Nekhbet

great to hear he's being a brave enough boy to investigate you! Yes he will scuttle back to safety when he is unsure (as you see when he goes back to his bed) but continue as you are doing, let him take his time and he should come out of his little shell! Good Luck Jules

water will not help, infact it can dehydrate further. You need a proper cream but first a vet check would be best to make sure there isn't an underlying problem or irritation. I would never consider hair loss to be 'normal' and ignored.

I think puppy school would be a massive backwards step. Unfortunately this pup has had a critical stage in its life messed up, and being so shy you have to wonder if the person that fed him frightened him a little. When he is confidant and trusts you, start socialising him. At the moment he sees you as a potential stress more then someone to protect him. If you took him to puppy class he would flip out as there is nothing there he can rely on to save him if he is insecure. It can even set you back if he has a freak out and you are seen as the contributor. At the moment he needs to bond with people on and just above his level. If you are high up, loud and staring directly at him you show you are highly dominant and he will withdraw further. Go down to his level, ignore him and play quietly and investigate things near him, eat nice smelly things like roast chicken sitting on the floor. If he comes up to you give him a bit but dont make eye contact yet. You will find enough fun near him and ignoring him he will wonder why he is missing out and want to join in.

Oh poor poor puppy! He must be so stressed at the moment! Look being withdrawn can be a natural reaction, especially if he has been left alone for so long (I dont understand how ANYONE could do this but thats me) Be patient, no loud or sudden noises and let him come out if his shell in his own time. If he wants to hide in the laundry thats fine, give him a few more weeks to really get into the swingof things. Leave the laundry door open but move his food and toys closer to where the family is. Let him be close enough to his bed to be comfortable but he has to come out to eat and play. Then you can start hand feeding him when he comes out to investigate. The best thing is to completely ignore him, he probably thinks all this attention is weird at the moment.

If there is stuff you are worried about get some chilli or tobasco and rub it on the plastic setting. Re apply every day so if he DOES decide to have a nibble he will be in for a suprise. Plus if there is other stuff around he wont be tempted to keep at the furniture.

It doesnt sound bad enough to be SA but maybe he's just thinking 'well mums not here how am I going to amuse myself' and off he goes. Build them a sandpit and get some bungee cord, tie a big rope toy to it and hang it up so it just reaches the ground. Rub some kabana on it and let them play around with this whizzing toy. With bones, grab really big bones and two lengths of chain - chain each bone to a separate area of the yard and each dog has a bone thats far away but cant be brought together and hoarded. Move all chewable items and bring out some new toys, one for each day and rub some kabana on that too. He'll get over it, just give him a bit of time.

A few litters apart ... so OK a family has 5 kids, and the oldest boy decides to have a baby with his youngest sister because they are 'enough kids apart' .... WRONG WRONG WRONG. doesnt matter WHAT creature its WRONG on so many levels. Would you have a kid with your sibling? You should decide not to have puppies because you do not have health tested pedigree animals, you have no experience in breeding/whelping/genetics and experience in what to select for in a potential breeding animal. Go to the vet NOW and get a 3 dog discount for your desexing before you come back and tell us about an 'accident'.

Thats a rather defeatist attitude for a BABY. It doesnt understand! Why dont you lock the dog in another room. Then when everyone is settled, bring her out on a lead if she walks quietly and let her sniff people (no pats yet) then put her away again. If she jumps on you, put a knee up and dont look at her. Trained my Malinois in no time, jump up - crash, jump up - crash. The pup will soon realise that all this jumping achieves nothing but falling over and wow if I sit down I get a pat and even a treat. Trick is, as little noise and attention. Praise the good behaviour, SHOW HER the good behaviour. Yeah she probably knows sit but in a quiet situation. You yell at the poor thing and she's deaf to you because she's excited, give her some slack. Things take time and YOU are the one that is responsible for your dogs behaviour. Sorry but 99% of puppies will jump, bite, chew, destroy, whine, howl, bark, mess and sook. You are the one that is responsible for shaping and limiting what the dog can and cant do.

