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A slurp of Apple Cider in their water is doing the trick for us

Leila has naturally very long nails, even when just cut 2 of them will touch the ground (just), if they have a long quick there's not much you can do about it. Walking on the road surface is an excellent tip.

I have mixed feelings having had large dogs who both lived past 15 and were feed canned food. There certainly is evidence or just plain common sense that tells you that artifical flavours and preservatives and the other nasties in processed foods aren't good for dogs as they aren't for humans, mind you just like humans some dogs are quite sensitive to preservitives & colourings. There are cancer links as well, but geez these days they even think red meat has a cancer link so you don't win either way. Mind you it's not rocket science to see good results coming out of a natural diet which has well balanced ratios. A barf diet with incorrect ratios isn't doing the dog any good either such as when my parents thought that just feeding chicken wings would be a good way of putting an oveweight lab on a diet, the concept is close but if you muck up to ratios you're mucking up other things as well. My kids are on Billinghurst BARF paddies for dinner and Natures gift for breakfast.

When I was researching Great Danes, I read that pups of the large breed variety should not have forced exercise in their first 6 months to a year. The pups can certainly run around on their own and play but shouldn't be forced to exercise such as walks and runs. If you're experienced with the breed I guess you make your own decisions as to when they're ready or to check with the breeder.

Ah I love reading stories like this! One day Steve can share a success story about my Turbo because I know with the guidence Steve has given us we'll get there. Having a fear aggressive dog is a heart breaking thing and if I hadn't of seen Steve I'm not sure what Turbo's future would have held, I can say I didn't have some very positive senerios going on in my head and felt pretty helpless and hopeless. We're still a work in progress. On our walk this evening for some reason every dog in the neighbourhood was out, but we survived with the calming methods Steve has passed onto us. Anyone with a fear aggressive dog, don't feel like nothing can be done, see Steve, he is a life saver 'literally'.

Just out of curosity has the Vet done a skin scraping?

Sounds fair enough, the treat isn't right for the dog.

It costs us $50 a week two feed to Great Danes Breakfast/Dinner, we get BARF patties directly from the NSW BARF Association then about $5 for bones. We could feed them a lot cheaper if we did the BARF ourselves, however I know I'd stuff up the ratios, it used to cost about $30 if I brought the meat from Pet Barn and then adding the vegies and bones, but I'm not adding Missing Link anymore so that's saving money there. My OH costs about $90 a week to feed, so really the dogs cost us nothing to feed

You probably shouldn't be giving your dog this product if they 'inhale' the treat is not suitable for your dog. You may want to read the packaging to see what the ingrediants are and make your decision based on that and the way your dog eats. Something softer maybe a better choice for your particular dog.

Greenies has been talked about in these forums a number of times in the last week. Quite simply: Greenies are safe for your dog if you follow the instructions on the packaging: Do not give Greenies to a dog who gulps their food or is likely to swallow large portions just the same as you wouldn't give chicken necks or rawhide to a dog who gulps etc. Don't believe everything you read, millions of dogs around the world eat this product, not all dogs can tolerate all treats and some treats just aren't suitable for some dogs. My dogs have had Greenies many times, no green pooes, no choking, no anything bad because I feed treats responsibly. Some people might experience their dogs having green pooes, well then this treat does not agree with your dog in the same way some of us can't tolerate garlic etc, simply don't give them to your dogs again. Be careful slagging off a product when you don't know all the facts and you don't know if the information you have read is factual.

I'd highly reccomend having a session with Steve.

The force required to fracture bones would have factured bones if the dog was wearing a flat collar or damaged the sensitive neck tissue and throat. Let's get to the point, any training aid/tool can harm a dog if used incorrectly, let's take Turbo my Dane, a Head Halter was the only aid (that you can purchase from a petstore) that I could have full control of him as he is fear aggressive, not once has he got a lunge out of me on the head halter, I guess because I know the potenital for damage of a lunging dog I always had him close by and certainly not on a long leash whilst on a head halter. Mind you, how many people do you see give a dog on a head halter a long leash, enough for the dog to turn quickly, run off or lunge, pretty scary really. We have since swapped to a different training tool which has given us the results we desired very quickly, now one verbal command gets him back to my side, we're on day 4 of not using the head halter.

We now have a system to work with Turbo on, Steve had him rather calm around his own boy! I must say that I feel more at ease now knowing Turbo is fear aggressive rather than having a dominance issue, not that any aggression is good, at least now we can start to help him.

I'd like to have a brag!!!! Yesterday we had our long awaited session with Steve @ K9 Force where we went to help Turbo with his Dog Aggression, given the right training tools Turbo was not pulling on his lead when we left, previously he was on a head halter and still pulled but controllable. I went for a walk last night and using the tool Steve used in the training session and the command Steve gave me to use, I simply said the word whilst Turbo was on a loose leash and he came right back to my side. I can't give Steve enough praise for what he is able to accomplish and teach you, you can't help but stand there with your mouth open watching him work with your dog doing what you've never been able to accomplish with such ease!

Mine only get baths when they smell or get so filthy I have no choice, so maybe every 1-2 months.

Yep that's right, not only do people at the club need to keep their distance, the handler also needs to be taught how to keep their dog and the dogs around them (plus people of course) safe. The problem I found the hardest to control is when training had finished and you had 100 dogs decending on the car park and trying to still keep your distance and find a nice spacey area to wait it out if you get caught in the rush.

my club is run by volunteers so maybe a donation may be good, I notice time and time again at the club handlers being very aware of their surroundings but then people just invading their space as they can't always see the colour collar that represents "keep your distance".

Now this is how you make sure people give you space at training! Or is it too much? Give me space jacket

I'm a chicken, we got to the Vets for nail clipping, we'll also file if needbe.

Hi there, Can you perhaps help us with the question of the implant v aggression?

the fur can get messed up but I guess that is the price you pay, but if pooch aint pulling the BlackDog won't put hard pressure on the nose therefore you won't suffer the fur issue. BlackDog v Gentle Leader, the Blackdog halters don't sit as close to the eyes.

I've used a similar harness called the 'Pro-Stop' available in PP and on Ebay for cheaper. Initially, yes excellent, but it's an aid, the dog will learn how to manipulate it after time. My parents lab has been on one for approx 6 months and it pretty much does nothing at all now. So if you're going to use it, you really need to praise when the pooch is not pulling etc. My 63kg male Dane is on the training halter from Black Dog, apart from not being a big fan of head halters it controls him very well, I have just ordered their new model which looks more safe and easier to control and you clip the leash to the back of the neck rather than under the chin. See BlackDog products at Black Dog Website Have you tried the stop/start method yet? Where you stop dead in your tracks every time the dog pulls and reward when it's not pulling?

I can understand you really really wants your pups and it's hard to wait, however I'd be questioning the breeders ethics and what else she has taken short cuts on. The smaller the breed generally the longer they should be with their Mum, that extra time spent with their mum is also beneficial on the socialisation front, bite inhibition and toileting. If you're interested I know of a 10 week old short haired chi in rescue. If you're away from home most of the day you may want to consider an adult chi?

Check out ebay.com (the american site) they had some bloody cheap stuff there a couple of weeks ago and even with conversion and delivery it was still good. Quality - I have no idea.

Damn if my dogs ever won ribbons, I'd have them on the walls :rolleyes: