bilby

No ! I love it ! Thank you ..

You are doing your best, & I really congratulate you for recognising the problem when it arose & for asking for help. I doubt any dog owner has always got it right . I thought I was reasonably savvy about dog behaviour etc until my son returned home with a - then 10-months-old - JRT. I'd only had large dogs before, & (with hindsight) dogs that were "soft" /trainable/biddable. Axle is so very different & was a considerable challenge for the 1st year or so. I was very grateful for the assistance of Gem, my elderly GSD in setting very firm boundaries on how far his very dominant play towards my (55kg) Mastiff X was allowed to go. He has changed enormously in the last 18 months, despite Gem's death. Maybe it's age (he's now 3), but I think the introduction of a Labrador pup 13 months ago has a lot to do with it. They absolutely exhaust each other in play & though he is so much more aggressive than she is, her size & amiability gives her the edge. Having said that, I wouldn't trust him with another dominant dog. My b-i-l thinks that if they bought their male Airedale up to visit, the dogs would "just sort it out" & then be best buddies. My sister & I disagree (strongly). I wish that I'd had Axle here earlier in his life & that I'd known that it seems he's staying long term. He is such a smart dog. Like you, we have 5 acres & because he has the other 2 dogs, I haven't done anything about socialising. You know what ? As I've been typing this, & trying to get my thoughts in order, I've just realised that he is only 3, & I should also get Axle assessed by a professional, & see if I can minimise my fear / his unsociability. My main point was to be that I can't imagine having a JRT / JRT X in a single dog household. I still can't, & my focus would be getting the expert advice to enable you to get him a companion. I think I'll go off & find out more about working Axles's issues out. Good luck.

A friend has just achieved Tracking Champion with her rescue border collie, & I want to send her an email with an appropriate animated picture. She has worked so hard for so many years with a dog that had been so abused & was on Death Row. I've hunted & hunted on the net but can't find anything. Just looking for something like a tracking border collie, applauding group of dogs, border collie with a star .. anything like that. Thanks

Because of Bouf's mis-diagnosed chronic lameness in puppyhood, he was 8 months & 55kg before we got back out to Obedience. A very nervous instructor sent me back to the carpark the minute she saw us approaching (he was walking nicely on lead) & insisted I bought & put a Halti on him before we were allowed near the class. She made me even more nervous than I was already, but I have to say that the Halti did make me feel more in control. Not as in control as I'd felt about my amiable dog before I got out the car but more in control than I felt after he was treated as Cujo. Bouf did make huge plunging play-bows when we were actually allowed near the other dogs The Halti was useful then for helping me calm down & regain a bit of the confidence that I'd lost. A miniature Poodle called Napoleon & his 8 year old handler restored most of the rest as they flung themselves on Bouf & adored him for the rest of the classes. Bouf never needed a Halti or a lead in later classes ( after I changed trainers) Halti's are probably great short-term for dogs who need re-training but I would hate to see them used routinely. Lazy lazy as someone said.

They really do need the appropriate size 1 for their body weight for it to work correctly. All of them have different strength bungee cord on them. The larger the size, the stronger the bungee cord is. So a little dog I doubt would have sufficient weight to get enough movement happening for food to be dispensed from a large dog home alone I did think that might be it ! I didn't bother about getting a smaller one because Axle doesn't care much about food, he just played on it for ages anyway to get the tugging & swinging. He used to look like those fairground rides .. horizontally circling flat out. The only reason's he's stopped playing so much on it is because we've added Bess to the pack & they play tug & chase together all day long. I reckon they're brilliant & well worth the money if you have a dog interested in tugging &/or food.

i never worked out how the food is meant to come out .. but maybe that's because I have the 50kg + size ball & Axle only weighs 5 kg. Bouf was/is not interested. We started Axle off just by swinging it & even though there's no food, he used to go crazy swinging & tugging on it.

I thought ours must be a factory reject with the hole at the top ! Specially since I won the 50kg dog + version in a competitition. 50 kg + dog has never played with it. 5kg JRT has had hours & hours & hours of play with it. The fact that food never emerged didn't bother him .. the TUG factor & spinning around on the end has absolutely enthralled him.

yes , yes , yessss, yesssssssssssssssss Reminder Diary Entry : Do NOT take dogs in car for prolonged trips after giving bones on previous day. You are not alone, benny.

You know where my pool is. Might be a bit far, but you're welcome to come up & use it anytime. I have got a ramp somewhere too. If I'm not there & it's full of young men, select the one with dreadlocks & tell him to put the dogs away, get the lads out & to nick off round to the orange tree & get you a bagful. His mates are country boy dog-owners/lovers .. so if you need any help, just give them directions. (((((((((((((( Ebony)))))))))))))))))))))

Frozen brisket bones ?

I have Pet Cover with my SGIO Home & Contents policy. $25 Accident Cover per pet per year. $100 excess but up to $500 per incident per pet. I'd had no vet bills for years but thought I might as well add it on. I had multiple incidents for the next few months .. I think I'm decades ahead in premiums/claims .. so I'm sorry SGIO .. but brilliant cover

Murdoch was excellent for Bouf's TWO 2 years ago. Both the surgeon & the surgical nurse were so caring, took so much time with us. The reception & kennel staff were the same. I can't imagine getting a higher standard of care anywhere.