Fabulous ... when I one day get more room I'm getting a Boerboel! Its so great to see a breed thats so versatile and has workability.

desexing a CROSS BREED female to avoid complications is NOT cruel its the smartest thing you could do.

a pup that little shouldnt be jumping to heights like that. And YOU should control when the dog gets up on items not let it run around doing what it wants. As for jumping down I think 8 months is too little to jump from a bed or couch too she could injur herself if she falls. Give her a little bed as her own or a mat. When you invite her up on the couch/bed pick her up and set her down dont let her continue or she will hurt herself. She cant make it she's still a baby structure wise, its like teaching a toddler to jump up and down on furniture. When she is ready she will do it.

Its rather dissapointing that you think we are all out there to hurt our dogs. Yup i've tried positive but PURELY positive with no correction doesnt work too well with security dogs. You are talking about a dog thats pushed to extremes of emotion and stress, like police dogs. I'm interested in all types of training. But I take from all methods what I need for my dog and use it. Thats how you train dogs. Take the dog and use the method that fits best. Have you actually read what K9's training methods entail? So rewarding a dogs drive is not positive? Rewarding good behaviour and building focus is not positive? Damn have I got my training knickers in the proverbial knot then. I'm sorry how exactly do you train your dogs then? And this is a discussion forum. There are trainers and owners from all walks of life, that use different methods and equiptment. Some are qualified, certified and their experience will leave you in the dust so to imply no one will try positive is to be closed minded yourself. We are here to discuss but when you poo poo peoples methods and dogs with barely structured and unexperienced arguments they will answer back. its a FORUM. People tend to do that. Has nothing to do with the website. You have your say, we will have ours.

Lab and Poodle a dog can be choked on ANY collar not just a check chain. If the dog is PULLING and pressure is applied to the throat by the restraint (ie collar) the lets get rid of those too. Your argument is because of the ignorance of others - not a reason to ban but to educate and at least have a manual that comes with the equiptment. Problem is people think that equiptment will immediately fix problems when its a combination of training and correct use of the collar that helps. Please. I have a dog that doesnt respond to a flat collar AT ALL. I've trained her to ignore the pulling sensation for work reasons. Even a check chain is pushing a stone uphill because of her high threshold. Yeah purely positive works to a point but you need to get out and meet some dogs more. We are talking high drive dogs. Waving a toy or a little tug wont do anything sometimes - I've met a shepherd that was such a self centred up himself SOB that giving him NO physical corrections (and I do not advocate ABUSE or beating) was practically an invitation to be dominated by him. Some dogs - give an inch they take a mile. You have to show who is boss and using equiptment like Check/pinch collars correctly does this without causing harm to the dog. You say to ban training equiptment but you are pigeon holing all dogs - that YOUR method will work on all dogs. Sure. I'll lend you my malinois for a day and we see how far you get. I repeat myself - Different dogs require different methods and different equiptment. Thats life. Animals are individuals and have to be treated accordingly. And a trainer that sees that and uses that to their advantage is a good one.

I get a bag of frozen mixed veges (make sure there is no onion, the Aldi one in the green bag is good) and boil it till they're really soft, then add a little rice to cook into the stock (sometimes I plonk in a chicken carcass to boil in the veges for extra flavour, calcium and minerals but throw it out when cooked). Let this cool down and then add a 60/40 mix meat to vege mix. Feed small meals. I also use Vets All Natural Canine Nutritional Powder for both of my dogs since they were pups and add that to any raw food I make. You should be feeding 3 meals a day at the moment. You can soak some puppy biscuits (there is advance rehydratable) if he likes softer stuff as one meal, some mixed vege/rice/meat as another meal. Like I said introduce new foods slowly and buy human quality mince, make sure it doesnt have herbs/spices added and its not majority fat. If he starts gulping careful he hasnt swallowed something either ... puppies get into anything and everything - my mastiff still thinks that dishrags and socks are wonderful things to shred, as well as sucking on toilet rolls!

