halfthewords

We've used sentinel on all five dogs we've owned for 13+ years, everyone is healthy and happy. Most importantly, flea-free! They do have a bit of an itchy reaction to advantix, on the other hand...

Someone is usually home at my place (4 adults, 1 teenager) and our 4 dogs are never locked inside, they have access to up/downstairs and outside 24/7 via doggie door. Nobody so much as walks down the street without being barked at so I doubt it'd be worth trying to break in or take one of them. I am in the process of crate-training Carl for when my girlfriend stays over so there's more room in the bed. If need be he can be crated during the day, but as all he does is sleep I am happy for him to have free roam of the house.

Shaar, I know who you are talking about in this post, and I have to say when I read the thread I was disappointed that someone who breeds TMs could also breed oodles.

None of my dogs are reactive to other dogs (they know they'd be busted!), so the likelihood of them having the 'pack mentality' is almost zilch... I also take them during off peak times, i.e. when I know no one will be there. I do my best to be vigilant, and if I see a dog approaching with ears forward/hackles up/tail up then they all are releashed or I call out to the other owner.

I have a client who has 3 Rotties and a GSD I walk all at once, I think it's a matter of what tools you're comfortable with. I use those blue/white checkered slip/showleads only. A few corrections if they pull, and they are walking next to me rather than ahead.

I own 4, and I walk all of them at once, twice a day every day for an hour. I always get comments and asked if I'm a professional dog walker. I can handle up to six at the dog park offleash (other 2 are my friend's dogs).

Horses for courses as they say... Personally, I cannot stand the velcro dogs who must literally be touching you all the time. My friend's dog is under you when you go to sit, constantly pushing his head under your arm/hand/foot for a pat. It drives me up the wall. My dogs know to give me my space, and I invite them into it regularly for pats. They also like their own space! I don't allow my dogs to pull on the leash, jump up without being asked, beg for food (unless people are over and we do Carl's party tricks ), take toys or food off each other, whinging, etc. It helps they never did any of that in the first place. :D I am a bit torn on the issue of aggression, since I own an extremely fear-aggressive (HA only, LOVES dogs), shy dog. He is 100% normal with me (and about 5 other people--after extensive training sessions involving them and exposure) so I know he is not insecure, but he does not trust anyone as he has clearly been very badly abused physically in his previous life. Every day is an uphill struggle for me to manage him, since I tend not to walk him at a time of day when there will be kids around and it puts a serious limitation on the things we do. I have had him 3 years and he is 70% better, but I still have to be very, very careful not to set him up for failure. He is muzzled most of the time when we have guests over just in case one of them doesn't ignore him as I tell them to and tries to pat him...that's when we run into trouble. I would probably take on a HA or DA small breed. Mischa was dog aggressive but I have corrected it since using positive reinforcement and some of Cesar Millan's methods. It's just easier to manage in a small dog, not that it ever excuses the behaviour. I find HA dogs easier to work with than DA ones, so a dog up to the size of a Lab would be manageable for me and my experience with aggression. I do enjoy the challenge of a dog who is not a 'good' canine citizen. If the dog has killed another dog or seriously bitten someone (i.e. mauled, not a defensive bite), then I would probably not.

My best friend had his Chihuahua desexed at 7 after much pestering on my part. Prior to it, he was a nasty, territorial little thing--still is, but there's a marked difference. He is calmer and better around bitches in heat. The only negatives seem to have been a bit more white in his face (but that could be age ), and he is slowing down/not as excitable as he was while entire. Edit :D My rescue Carl was desexed late at around 2/3 years. No difference in personality, but as everyone else has said, I have to watch his food intake. He was ridiculously muscular before he got the snip and now it all goes to his butt!

