minimax

He could wear it with this?

Where in Sydney are you? Most of them in the metro area do, it's not uncommon anymore. If in doubt, head to All Natural Vet Care at Russell Lea, but even my local vet titre tests (granted, my local vet is about 500metres from All Natural Vet so it's not exactly middle of nowhere :laugh: )

Sleep well Roo, I hope you find the peace and calm you deserve Jelly, we're all still here for you,

Time warp!

She's a cute mix :) (and might be time for a quick refresher on the forum rules, as breed guessing threads aren't allowed).

Staying home for 5 weeks to get him into a routine isn't very practical if that's not your routine? Why would you get him into a routine and then change it, why not start in the routine he will be in from the start?

I use http://www.fetchboy.com.au/dogs/collars-co/kong/kong-soft-e-collar/?gclid=CKvJquPi57kCFQpepQodHGsAEg the soft elizabethen collar when my pug was desexed (it stayed on for all of 3 seconds) but it was more comfy than the hard one. Would probably be perfect for a dog with an actual neck :laugh:

You're right, Alison. The Tibbie face is less snubbed than a Peke's, doesn't have folds in the muzzle, & the eyes are almond shaped not distinctly round like a Pekes. Top of the head shape is different, too. Most people aren't really familiar with Pekes, either.... which is why it's so easy for them to think a Tibbie is a Peke. It's strange how people get so insistent, they decide what breed your dog is and won't give up. I clip my dog because she gets hot easily, so she doesn't look like a classic Shihtzu with a long coat, so I get "She can't be a Shihtzu she is short haired". I tell them I could stuff cushions for a living with all the hair I clip off her. I don't try to guess a breed, if I don't know I ask, like I did this morning. Here's another one I get "Aren't Shihtzu's black and white". I just say "This one isn't". I've had people tell me my pugs are crossed with something as pugs aren't black :laugh:

Teaching everyone to walk the dog and be consistent is very important. My dog behaves for me, but give OH the leash (or anyone else, really) and she knows it's a free for all and pulls like a freight train because my OH isn't confident or consistent. I need to train my OH, not my dog, but she doesn't respond to the clicker, or verbal praise, or treats when out walking so it's hard :/

Alvin humps Esme's head all the time too :laugh: I'd like to see him even think about humping Snowy Boston just stands there, or sits there with this confused "what are you doing" look on his face, it's a bit sad really :laugh: Sometimes if he's laying down he will stand up and she goes sliding off, so I'm trying to encourage him to do that or somehow stand up for himself :p

I agree. I think a lot of people are quick to label an alpha dog when the dog is just a bossy boots. Sometimes when push comes to shove I find the bossy, seemingly alpha dog, is not really alpha at all. My old Maremma female is the top dog of the dog crowd here. I dont know if Id call her an alpha, she is not dominant with me at all - but will let me know in no uncertain terms not to do something she doesnt like. I treat her as the top dog too, it's the only way to keep the peace. My Stafford bitch and the old Maremma have 'tense moments' but if it comes to it, the Stafford backs down. She is far stronger than old Snowy physically, but I think she respects that Snowy is older, wiser and a far bigger bitch. I see a truly alpha dog as one who challenges their owner as well. But in the interest of peace and not creating confusing among the pack, I treat the dogs in the order that they see themselves. +1 I don't call Max the "alpha" or "dominant", I just used it as an example in here, I refer to her as "bratface" when she's having a moment of being a bossy brat. She will have a stand-off with me, but I always win (well, most of the time - she IS a pug ) but I still don't think that's her being dominant, just testing her pug stubbornness.

I saw it too

That's a good point too, what do you mean by dominant? I say my girl, Max (yes, she's a girl) is dominant over my boy, Boston, for a few reasons. She humps him (usually his head), if she wants what he's got she will go up and take it from him (but won't let him take what she's got), if he is on my lap and she wants to be there she will either sit on him, or sit so she's closer to me than he is (usually this involves some combination of sitting on him in some awkward position until he moves), if she's bored she will randomly go and body slam him, swipe him, generally be a brat to start a fight in what looks like a "picking on a younger brother", walking on lead she has to walk in front of him, ... etc But some might just say that's her being pug :laugh:

I have an "alpha", my girl is dominant over my boy but she isn't dominant over me. I don't treat her first, or pay attention to her first (well, not intentionally). She does get fed first but that's because she gets fed in the kitchen and my boy gets fed in the sunroom, so that's purely logistics. Why do you give him things first? What's the logic behind not treating them equally, or as Dory said, based on who earned it first?

She specifically asked NOT for individual cases.

My pug had baby teeth taken out at 10 months, the vet 'noted' it at 6 months when she was desexed but opted not to take them out then, but my 10 months it was clear they weren't going anywhere, so she went under again very briefly and had them taken out. It wasn't a drama, it was painless and over with quickly. Ask the vet when you're there if it can wait till he's desexed.

LOL so true! One of mine has a timer on it, it pops back out about 5 minutes later

I use a collar, flat or martingale until they can walk relatively consistently and nicely them switch to a harness. I ticked "special needs" although having your neck as the biggest part of your body isn't really a special need, more of a "special" need Too often I ended up holding a leash and collar and no pug just because I'd start walking and they didn't, collars just fall off them so they aren't in the slightest bit practical. Max learnt too quickly that she could escape just by putting on the brakes! She's "special" :laugh:

I'm not acquainted with obedience schools recently ..... so can't really comment .. the passing around of pups caught my interest ... Is that the one someone here went to recently, and the only options were halti or check chain?

We were out with the two pugs on the weekend, and this little kid, he was about 3 years old, came up and pointed at them and started giggling and giggling and giggling. It was kind of cute, he'd obviously never seen a squishie faced dog before, and the pugs were wiggling and wagging their tails so I asked if he wanted to say hi to them. He came over and was patting them gently (still giggling, asking if they were dogs, what happened to their noses, etc) and his mum came up and said "get away from them, they probably bite". I told her they didn't bite, and she kind of huffed, then said "don't pat them near their tails, they probably hate it." My OH piped up and said "nah that's their favourite spot because they can't reach it themselves" :laugh: With no more anti-dog reasons left, she grabbed the kid and mumbled something about being here to look at the boats, not play with dogs. It made me laugh, as she obviously didn't like dogs and did not want the kid having a bit of enjoyment from one.

Oveds is usually the cheapest.

Can you close the door between the bathroom and bedroom so they can't get to you while you are cleaning their poo?

When I bought my pug home he had his ears taped, and I took him to the vet for his checkup/injections and the vet (not my usual one, luckily!) was confused/horrified at what was on his ears. I explained what it was, and his response was "oh, he's from one of those people" with this sour lemon look on his face

I give my pug phernergan for bee stings (he eats them, or stomps on them, it's a great game apparently!)

So he's never seen a vet, never been treated for anything? Most insurance companies will ask for a dogs complete medical history from every vet it has been to, so if you have all that you'll be fine. If it's never seen a vet, they will be suspicious.