Nekhbet

the fish markets in Sydney sell Carp which are cheap as dirt (I think under $5 a kilo) great eating fish and its flesh is more meaty. Why not try some of that, oven bake the whole fish then flake off the meat

I think they mean the fact that a lot of BARF feeder do not add a commercially produced supplement powder to the food and hence you cannot guarentee the dog is receiving the minimum daily requirement. Although I think a diet composed of boiled mince and potato/rice is inadequate for a dog as well. Cosmolo they mean a diet is balanced as in the ration of vitamins and minerals is optimum (eg Ca:P ratio in a food) I think through clinical trials they realise that the guide on the pack is not the be all and end all. If a dog is starved of nutrients its body will force it to either pick objects around the yard or eat more food, so if you have a dog requiring more food then its body needs (ie growing into a porky pig!) then a change of food would be required until the right formula is found. Horses for courses.

how about tinned fish? a puppy needs protein!

Mrmac it is the way these people interpret it - everything can be fixed with food and a hands off approach, dont forget a bucketload of encouragement. Suddenly when the limited range of acceptable options are exhausted then the dog is just 'not good' or not right for the family. If you limit yourself in the range of methods you use then you should limit yourself to the range of problems you accept to try and fix. I only have an issue with people that think that one bottlenecked method works on all dogs and problems and keep plugging away at it. I have no problem with positive training, dogs need encouragement, rewards, markers and understanding in order to progress and I use it myself for some things. I just have a problem with people that choose to limit their experience in the dog world and call themselves all round trainers.

Unfortunately there is not a lot one can do unless there is a law being broken or animal cruelty. Even then it is up to the owner of the dog to report it not us! Down here there is a big following on Delta type training and I get called in when it doesn't work... and then have to reverse the months of WRONG training. I know how these women train and what they do so I am not surprised it happens. If anyone asks me about joining a dog club I simply tell them my preferences and trust lie in the other club. I don't go whinging to companies and clients about the other club, and I don't think its professional to do so. I let my results speak for themselves and have many happy clients for it too. If you don't like my training methods then see someone else its that simple. I have people here who try and discredit my and have seen a person backstab me ... RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I think its hideously petty and wrong and i don't do it to them. When a few trainers get together over a beer though now thats another story

depends what it is for. I know someone who pumps it into her dog like no tomorrow and does no behavioural modification - The dog is still an untrustworthy nutcase. I think at the start of problems its fine, but it does take a couple of weeks for theraputic levels to be maintained and then there is a weaning process. A lot can be changed with different training methods

if you want a working sheppy I'll give you the recipe that I feed my workers Royal Canin Large/Giant Breed Adult Chicken Maryland/broiler chooks Lamb flaps beef bones muscle them up nicely and it can be hard to keep shepherds weight up as they grow. I switch them over to full BARF diets and their weight plummets when working so I use it as a fat stripping diet. I've had 5 different breed dogs on this diet and it has worked nicely. I never use tinned food at all, If I need something like that then make a slop from meat offcuts and a packet of Coles mixed veges for when the weather is cold. boil it up together to make a soup and boil some of the liquid down and let it cool slightly. Should keep in the fridge for a week.

you can always put a bark collar on him while you are tending to the other dogs. get the Innotex waterproof stop bark collar, works very well.

I would get the services of a Veterinary Behaviourist ASAP. She needs a thorough check over by a vet and some training, these are problems that are better dealt with at your home then over the internet.

I wouldnt lead correct an 8 1/2 week old puppy that doesnt even have an idea of what a lead is yet Cosmolo, especially since the owners have a high chance of doing it incorrectly. If she cries, ignore her and get ear plugs! It wont last too long but giving her attention at all will yield a puppy that works harder. Schnauzers are determined, working mentality dogs - give an inch take a mile! Remember to do something with her down the track (obedience, agility, flyball etc) as they are not moochy, lazy house dogs at all! You can crate the dog, put it in the laundry or far side of the house and cover her with a blanket. Wear her out too before going in for the night, maybe take her outside for a final run around and wee which will make her more likely to want to sleep. If she lays about all evening she will want to get up and make noise. Exactly like babies, let them sleep too much during the day and they will keep you up at night. I think you are doing the right thing, so many puppy people think training starts later but you definately have hit the nail on the head! The more work you do now the easier it is down the track, keep up the good work. Remember one thing though - encourage and reward as well as provide a consequence to behaviours.

well this is the human one in capsule form I assume the animal one is the same ... sticking to carcasses not a yellow tooth in the house

