Nekhbet

wow perfect reason not to buy from a petstore ... you have no idea and yet they gladly took your money and let you walk out the door. OK your dog will not stay 8 week old puppy size. The breed standard for pugs is about 6-8kg and chis can be large or small. Since you dont know what is actually in the dog it could en up any size. puppies should be fed at least 3 times a day at this age. Their tummies are small and can't hold a lot of food so regular feeds are essential. Get yourself a good quality food like Royal Canin, Eagle Pack, Nutrience etc for small dogs and use that as a base, if its too hard to chew soak it in some warm water. Get some puppy milk too from the pet supplies/supermarket. Some lean chicken mince or even some boiled chicken meat is good to get your puppy interested in more natural foods, and in a couple of months introduce a bashed chicken neck. Pups cannot hold on all evening. They need to go at the following times: after food, after a nap, after playtime etc. After any activity expect the pup to need to go, roughly every couple of hours. Think of the bladder and tummy size! Grab yourself a shallow cat litter tray and put some newspaper in the bottom. Sprinkle a handful of paper based litter in there and after an activity put your puppy in there until it piddles/poos. Dont let it leave until it does. Praise the puppy for going and leave some of the paper in there after every change so the pup can smell thats where its toilet area is. Dont be tempted to scrub the tray to perfection, leave a tiny bit of smell so the pup knows. Your pup did what is natural, no tiny dog can hold on for long periods especially the puppies. If in doubt, straight to the toilet :D Also, NEVER punish the puppy for making a mistake in where it toilets. If it associates getting caught with getting in trouble it will learn to hide its poo and wee but not actually learn this is not the place to go. If you find an accident, clean the area really really well, especially tile grout/floorboards/carpet where the smell can lurk and she may try there again. Your friend was right, let her adjust on her own. Let her sleep in the laundry for a week or two so she learns some independance. If you cater to her whines, pawing etc she will become a pain in the bum. And please dont carry her around everywhere. She's got legs, and chi's n pugs are happy to follow you around instead of being a Paris Hilton accessory. They're small and cute, but a dog needs rules and boudries to learn how to be a friendly, social animal. Never accept her barking at you, growling or nipping at you or anyone else. Never let he lunge, bark or growl at other dogs this is bad behaviour on her behalf. Teach her manners and focus and you will have a wonderful companion. WE WANT PHOTOS!!!! :laugh:

Deanne you dont know Scope so give it a rest. its just a tough patch she's going through. I am not going to post her private details on a public forum its not your business. She has tried and tried, but Keisha bumped and then bit her. Yup stress made her react the way she did but a dog that has been training respect has thrown it out the window and bit her owner. Hudson is meant to be the human aggressive dog but Keisha is being the pain in the butt. My dog bit me once. I had a piece of chicken in my hand and it decided to grab my hand as well as the chicken, clamp on and nearly draw blood. I hit in in the face. He didnt cower, snap or develop fear for it. He looked me in the face and let go of my hand slowly, never repeated it. When you feel that pressure pressing on your hand, knowing it has the capability to crush your bones what would you do? How else do you assert the fact he is not allowed this behaviour and have a usable hand? My old GSD bit my face, grabbed me in the face with her mouth when I was a kid and left tooth marks on my forehead. I grabbed her and bit her on the ear hard while I was bawling in pain. For the rest of her life she never bit again. Am I a bad owner for doing this? Maybe I need anger management? She was my girl and loved me and me only. She respected no other person and was my baby til the day she was PTS from cancer. If you learned anything from that degree you keep waving then know that people pushecd to the limits in every facet of their lives will do some extreme things. They are not proud of it but without support people can lash out at constant irritants. Scope puts her dogs welfare first and I am satisfied they are properly looked after. She has taken dogs that are high drive, and high maintenance. I repeat myself, Kaisha is having a complete life overhaul and is having a moan and retaliate about it. Its in the nature of some working breeds to act this way. I thought psychologists were meant to be understanding. But I suppose in the words of one Dr my Mum sent me to 'I heard you had quite a few issues. I enjoy a challenge". Go find someone else to taunt will you and let Scope heal.

