Scottsmum

Absolutely adorable Cat. Really really cute.

I used inner health plus for a while but never bothered to replace the bottle - not sure it did much. Maybe he didn't need it. I just use greek yoghurt now - I buy a tub occasionally for him, or if he'e been off. Mum only ever used yoghurt or protexin on foals. Don't forget your malt is much smaller than a human and dogs have different digestive tracts. Has the vet recommended anything?

Bathtub?

Good luck in your hunt.

Good luck on your search! I think re: your "crate" situation" you might find yourself constructing a pen :laugh: maybe you could just put a screen door on a room (I joke... I own a small dog...my mind often boggles at how different life would be with a big dog in the house - I mean my 10 kilo boy hardly fits on the king size bed - where would I sleep if he was bigger?) I'd also suggest you "let your fingers do the walking" and you hit the phones. There is this guy listed on DOL at the moment: http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/mature/st-bernard.asp and these guys advertising litters http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/puppies/st-bernard.asp They might know of mature dogs also needing homes. If it was me - I'd call rather than email if possible - let them know you're genuine and not just kicking tires so to speak.

I'm sure Fox terrier -can translate into "anything that is yours is now mine."

Turmeric is good and it has it's place - I use it for both my dog and I - but I accept that there will come a time when it wont be enough on it's own. Jumabaar has made some good suggestions, as have others here. What has your vet recommended for your dog once she's recovered from the ulcers?

Yes! I started following - but note they cut their ride short and have gone home since this thread was started. this.

Oh - and I just wanted to add - it sounds like you're doing a fantastic job with her - obedience training, dog park, puzzle toys, plenty of her own chew toys. Keep it up and good work - the puppy stage can be frightful - I see photos of the destruction caused by my mother in laws 2 year old Golden and I am thankful I adopted a senior last time I got a new dog. Maybe you could talk to your obedience instructor and see if they can show you some new tricks - being physically tired is one thing, being mentally tired is a whole other thing. Being able to exhaust their little brains is such a great skill to have. :)

Kid's will be kids. I'd stick with what you're doing for the fur-kid and try to explain to the human kids (and humans in general) that it's not safe to leave things on the ground - but also you leave it down it's gone. No sympathy from mum/dad/the parents. The pup will grow out of it - but 12 months is still quite young. Alternatively - if your kids are way too young to get that concept - make dog free zones. Hope this doesn't sound preachy but *in theory* there is no real reason for a dog to be in a room with access to clean nappies (lets assume that's the lounge room or the nursery / bed rooms- I'd make one or both off limits to the dog. And yep - I know it's not always that simple. Our dog likes to sleep on my husbands work gear (we don't have suitable storage for it at the moment) - It's all sorted into neat piles in an otherwise empty spare room. The door is shut, hubby is the only one (who can open the door) who goes in there. If the door is left open and the dog gets in - it's hubbys fault.

Sorry to keep bombarding people - I only realized how valuable this thread was today when I sat down and copied over notes - key dates, drug doses, etc. Went to obedience today. Had a coffee with the instructor before hand - who is one of the hits you get on google when you look for local behaviorists. We had a good chat - she's such a wonderful warm person - I really like her and I think she really likes me because she gave me a discount for class too. I didn't want to outright ask for advice - because I can't pay her and I didn't want to ask for a freebie but she gave me some anyhow. She suggested the kennel and run is best. Her reasoning is that it's safe. I can padlock it and secure it - he's safe from anyone or thing that comes on the property. She also basically suggested the exact same things as above - exercise, kongs, frozen treats, mental exhaustion (A tired dog is a good dog). The biggest big of advice was to use next week to work him up to a couple of hours - feed breakfasts in there, lock him in for increasing periods with no pattern and work on getting him in there full time so he's in full time for at least a week before I go on placement. She stressed that a month isn't a very long period of time and it's time for my to pull finger and really stressed that I need to know he can do it before I go on placement because the last thing I need is to be coping with him melting down while I'm also trying to do the work experience So we'll try that - fingers crossed.... and we'll still see the vet in the next 2 weeks as we need a new script for out drugs.

OMH - Gapvic - I seriously love this. I hope you make it through the whole challenge - this is awesome.

Thanks Snook. :) I have his full history - I got copies before the move including his bloods. The behaviourist at the vet clinic we've been using isn't taking on any new clients full stop so first step is an appointment with the GP any how. He'll be able to re-issue more endep too I assume / hope. I can't see her agreeing to take up, what I assume is pretty basic SA. They do have a nurse who does a lot though (apparently) so maybe we'll get in to see her. Can ask my vax questions while I'm there & will also take notes from this thread so I have a full personal history to give him too.