My best friend owns a male Chihuahua (8yo, desexed only last April), and I take the dog overnight regularly and housesat for a month so have spent a good deal of time living with one! Neo (the Chi) was an only dog before friend got another dog, who is now boss (and there are some issues). He met my dogs Carl and Mischa (who is a tolerant girl, but likes her space, alpha female). He gets on great with Carl! Carl is thirty times the size of him but they snuggle together--then again, Carl is the most balanced dog around other dogs I know, so that might not count. What are they like? Do they like other dogs? This Chi in particular was not socialised well, so on lead he snaps at other dogs and will rush them...but he was not desexed until late, and the owners find it 'cute' and laugh at him. Unfortunately he is a case of 'small dog syndrome'. I've corrected some of his behaviour, but it still creeps back in. From what I've seen, they do get along better with other toy breeds who are not too rough. Are they considered an easy breed to look after and train? Short-coated Chis need a brush with a glove every couple of days, and a wash once a fortnight or so. Maybe less. Neo knows a ton of tricks -- very food oriented -- and he almost never has attitude, but the breed really is a people pleaser, as much as they try to be the boss. Are they really yappy? I hate to say it, but yes. I have yet to meet a Chi who does not yap (and I've met hundreds, working in rescues/vet nursing).

My Dog Ate What?, Shark Men, Breed All About It, Planet's Funniest Animals, any of the wildlife docos (especially about lions/crocs/hyaenas), all the cop shows, Dog Whisperer, It's Me or the Dog.

Just have to give you a SLAP for that one! LOL Smooth coat Chi = Rat according to all who know me But interestingly, the long coat Chi on the other lead often gets - "What breed is that?" I deserved it! Mischa gets called a rat all the time ironically! My best friend has a Chihuahua (badly bred, mind) who's been called a corgi x.

Mischa and Cleo (Miniature Pinschers) get called Chihuahuas several times a day. It drives me up the WALL. They are so much better looking than Chis. Carl (staffy/terrier x) has been called a corgi before. :D Also a cocker spaniel! Jag gets mistaken for a poodle or a maltese. I'll give them poodle since Bichon hair is very similar to it, but the body shape is completely different.

Clontarf is definitely the place for it, the water is beautiful and pristine and I swim with my dogs all the time. Great exercise for everyone too!

When I first got Carl I searched high and low for a groomer willing to clip him (fear aggressive, big chunky boy) and finally found a lovely woman with one of the trailers. She came to me which I needed because there was no safe way for Carl to be in a salon without taking a hand off! She was excellent--required no muzzle (very gentle), washed, clipped, dried, cut his nails and did exactly as I asked (fluffy head/tail but short hair). I paid $70 for it. I live in a fairly wealthy area of Sydney so for her spending travel time on me, I was happy with that price! 50 is very reasonable. I would pay more than that if I ever had my dogs groomed professionally again. However Carl and Jag both need clipping way too frequently (like at least once every 5-6 weeks) so I taught myself. They look neat, and I do "shave" them off to a 10, the reason being a) we live in a high tick area and we have already had one incidence of paralysis with Carl, b) they both feel the heat, and c) it takes longer for the hair to grow back. I'm waiting to be flamed for shaving my Bichon Frise as much as I do. I do agree that 10 all over is unsightly--I leave fluffy heads, ears and tails, and I clip a lot of my friends' dogs as well as some rescue dogs. Someone must be happy with my 'work' at least...

Renbury dogs are desexed (and euthanised) through Rossmore. Our boy Jag was rescued from Renbury by us 6months ago and had his vetwork done at Rossmore. I asked them to do an additional clip of his hair (major matting going on, no way to do it with him conscious) on top of the usual vaccinations, etc. He came out looking much better and in good spirits. My only issue was the desexing. We made very certain when we first met Jag that he had no testicles whatsoever. He was over a year old. The vet nurse who discharged him to me explained how he would need to come back and have his stitches removed, but there were definitely no stitches. They also tattooed his ear which was unnecessary and caused him quite a bit of irritation in following weeks. It's fairly clear when a male dog is entire.

Clontarf on the Northern Beaches has an area designated specifically for dogs at the other end of the beach--there is a fenced in area for kids and the dog area is called Sandy Bay. It's excellent during low tide, about the size of a large soccer field, no waves, usually very quiet.

