zeebie

what happens if your dog has to stay at the vets ??? Yes it goes into a cage/crate no matter what size dog it is. So that is an argument for definately crate training ALL dogs as you never know when this important process just might be needed, like when we had the floods in QLD many dogs had to be penned/crated to be allowed to stay in certain shelter accomodation and in several cases people said same thing my dog never been in one, well surprise surprise if your life and your animals life depends on it you do it.

I do have a QLD certified fully accredited service dog now 9yrs old, his early training pre registration took 2 years of very hard and constant work, his training had to be based on that similar to a customs detection dog and at the time their were not many places in Australia doing this specific type of training for general dogs in the public sector. Through the help of an excellent mentor and having a dog which came from a scenting breed we managed to 'make the grade' and he led the way for many many more service dogs to follow that have now been trained for a specific medical anomaly. This is the relevant QLD government Public access test for dogs as it currently stands, http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/disability/key-projects/guide-hearing-and-assistance-dogs/public-access-test-pat when I did the test 7years ago with my current dog it was as per the international public access test and was by far harder and stricter then this current one.There is also a lot of useful information contained on this site. http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/standards/public-access-test/ This site may offer insight to people interested in service dogs in NSW this organisation does not certify people's own dogs. http://www.assistancedogs.org.au/faqs.php this organisation has a NSW section and may be helpful. they do commit to helping with self training of your own dog, but at a cost, and not always guarantee of passing. http://www.aiddogs.com.au/recognised.htm This organisation has already been mentioned and does commit to using owners dogs if suitable. http://minddog.org.au/the-dogs/ Hope this helps :)

When we go to vet I schedule appointment for routine things late morning to avoid the early rush I also crate both dogs and as these are just the right size for each dog (airline crates)I place on a small trolley one on top of other secured with strap, and wheel into waiting room, when it is our turn I simply wheel trolley into office unload crates place first dog up on table when she is finished back into safety of crate, 2nd dog out and same thing when finished out we go dogs secured, pay account and no dramas. The vet has sign in waiting area that ALL animals must be in crates and secure, if urgent cases come in they have crates available for containment. This stops lots of problems in waiting area, also stops unwanted attention from other owners and animals etc. If anyone new to area turns up with loose animal a loan crate is brought out and person advised they must bring animal in own crate next time or phone ahead and book crate use, small charge is made and money from hire is donated to local animal shelter.

ditto with all other replies, having a full poodle and a show dog her breeder clipped her face/tail/chest/belly and feet at 3 weeks and again at 7 weeks and again day before I picked her up at 9 weeks, I have continued to tidy her up every single week since and she is clipped for shows regularly as well as I do her nails every week just nibble them back to keep them well groomed. My other dog is a long hair X breed and geez am I paying for NOT attending to this detail from day 1. He fusses with his nails and it is game on to hold him down, bribe him with treats etc, and clipping is practically impossible unless he is under sedation! so was not about to make that mistake twice. I think you will find you will have to start off very slowly and carefuly with lots of short stints and maybe just scissoring to get all excess hair off pup and gradually build up to taking to groomers for an all over clip out, good luck :)

Try bringing in opposite sex entire dog and it will mark around yard and hey presto instant attraction worked veyr well with my 2. Next I use a large blue cheap tarp covered in newspaper over top of some inexpensive puppy pee pads which I managed to source from a bulk discount place. As my dogs are locked in for several hours while I am at work they go to this place for toileting. when I visit non dog households I take along another tarp and usually one sheet of dried out but previously used newspaper and hey presto never any drama and no accidents. Cheapest option for creating outdoor toilet area would be get the black garden weed matting lay an area in spot in yard, then on top lay bedding hay, obtain one bale from produce store (it will go a long way ), then get some soil and spread over this, the smell of the musty hay and dirt will attack big time, If you don't want dirty paws then go the extra expense and lay either fake grass or a couple long sods of real grass which will definately root into the hay mix but you will need to water and maintain etc and if used frequently won't survive, but if area is only a tempory place for toilet and you still take out etc then this will work. I even put some rocks and potted plants in middle to act as an enticement for male dog.

