Muttly

Diet is a good point. A behaviourist I have worked with has also suggested reducing protein and having mostly carbs - slows them down a bit, like we do after a big fat pizza. High protein primes them.

good referral

If the OP engages training and a behaviourist big kudos and absolute best wishes to her. Sometimes some of the best outcomes for the dog and family is rehoming, and I understand aside from anything else that there is a lot going on in the family and resources are going to be extrememly stretched and there is possibly a large amount of work to do with this dog. She shouldn't be shamed into managing a mis-match especially where that may be unrealistic. There is a suggestion of a lack of bonding, though of course that could be frustration. Don't think it is black and white and she'll know what to do herself. I think it is great that people have given her referral information. I am noting that aside from the breeder there is also some small degree of breed specific rescue as well if help in rehoming is needed. This is a dog that would present very poorly in a pound.

Without wanting to sound mean - please contact breed rescue for him if his breeder cannot take him back

OMG it has been a horrendous week. Take care and my sympathies :D

How absolutely sad, she was Divine. I cannot imagine, my sympathies. Looks like she had a very loved and cool life and did a 1000 things that many dogs of her breeding never know, take care

Oh dear, that is an awful tradegy, so sorry for you all. Lood after yourself, R.I.P Buster

Words can't express So sorry. Thankyou for giving her the life and love that she deserved Warley and Xcel. I am so sorry it was so short that your girl found her forever home with you.

Sorry for your loss, sounds like she had a lot of loving

Excel and Warley, so so sorry for your loss. Take lots of care

So sorry

Me too, it is so sad when they go still so young. Take care of yourself and your boy.

Thanks, he was, and very special who had alot of beatings and permanent injuries, but was the sweetest, loyal, and loving dog anyone could ever hope for. He was also very clever around emotions. Not so good with some other stuff as he had a level of brain injury, but he was the most sensitive to environment and people dog I have ever known.

I thought I was being clear Yes she has. She has gone to 30 acres with a BCx male pup as company (and they are hooning around playing). She left a few days ago and is settling in really well. She is doing better with more 1:1 (there are two of them and only two dogs). She is occassionally in extreme excitement doing the 'teeth' but they ignore that. She is already walking perfectly in heel after only a few days and picking up training like a cinch. They love her and she has adapted to being an inside dog if she wants to be when they are home. She slept nose to nose with her mate the first evening. So all in all it is going very well. This couple have doggy experience and will keep up her training and activities with her. Thanks again for all the advice

I don't know if Peppermint would keep a retriever away from fresh dug soil. Dogs do not like the smell of mint. I would buy err towards buying a product like 'keep off' or similar name, sorry can't remember, but as much as possible covering and fencing it.

Absolutely, she would be perfect. I have put a thread in the general rescue thread suggesting she could be. As she meanders around the yard she'll jump a couple of metres from slow pace and 180-360 degree twist snapping at a eucalypt branch as she casually cruises past mid-flight - it is effortless. And she doesn't try the fences She also has a very strong herding drive. Lula is on: www.fosterdogs.org

That is it. The area will be even worse initially the sap in the stems is the worst. You need to dig it out and poison or cover with newpaper. Fence the area off if you can and it is very hard to kill off completely but if you can section it off somehow keep hitting it with round up as it grows back. Nursery will be able to advise the best methods.

So sorry, that is just awful.

What a stunning boy, my condolences.

Take care LM

yes that is a good description - de-fleaing behaviour. Just never had a dog in the late hours of the evening looming towards me doing that Looking soooo enthusiastic at me with the Hannibal Lector touch. Just unfortunate that she got my chin, it was alarming as all the behaviours came together fairly intensely for a little while. She seems 'almost' normal today. May have had something to do with it being late and dark and not used to human interaction at night or something.

Particularly after eating sardines one of mine, thge hairy avatar does that to clean her face off, she is a piglet but now knows not to do it on my carpet so uses outdoor bedding instead. Nothing to do with allergy just grooming. Same with the feet, one licks a bit but just cleaning up.

oh poor dog. Those pics don't look at all like allergy.

Hard to know with out seeing them but sounds like an allergy reaction. If you have wandering dew, keep him out of it completely.

Haven't had an overdose on attention like this girl before, but think it is because she is used to so little and then a fair dose of violence. Think she isn't much above 12 months either, she is like a lanky adolescent still. Thanks again, it is good to talk it through at times. The teeth displays last night were a bit too weird for me