For a dog of that size I would stick to two meals a day for life - keeps them full and they dont gorge themselves once a day with the risk of bloat. I'm just paranoid ... plus I cant live on one meal a day so I dont expect a giant dog to! From the sounds of it you are doing well. Yes they will grow really quickly, get acne, go gangly, then chunky, then weird ... Stick to Large/Giant greed puppy foods. As for adding meat give him protein he has to work for like lamb flaps, chicken necks etc and add some well cooked veges to it. I add a bit of well cooked rice in those fresh meals to keep the dog fuller a little longer and bulk out the meal. Please do not add heaps of calcium you CAN overdo it and cause major structural problems. There should be enough in the kibble if it makes up a reasonable propertion of the diet. As long as your dog is not fat, you can feel/just see the ribs you are doing OK. The puppy fat will melt off slowly, but remember more importantly limit the exercise and NO stairs/climbing/rough play as this can be a bigger problem then diet.

Get rid of the weetbix - dogs dont eat breakfast cereal. Its probably giving him an upset stomach and a gas. He could have been full of wind and needed to burp/vomit. He should be on a good brand of puppy dry food for large breeds, some nice raw chicken necks (supervised) some human quality chicken/ lamb/roo/rabbit mince occasionally and if he is a little thin then supplement with puppy milk. But weetbix, bread, pasta etc is not good for larger breeds that can develop bloat later in life. ETA : I just read what you feed your dog - please cut out the tinned and the amount of carbohydrates. Its too much. Stay on the kibble but make sure its made for a large/giant breed. Eagle pack is excellent I have used it . As for making your own food dont bother cooking the meat, dogs were made to eat raw meat and its better for them. Cook up the veges, boil them really well and then mash/blend them and add the raw mince to that. Remember to give bones like fat trimmed lamb flaps and other non weight bearing bones in a couple of months for jaw exercise and calcium. Remember when changing the diet add new things SLOWLY or get ready for upset tummy time!

NO puppy should be his or yanked or shoved. Do you know what kind of internal injuries you two could cause, not to mention mental? Would you push around a toddler like that? Would you belt an 18 month old kid on the head for not understanding? Hit yourselves first. HARD and see how it feels. Poor puppy. Get into an obedience club NOW and train the dog. Which area are you in we could reccomend something. That or send this dog to a new home because CavNrott is right its getting abusive if its teathered all doy and then beaten for behaving like EVERY OTHER BABY DOG should.

I have many ideas ... occasionally good ones too. There are dogs out there that have problems. BIG problems. And for them prong collars, E collars and other equiptment is suitable and necessary. But they look scary and horrible so we ban them. False attack work which helps proof a reactive dog against randomly lashing out is seen as 'attack work' and heaven forbid RSPCA gets wind of it or get ready for a criminal charge and having your dog PTS. These are laws we should drive that truck of yours through and bulldoze right out of the books. This thread was about police dogs, not obedience and tracking - big difference in temperament and drive. I have seen trainers BEAT dogs with a lead ... lets ban leashes. A trainer punched my dog in the head... lets ban dog trainers. I have seen people choke their dogs on a flat or nylon martingale collar ... lets ban those too. Where are the problems - MISUSE AND ABUSE. THAT is where problems occur - the right equiptment for the right situation for the right DOG. There are some dogs out there that when in drive, you cannot get through to by a little tug on the lead, a treat or a clicker. I dont abuse or hurt my Malinois, but she is not for majority of dog owners because when her sights are set only I can control her through that. And thats the way she is. And my attitude? I spent my Sunday wandering the streets of the Melbourne CBD with my DDB boy to show people that large dogs have nice, family friendly temperaments. He was showered in pats and hugs, people were taking photos with him and went away with a positive image. Why? Because Joe Shmo who votes needs to see the REAL nature of the majority of the breeds the media has portreyed as evil, vicious, child eating killers. Damned if my babies will be dragged down with it. I belitte the responses because they are Knee-jerk and plain IGNORANT. No one is interested in real education it has to be spread out on a platter because the average person will not go and spend hours researching the truth. Its easier to buy the Herald Sun for $1, see the nasty doggy pic and some half-assed story about another bully breed ripping someone to shreds. (Edit because grammer me no worky)