[\quote] Thank you Zeebie. I like the idea of the mattress held up against the wall when travelling... That could work well. I have thought of a false floor too, with storage underneath, but want to be able to remove it when am just using the van for everyday use. Do you think this might be possible? Is that what the custom tracks were for? I might have to look at a kanga... Not sure their cargo area is long enough for me to sleep though... I am 6ft... Yep whole section comes out when they want to use the van for other things drawer under comes off rails in floor, and false floor slides off it is locked in by clips when in van but comes off rails when not needed, Unless you like to completely stretch out straight when asleep you can probably increase length down with removing the passenger seat and using this area through from front to back doors for longer mattress. I have one of those comletely collapsible self inflating king size single mats which fits into 4wd cargo area when back seats flat and while I am not 6' a friend is and they can sleep comfortably in their 4wd on same set up.

when my little Mini became very ill and unable to digest anything she went onto a powder that is mixed with water to form a milk and is a nutrient supplement for lactating bitches and convalescing dogs 'Animalac" you can buy online and in some pet distributors. I also gave her the gel twice a day "nutrigel" and when she started to become interested in food again she only had cooked minced chicken with a small amount of rice given in small serves 4 times a day, it has taken several months now but she is back to good weight and no longer feels like a skelton and is of course back eating like a hungry hippo. I had hear fantastic reports about the satin ball recipe but she was unable to have all the different ingredients due to her gastric system not able to process.

Recently saw a brilliant set up in a small renault Kangoo van, lady had custom tracks put inside back with false floor running along these and drawer under which stored all her bits, food porta gas burner lights chairs etc, false floor slid out and 2 legs folded down making table for cooking prep etc. she had a dune shade shelter from Anaconda which attached to rear or side of vehicle to give her shade and also provide extra storage area when on the go and stopping at camping area's etc. she had also had modification done with 12/240 power plug. As for the sleeping and carrying dogs, she had this false floor made so it slid right out and then hinged down to ground forming ramp which she would simply unload and reload dog trolley into back of vehicle and had secure points installed to keep stable when moving, All four dogs were in this (4 berth trolley) small breed either boston or french bulldogs, but in your case you could use 2 berth or single if all dogs happy to travel together. Then come sleeping time she had mattress held in place up on inside of roof by cross straps and would simply place this on floor leaving trolley out of vehicle in enclosed tent area. the vehicle was well designed she said was very economical to run and easy to just take out trolley and have all storage for doing normal running around driving as needed. http://www.anaconda.com.au/Product/Camp-and-Hike/Shelter/Deluxe-RV-Shade

I had my very large parcel opened here in QLD by customs to check contents as Clean run simply wrote on declaration "dog products" while nothing in parcel was food or organic mostly books, gazebo mat (possibly thought to be woven from organic fibre when actually plastic material but shows up on scanning as similar to fibre), collars, DVD etc, the custom dog had a "problem" with the parcel because obviously it had come from a dog based comapnay and possibly smelt doggie. so I contacted clean run and informed them that when filling out the declaration for products sent to OZ they needed to be a bit more specific, listing things like books/toys/ DVd etc not just a blanket word as "dog products" As for all the medicinal type products these pretty much go with out saying if not sold in Oz and cleared by our therapeautic goods administration they will not be allowed in, I have sourced items that have been advertised over in USA & Canada which simply have different name in Australia but essentially same product and that is most frustrating part as that enzyme powder is probably available in health food shops just different name and label and has been irradiated pre entry to Oz. Problem came about with many of these type products due to anabolic steroids coming in as supposedly horse and dog supplements and only livestock actually getting them were 2 legged kind.

http://www.talkingstones.com.au/pet-memorials/?gclid=CNSrg-qrsLQCFYRapQodrB4AWQ http://www.pearlymates.com.au/?gclid=CMm02YyssLQCFQFKpgodTXoARw (Victorian company) http://www.petcremationurns.com.au/ (Another victorian based) http://www.petrest.com.au/products/vessels (NSW company with several alternative types of urns especially garden ornaments) Hope this helps anyone who may need to select something extra special for their pet.

I too went with "pets in Peace' they were fantastic to deal with very sincere , no pressure, reasonably priced and I chose a small box out of a specific wood type which has sealed section at back for ashes and in front a place to put photo behind glass, also had a little gold plague which they engraved with what I wanted on it. They also gave me a beautiful certificate, a lock of his hair tied in a little blue bow and a paw print under which was a beautiful poem. all these items went into his photo album to complete his life journey of 12 years. The photo frame has been prominently displayed in my treasure cabinet in lounge room no one really notices it other then fact it is a photo of my departed dog, only I know it contains his ashes. I think these items are very important part of grieving process and all dog devotees would totally understand, for non dog people they may thing we are a bit eccentric but who cares.

