airlock

That sounds like the best option really, best be safe.

Hey, My puppy got a bit roughed up by a pair of bulldog like dogs the other week when we were having a walk, and today i met my first bull terrier, it was not a good encounter if i'm honest and i will not be letting my dog any were near Large bull breeds. Are there any other breeds commonly known for being overly aggressive or just a bit untrustworthy around other dogs? I just want to be able to know when to get my dog out of the area, ive learned not to trust any unknown dogs but there are clearly some that it pays to be no were near by. I know its not the dogs fault and most of the time its just a bad owner but it does seem like some breeds are more susceptible to aggression problems and i need to know witch they are so i can avoid any possible issues.

we've never really seen any other dogs around as we live in a really small place, there are a few dogs that wonder around the houses and have been really good for socialisation him as they come and spend an hour or so in the yard and have a lot of patience for him. i guess we got into a false sense of security.

well i've called the council and lodged a report, although without any details on the dogs or the owner they say theres not a lot they can do but it will help if there is another incident or if i can get hold of the details at another time. i rang the vet and they were happy for him to be kept home and said to bring him in if he looks uncomfortable. he has spent the last hour playing his usal game of trying to escape from the yard and seems quite happy.

he's a kelpie cross. Ive given him a pretty good check over and there are no wounds and he doesn't seem sore or tender, although i'll keep an eye on him and make sure nothing develops.

Holly crap, I was walking my puppy this morning at my usual place below my house, Its a public off leash area. any way there was this lady with her two large stuffy/pitbull looking dogs one on a lead and one running free. ive never had any problems with any other dogs so when the free dog came over and started playing with my dog i didnt think much of it i just stood back and kept an eye on them. any way as soon as they start to play the other dog starts pulling at its leash really hard and eventually either the collar or the leash broke, didnt really have time to see which. the other dog came running over and dived on my puppy, at this point the other one of the two suddenly started on him as well and he was knocked over and making a horrible noise. i managed to dive on top of him and luckily the two dogs didn't seem interested in biting me just trying to get through me to Alfie. I managed to pick him up and carry him back home, got followed about 200 meters by the other two trying to lunge at him witch resulted in him peeing all over me, understandable really. throughout the whole thing the lady just stood and shouted, didn't move an inch or even attempt to pull her dogs off, no damage was done to me or my pup but i still feel i should report it but i didn't get any details other then what the dogs look like. but i have seen them there before and might do again. what should i do at this point?

i'm having a bad one on the sunshine coast, the dog hasn't had any but I've had 3 this week.

they sound interesting, whats the salt content?

He is pretty good with his name but this sounds like a good one just to get him focused up before we start. Thanks i'll add it into our morning session.

thanks for all the replies guys, the debate has been really quite interesting and given us a lot to think about. in the end we missed out on puppy kindergarten as his kennel cough didn't clear up quite in time and we didn't want to risk spreading it around. i've been off work with a temporary arthritis problem (not what you expect at 23) so have had Alfie all to my self. I have decided to go down the clicker training route as he really seems to respond very well to it in the house and he has already mastered most of the basics witch is great. He is however still pretty bad under distraction, cats, toads and other dogs are just a complete shut off switch for him at this point so i'm going to try using a long training lead to practice long distance recall and swap his liver treats for some dog mince to see if a little guidance and higher value rewards do the trick.

It appears i have been a very irresponsible dog owner and ignoring my puppies clear needs for More vitamin S in his Diet. For those of you who have not heard of this essential component of any dogs diet take not: Vitamin S, Found exclusively in the the common sock (although a healthy amount can also be found in shoes, trainers in particular) is clearly a very important feature in any young dogs diet, essential for proper development of teeth and jaw muscles. unfortunately owners are so ignorant about this Essential dietary component that young dogs are forced to fend for them selves resorting to thievery and the destruction of draws and wardrobes in there search for the much needed sock. Please stop neglecting there needs and simply give your young dog what it needs, Otherwise the little bugger will take them right off your feet!