Sounds like her diet is irritating her and lacking is she's so frenzied on eating poo. Try a sensitive stomach formula in some of the better brands or try Eagle Pack. I dont like Supercoat its so dry and bland. That or BARF. I would take her back to the vet for a complete checkup and discuss dietary issues.

lab n poodle what more tightening do you want for our dog laws? That we lose all dogs that are too scary to the average joe shmo? That if its not fluffy or some cutesy breed then it gets the chop and caged for life? Get real. Thats plain cruel to restrict a dog like that for its natural life. In victoria they have limited what training a civilian can do. They have limited the equiptment we can use. They have limited where we can go with out dogs. Now they are sniffing to limit our BREEDS. Try owning a working animal ... I have a working line Malinois. I also have a male DDB who, despite have the ferocity of a fruit fly, is feared by over half the people that meet him. The country is stupid, instead of education about what is actually required for RESPONSIBLE dog ownership they tighten the noose on dog owners then have a go at their dogs. The 'holes' come from lack of inforcement. Ring the council. They dont care. Ring RSPCA. They dont care unless its a high profile media worthy issue. You can make all the laws in the world but if no one enforces them things will continue on the downhill slide. RSPCA can take a flying leap.

I thought they were OK in Vic AND NSW. The prosecution comes if actual pain or harm comes to the animal?? better start hiding my equiptment ...

If you are in a unit do you have a backyard at all? This is an active mix - cattle dogs need all day stimulation and exercise and labs also need activity to prevent boredom. did you think this through? This is not the type of dog that can survive couped up and to leave ANY dog teathered all day is plain cruel. Send him to someone else during the day or a puppy daycare.

Firstly she needs a BLAND diet if she has bouts of vomiting. Grab some chicken drumsticks, peel off the skin and boil them. Throw away the bones, flake the meat and pour the warm stock (rick in minerals) over some cooked rice to make it nice and palatable. Throw in a carrot or sweet potato into the cooking water too and mash a teaspoon full in with the rice for some vitamins if she does OK on just rice and chicken. I would avoid raw chicken, especially parts with a lot of skin as the fat can upset her tummy is she is sensitive. But she will need something to chew on later on to keep her teeth clean and exercise her jaws so when she is better introduce chicken wing tips and necks under supervision. Sometimes if you roll them in something like sesame oil, soy sauce or the like the dogs accept them better. As for the dry food, grab something like Royal Canin or Eagle Pack (ask the store for sample bags or a money back guarentee). Its a little dear but you have a teeny weeny dog so it will stretch. When she goes OK on the above diet then start introducing the dry food, just a few at a time. Put them in some warm water to soften them. A little cooked garlic in her food can help keep away fleas. Ask the vet or pet supplies for an Oatmeal shampoo, great for dry skin. Rinse her coat with wather, then in a mild chamomile tea solution and leave it in. Smells good, has natural healing and insect repellant properties. Towel dry only and keep her warm. I would try another vet. If she is just gagging maybe she has something stuck in her throat or her soft pallet is annoying her.

while they're puppies try getting washable things. Chuck out the cardboard and grab a new one with fresh washed bedding. I know there are those plastic tub type beds. When you're finished stick it on ebay Sometimes pups overheat (yup even in winter) and go for a little sleep on the tiles. One of those things no one will ever understand, my mastiff boy in FREEZING weather will plonk on the tiles and smoosh himself out to cool down?! Try giving smaller chews and if they finish take them away. Get the pupu out of the burying habit or it'll start with your furniture hehe

A lot of people seem to think that training is only for those set times when you toddle off to the class on a sunday morning... And then I get the comment "oh yours are so well behaved mine only listen when theres food or we're in class" grrr yeah if training when out makes me look silly then I must be a loony. We went for a walk last night to Werribee plaza at about 11pm when all the people were coming out of the local Tabaret and cinema. We did a sit and stayed there working on ignoring loud people and revving cars for a while. Everyone was throwing comments and we copped some abuse but no one was game enough to try anything But my dogs' focus was beautiful. Yup. I'm mad