I am amazed and shocked at the responses. This poor girl is going through a tough time, Keisha is too, and she gets flamed within an inch of her life. She said she regretted it, and no one had the sense to see how pushed she must have been. And she's not the only one to have a vent about their dogs so get off your high horses. If you have nothing constructive to say then DONT. PLUS being told to get rid of her dogs. That shitty attitude created these dogs in the first place and she has poured so much time and money into both of them to train and love. Herr Rott will know how Hudson was and is now. I have met both dogs and she has really come a long way with her. Anyone else would have given up and PTS dogs that have HUMAN CREATED PROBLEMS. I hate to think what would happen in a time of personal crisis for those people that reccomended it, what would you do with yours? Neither of these dogs fall into the rehoming category. Unfortunately we have lost our trainer, Scope and I trained with an excellent guy but last week he broke the bad news he was no longer doing it. We both trust few trainers here in Melb with our dogs so we have to start from scratch. Emailed advice will only go so far and what happens in the mean time? Or is she meant to fly up to Steve everytime she needs a lesson? Her GSD was given away by the first family because it was a vocal dog and disobedient. Keisha is not a typical huggy GSD, she's her own girl and really is Scope's dog. She has been moved to a new house and like K9 said she has had a whole lifestyle change and is carrying on like a pork chop, like most GSDs will. Scope needs support and real advice, not everyone's 2c worth.

the good thing about necks is they keep the dog occupied. He eats a set amount but it feels like more because of all the chewing needed. good to hear you're getting results!

it sounds as if she's a little nervous. If she has been punished whilst peeing before then she is probably expecting it again and so hides it so you cant find it. make toilet time a good time. Start teaching her a command and keep an eye on her body language. If you notice she needs to pee, praise her for going and whilst she does it. When she finishes then praise her again. Show her that needing and going is OK and if you teach her a pee word you can get her to go when you need her to as well. Like Lillysmum said, the BC is a dog bred to want to please so if you show her there's a 'mums happy adn you get rewarded' she'll be more inclined to start communicating with you her toileting needs. If there is a corner where she has peed inside, clean it well, right down into the pile and even the underlay can hold the smell.

Dogs dont understand what is to be touched and what is not ... hell most small children dont! whilst you cannot supervise, dont let the dogs have free reign in the house. Give them their own area/crates and they stay there. They shouldnt be able to run around where you cant see them, and if he has taught himself that household items are fun (its self rewarding - grab something, chew it and have fun) then you wil have a hard time dissuading him. Meanwhile I would grab some lovely hot chilli paste and smear some on the electrical cords. If you have your back turned, better he get a mouth full of chilli then electrocution. Make sure he has plenty of things to keep him occupied, also rotate his toys, one or two per day when you're not around. It wil keep them interesting for him. Also treat balls/kongs during the day and skip breakfast so he's hungry enough to make sure he concentrates on that for a while.

I agree MrsD, the training depends on the dog. I couldnt use the same methods on a Malinois and a DDB and expect peak performance. I do try and read about all training methods, glean from them what I can. If it works, I use it. As with anything, having an open mind and some logic will prevail over any problem. I do prefer to train as a whole, all contact between me and my dogs I consider training, before I hit formal sessions. I dont think I could own couch potatos any more. I love my high energy, high drive dogs and though I'm only scratching the surface I'm getting addicted to Schutzhund and protection. Though I think i'll limit my Malinois numbers in the future ... I'm not that big a masochist ...

