Her Majesty Dogmad

Jenr - growling at a puppy could possibly frighten the dog and give it a toiletting complex. Please try this method from the Dog Listener - Jan Fennell - I've used it to train rescue dogs of all ages, and given the method to others to use even when their vet told them it couldn't be done!! Puppies will take longer than adult dogs and the trick is to follow this method thoroughly, being consistent and patient. Foxies are super smart, the most intelligent dogs - I have had results with male foxy types in a day or 2 quite frequently!! HOUSETRAINING TIPS Ok - first thing to do is decide on the command (I call it “do wees”) you will repeat over and over. You have to really focus on the dog for about 2-3 days to be successful. You have a pocketful of special treats on hand all the time for the first 2-3 days. Walk the dog several times a day and every time the dog wees, you get very excited and keep saying “Good boy/girl, do wees, do wees” – give the dog treats every time. First thing in the morning, last thing at night and every time you see the dog eat or drink (both precursors to weeing) whisk the dog into the garden and repeat the command “do wees”. Get very excited and present treats every time dog goes. The dog’s aim in life is to please you. If the dog should have an accident inside the house – say NOTHING at all. The dog soon gets the idea that when he/she goes outside you are really, really pleased and he/she gets rewarded. NB: Please note that the smell of urine must be properly removed for any housetraining to be successful. There are products on the market such as “Urine Off” but they are very expensive. A mix of white vinegar and water is a much cheaper alternative and should work for tiles and other surfaces although you should always take care with wood etc. For carpet/rugs, I use either a mixture of Napisan/water or bicarb of soda and water. I completely soak the stain using a dab on technique with a cloth. When it is very wet, I use an old towel to soak up the excess moisture. Again, be careful on any expensive carpet/rug, I have never had any problems but I cannot guarantee any method here.

My vet put one of my dogs on a raw diet, I persisted for 2 weeks but in the end had to stop. She wasn't happy either, it simply didn't agree with her. Just like us, they are all different. Someone put a thread on about Yakult the other day, I'm sure it's great for some people but my reaction was so violent I couldn't leave home for a day ...

I think it is called Natural Balance. It fixed up her skin problems and then she lost most of her teeth so can't manage any biscuits but the skin problems have never returned!

EmmaKate - good on you, this is almost an RSPCA case by the sounds of it. It is cruel to overfeed animals and just like people, will shorten their lives. The skin problems are common in westies - can I suggest you contact DOL member Westielover - she not only owns and rescues/rehomes Westies but is involved in the Westie Club and really knows her stuff. She may even know of a vet in Melbourne that knows Westie probs. Best of luck although I believe it will take about 2 months to shift the weight, you can only do things slowly in the beginning - 3-4 short walks a day and nothing in the heat. Your nan may have Wandering Jew in her garden. What flea treatment has she used (if anything)? Many people put flea treatment on within 24 hours of a bath which will render it useless. The dog's skin problem could be caused or worsened by the on the spot neck treatments. For a rescue Westie cross I got at Christmas 2005 with an infected and festy skin, I put nothing on her skin but purchased "Proban" from the vet - a tablet form of flea treatment. She's still on it as she will always have a sensitive skin and I daren't put anything else on her. She is also went on a natural dried food diet, specially formulated for dogs with skin and ear problems as she has, I brought it from the website www.pricelesspets.com.au. Good luck!

Well for a start - on lead aggression and piddling up the furniture!!! Took just one naughty little male foxy to teach one or more of my other dogs ... He sadly passed away in April but it hasn't stopped my other boy from piddling on the furniture!!!

they sure can learn each other's bad habits - I've experienced this myself.

Probably some children, yours or visitors or others have frightened him at some stage. Do you EVER leave your dog unattended with yours or other children? Dogs that bark when they are on the leash and see another dog coming are often doing this as a warning tactic. I really feel something has occurred here. Some dogs just don't like children anyway, I never expose mine to children at all although some of them would probably be fine. I'm not a trainer but saying "no" isn't the right way to train the dog, I'm sure someone with more knowledge will come on and give you some suggestions. I would imagine you would need to make some positive associations but if he doesn't like children it might be too much of a risk.

3 legged dogs are amazing, have you ever seen the dog in the USA with only 2 legs??? Perfectly happy dog!!! I should just add that they may have a little difficulty with slippery surfaces, may depend on which leg.

I got a foster dog at Christmas 2005 in the most appalling state, infected skin and ears. With vet treatment of the ears, that problem was manageable but after 2 months of trying diets for the skin, she was still scratching herself to ribbons. I purchased the only food sold on www.pricelesspets.com.au (tell your OH you will save money by buying flea products on there). The food is dried but it is formulated for skin and ear problems. After 2 months on that, her skin was no longer festy and despite being given an estimated "few months to live", she is still with me! She does still chew her feet fairly relentlessly and nothing much works for that (tried Malaseb baths etc). It certainly isn't fleas but more something her breed type tends to do plus she has dementia now so will do things repetitively, even beyond the point she feels sore. I use Advocate on my dogs and shampoo the skin prob ones each week. Seems to work reasonably well but I think diet could be crucial as well for your dog. I also feed my dogs on sweet potato and other veggies. The fish oil, as another poster suggested, is also great for skin probs.

Are they giving the dog enough exercise and attention? Sometimes dogs escape because they are bored and lonely, I know that some of that has been addressed but if the situation is that the dog is in the backyard, even with toys/bones etc. that is simply not sufficient for a puppy's happiness.

Oh my God - what a moron. I would call the RSPCA, the dog will suffer immensely - I'm told that parvo causes an agonising death. The vet should not have released the dog. Yes, put up a warning sign in the park and your dog would have been at risk as it takes a few days to incubate I think. Maybe pm Cordelia - she knows a lot about it. It is highly contagious and lives in the soil for 10 yeas.