I have to admit we were quite put off by our first visit to the rspca. Its great that they take the re-homeing process so seriously but some of the criteria seemed far to extreme and the staff were pretty blunt about it. We were looking after a Friends dog at the time and were told we couldn't adopt a puppy while the other dog was in the house which just seemed stupid. In the end we went back because we fell in love with one of the puppies and managed to work things out but we were pretty close to going down the gumtree route.

you should be asking first as the agent needs to clear it with the owner. You could be fined or even loose the house for breach of contract, if you read your paperwork there will defiantly be a section regarding pets. Puppies are destructive little buggers and not all owners are keen on the idea but then again so long as you can replace or repair anything damaged then you should stand a good chance.

i dont think he has any fleas, he has tick and flea treatment and we haven't noticed anything on him.

no we don't use a harness, only a lead. it doesn't seem to smell at all and there doesn't seem to be any puss or fluid, it just looks dry, a little like eczema. I'll start by cleaning it a few times a day and seeing what happens, i did think allergies but its only on the one spot witch is a little odd.

Hi, My puppy has developed a rash under his front leg (underarm/armpit) it looks like he has been scratching at it as there is a few brakes in the skin and a some dried blood. We noticed it around 2 days ago ago and we haven't actually seen him scratching or biting it so it doesn't seem to be irritating him all that much right now. He is due at the vet next month anyway but i'm wondering if i should take him in sooner. Any ideas what it could be and if it needs looking at?

Thanks, ill dial it back for the next few months and throw in a few more training sessions instead.

Hi, Our Kelpie cross is now 5 months old. we have been increasing his exercise a bit lately witch is great for us as he is much calmer in the house and much happier at night. I know working breeds require a lot of exercise when they are fully grown but i'm really not sure how much is to much at this age. I really enjoy taking him for long walks and runs and would like to do more cycling in the forest with him but like i say i'm not sure if this is all a bit much for him at this stage. how long and how intense should his exercise be at this stage in life?

not so happy about it just yet as we are trying to train ours not to jump up at people and get overexcited, strangers encourage him a bit. But on the other hand i guess its good to get him used to people.

we found some good kong style chews at the reject shop, they have lasted pretty well so far.

well thanks for all the advice. we decided to move him into our room witch is going well so far, we were also advised by the vet to get him a smaller crate so he wont be able to hurt himself as easily. hes been more or less perfect since we moved him so hopefully thats the end of it :)

hi guys, we are in the process of training our dog and about to enrol him in puppy school, we have found a few round the area. most of the schools seem to use positive training usually with a clicker and one or two describe themselves as using "traditional methods" and employing correction. we are bit stuck. like any one researching training i have come across quite a few examples of both that work really well but have also read lots of bad reviews about both, positive trying seems like it would be kinder and more enjoyable for the dog, but on the other hand most of the dogs i have met that have been trained in this method are semi reliable at best and there owners have little or no control over them if they are distracted by something more interesting then whatever is being offered as a reward. on the other hand i have met a few dogs that have been trained using correction methods as well and one or two of these have been nervous wrecks, obedient but not happy. Can positive training ever really work for everyday amateurs like myself in terms of giving as high an obedience level as possible or will i always be worrying that something is more interesting to him then me? i would prefer positive training methods but like i said i simply haven't seen any truly good real life examples.

HOw bad was the injury? Unless we're falling apart I'd leave him be. he cut his nose up pretty bad bashing against the side so we are a little weary about it at the moment, he was a lot calmer in the bathroom for a while before it all kicked off again, we though it might just be an issue of space but it does seem like more of a separation anxiety problem now.

He usually has about 3 short sessions a day ranging from half an hour to about an hour and a half and he gets his breakfast and dinner in there at the moment but he wont eat it unless we are with him and he if we leave then he tends to either ignore it or just pick at it.

they can be quite hard to find at the supermarket, best bet is to go and ask at your butcher. frozen chicken wings and turkey necks are working pretty well for us and come pretty cheap from coles and wollies.