Just a few from the great repository of Schutzhund ... I dont have any of my Malinois cos no one will hold a camera for me ... I am gonna take a camera to Lure Coarsing in July so there will be great footage of why a Malinois is NOT for the acverage household but the photos are slightly breed biased ... maybe hehehhe I have videos if anyone is interested, Boxer, Cane Corso, GSD, Malinois, American Bulldog etc PM me I think there is some KNVP, Mondio Ring and French Ring stuff too (think of Scutzhund to the extreme ... guns, object guarding, bicycles etc its just incredible to watch a dog do ring sport) Note: if you see a dog with KNVP titles or especially "met lof" on its name - its worth every cent you pay for it, these are dutch police sport and there are quite a few Mals in Oz that have it in their lines. Dano v Stokkheind has it, Kra has it too, I think a few de Deux Pottois dogs have it. Correct me people Utamaru de Deux Pottois has Sch3 not a KNVP title? I have some competition videos so people can see what a trial is like. Oh and there will be a Sch trial coming up here in Melbourne, those interested can PM and i'll pass on details

check for any spilled chemicals around the place. Also new plants, anything out of the ordinary in the past month, including places you have been. Maybe she sat somewhere you didnt notice. Sounds out there but get her hormones looked at and some general bloodwork done. Ssometimes whats going on on the inside manifests on the outside. If she isnt desexed then take a squiz at those bits too, internal inflammation causing redness outside? Had a quick thought (someone tie me down) there are toxins that cause localised heamolysis and ruptured vessels. Can look worst then it actually is, maybe something bit her?

Pancreatitis by any chance? Our cat has it and its a BLOODY PAIN IN THE BOTTOM! He eats anything fatty or rich and BLUUURRRRG all over my floors. He lost so much weight and looked like crap. Kibbles still have too much fat, I tried every high priced kibble and his body ended up rejecting them all ... again all over my floor. Cut their losses. Chicken and rice/veges. NO SKIN or minced up rubbish because it contains all the fat. Thighs, skinned necks are good because theres bone there too. Avoid lamb flaps or offcuts because theyre mostly fat. Its not too difficult to cook up a pot of rice and veges then have it in teh fridge for the week. Also at that age a good nutritinal additive like Sashas Blend would help. Some tinned salmon (in water) can be given if she improves. Again Aldi to the rescue. Seriously this diet is dirt cheap ... let them know I can feed a Belgian Shpeherd and a Mastiff for about $15 a week on this diet, and they have an itty bitty staffy! There are vet prescription diets but our cat ended up vomiting on that too. Its those Waltham Prescription Z diets, costs a bomb, better of plain and natural.

never any onions at all - ever! non negotiable ... a little cooked garlic is good. Raw can cause tummy upset, I give mine: carrot brocolli spinach lettuce sweet potato pumpkin a little normal well cooked potato well cooked peas If you want cheap veges go down to the sunday markets and rummage through the leftovers. Cheap as plus it comes in bulk so both you and the dogs get veges I stick mine in a cheap rice cooker, put water, a little salt and a chicken drumstick or some chickeny offcut in there for extra flavour and boil it up (its all diced up) I use a bit of rice too. A weeks worth in a pot, keep well in the fridge. I scoop out what I need, add some Vets All Natural nutritional powder and then the protein (chicken necks, maryland, tinned salmon from Aldi is only $2, lamb flaps etc) if theyre fussy some soy sauce or fish sauce can get them eating. avoid cabbage because it can cause farting or in larger breeds bloat. Also too much cauli flower, brocolli, brussel sprouts (especially stalky bits) can cause the same thing because they are all related. They all originate from the one plant so have varying degrees of wind producing capacity hehehe