Persephone did not mean he is having a midlife crisis, rather that at this advanced stage of his life everything has suddenly changed and he is adjusting. obviously he is not happy. Rescue remedy will not harm the dog but help him relax. It doesnt zonk them out it is not a drug. Maybe you need to take an overall look at his behaviour he sounds like he is doing his darndest to tell you he is NOT happy and wants you to make a change now. Personally I dont see the problem letting him wander with you since you let him be boss dog for all these years. If he carries on at dogs through the fences then you really do need to train him more to be accepting of what you want from him. And yes he is a boy shepherd so a MASSIVE sooky la la

my aunt has a mini pin, how about one of those teeny weeny first toddler toothbrushes? the heads are small and soft enough not to cause damage

chicken carcasses? They have to work for that one :p how about the t/d or just brush their teeth a couple of times a week. Eating food from a bowl doesnt really exercise the incisors and canine teeth a lot especially in smaller dogs, the brush is the best way to get around that problem. never heard of PlaqueOff, I hear Aquadent is alright

ever since my brother died mum has been speaking to a psychic. Now I'm the biggest sceptic around but this guy is eerily good .. and i mean eery I listened to a recording of their conversation, and he told mum that Adam was with a large dog that had had trouble walking and getting up. SHE had been very old but now was young and healthy again when she met up with my brother :p This was our old GSD Sheba that had to be PTS at the age of 14 a couple of years ago because she had a tumor and severe athritis and couldnt get up anymore, her hind legs failed her at the end the poor puppy. So dont be sad ... all our babies are healthy and happy waiting for us. My poor baby Krueger must be there somewhere too, I hope him and Sheba are having a blast romping around pain free

depends where the odour is coming from - mouth, skin, ears, anal glands etc could be an infection, something stuck, abcess etc I would definately go get a second opinion. Dogs dont need antacids ... also have her hearth checked out and get them to knock weight off ASAP. Either the hills r/d or Royal Canin medium breed light, either way this dog wont live long if very overweight.

I would take him back to the vet and have him checked out for everyones sake. He could have some pain or the stitches could be pulling and causing him grief.

which dry? Sometimes dogs have mineral imbalances which create fixations on certain objects. I would put stop chew spray on metal objects before this becomes an expensive habit - if he starts swallowing things then he can cause a lot of damage to himself or end up with $1000+ surgery to have it removed. Make sure he has enough things to chew on instead and rotate them daily to keep them interesting.

what is his diet like at the moment and how many times a day is he fed

mmm I can imagine the poo smell remember you will need to feed what he was on first THEN do a gradual change. Pedigree is not a long term option especially for a Staffy and their skin - the vet clinic I worked at, you never had to ask what food the dog was fed you could SMELL them walking in the door. Pounds are not rolling in cash so he probably grew up on pedigree puppy. new puppy, new home, upset tummy from stress and then you added new food. Give him what he wants, pick a good dry food (try Royal Canin med breed puppy) and do a gradual change over 2 weeks. start with 10% new 90% old and move it slowly over a couple of weeks until you have weaned him off. chop and change you are guarenteed to make him ill and then fussy because he associates new food with feeling sick

firstly I dont think supercoat is enough. Royal Canin has hypoallergenic vet only dry foods or even the large breed adult (My rotty too has skin that looks disgusting and its the only dry food he can eat) Keep up with the chicken, carcasses, turkey bits even try rabbit if you know someone that hunts Megaderm are you using phenergen or a vet prescription one? if its localised there is a spray called COrtavance that you can try instead of tablets use a specialised shampoo such as EpiSooth, there is also a leave on conditioner called Resi-Soothe that you dont need to wash the dog to apply

halleluyah ... someone with a clue!

My OH occasionally cracks it when the rotty chews something. Well I said to him dont leave it there "but why wont he learn" BECAUSE HE'S A DOG! and until the day we can tap into human like capabilities in the canine species they aint gonna know what is not to be chewed 110%. Its hard because dogs live in our human world we expect them to understand about things we see as every day. They are not human - to them it is an alien thing that YOU as the pack leader tell them what to do about it. Or if you're a poor leader they decide themselves.

you need to work on her obedience my friend. No no no check chain/prong for this age she's way too young. work on loose lead walking first on the quiet streets, then move on. If she lunges ahead, give her a little sharp tug with the lead and flat collar and encourage her to follow you. If she lunges at other people then do a 180, again a little correction and high pitched voice loudly "COME ONE PUPPY HEEL HEEL HEEL" its the old security principle of flood the perp with noise and the brain follow. ETA hehehehe why the HECK would you want an asp? Go the Monadnock they're safer and more reliable then those friction lock batons.

he's being a typical teenage dog. They have their naughty periods just like children do more then just 'passive dominance'. Also remember GRs are gundogs and as such need a lot of mental stimulation. Yes if you cannot make sure the dog obeys the command on the first go, dont bother. DO not teach the dog to ignore you. I think there has also been some inconsistancy on your part and the dog does not 100% understand that when you say X he HAS to do Y. Everything in the backyard IS his to chew! He's a dog, they have no concept of posessions or value - if its there chew it. Stop chew sprays are one way of preventing permanent backyard items of being molested. teach the kids not to leave toys lying around, and if he grabs it, oh well try again next time. Rotate toys as well and try getting more interactive dogs toys that make noise like giggle balls or products from Prestige Pet (they have recorded sounds in balls) or Aussie Dog toys.