Our dog club sells them very resonably priced and used for flyball mostly but have seen them used for other reasons, http://waggle.com.au/ezydog-b2?gclid=CL6u_eiym7QCFcoipQodJH8AJA There are some on ebay as well at moment

Dog Breed Category 1. What breed is the ‘Warren Hound’ better known as? Portuguese Podengo 2. How many types of retriever are there (in the UK)? 6 recognised ->Labrador Retriever, curly coated retriever, Nova Scotia duck tolling, golden retriever, Chesapeake Bay retriever, flat coated retriever 3. What breed won BIS at Crufts 2012? Lhasa Apso 4. Name a ‘terrier’ not in the terrier group. Schnauzer Canine Biology 1. Do dogs have a ‘clavicle’? Technically No but in some breeds a very tiny replica of one is evident 2. How many teeth does a normal dog have? 42 3. What is average body temperature of dogs? 38C 4. How long is the gestation period for dogs? Average 61 (58 -65) Famous Dogs 1. Pongo and Perdita were in which film? 101 Dalmations 2. Bullseye was owned by who? Bill Sykes 3. Snowy had adventures with who? Tin Tin 4. What breed is Hooch (from Turner and Hooch) Dogue de Bordeaux General Knowledge 1. What is the proper name for the ‘dog star’? Sirius 2. How fast can a Greyhound run? 25, 35 or 45 mph? 3. How many calories a day does a sled dog use during the Iditarod (1,150 mile race) 2,500; 5000 or 10,000 calories? 4. Fido comes from the latin meaning what? fidelissimus or fidelis, meaning faithful or loyal Tie breakers 1. Name a breed of dog that survived the Titanic sinking Pomeranian 2. What is the name for dog phobia? Cynophobia Well that took care of some part of a boring Friday night

In reference to post by Raz -> Yep well I could have just started yet another thread on same topic all over again, so it was easier to do what a lot of others don't - SEARCH for info. It is a topic that I believe should be debated at every opportunity, put me on the NOT FOR side.

I know this is dragging up an old post but it just makes me so irate when I find people who want their dogs debarked "just because" they do not want them to bark and be a nuiscence in their household! And to think there are vets who will do this procedure on puppies without any valid reason - shame, shame, shame, I would like to take an implement to them as well. I currently have 2 dogs, have had multiple working dogs on a property in past, and varying breeds, NOT ONE single dog has EVER been a problematic barker and this has been achieved with consistent training to STOP the learned behaviour before it starts, that is unnecessary barking, my method has simply been to correct the dog from a very early age if it barks just a stern voice command 'argh' as soon as dog stops, looks at me it is rewarded. As they got older 1 - 2 barks permissable, after that a call to heel and if correct response, reward. So now I have 2 very quite unobtusive dogs who alert me to door bell/phone ring/and all other household equipment beeps with a seek me and nose or paw touch with so much enthusiasm and the only reward they get is a big pat and my voice letting them know 'job well done' :)

Only time you need to get rabies vaccine is if like me you intend to take your dog to a rabies positive country, we went o/s with dog and as a precaution and to expedite his return to Australia this was done (at huge expense), at least now we know he has some protection against lyssavirus, which is currently the closest thing in Australia to Rabies heaven forbid we ever do get an outbreak of rabies here.

Not sure if I missed it but what breed of dog? Are you using consistency in training using same cues all the time? Are you using high value rewards to refocus onto task? After reading persephone post I can definately see there is a lack of discipline and consistency which before your dog is going to become trained in any way needs to be addressed. So be consistent, set boundaries and stick to them routine is very important! Focus on one area and perfect it before moving on to the next As for the playing etc, yes sounds like you are this dogs world and she does not want to move away from her human, try finding one person with an older very stable dog and just hang out together, try going for walks and just gradually introduce the dogs in a no pressure situation, once they are getting on well the rest will just happen. I would certainly not be considering letting this dog have puppies and you may even find by having her desexed this may improve her temperament as all those nasty hormones will reduce.

Depending on the quantity of the herbs you can get empty geletin capsules and fill these and then just pop down throat like normal worm tablet. If larger quantity try making into several smaller meals throguhout day and use small chicken cooked chopped finely and put smaller qty inside each ball, I find with my dog who will not take anything I make a game and toss the meatball and he woofs it down so fast he doesn't even chew. Another option may be to mix with sardine oil (if he likes fish), this will definately disguise smell, and still add to another chopped meat he really likes.

I would go to the specialist if it was my dog. But then I wouldn't have the biopsy unless she developed symptoms. Have they talked about doing a Protein C test I linked before. Has your vet consulted with a specialist from Sydney Uni? If not then I wouldn't be making any decisions regarding biopsy or not until talking to them. Could not agree more on this.... having a dog who had similar situation under 12 months of age we decided to wait and watch and if at any time there were symptoms suggestive of sinister outcome we would go further, nine years later no problems and after 2 years all bloods were normal, so am so glad I waited. :D A very wise professor of vetinary medicine said to me at the time 'You can't see the forest for the trees', because at the time I was so focussed on this problem my own dog had that I was not seeing the 'whole' dog and I was constantly waiting for something to happen I could not enjoy him, once I realised this I just treated him like a wonderful pet and the end result speaks for itself

A friend of mine whose dog had same condition after excision of lesion and healing has used 'black it' the show dog stick application on her dogs all pink nose and muzzle when ever they are going to be out and about, she says it is applied so thickly that it takes sometime to wear off, only disadvantage is when dog nuzzles anyone they end up with black marks on them. Do not use any sun screen on the dog that contains zinc as this is extremely TOXIC to dogs Dog is in good company while not a nice disease to have to deal with the singing sensation SEAL had same diagnosis as a child hence the scarring on his face.