Remember that because it is a cross breed it could end up any size and shape. There can be huge differences between the dogs, depending on parents etc. Because you dont know his pedigree and any genetic health problems in the lines you have to start basic. Cut the cans out completely, theyre just like flavoured weetbix with water. Get him chicken necks and wings for his fresh protein and exercise for his jaws. Start with half a bashed chicken neck every couple of days to make sure it doesnt upset his tummy. Also things like some chicken mince mixed with some grated cooked veges like carrot, pumpkin, spinach, even a little apple to sweeten it. To put some weight on him there is puppy milk in the supermarket, I get some for my Belgian as she can be a skinny minny and she loves it (never cow/skim milk) When she teethed she got a little thin but she still drank the milk. Change dry foods. If you are on pedigree products (Pal etc) then they put artificial colors/flavours in there as well as preservatives which can irritate his stomach or body. I know pugs are hardyer but sometimes the cavs can be a little sensitive. Better brands are things like Eagle Pack, Nutrience, Royal Canin or even Bonny dry foods as they are artificial additive free. These brands are available in pet supply stores and they are a little dearer but with a small dog like yours you can stretch a bag to over a month! Plus they smell really good hehe ask for a sample bag from the supply store or go straight to the company reps as I know they have them. Even with the samples introduce it slowly so he doesnt get an upset, give him a few kibbles as a treat and see how he goes. Start mixing it with his normal kibble then you can change over completely. Theres a product at Pets Paradise but the protein in that is insanely high and I wouldnt recommend it. Pretty much the vet is right. If the dog is happy and healthy, well there's little you can do. Dont pander to any whims, leave the food there for 15 minutes and then remove it till the next meal time. NEVER leave dry out for him all day. Dont raise a fussy dog or you will go through this for another 10 years! No animal will starve itself and remember that for animals, being ribby thin is not a huge issue (emaciation is a whole other story and that requires vet treatment) Some dogs are just happy to be small eaters.

Anyone that hits, screams at or smacks their dog is not a trainer. Anyone that misuses training equiptment to the point of abuse is not an expert and should be reported. I use a prong and my dog doesnt give a rats. She hears it rattle and she comes running with tail wagging because it means training time. My mastiff also comes bolting when he hears his check chain rattle because it means he's going out. Gee I'm horrible. A well trained companion dog should know commands and how to behave appropriately. Heeling on lead is good behaviour, sitting is good behaviour, drop stay is good behaviour. Any dog that cant do this is NOT trained, and if it sits quiety in the backyard its whole life then get it off the medication because ALL dogs require at least basic obedience as part of family life. A good puppy preschool should teach family living, not just sit, walk and drop.

mmm theyre ok but I dont like agitation harnesses that dont have a triangular chest plate like fordogtrainers.com... I like the idea of a full padded area, especially for a thinner dog like my Mal. Plus theyre only like AU$50 each for a nice leater one which is DIRT CHEAP!!! maxed out thats credit card yet KK?

This vest/coat even has a special pocket ... positioned for quick easy access. hey hey hey me and my out of context ROFL yeah I want to order a couple of leather harnesses for the Dogue and Mal, cheap but strong enough for the heavier breeds. I want to get some tug toy sets too, they have fire hose material ones that lok strong enough to handle a good chewing.

Wyvern make a point of education ... in some training the written theory of correction as an integral part is not properly covered. If you read a post that said a person was beign scratched within an inch of their life by their dog you wouldnt think too highly! There are different methods of training though called the same, different trainers can have different results. I have seen GSDs go nuts over prey items, regardless of who is holding it. Not everyone teaches K9's way of handler specific rewarding, and this causes problems. If you are doing it the right way then AWESOME!!!!! Congrats with your doggies, sounds like you're doing well. And you GSD is gorgeous I should have come and said hello at the k9 force seminar but I didnt realise who you were until you hopped into the car.

Leerburg wrote down a cheap price on my receipt so I didnt have to pay an import duty etc ... theyre awesome for that!!! http://www.fordogtrainers.com/ try this too they have some GREAT bargains and reliable delivery ... I need a harness so if you're buying ...

I see where henrynchlo is coming from ... and before the flame thrower begins ... they are just voicing concern at the fact so many people have written they have injuries from their dogs because of the prey item. I have never had scratches or injuries to the extent that you guys have written and I'm a little worried too. Mouthing and scratching for a prey item is unacceptable for me and would warrent a correction. Its not killing drive its including boundries which the dogs need. Prey drive can unleash a whole new animal and you need to be prepared to bring it down a peg or two. Yes I had a child enter my yard WITHOUT ME whilst my Malinois was little and picked up one of her toys. I always beleived in teaching control as part of prey drive, not just want want want gimme gimme gimme gimme. She sat in front of the kid, pawed the air a few times but he was unharmed ... SO LUCKY as she is one to just get it when her drive is at peak I also taugh my Mal to OUT by 5 months by letting her catch the prey item and then giving her another as a reward for letting the original one go. Now I can say the command and its foolproof. I do train bitework so I am coming from a different angle, hence my dog hating the ball and wanting something soft to gnaw like tugs. But drive still requires boundries as part of the training or you will find more and more aggressive type behaviours as you are seeing now. And as for my Mastiff jumping on me ... blame my OH he thinks the GREAT to teach a 50kg 12 month old dog to hop up and give you a cuddle ... no one said men were smart ....