Gawd - that makes my heart and ovaries ache. So much love between a boy and his dog. Very nice too. I also really love that strong horizon line. I tried Teekays work too - LOL - I don't know what I was expecting out of my little old canon ... but ya know. Gave it a crack. At least someone was cooperating.

Bump - Anyone? Just as an addition: I found someone on pawshake who might do one or two days (per week) "day care" while I'm on placement. Just to give him some respite - she's got two foxies - look to be same build and one is a similar age to him. So we'll meet her next week. Also called the vet - their behaviorist isn't taking on new cases but they have a nurse who does a lot - so I've asked for her to call me back and I'll have a chat to her next week too. Scratch that - I have to see a "GP" vet and they'll liaise with the behaviorist in the first instance.

Huge hugs. It does get easier. Eventually.

Thought that might be the case.

I don't have much to add - except when I got Scottie from the shelter he was a little shit. We found a good trainer - my first words to her were "I dont think he speaks english" he was sitting for her within 5 minutes. Me? Nothing for the first 3 weeks he's lived with me. 12 months later we had a good laugh at that. Maybe you need to find someone to help you face to face. Even in the short term.

Just an update on the Peterson book - The 4th edition will be out in March. I think I'll wait til then - and either try and pick up the older one for cheap or get the new one. They're very reasonably priced on amazon - for those of you who own it how do you think it would hold up on a kindle? (noting I already read text books on my kindle) http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera-ebook/dp/B0104EOJSK/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452753452&sr=1-2&keywords=understanding+exposure

hrm. I didn't get a shirt - I struggled to find one in his size (they were always sold out or some other excuse) then we moved in with the folks and they were there for scary storms. I *don't* really mind the crate for 8 ish hours a day - as I said - he can do 10-12 hours over night and honestly if winter gets as cold as I'm expecting that's where he'll have to be. But it's certainly a last resort thing I could see 8 hours a day 5 days a week leading to other issues too. He hasn't destroyed anything in a very long time *touch wood* it stays that way. I always thought it was loud noises which triggered it, but it's too hard to say. Anyhow... in the entire time we were at Dads he only did one thing which was remotely close to that behaviour - so I don't know what to say about that. I can't remember what drug dose he was on when he was destroying things but I was pretty stressed at that point which didn't help. Have re-read my collection of SA related reading material and downloaded "The Practical Dog Listener" which is recommended in the Great Dane rescue SA reading material. I think long story short - we really do need a behaviorist - we've limped along reasonably well over the last... 15 months (wow) but my eventual (and unavoidable) return to full time work will only put us in a shitty position again. However, until I have a steady income (or the promise of one) we've just going to have to keep limping along. One wage only goes so far. There's no extra for a behaviorist at the moment. *Edited to add: With hindsight - he's been like this since day one, it used to be that he wass happy left on the couch. Unfortunately the druggie neighbours saw a stop to that). Hopefully a few DOLers will have some other suggestions

hrm. I didn't get a shirt - I struggled to find one in his size (they were always sold out or some other excuse) then we moved in with the folks and they were there for scary storms. I *don't* really mind the crate for 8 ish hours a day - as I said - he can do 10-12 hours over night and honestly if winter gets as cold as I'm expecting that's where he'll have to be. But it's certainly a last resort thing I could see 8 hours a day 5 days a week leading to other issues too. He hasn't destroyed anything in a very long time *touch wood* it stays that way. I always thought it was loud noises which triggered it, but it's too hard to say. Anyhow... in the entire time we were at Dads he only did one thing which was remotely close to that behaviour - so I don't know what to say about that. I can't remember what drug dose he was on when he was destroying things but I was pretty stressed at that point which didn't help. Have re-read my collection of SA related reading material and downloaded "The Practical Dog Listener" which is recommended in the Great Dane rescue SA reading material. I think long story short - we really do need a behaviorist - we've limped along reasonably well over the last... 15 months (wow) but my eventual (and unavoidable) return to full time work will only put us in a shitty position again. However, until I have a steady income (or the promise of one) we've just going to have to keep limping along. One wage only goes so far. There's no extra for a behaviorist at the moment. Hopefully a few DOLers will have some other suggestions