Kaz - thank you for giving her a wonderful and comfortable last 6 months with lots of love too. I hope she's up there with my Gloria, two old chooks together!

Good news for your little one. I had an awful week last week after my vet found a pea sized lump on my young dog's spine. Had to wait a week for surgery and it was very distressing. Quite unexpectedly due to other symptoms involved, it turned out to be a sebaceous cyst!! A huge relief.

It's much harder to manage with two puppies but I will pass on my toilet training tips here. If you and your partner make a start now, you can then take Saturday and Sunday to really concentrate on this method and then keep going. Consistency is vital. Please no more rubbing their nose in it, a barbaric and outmoded method, can't believe people still do this. The method here is all about kindness and reward, that will get you a long way in life. Please don't listen to your family and get rid of your dog - you chose the dog and now have a responsibility to it. Remember, any addition to the family home, and I'm including birds and rabbits in this, will be a change. The bigger/higher maintenance item (dog or child), the bigger the adjustment will be. You have to give these things time, in the case of dogs, I find it is about 2 months for you and them to settle into a routine. HOUSETRAINING TIPS Ok - first thing to do is decide on the command (I call it “do wees”) you will repeat over and over. You have to really focus on the dog for about 2-3 days to be successful. You have a pocketful of special treats on hand all the time for the first 2-3 days. Walk the dog several times a day and every time the dog wees, you get very excited and keep saying “Good boy/girl, do wees, do wees” – give the dog treats every time. First thing in the morning, last thing at night and every time you see the dog eat or drink (both precursors to weeing) whisk the dog into the garden and repeat the command “do wees”. Get very excited and present treats every time dog goes. The dog’s aim in life is to please you. If the dog should have an accident inside the house – say NOTHING at all. The dog soon gets the idea that when he/she goes outside you are really, really pleased and he/she gets rewarded. NB: Please note that the smell of urine must be properly removed for any housetraining to be successful. There are products on the market such as “Urine Off” but they are very expensive. A mix of white vinegar and water is a much cheaper alternative and should work for tiles and other surfaces although you should always take care with wood etc. For carpet/rugs, I use either a mixture of Napisan/water or bicarb of soda and water. I completely soak the stain using a dab on technique with a cloth. When it is very wet, I use an old towel to soak up the excess moisture. Again, be careful on any expensive carpet/rug, I have never had any problems but I cannot guarantee any method here.

I stopped giving them to mine after reading about the problems

This behaviour drives me nuts but my worst culprit sadly died this year in April - he taught the others to do it too but after he went they stopped. Harder to do when you have 4 like me (small dogs) but with only 1, try the method used by the lady in "It's me or the dog". Something like distraction and reward for sitting down and ignoring the dog coming the other way. Plus you need a dog to practice with, coming the ohter way that is. I had just started making headway with this method my boy when he got sick - we always passed a few dogs each morning.

I had a snotty nosed foster dog, she definitely had kennel cough initially but it went on and on. Antihistamines didnt' work and in the end, she had to go under anaesthesia and scrapings done. The vets all believed it would be a fungal infection which is very hard to treat but it actually turned out to be allergies. As I live near the bush, we found her a home in the inner city where she was much better, the new owner didn't mind a bit of snot - luckily - I thought I'd never rehome her but also went thru the distress of thinking she had a fatal illness until it was all resolved.

I tried it successfully... has a taste like green cordial in milk...... but I didn't notice an improvement in anything so I stopped buying and my Oh had the same reaction as you (I am guessing ) Dumb question... but where is Russell Lea? :p Poor hubby, poor you :p Russell Lea is a small suburb between Drummoyne and Five Dock - just go straight down Lyons Road (off Victoria Rd).

My friend has a year old female Boxer, she has been desexed and is regularly at the vets as she's rather naughty (eats plastic occasionally etc). He has just taken her again as she has a little bit of green discharge from her private parts. The vet has given her antibiotics but they don't seem to be working. He is asking me what this could be? I don't have any ideas.

After trying Yakult myself and having the most dreadful results I wouldn't feed it to one of mine!! I would recommend going to the all natural vet at Russell Lea, they are amazing!

The only two dogs that I've had with constant diarrhoea have had 2 problems - 1 had kidney probs and the other had Inflammatory Bowel Disease, he's now on meds (3 lots per day) and a special diet. The dog with kidney probs also had to go on a special diet. You don't mention what you are feeding your dog on? Pumpkin/sweet potato and rice (with whatever else) might be worth a try. Mine cannot tolerate raw meat, none of them, they all get the runs then, even with small amounts. Cooked is fine.

I use Advocate and Preventix tick collars (but I can't smell). Stopped using Frontline as it didn't work on fleas any more.

Well it is simply cruel, even as a groomer, to cut lengthy nails too short. It is also a case of neglect of the owner. I am probably about to assist an older dog with this problem, the current owner's vet is refusing to cut the nails as he would have to cauterise but the dog can't walk either - I'm appalled he has just left them. What to do? I am going to find another vet for a start and will probably pay for sedation but I will take my vet's recommendation on the best course of action. Poodle Wrangler is spot on.

Some dogs are simply more protective when out on the lead. Doesn't mean he's going to dislike kids other than that but personally, I never let anyone touch most of my dogs. They don't necessarily like all the fuss when they're out and about but love people coming to my house.

I only put Advantage on either 48 hours before or after a bath. In the summer I wash my dogs every week or 2 and I use either Advocate or Advantage and haven't noticed a problem until 2-3 days before it's due again, then I might get the odd flea. Advocate covers worming as well except for Tapeworm. I would wait another couple of days and worm again. Tabs from the vet are the best.