Despite the old adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" YES you can! Firstly these dogs have formed their own pack, one being the more dominant then the other and my guess will be that it is the bitch! So firstly they need seperation, one (male) taken for short periods on his own given lots of attention, grooming simple little trick training with high value treats (chicken wing/chicken neck) they will discover what these dogs love more then anything. consistently everyday this needs to happen until male dog is following new owner and paying full attention to them, then start same deal with Bitch and before they know it (probably around 4 months) they will have different dogs in the house. also seperate crates will be needed for beginning of training in getting dogs to think as 2 dogs not one following others lead. Lots of crate training games, feeding in crate etc. As big a pain as it is as someone suggessted walk seperately for now and everytime a bark is given, a response with a firm aarh.... turn dog facing away from what it is barking at and immediately it is quite REWARD and voice praise, again consistency is the key, in the house if barking commences same deal both dogs (focus on the initiator) given same firm tone AARGH and then the high pitched "come" and when they cease barking and come to owner praise and reward. I have a nine year old who up until early this year had never tugged in his life and new puppy came along and now they are the tug masters and he has learnt to 'puppy play' so possibly again seperating the dogs and introducing the Bitch to a stonger temperament small breed dog to walk with and chase ball and learn to play and interact with will then rub off on the male dog, the old saying 2 is company 3 is a crowd definately works for dogs, 2 are happy together they don't want a 3rd in the mix but divide and conquer :laugh: I would definately suggest they take dogs to a well run obedience school as if for nothing else the peer support and the dogs will settle into this environment eventually, right now they are just dealing with total upheaval in their lives. And don't underestimate the command issue, these dogs WILL know exactly what is said if said the right way and like kids say it often enough and they get the message (you hope) :)

Several possibilities for raised ALT in abscence of any clinical evidence of liver abnormality. If dog had been fasting for several hours prior to procedure (spaying)then dhydration sets in especially in brachy dogs. Some dogs have raised ALT in relation to use of certain worming products/vitamin mineral supplements/ general food ingredients (some of the speciality diets),even in response to stress which in your dog would have definately been happening in an unfamilair environment and having bloods done. It would seem that this phenomomen is very common among FB if you look at the net response google french bulldogs and elevated ALT, there are many people with same question for same breed population, so maybe this is just a normal elevation in the breed. If a specific study was to be done they may indeed document it as 'normal for the breed in abscence of disease' My personal attitude is watch and wait, if dog is developing, healthy, happy and eating without any concerns, no diarrhoea/vomiting etc, then don't interfere. Any organ biospy can be dangerous unless the risk is totally warranted.

I know this happened couple weeks back just taken time to filter through the media. http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15467600/hobart-dog-show-marks-150-years/

I think that possibly this university may have had a two fold agenda in creating this "puppy play" area. We are only being given the "Good news" story by the media. But it is very interesting to have read all the comments both negative & positive that have been put forward on the topic :) My thoughts are that this particular setting may indeed be part of a students PHd study, or a collective study, and possibly attached to the psychology department, no mention is made as to where these puppies are sourced from etc. And the fact that only 'puppies' are being utilised tells me that this is all about monitoring student (and or others) who come in contact, make themselves available to volunteer in this area, or those who visit either regularly or once only etc. The puppies may also be part of an experiment to see if multiple human interaction produces a more social puppy as opposed puppies who remain untouched and 'unloved' by humans in their early beginnings. This could indeed be a longitudinal study following these pups from birth through adulthood etc. the following is an example of a particular study on puppies, the second link (attached file)is an example of study done using a 'cute' robotic dog to guage human animal emotional response. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2327247/ There is a well documented psychological trait known as "The Baby Bias" which I feel this social experiment is definately modelled on :D

vicks vapour rub on bare feet and shoes will definately deter Action and reaction ie dog jumps on bed, or dog bites feet with excitement, you lock away dog has no idea why. With the early morning excitement I just get down to pups level and hold her and scratch her ears which she loves and within a matter of seconds she has calmed down and then I say out now and she heads straight for exit to yard, after doing this for a couple weeks now she just wakes and goes straight out as soon as she sees me up. Jumping up can be corrected with a quick turn your back on dog and no eye contact means dog is not rewarded, also say firm "DOWN". As for bed again make this a no go area put baby gate at door or close door to room, if dog does go in room then if attempts to ge tup again firm voice "down" and immediately move dog out of room, they are fast learners so dog will get message quickly.