halfthewords

Good news about the Husky! Hopefully the other dog's owners pay up, what scumbags. I think growling is misinterpreted much of the time the same wail tail wagging is - most people have no idea that tails wag when a dog is being aggressive. All of my dogs growl at each other occasionally. Usually just a 'back off' if someone walks too close to a dinner bowl, or if personal space is invaded. None of them have ever fought because they all listen to signals and respect boundaries. It helps to have a balanced alpha male around here.

Fox Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Daschund, Cairn Terrier. :D

My Bichon polished off dark chocolate in December, I know your pain! I would take them to the vet just in case, you only have a 2 hour window before they can't induce vomiting.

I work at a pet retail outlet... With some of the stuff that's in kibble these days, I recommend Nutro, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack or Advance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyVdVJhfypQ Taught Carl to do this between today and yesterday. :D Proving to be a useful trick already!

I have a soft crate that I sometimes use for Carl to sleep in when my partner stays over (not enough room for everyone in a king single ).

We have a multi-dog household too, definitely different sets of rules! Carl is very soft and sensitive. He is allowed to sleep on my bed no question, he makes a great pillow, is not dominant in any way ever, and only gets up when asked (and even then I have to encourage him ;) ). He sometimes is overbearing when I get home from work in his joy, but he doesn't jump on me...he pretty much sits everywhere with me. He is allowed offleash all the time (except on footpaths!). Mischa prefers sleeping on the floor. She is allowed in the bed if she wants though. She is a dominant girl though so she is generally put away when the boys are having a play session or when food is around because she is the fun police! I do not let her lick my face, she is too over the top and if you are lying down is all over you. She is almost always allowed offlead, unless we are around small animals. Jag I don't pat very much or invite up on the couch... He is very entitled and quite dominant. My mother enables him - when he cries she pets him. :D He has learned how to work the system. On walks he is never allowed off. Zero recall. Cleo is timid so over the top reassurance for her is common around here... I don't let her offleash as she is prone to bolting and not returning! She is more my sister's dog the way Jag is mum's dog. Carl and Misch are balanced and calm unlike the other two. I don't believe in spoiling dogs. :p My dogs work for pretty much everything.

Just finished reading some old threads around here about them - don't worry, I won't be doing it!!! I was recommended to euth by one of the trainers I used a few years ago. :D Yeah right!

Thanks guys. I called around to a few places today, including Dog Tech. Will write an email to K9 Pro ASAP. Steve sounds like the best option at this point!

Dog puzzles, kongs, bones, anything she has to work at. Do some clicker training with free shaping, it doesn't have to be elaborate - just teaching her to touch things with her right/left paw, nose, etc can be challenging and fun.

Hey guys. Just wondering if anyone has a good trainer recommendation in the Sydney are? (I'm on the Northern Beaches. Willing to travel if needed.) I have an approx 5yo staffy/terrier who has been fear aggressive since the day I adopted him. I've had him for three years in May, and while I've done extensive rehabilitation with him (he can now be touched by people other than me, no longer bites, etc) that has taken up most of my spare time...but he has still come probably 70% good I would say. He has developed a wind phobia and he is terrified of doors slamming, shutters on windows. He is fairly good with people now, so long as they kneel down and introduce themselves to him veeeery slowly. He likes my family, best friend and girlfriend but not enough to take food off them, or be walked/picked up by them. I have used my other dog, a really confident Min Pin, to get his confidence up in dealing with people. That so far has worked, but I feel I'm out of my depth now. He has been abused very badly and unfortunately his fear is a product of that. I have tried all I can think of. I would like to be able to walk at normal hours during the day (he is frightened of joggers, bike riders, kids, etc) and take him to agility and obedience - heck, even just down to the local cafe without having to worry he will bite someone! He is totally normal with me, has a great, loyal, loving personality, but he is just awful with everyone else. Ideally I'd like a trainer experienced in rehabilitating abused/fearful dogs because he has had enough damage done to him without someone who uses forceful methods. He is very submissive, not dominant at all, respects me as the pack leader and all of that, so he definitely understands his place in the world - it's just his past that's holding him back. Any ideas? EDIT: He also had a major storm phobia that has thankfully gone away with the Thundershirt and a bit of training to help him cope. The Thundershirt isn't working for the wind fear, it's a totally different ballgame to the thunderstorm phobia.

My sheets are usually white or pink, but none of my dogs shed.

Carl and Mischa sleep in their beds under my desk while I'm on the computer/studying/whatever, I take them for a wee right before we go to bed anywhere between 10PM and 2AM. Carl sleeps in my bed, Mischa has her pick of the 3 dog beds in my room. :D Occasionally, when it's cold, she sleeps in the bed with me and Carlie. If I pick her up and put her in there she'll stay all night but she rarely asks to! Both are happy to sleep in as long as I do. Sometimes until 10AM. We have a noisy family coming and going constantly so I think I got lucky there... But the minute I'm rousing, Carl knows and is bolt awake. He'll hop off the bed, stretch, play with his teddy and then get back into bed if that hasn't gotten me up. Miss Mischa stays under the blankets until I'm physically out of the bed.

