Miranda

You are correct. The only intermediate hosts for hydatids are sheep, cattle, kangaroos and humans. Dogs, dingos and foxes can be definitive hosts. When I lived in the country my dogs occasionally caught rabbits (usually babies) and ate the whole thing including the fur which is later passed unaltered in the poo, they were never healthier.

That's great news Shekhina, I'm so pleased for you. I hate to think what sort of a night you had lying in bed worrying about her.

There is a towel that you can purchase at the dog vendors that absorbs massive amounts of moisture, it's specially made for drying dogs and only costs (I think) about $15. Only trouble is that I can't remember the name, sorry.

I have a bitch that will eat poo when she is at the park, not all poo only the tasty ones I also have a puppy at the moment who will eat the big dogs' poo but not his own or his brother's. I pick up very promptly, but he still manages to get a few. Over the years I've had a few dogs that ate poo and no doubt I'll have a few more, I've just learned to live with it ETA they will ALL eat cat poo.

Wow isn't he tiny, gorgeous puppy Can anyone post a link to the crate training thread that was on here a while back, I'm afraid I don't know how to do it.

At 8 weeks old your puppy has little or no control over bowels or bladder, she is a baby puppy and baby puppies are made of wee and poo . Are you intending to train her to go outside or train her to a litter box? If you're going to train her to go outside I suggest that you start training her straight away, put her outside immediately when she wakes up, after she's eaten, after playing and at least once an hour in between times, stay with her until she eliminates and then praise her lavishly. If she makes a mistake inside and you don't see her doing it simply clean it up (don't use anything with ammonia in it), don't punish her because she won't associate the punishment with the deed and will just be frightened of you. If you catch her in the act say 'No', take her outside and praise her when she goes. If you decide to use a litter box the same principles apply. You need to be vigilant and watch her constantly, if you're consistent she will soon get the idea. At this age she won't last the night so you will be having some early mornings Personally I don't think that putting the puppy in the laundry is a good idea, the laundry is generally one of the coldest rooms in the house and the puppy is totally isolated from you. Unless you intend to have her in bed with you permanently this isn't a good idea either, start as you mean to go on, if she gets used to sleeping with you and then you try to make her sleep somewhere else you will have a very confused and very noisy puppy on your hands. Have a look at the 'Crate Training' threads on these Forums, crate training will also make housetraining her a whole lot easier. She should be having three meals per day, I recommend a good super premium dry food (Advance, Royal Canin, Eagle Pack) for small breed puppies plus a little human grade mince, raw chicken necks (crush with a mallet to start with), tinned sardines can be used for variety. So maybe give her some moistened dry in the morning, 1/2 a chicken neck for lunch and dry food with a little mince at night. She will also need worming every 2 weeks until she is 12 weeks old, then once a month until she's 6 months, every 3 months thereafter. There are a couple of helpful posts pinned at the top of this Forum, check these out too, they are very helpful. Good luck and enjoy your new puppy ETA LOL Nekhbet you beat me to it.

I agree with poodlefan, a lot of dogs just don't want to interact with other dogs that aren't in their 'pack', I also own one. Don't forget that in the wild a dog initiating contact with a strange pack would be either driven away or killed. The dog I have here doesn't want to play with other dogs, she's not aggressive just aloof and I never force the issue.

No because most of the lactose is consumed by the bacteria during the yoghurt making process. However make sure it's real yoghurt not one of the sugary yoghurt desserts, Jalna is a good brand.

I suggest that you get rid of it anyway, wandering jew is a well known allergen in dogs and just because it hasn't affected her in the past doesn't mean than she hasn't developed an allergy to it over time, if her brother reacted to it there is a fair chance that she may react to it as well. Allergies can occur at any time, people can develop allergies to substances that never affected them previously and the same occurs in dogs. You could also take her to the vet and they can perform various tests to ascertain exactly what's causing the rash. Allergic reactions such as this can become chronic and cause much discomfort to the dog so it's a good idea to get an accurate diagnosis sooner rather than later and act accordingly.