Updated Jan 2016 / Am I on the right track? Hi Guys, I've edited the first post in this thread and also posting at the bottom. Need some feedback re: Scotties SA. Prior to the move to NZ he and I were living with my parents - while this was great it meant that he had someone around almost all the time. We got him down to 10mg Endep during this time. Any less and it wasn’t effective. Since the move I've been home almost 100% of the time. When I'm not home it's never for more than 4 hours and I either crate him or chain him up in the yard. Depending on weather or wind. When he's chained up he has access to his bed in the laundry, a bed and kennel in the sun + the grass - both shade and sun & he can see around the corner of the house to the street. He’s not currently on any SA meds. So up until recently he'd been, or appeared to have been, really good on the chain. Happy to go on, happy and relaxed when we got home, usually chilling in his bed. No problems. But this week we came home to him howling one day, and I ducked out and did the groceries today (absolute 2 hours max) and got home to "unhappy puppy noises" - He wasn't howling the street down as I came in but I suspect he might have been. Immediate neighbours aren’t home during the day but others in the street are. So obviously I can't have him crying when he's on the chain. To be honest, I suspect he'd howl even if he was off the chain but locked in the yard. He can't be left off the chain as the fences are just 4 foot and I'm not convinced the yard is dog proof in multiple places. (under fence, over fence and under house). He can't be left with free range in the house or in the house with access to the yard because he digs holes in the carpet / pulls things off and out of shelves and shreds any paper he finds – even when he’s medicated + there are the same issues with the fence. I start work placement in 4 weeks time - which is 3 weeks full time work and obviously I'm job hunting at the moment so I need something in place to help us cope. I have drawn up a little plan which is basically to track mood and behaviour and so I can make sure he's walked morning and night & track that too. I also pencilled in to do some conditioning or something else which will tire him out before he's tied up for the day. I also have a small kong - he's not that in to it - but I can offer it to him with some frozen mince in it. He's not a big chewer / interested in food and he often eats his breakfast frozen so offering a bone or otherwise isn't going to help immensely - it will some but not a lot. I also have a bit of a plan to tie him up for different durations at random times on random days over the following month but I am really worried 8 + hours a day will throw him into melt down mode. He does have SA meds - as outlined on this thread in previous posts. The prescribing vet said I can scale it up and down and I have planned to scale him up to a full dose while I'm on placement. Which might be enough as they zonk him out pretty hard. Other possible options: Crate him - 8 + hours a day feels a bit mean. I know he can do it physically but to be honest I think he'd hate it (that said, considering how cold summer is – I think this is the most likely option for winter – I can’t see him being happy or comfortable anywhere else in winter). It’s likely he’ll still cry but at least the sound will be muffled by the house and he’s usually amazingly accepting of his crate. He spent the entire time I was living at Dads being crated over night (12 hours) and only had one or two big tantys about it. He’s have to hold his bladder/bowels. I could try locking him in the kitchen (where he won’t be able to dig holes in the carpet) he might be able to cause other problems (scratched doors possibly scratched lino- is that a thing?) and he’d still have to hold on for the duration of the day – but it could be a ‘nicer’ version than his crate? I do live close enough to the place I'll be doing placement to come home in my lunch break and walk him or I could come home and swap him from crate/kitchen to chain or vice versa. Coming home in my break isn't likely to be an option when I start work just one of the reasons I'm seeking out part time work! (yikes) We can't afford a dog walker at the moment and I don't think we have a lot of options there anyhow. I did google doggy day care (as a short term solution) but only found one option and a fair drive out of my way every day. We do have a small cage thing – which we were required to buy as part of our lease – I could give that a try (Image attached) the two parts are separate but they butt up flush against each other. Again, he'd probably hold on but if he did need to wee it wouldnt be as much of a problem. We could build or buy a run but to be honest money is tight and I do think he’d probably cry in there too. – the chain does give him good flexibility and options. I just wish I could reason with him. So in summary: More walking, more drugs closer to the time a kong some conditioning exercises or nose work or something else which zaps his enegry fingers crossed?

Fine - I'll start commenting on all the awesome shots :D I'm not calling anyone a stalker!

Can I just say - loving each and every one of the photos. Not commenting on them all - don't want to look like a compete loony stalker - but I save this thread for when I'm on the computer, not phone, and I'm loving it.

Does he drop? If yes (I think) you have two options - use drop instead of sit - Scottie prefers drop - I think he finds it more comfy. Alternatively - maybe you can lure him up from a drop to a sit.