Chris the Rebel Wolf

My trainer buddy said his clients have told him Greencross run a good one. This is third hand news though just be warned! Michael hopes through his training company he will be offering puppy preschool in the next few months, but he isn't set up yet. Otherwise I would recommend him to the ends of the earth as he is WONDERFUL :D Totally agree, if you want a play session, visit the dog park! On that topic, North Shore and Murray dog parks are wonderful if they are going to be taking him out to those once vaccinated, but I have heard horror stories about Ross River dog park from more than one customer.

No Kat but is sounds fun! Do PM :D

A young bougainvillea. Naughty girl, Maya.

Oh Shiny what a hard time for you and the family Hopefully you and Serenity can work through a solution for you guys. You are wonderful to still be looking for options, keep up the great work * hug * Some more options for you though it is probably not as good advice as some of the more knowledgeable DOLers before me. Thundershirt to help relieve stress and anxiety? Lightweight cotton shirt that works on pressure points to sooth the nervous system. Hers definitely sounds like it is haywire! I would also be recommending another food to try, I have had several of my customers with ultra sensitive dogs try the Wellness Fish variety and get astounding results. Out of all the many sensitive skin products I get the most positive feedback from it. If you try it please keep receipt because if it doesn't agree with her, you can take it right back and get a full refund. Keep us posted, and good luck fellow Browncoat :)

I haven't heard anything on the grapevine the last few months so I'm going to check with a training buddy of mine and hopefully get you a few recommendations :)

After months of worry after we were being charged by an aggressive dog when I walked Zeke & Maya past their fenceless house, some good news - they have moved and taken the dog with them, I pray to somewhere with a fence this time. I was so happy a few weeks ago when I saw the sign go up outside their house but I didn't get my hopes up... but upon seeing the empty house last walk I felt like partying! It's not like we were being charged daily or anything, after the third time it happened (several months ago) I spoke to the owner who was just clueless and full of excuses and after that there was only the one escape and charging incident. But it made walking around my block a hassle because I was always ready for the worst. Now we walk in peace! :cool:

Mantis how have things been going the last few days? Hope your walks continue to be hassle free!

Yes, that's why pet store puppies have health problems. Well done. No mention of the appalling puppy factories rife with diseases both genetic and viral? Funny that.

How terrifying that must have been for the poor woman. Little wonder the poor thing had a heart attack, I can only imagine the stress her system would have been under. My deepest sympathies to the family.

I am very impressed Can I be nosy - what breed? What training method/correction were you using? Aliens :D

Lead & treats are being put into place on the days when I will not be home beforehand. Thanks to those who advised with this issue.

Used to use one on Zeke; not because he was reactive, but because he was very strong as a young dog and I didn't train him when I was young to walk by my side. Worked very well, although, if escape is an issue, I would recommending either the newer style of halti that has the attachable collar line on it, or, go for a gentle leader instead. The nosepeice is adjustable on a GL, it is not on a halti :) Good luck!

Very interested in this thread and learning more about titres :) I've seen it mentioned before, that titre tests are not always accurate as to immunity, can anybody explain this in captain dummy talk for me?

Thankyou :) Some very wise words there for me to take into account

Thankyou to those who have expressed concern I am aware of the risks of cars moving and free dogs. We are always careful when we drive in or out. I wouldn't be encouraging the pup to approach the moving car, any treats would be given from outside the gate, with the car outside, and stationary. However, my issue is not the dog approaching the car. We keep a small container of kibble in our cars and a leash on the gate post for my lab who will escape if given the chance. We stop the car, call her, she sits for her biscuit, the lead is put on and she is hooked to the gate post. We then drive in, walk back to the gate, tell her she is a good girl, give her another biscuit and let her off after closing the gate. This works well for us. Very useful advice... will use a combo of these

Maya has full access to the yard at night. I do have a indoor area on the back patio I can leave the dogs, and do some nights (loud party over the road etc) but I do like the peace of mind from having them outside most nights. Will see how praise for barking goes - I do not want to discourage her from barking, just manage if she barks at a non-threat so this may work well. Thanks for the advice and tips all :) And cheers Kajtek :D

*sigh* Really not interested in going over this again; I will not be able to convince OH to fence off half the yard. I personally do not feel an electric fence is necessary if I can train her otherwise. I could say to him 'shape up or we're leaving' as some people seem to feel I should, but in this household, we discuss issues, like rational adults, and we don't threaten. It is looking like a tie by the gate will be the chosen option. Thanks to those who have offered advice.

He is home before me 90% of the time so this is the main problem - Maya never tries this with me as I have trained her to keep back from my car when it is moving. She stands with Zeke, behind the gate, when I drive in. Clearly she is using OH's poor memory to her advantage. Fencing off not an option, he won't have a fence running through the yard. Bringing her inside is not an option, he will not go to the trouble. He probably would tie her so I will keep that in mind but I would rather train her to respect the gate/OH... restraint is not going to prevent the urge she has to sneak out when his back is turned. I think a chew may be the best option if I give him a bag to keep in his car. She can't run in front of his car waiting for the treat because he drives up outside the gate and stops, in theory could hand the treat then before he opens the gate to drive in, and she could go to one of her chew spots. Will sit down with him and try to talk about this again and see what he is willing to do.

That is TERRIBLE Jed. I wold advise them you're taking the pictures and evidence to the local news media and see if that gets a response.

So the last two days, Maya has been testing my OH by sneaking out the gate when he drives his car through. Partly it is his fault - yesterday when he got home he forgot to close the gate so of course Maya took the opportunity to sneak out. Luckily one of my young neighbors saw her and brought her back right away *whew* (Side note - OH has a patchy memory and has forgotten to close the gate more than once despise my repeated begging and pleading to be more careful. If anyone can point me to a forum where I could get him trained, that would be awesome ) Anyway. Today he didn't forget, she was just already outside the gate when he parked the car and came back to close it. (Not a huge driveway, about... IDK... 15-20 meters? Cannot judge distances...) So I need to come up with a solution because it's making OH mad at Maya, and obviously, I don't want her going outside the property. I am going to do some training when we are both home and work on her 'wait at the gate' which she practices regularly with me. Not once has she ever tried to sneak out of the gate with me when i drive in or out. I am thinking about getting a ziplock bag of chew treats so OH can hand Maya one when he drives in as she always goes to chew in her favourite spots inside. I also thought of asking him to stop his car just inside the gate and close instead of driving to the carport but I am pretty sure he'll see this as too much trouble and not bother. ANY other tips appreciated :)

:cry: How I hate to see these attacks happen, these poor owners, the way the dog shoot straight towards them and just began laying into the little guys... that people continue to raise dogs like this, REALLY makes me angry. Agreed, BSL is NOT working, and WHEN will the government realize they have to stop blaming breeds and blame OWNERS. I too would be angry the owner has not been named, though hopefully they will be charged.

Did miss the TS line completely, my bad! Hope you find another solution that helps

Check out the Thundershirts for storm phobias, from what I have read they have helped out many dogs with storms and other anxiety issues :)

*brows shoot skyhigh* We sell Aussie-szed crates at my work for $90! Over two hundred is crazy for HIRE!

A few more news articles in the aftermath: http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2012/10/31/369004_news.html http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2012/10/30/368920_news.html