Miranda

I've never heard of the 'chills' either. However even if the puppies weren't sick I wouldn't buy from a breeder who was prepared to risk the health of a puppy by taking it to a public park. There are plenty of breeders around who have healthy puppies that you can visit at the breeder's home and also check out the environment, the dam and the rest of the litter, sometimes the sire will also be present. Go elsewhere.

Are the puppies losing hair at all?

Are these the two puppies who are fussy eaters? Regarding the itching you need to find out what's causing it, it could be fleas, something she's feeding them, a plant such as wandering jew in the yard, anything really. If they're not eating properly they could also be missing out on nutrients and this is affecting their skin. Take them to the vet and get the problem investigated.

I think you need to go back to basics and train her as if she was an 8 weeks old puppy, it doesn't sound as if she was ever completely trained in the first place. I don't class a dog as completely house trained until it's 6 months old, even though they may appear to be trained at 16 weeks I still keep an eye on them and put them out at regular intervals as even one mistake inside can set them back. I would never train a dog to use puppy pads or newspaper inside the house, IMO it only complicates matters, you're saying that it's ok for the puppy to soil inside when you're trying to train them to go outside, very confusing for the puppy. Also it's not a good idea to leave a dog in a puppy pen for so long that they have to soil in the pen, take them out before they have to go otherwise you're once again telling them that it's ok to go inside the house. So take her outside every hour or so, after sleeping, eating and playing. If you can't supervise confine her to a crate, there's less room than in a pen and dogs don't like to soil where they sleep, however don't leave her in there for so long that she has no alternative but to soil in the crate. I don't think that coming into season has anything to do with it, I've have many entire females and although they do tend to urinate more often prior to coming in I've never had a bitch that started urinating inside.

If I'm at the vet I usually weigh the dog just because the scales are there and it's something to do while I'm waiting. However I feed my dogs based entirely on how they look and feel, I don't even read the recommended amounts on dog food bags.

That is probably because moisture has been trapped next to the skin, when dogs are allowed to become so unkempt they never dry out properly which can cause skin infections and a strong odour. Those dogs need a LOT of work and as soon as possible.

No offence, but if he's been training dogs for a lifetime he may also be a little set in his ways and reluctant to embrace new ideas. There are a lot of self taught 'old school' trainers out there who still use training techniques that were in use twenty years ago. I think a good puppy pre-school can be invaluable, but you must do your research and make sure it's properly run by a qualified trainer and not a vet nurse. I have nothing against vet nurses, but they're not always well versed in canine behaviour.

Are you sure your daughter hasn't created the problem by pandering to them? It is normal for a puppy to eat very little when it goes to its new home, this is normally caused by stress and the fact that they no longer have to compete for food with littermates. If the new owner doesn't realise this and starts hand feeding the puppy or giving it different foods to encourage it to eat you can create a fussy eater in no time at all. I'd give them whatever food you choose to feed them and stop chopping and changing their diet. If the two puppies are healthy they'll eventually eat once they understand that mum's not going to hand feed them barbecued chicken or scrambled egg if they refuse.

Are you? I ask because milk will cause diarrhoea in a lot of puppies.

Are you giving her milk?

Sounds like you need a new vet

The trouble is that your puppy is very young and you want him to have positive experiences with other dogs. If you keep taking him to parks where he's hassled by other dogs there's a possibility that the bullying could affect his attitude to dogs when he's an adult.

I take my dogs to the park, but dogs are allowed off leash at any park in this shire providing they are under effective voice control. It's a huge park and it's perfectly possible to avoid another dog if necessary. I would never take a dog to one of the smaller, fenced off leash parks, there are just too many morons with out of control dogs.

I completely disagree with this, the puppy will never learn if he's kept outside, house training isn't that hard, you just have to be vigilant. Puppies kept outside a lot are also much more likely to become over excited when they are allowed in the house. bax09 you appear to be doing very well ;)

Are you saying that the other dogs roll your puppy over or does he do it of his own accord? I wouldn't take the puppy to the park if the other dogs are forcing your puppy to roll over, pinning him to the ground or growling at him. Be aware also that not all dogs are tolerant of puppies and if he meets the wrong dog it may attack him regardless of whether he rolls over or not. I don't think it's a good idea to take baby puppies to dog parks, why don't you join an obedience club where he can socialise with other dogs in a controlled environment? ETA that I've just read your last post and see that you already go to a club, I'd give the off leash parks a miss if I were you.

Many dogs eat dirt especially puppies who explore everything with their mouths. My dogs all eat dirt occasionally, I think they just like the taste of it.

Yes they look a bit long to me, I don't really like nails that protrude past the ends of the pads. As others have said regular trimming every week is a good idea and yes, good quality nail clippers will make it a lot easier.

My dogs aren't allowed in the bedrooms, I keep the doors closed on the three spare rooms and have a gate on ours. Sometimes I forget to close the gate, but they know they aren't supposed to go in and just hover in the doorway, they don't enter. If you want to keep your dog out you will have to be consistent and not allow him in at all. Start training him now, just put the gate up and deny him access at all times. However as you've been letting him on the bed, it will probably take quite a while before he understands that he's no longer allowed in there, you may have to keep the gate closed permanently.

If it does make a difference I have no idea what it would be, I don't think it matters where they eat their bones as long as it isn't on the carpet

Chris Christensen's After Bath is very good.

I'm a meany like Nekhbet, I don't take dogs to the vets, I've had a couple of bitch fights here with a few minor puncture wounds and none of them ever got infected. I've acquired a few wounds myself breaking up the fights and they didn't get infected either. I keep my tetanus vaccs up to date, but that's all. However as you're pregnant it's probably best that you go to the doctor as a precautionary measure. Horrible things dog fights, I hate them and they're one of the few things that really upset me.

I bought my hydrobath from Melbourne Dog Centre and it's also a single tank model without a heater, probably the same model as dyzney's. I have a hose with a high pressure spray attachment which I attach to the hot and cold taps in my laundry and this runs down to the bath. I fill the tank with warm water and wash the dog. I then rinse the dog with fresh water from the hose and apply conditioner. Depending on which conditioner I'm using for that particular dog I either leave it on or rinse it off with more fresh water. So I have no need for a heater or a twin tank model. I'm also fanatical about thorough rinsing and using the hose and spray attachment ensures that absolutely no shampoo is left in the coat.

I'm glad you confirmed Steve's location Erny because I wasn't quite sure :D

Steve Courtney from K9 Force would be the best person to contact. I think he's in the Hawkesbury region???

Toys, sticks, bones - fine Humans - not allowed, ever