I know a dog called Hershey who absolutely looks it! No objections to food names here. Although I do get asked fairly often if Carl is named after Carl Williams (), and Mischa after Mischa Barton. :D

We don't have that issue with Aussies, they wiggle their whole butts and in some cases the whole body in several different directions at once. No doubt when a NBT/docked Aussie is happy! :D The most I get is a toothy grin before she licks me but otherwise that's about it when she's in a good mood!

We have one tailed Min Pin here and one docked - the docked girl (Mischa) has had hers done way too short, if you don't know her personally you can't read her moods at all! Cleo looks good with a tail, much more expressive and it adds to the prancy Min Pin gate. :D Having said that, Cleo is shorter and more solid than Mischa, who is taller and more willowy. I find it hard to imagine what she would be like with a tail. I do prefer dogs with their natural tails.

Generally I walk very briskly for 1-1.5 hours with about 15 mins of offleash time during. They always get a run at the oval in the mornings to blow off excess steam, especially if I have to go to work. They sometimes get 3 outings a day when I can meet my friend at the beach! We walk along a quiet bush track for about 25 mins, along some quiet roads until we get to the oval, and then it's again through backstreets and more bush to get home. One of the other routes is on the main road which Mischa doesn't appreciate.

To cut a long story short, my sister works at a vet where recently a litter of 3 week old kittens were dumped. One of them we have taken home to feed every few hours, he has a lazy-eye and we suspect some neurological damage. None the less he is very sweet, and my rescue dog, Carl, has decided that Joey is his 'child.' This is particularly amusing because when I got him, Carl was TERRIFIED of cats. Good to see my training pay off!

You know this already do you? Or are you making assumptions? Really??!! Now THAT is breed hysteria at it's finest I agree if the dog is just PTS then nothing further is gained but we just don't happen to live in an ideal world. If the owners no longer want the dog (going by someone else's post here) then I am not sure the offer of assessment will be taken up. It's just sad for the dog as always (whatever breed!) ..... Breed hysteria portrays a breed in a NEGATIVE light. Where did I say GRs made BAD family pets? They do indeed make great family animals. My point is that there are plenty of other breeds with the same traits that don't get the publicity GRs and Labs do. And the dog bit 4 people. Even though it's a GR and people are looking for reasons to keep the dog alive, logic says it will be PTS regardless of what the owners say (and they may very well want it euthed).

Unfair on who? On all the breeds that are burned at the stake for the same thing, merely because they aren't fluffy and touted as the perfect family pet. Well this one is likely to burn at the stake as well so maybe get off your high horse? (oh and there's a reason certain breeds of dog are touted as a perfect family pet. Go figure ) It will burn at the stake for the severity and number of the attacks. If it had bitten a person as a one off, it would probably not be a huge issue - this has happened before with the breeds mentioned and I remember two cases where the dog was not PTS. If it had been a staffy or GSD biting someone as a one off, it would be PTS no question. Breed hysteria at its finest. The only reason they are the 'perfect family pet' is because of the publicity they receive. A badly raised dog of any breed is just as likely to do what this dog did. I would dare say that bull breeds make just as good family pets, if not better; it is a trait of the breed that they are excellent with kids. Staffies are called the nanny dog after all.

Unfair on who? On all the breeds that are burned at the stake for the same thing, merely because they aren't fluffy and touted as the perfect family pet.

I had a Pomeranian x Husky come into work the other day -- according to the owner "the rarest breed in Australia!" The pup looked like a Finnish Lapphund and I asked if that was what it was! It had pom hair, blue eyes, and husky colouring. Good lord. My own personal mutt is a staffy x norfolk terrier Carl. See sig. When shaved he looks like a fawn staffy with a fluffy tail. He has staffy ears, muscle tone, head shape and height, but the length and coat of a norfolk. We get asked what he is constantly!

Two desexed bitches here. Mischa (2 years older than the other) is the dominant bitch and tolerates no 'funny business' from Cleo. The pack order here is very clearly established with Carl and Mischa being the alpha pair and the other two very submissive. The girls have had the occasional scrap over food, but it is mostly air-snapping and scrabbling. No blood has ever been drawn. They are fed separately and there have been no issues since. Other than that, they get along well, sleep in the same bed, share cuddles/toys and play together.

We have 4 dogs ranging from very small to medium, all 4 have been fed raw chicken drumsticks or wings once a day for years. No issues here.

Staring. Lots of staring.