Sorry shekhina, you will find the ID diet under Hills Prescription Diets, not Science Diet.

Has she been in contact with wandering jew or paspalum grass? Have you had new carpet put in the house or changed her bedding?

I have had a dog with pancreatitis, Science Diet make a kibble and canned food in their special diets range, it is called ID and is available from some vets and produce stores. Some of the dog rolls are also suitable, Tucker Time chicken is good and some of the supermarket brands are ok, but make sure that you check the fat content first. It is vitally important that they reduce the fat in her diet as at that age a really bad attack could kill her.

As both the dogs concerned will be puppies you probably won't have any problems introducing them. However both JRT's and labs can be very boisterous and as sandgrubber says the two of them will almost certainly destroy the backyard. Both breeds are very active and need plenty of mental as well as physical stimulation, if you both work or are away from the house for a period of time each day I think you may have a problem. Renting with dogs isn't easy.

I have never, ever had an 8 week old puppy with blood in its stools, so no it is not common. The worms that can cause bleeding (because they attach themselves to the intestinal walls) are whipworms (unlikely in an 8 week old) and hookworms and your puppy would have to have a very high infestation to be bleeding at 8 weeks. Does the puppy have diarrhoea or constipation as repeated straining may cause rectal bleeding? Roundworms can cause diarrhoea and/or constipation. The crying is normal in a baby that has just left its dam and littermates, this can be highly traumatic for a young puppy. If I were you I'd go to the vet for a check up as the bleeding definitely isn't normal.

I'm far from an expert dog trainer, but this woman's methods sound very old fashioned to me, what used to be called 'old school'. I would also class the alpha roll (terrible training tool IMO) as very 'old school'. I don't agree with this sort of training at all

No the alpha roll doesn't figure at all in Puppy Puzzle. As part of the temperament test a puppy is held on its back in your arms and its head is lowered slightly downwards, in no way shape or form does this exercise resemble the alpha roll.

I don't like Supercoat at all, I once tried it on the recommendation of a friend and all I got were mounds of soft poo and lots of gas. Supercoat is a cheap food and consequently has a high cereal content which a lot of dogs have trouble processing.

You need to have an immediate serious talk with your neighbours, corn cobs can kill dogs, if they don't choke on them they can cause a blockage in the intestines. Had the piece been larger your dog may have died. Corn cobs and dogs definitely don't mix.

Usually from around 14 weeks, they should have all their adult teeth by about 6 months of age.

One of my dogs once ate about 20 cotton wool balls that were in the bathroom waste basket (yes I know I should empty it more often ) They made it to the other end, but he had trouble passing them and I had to pull them out, they were all joined together and brown :rolleyes: But yes, if he hasn't passed it by tonight, definitely a trip to the vet.

Rawhide chews are useful, they get really soft and sticky and are quite good for removing stubborn baby teeth. A little game with a tug toy may also help. However, if it doesn't come out soon get it removed as it may affect the placement of the adult tooth and that can be a problem in some breeds if you're intending to show.

Take her to the Monash Veterinary Clinic and ask for a consultation with Ray Ferguson, IMO he is THE best vet in Melbourne and he is also a chiropractor. I'm sure that if anyone can help he's the man.

Get a referral to the Veterinary Specialists Centre in Glen Waverley, I'm sure someone there will be able to help you.

K9: I hope you mean FLASH, because its a litle cold to get the gear off outside at the moment :p :cool: Wow K9 are you offering a FLASH with every lesson now??? I'll be on the next plane

My last bag of EP Large and Giant Breed Puppy Formula cost me $96.00 for 15 kgs. I am soooo glad that I only have two puppies left, when I had ten I was going through one bag per week I think the Natural is about $84.00 for 15 kgs??? I am going to put my adults onto the new Holistic Large Breed Formula, it's new so I don't know the price yet, but I got some samples at a show last week and my dogs loved it.