Hullo guys .. how are you all ? Bouf is great physically ... but a bit grumpy with our newest addition. He won't let her sleep with him, the meanie. Gem, my beloved GSD, died from bloat. a couple of months back. Fine in the afternoon, dead at 9pm despite rushing her to the nearest vet hospital. Bess is 12 weeks today, & lifts the gloom a bit. Though one of the many many ways in which I hadn't realised how I'd miss Gem is how good she was at training pups. Bouf & Axle just don't do it right .. must be a male thing. TAKE NOTE, boys ! I do not want her to learn how to get through fences, I do not want her to learn to poop inside just because it's winter & you're a JRT who hates getting wet, I do not want her to learn to climb trees .. but Bess is pretty cluey & smart ( sorry, Bouf - but it is very exciting to have a pup who "gets" it) & Axle is a great playmate for her

I didn't think you were rude .. :D I'm glad you made me think.

Thanks poodle .. :D I felt so dumb when I was asked .. I know they're large dogs .. why DID I buy the Medium

I used a nylon cat collar on Bess till yesterday .. only because it was the only luminous one I could find. She scratched a bit but not much. Maybe leather is just too "heavy" ?

I know !! I swear that in the 2 days since I posted, she must have secretly signed up to Big Fat Losers. Just like blacklab said ...

Day 2 ... taking Bouf on in playing Tug ( this is a confident pup )

Great .. I've already got chicken necks for the ferrets & Axle & here's more photos 8 weeks - 1st Day 11 weeks -

Thank you all for all that helpful info. She looks healthy & very happy, coat is very shiny, eyes bright etc etc. It was just the variance with the guide which seemed quite significant. I'm maybe being overanxious. I never used to bother with the feeding guides etc .. but after doing what I THOUGHT was the right thing with Bouf ( as per the vet I had then & confirmed by some sites's recommendations) & then him needing a cruciate ligament op before he was 3, I just wanted to check. Bouf's problems were quite probably due to his conformation (I bought a X ) .. but you know the guilt .. was it my mis-feeding ?? Yes, Shelly, she is a rolly polly which is fine if it's just the puppy stage. I love lean Labs, & though I haven't owned one for 25 odd years, I remember my 1st childhood Lab being fat & arthritic & sore & old & dying at 10 .. & my 2nd one being kept lean & living a high quality life till 14. Why am I feeding her Medium breed ? Ummm ..I don't really know. It was recommended by the supplier who checked the %'s & said that they were identical but the biscuits are smaller. He left the choice up to me though .. but I didn't check that myself .. I'll do that. I usually do add eggs, sardines, veggies etc .. but was trying to get a handle on her needs first.... but I suppose that will probably change week to week, if not day to day, whilst she's growing so I'll start just adding them & see how we go. As for bones, chicken carcasses etc, I haven't introduced them yet .. they'd be OK for her age ? She would LOVE them. Thank you again

I have a 10 week Lab girl & am feeding Eukunubra Medium Breed Puppy. I've read & re-read the instructions to give her 2 & 3/4 cups a day .. but she seems a bit podgy .. & I've cut it down to 2 cups. She is very, very active as she & the JRT are wrestling & chasing 95% of the time she's awake .. so I would have expected her to need more than the recommended amount, not less. I'm so anxious to get it right at this crucial stage .. & am nervous about feeding less .. but she is just so rotund. Her poos are not firm but not too loose .. & she seems to poo far more out than goes in .. but she definitely is not getting any other food. Family members do recognise that this would result in death. (theirs) I'm perplexed. Any suggestions?

Maybe you need bigger Teddys ? This is Bess's new sleeping place .. she's 10 weeks today .. she chose it herself.

I'm a bit like Dawn. Every intention of being consistent but have adapted to this particular pup, & it has worked well for us. I thought that my Mastiff X would welcome the new pup, & that she would just snuggle up with him. Just as my GSD did for him .. as I sternly pointed out to him. NO WAY .. he was petrified of this small furry bundle. The first night she cried. The 2nd & 3rd night, I slept on a bed in the dog room with her. Didn't allow her up on the bed, didn't do anything except take her out for "Hurry Ups". The 4th night, I was completely buggered & went for a little lie-down at 8pm in my bedroom. Woke up at 6 the next morning. OK, we had puddles but .. this is what I found when I went in ... Since then, she's slept happily alone .. & I wake her up for "HurryUps" once a night. She is a very very confident, relaxed pup .. & I'm not trying to say that it's good advice in general .. actually I'm not trying to advise at all .. just saying what's worked for us.

Bloat bloat bloat. It's not just the big breeds or the deep chested breeds that are at risk ( I thought that too) ... though they do have a much higher incidence. 2 smaller meals a day is the best prevention known. & you may only have 15 minutes to get emergency veterinary intervention if your dog does bloat. Not enough time for my beautiful Gem. :D

There's a barrelful of coopers here .. http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/cooper