Jordan Windebank

Thanks everyone. Will try and train visitors more and see if we can keep him calmer when people come over.

Hi all, Fletcher is now almost 16 weeks and has come along heaps in terms of settling in and is generally just a beautifully behaved dog to be be around. But... He has developed a habit recently of getting super excited when people come to visit to the point that he pees a bit when he greets them. He usually doesn't get overly excited in day to day life and is quite calm by nature, and even when this happens it is more just walking around tail wagging madly. Can anyone provide any suggestions as to what the cause might be please, or what I can do to try and help him break this habit? Thanks, Jordan PS. Recent photo for everyone.

Thank you all for the feedback, it has been very helpful. I spoke with my local VET today who advised to keep a very close eye on the gum and the leftover tooth and if there was any sign of inflammation or soreness to get him straight in there as they have a dentist available. He saw Fletcher on Tuesday and had commented then that his baby teeth look almost ready to come out anyway so has advised waiting and watching. I will also seek the second opinion of a specialist tomorrow. Can anyone please recommend anywhere in Melbourne, preferably Western suburbs, that I should speak to? Thanks again.

Hi all. My darling little 12 week Bernese has somehow managed to break one of his top front "fangy" type teeth last night. He had a bit of blood on his mouth but doesn't seem to be in any discomfort and is eating ok. The tooth has snapped off almost at the gum. As it is a baby tooth, is this something I need to be concerned about? Appreciate any advice. In the meantime I'm trying to work out how he did it. If only dogs could talk. *sigh* Thanks!

Picturing Richard Gere in Hachiko. :laugh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachi:_A_Dog's_Tale

He is a monster! LOL. Can't wait to get him weighed on Tuesday as he "looks" so much bigger than when we got him three weeks ago. :)

Argh cute overload in these pics! I adore GSD's and these photos remind me why!!! :) Here are a few recent shots of Fletcher. He is just a big beautiful furball really. :laugh:

Haha thanks guys. Puppy class is first thing in the morning so don't think a late breakfast would be too horrible. :) We did get a Berner for his laid back nature (but not the cart pulling :laugh:) however without him being even slightly motivated by food or toys I'm a little unsure how to spend time teaching him. In good news however, he was going completely crazy for chunkers and cabana tonight so hopefully a good sign. :D

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. He wasn't anxious or concerned about playing with other dogs, it was more just a general laziness. :laugh: It's about the only way I know how to describe it. I was watching all of the other pups jumping around like crazy trying to get treats and were completely focused on what they needed to do as they desperately wanted the food, but I could barely even convince Fletcher to get up out of a sit to try again. He was happy for other pups to come up and say hi but had zero interest in playing with them, which didn't concern me at all. I'll try some of the suggestions regarding different treats and see how we go. We did giver him breakfast before hand so is it worth cutting back his food that morning, or removing breakfast completely? Appreciate all of the advice. Thanks. :)

Hi everyone, Today I took Fletcher to his first Puppy Kinder session and he was beautifully behaved, with the exception of being completely unmotivated to do much of anything. He is a very laid back pup and other than his bursts of crazy in the mornings and evenings, he pretty much spends the rest of the day just chilling out. I love how relaxed he is and that he doesn't have some of the boisterous behavior of other puppies (part of why we chose a Bernese) but it did make it a bit tricky to get him to participate this morning. I have tried using treats of liver, cheese and even raw meat and whilst he likes them, they don't really motivate him to join in much. Now, can anyone please recommend any other treats I can try to see if I have better success, or if it is just his nature and I will be forever trying to convince him to play? :lol: Thanks! :D

That may well be one of the most fantastic things I've seen in a very long time. :D

Alexi and Simi are both adorable! :) Just wanted to let everyone know that I have started a thread in the Intro section with more photos of my big boofer. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/233502-everybody-meet-fletcher-bernese/

Signed, how terrible. Cannot imagine how hard this must be on that poor family.

Sorry I don't mean to sound inflammatory but how can you consider rehoming a dog you've had for two years?

I know, and it is definitely a position not well thought out but surely there has to be a solution to the endless breeding of poorly raised animals that keeps the cycle going. Perhaps those who want to keep their pets whole need to request a special exemption and prove that they will be responsible. Or face tougher punishment if those people are then found to have bred when they agreed not to. I don't know, is it really this futile? This is true, however children have society in general looking after their welfare. It is much, much harder to just dump a child than it is a pet.