We currently have a 1.5yo male Bichon, and previously we owned a lovely old girl who passed in Feb last year. Bichons were our first breed (big family--parents, 2 girls, 1 boy who is mildly autistic). Bichons would be my go between all 3 choices. They don't shed (and you can clip them short rather than bothering with the breed clip--see my sig), hardly bark for a small breed, are playful and extremely good-natured. Our boy loves EVERYONE. He came from a pound so who knows what he went through, but he is just lovely and friendly. They're also excellent at agility and obedience--want to please and don't have a lot of the 'attitude' small breeds tend to. They are medium to low energy, probably just need a 1/2 hour walk a day. Jag gets a lot more exercise than that but they are fairly adaptable. Overall they're just brilliant little things with great dispositions. As for health tests, you want them to be free of: elbow and hip dysplasia, eye clearance, and patellar luxation. The average price should be around 600-800? We paid around 300 for our first girl but suspect it was BYB.

When I say 'walk,' Carl goes to the dog cupboard, opens it, and brings me 2 leads (one for him and the other for Misch!). Does the same with slippers, DVDs (knows Jurassic Park series by number as well as a few misc horror movies), things that are dropped and of course toys that are thrown. Funny thing is I never taught him to retrieve. I dropped my toothbrush the other day and went to get it with my foot, but he beat me to it! Mischa chases off plovers during spring. She has no fear and somehow manages to avoid having her eyes plucked out. Must be her size on her side?? All 4 of them also open the sliding door to come inside so you usually don't have to...but then they don't close it.

Started Carl's agility training yesterday. He nailed the jump pretty quick, so I upped the ante today and added another two jumps! Crappily homemade with crates and brooms, but it works. He's already learned to do it offleash and without running ahead of me. So proud of him! We ordered a 6m tunnel today from a website so I will be stoked when it arrives and we can try it out! With how quick he learns we'll be up to the stay table in no time.

Carl has a big blue collar with big diamonte letters that say L O V E on it. He also has the pink version. He occasionally wears red, but mostly blue or black. Mischa has a black bandana collar. She looks masculine enough already.

My parents don't mind the dogs sitting under the table. Carl sometimes goes into 'beg' (proven success :eyeroll: ) and Mischa and Cleo just jump up on seats for attention. I don't eat at the dinner table very often but when I do eat, my two know they aren't allowed near me or food until I finish and give them scraps. And event then they have to work for it!

It's only small, but I'm teaching Carl canine freestyle moves and we've almost got leg-weaving down! The clicker is a godsend, it makes training so much easier for me! Carl does catch onto things really quickly though. Another brag for him, he's getting a lot better with cats (was terrified of them) thanks to some rescue kittens at the vet my sister works for. Desensitizing is hard! As for Mischa, she finally mastered targeting and beg. She's a bit stubborn (Min Pins... ) so this is a big deal for us!

What is a "level 9 correction"? What article did you copy and paste that from - it wasn't in the Leerburg article you linked to? click on the ebook on the same page. Sounds like many of you don't know even how to correct a dog or the levels involved I don't know about you but a full strength correction from me and I'm an average built guy would never seriously hurt a dog. A leash correction is only using the lower part of your arm not your whole body. I have yet to ever have a fully grown large dog wince in pain to a very hard correction from myself. I have had dogs of shy temperaments shut down for a moment but they bounce back with a bit of encouragement. I and my parents have ran the RSPCA animal shelter in Burnie tasmania many years ago. I and my father have trained a lot of dogs with different temperaments from shy to aggressive and yes I have been bitten a few times over the years but at the end of the day I have always achieved results. me and my father have saved alot of dogs from being PTS. Back then I never even used treats in my training but over the years I have learned different things and I am still learning. As I stated before It was only an idea of probably many methods that would work. What on earth would prompt you to physically correct a shy dog that hard? I can tell you as the owner of an abused and extremely shy (and usually aggressive as a last resort) dog, that you would not have a hand if you tried it on him. Force should not be used on animals with temperaments like this. Especially not with a prong collar!

will have to try this. question - would you leave it on a dog all day while you're at work? It's too risky, like leaving a collar on--it gets stuck on something, too hot, etc. Of course the velcro helps with it coming off, but I supervise use of the TS. I've used it with a great deal of success on Carl.

He has regular acupuncture sessions to help with his anxiety, and he gets massages from the canine chiro/masseuse at the vet clinic I work at.