dogs inside. (If we do indeed want it inside, considering weather is unpredictable.) Just an idea.

When Mac and I moved out of my parents place, he went on a strict diet and lost those 4 extra kgs. Then he was able to get out under the gate. :rolleyes: Luckily, being the lovey sniff-and-pee-dog he is, he walked across down the road a little way, and then across it. So he was just across the road when I realised. Still, not good, but my 'mistake in judgement' was thinking weightloss was good. :p I regret teaching the 'scary' command (covers his eyes). Mac believes this is the ultimate trick and will get him anything. :D But I guess that's the same as the 'take a bow command' before that, and the 'speak' command before that. His newest trick is always his favourite. ;)

Yes, I'd be interested. :rolleyes:

I think we did formal obedience classes with Mac from about 14 weeks to a year old... Something around that mark. We got to the highest level, then it got boring for the both of us. We kept up the heel work (and everything that goes along with it), just now we do it my way to a tee.

I think it varies a lot with breed. I was told that my border terrier would be physically mature by 2 and mentally mature by 3. I think Mac was actually physically mature at a bit earlier than 2, but maybe I missed some changes. As for mentally mature... YES! When he turned 2 I remember thinking that I must've got a weird-personality border terrier, as he was nothing like an adult dog I had encountered. By the time he was 3, I reflected, and I couldn't believe his change in that one year - he went from full-of-beans to a loving boy. I'm super happy. Bit of a rant there, but I think it's very much a breed-to-breed and even line-to-line thing.

I think dogs get toilet trained, and then they need to be trained that marking is also 'toileting'. My boy was toilet trained, then started marking inside at 7 months or so... We got him desexed (not because of the marking) but it was still a few months before we trained him out of it... He marks things on walks though. I pretty much believe you just have to toilet train all over again.

I wouldn't do this, as he may learn to associate outside with punishment. I'd be inclined to make a room puppy proof and safe... Like the bathroom or toilet. He can be 'sin binned' here. There's a number of methods that work for biting hands... * 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. * 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. The most important thing is, if he jumps and bites at your hands, that he's not rewarded for doing these things - with pats or the treat that he's jumping for. If he's jumping for your hands, you may want to try walking with your hands hidden - in your pockets or your arms crossed. Others' suggestions are helpful too. ;) These are just mine, which I used a combination of to teach my dog to not bite and chew on me. Let me know if you'd like me to further explain anything.

Mac has a harness, a check chain and a collar. Each one he has a different standard expected of him. If we're walking casually, he's on the harness or the collar. If he's on his harness, he can do whatever he likes, as long as he keeps up. I don't mind if he pulls, but most of the time it's me pulling him up if he's found a good smell, not him pulling me on. He normally sticks to the left hand side, and he normally starts up sniffing a lot, and then calms down as time continues. If he's on his collar (rarely), he's expected to not heel but not sniff, to be on the left, to not pee. I may tell him to heel on collar, but he's not expected to automatically (as on the check chain - the check chain is a sign for work). Mac also wears his collar when in the crate in the car. It basically means "be behaved". If I was to go inside at a foreign place to him, he'd wear his collar, because I want him a bit more 'good' than the harness. I hope I've made sense. ;) I think I'm a bit crazy with how my system is worked out... But Mac knows it, I know it, and it seems to work well. I'd probably do it with my next puppy, too. (Not that any are planned.)

I wrapped Mac's foot up in a sock when he had a sore paw that he kept licking at. He's a pretty good boy though - he doesn't tear things up. Maybe that's an option for you. As for bitter spray - I heard that ferrets like the stuff! :rolleyes:

Does he like water? If not, you might want to try misting him with a spray bottle? That's what we did with our border when we moved house and he barked at everything. However, I understand that being on a walk is a different matter. Hopefully someone can offer some good advice!

Agreed! So glad to read that little Minty's okay. Hope she stays that way!

Perhaps rats give so much love because they know their lives are going to be so unbearably short. My thoughts are with you.

Why, why, why do people take things back? I wanted to read this THREAD, not random, disconnected comments due to half the posts being 'edited' or 'deleted'. :p

Thanks so much, catzatsea - you've given me what I wanted to know (maybe, perhaps, what I can cope with, too!) at this point. Will definitely get a titre test done. Oh, one more question - how does one say 'titre'?

Thanks, catzatsea. I understand the immunity stuff mostly (year 11 biology ) but: How are titres tested? Via a blood test? How long does it take for the results to come back? I am very confused about what can be titred and what cannot... and the actual conditions vaccinated against in the first place C5... As different sources say different things... Could anyone recommend a good source so I can then work this stuff up?

I have always held the belief that desexing alters the natural hormones and course of a dogs life. The only reason Mac is desexed is because he had an undescendent testicle, otherwise he would have been left entire, despite not to be bred from. However, I do not believe that not desexing is appropriate for the entire population, as many are unable to restrain their dogs, unable to contain their bitches or 'just realise' that puppies are an option and wouldn't it be nice? So I won't be desexing unless I am happy to have my dogs roaming or bitches uncontained when in heat - which will be never. However, the average pet owner is less responsible than I am, so I don't think that leaving the most pets entire is an option for the majority of the population.

What is the actual process for titre testing? Do I just ask my vet, "I don't want a booster - I want a titre test instead"?

So happy Bondi looks like she's on the mend.

Best wishes to you and Bondi. Hopefully you can get some sleep and Bondi recovers without the need of an x-ray or any other nasties...

Fish oil started working great on our Chow Chow, but I think the oil has less of an effect and his arthritis is worse, 'these days'. We've started giving him Pennywart (not sure of the spelling...) However, we have seen no apparent benefits. We grow it, so he's given a few leaves a day. However, my aunty's corgi 'helped himself' to it, as it was growing in the garden, and they have seen him become a lot better... So I guess different things work on different dogs. :D Best of luck.

Amhailte - thank-you very much for your response. Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks. Electrawoman: Though I also believe that dogs are carnivores and not omnivores, I don't believe using cellulouse as evidence for for carnivorism is valid. I doubt any person would debate whether humans are more likely to be omnivorous than carnivorous or herbivorous, yet humans lack celluslase (the ezyme for breaking down cellulose). t-time: As a vegetarian, I would go to the trouble because it means nothing dies except the the first bacterium that is modified for Taurine production. That's why I would consider 'going to these lengths'. How would the amount of energy used to farm bacteria be greater than that needed to produce 'a cow'? Dependent on the bacteria used, all they require is oxygen, an appropriate pH, some warmth, you get the idea. Simple things. A cow, however, requires light energy, firstly, to produce the grass biomass. Then the cow needs to convert the grass's chemical energy to it's own biomass - most of the energy is excreted as physical waste or heat energy... A LOT of energy is loss. That's why, theoretically, it would be more sustainable to feed the human race with plant foods than it would to be feed it as we're currenlty doing, by plant and animal foods. lillysmum: Dictionary.com defines explotation as "The act of employing to the greatest possible advantage"... I do not believe that keeping chooks is employing them to 'the greatest possible advantage' - it simplly utilises their natural produce. BATTERY HENS, however, I would consider explotation, as the chickens are subjected to unnatural conditions and so are being employed to their owners advantage - to gain the most profit. This also encompasses the second definition provided by Dictionary.com: "Utilization of another person or group for selfish purposes". Again, I would like to say that my dog does not get a vegetarian diet, and I don't know my feelings towards dog vegetarianism - I just wanted to express some feelings I had whist reading these posts. ;)