Yeah there is a general misconception, and was also taught to me, that dogs NEED to meet and play with other dogs for socialisation. In fact, as you have said Wyvern, it leads to more problems then its worth. Even with mine, i've completely given up, they have me and each other. More then enough. Most bad dogs behaviours are human related wether it be our mistakes in training or just ignoring the fact there is a problem. Socialisation should be more of a trust building and distraction exercise. Take the pup on the train, city, country, car, peoples homes etc BUT its to teach it to be non responsive in different environments and animals. Saying that I have met a poorly bred rotty pup, 4 months old it was biting its owners hard, drew blood and growled, snapped and barked at everyone. Even latched onto another puppy at its puppy preschool and started shaking! The owners bought it from very aggressive and nervy stock, frankly that was one I would have just PTS and desexed both parents. I dont beleive its just being born bad, but being predisposed to have bad behaviour with the wrong type of owner.

Mine wont go for a ball ... its tug toys or the string attached to the ball [lol] neither of them seem to keen to work for it but pull out the small tug and its walk over hot coals time hehehe I've got my girl doing a nice shutzhund heel for me randomly now waiting to get the tug toy amazing she just faffs around then sidles up to me and is glued like 'hey hey i'm behaving wheres my tplaytime tug time'

Look up threads on BARF, and also the website www.barfworld.com at the moment if you plan on swapping, no matter how old the dog is, the trick is to do it slowly. Never replace whole meals or give large quantities of new food because it can give them an unpset tummy (and a lot of cleaning when it comes out for you ) introduce things like chicken wings and chicken necks at the moment (raw only NEVER feed cooked bones of any sort) once or twice a week and then you can up the amount. Keeps them occupied for a while too. Dont go for highly manufactured things, stay as natural as possible. Mince is good but I find its bolted down quickly and look around for one thats not too fatty or too full of offal until your puppy is used to it. Dont bother cooking it, raw is always better then cooked when it comes to meat. And yes, up the number of meals to 3 times a day and a little evening snack, but keep them smaller. Puppies need quite a lot of food but if he starts getting fat cut back the meal sizes. Their tummies are small adn they cant hold a lot of food so thats why they need more meals. Even as adults I beleive in 2 meals a day, once a day just isnt fair on my dogs. Dont be sucked into leaving food lying around between meals, your dog is part beagle which means they are ... well ... piggys when it comes to eating so you could feed it 24 hrs a day and they would still sidle up to you with those big brown eyes looking for more hehehehe set the meal times adn food only comes out at that time. Helps with begging problems later too ... oh and NEVER feed your puppy from what you are eating, off the kitchen bench or off your plate or they will expect that to be a source of food too, could create a scrounger.

what the catching of your arm instead or trying to prise them off the toy darn buggers and their reflexes

Yup know how you feel Wyvern ... try having a 50kg mastiff decide he wants it and plants two paws right in the middle of your gut ... And I have seen a GSD tear apart a whole room and knock over a fridge to get to a tennis ball thats its prey item. new trick with him I put my knee up and he planted himself right onto it and fell over ... whoops ... embaressing isnt it ... he tried again, knee came up and he hit it again. Sat down, got his toy. Malinois learned like that too, I never punished her for it I just raised a knee as soon as she jumped up and she kept stacking herself, with me smiling and being sooo nice through the whole thing. Trust me they soon realise that throwing themselves and falling over is not worth it when they behave and get the ball so much faster. I've never let my dogs jump all over me for the prey item, never had so many scratches even from my Malinois (and she blows drool bubbles for a tug toy so she wants it baaaaaaaad) If theyre acting up so much them go back inside till they settle or keep ignoring and let them stack until they learn.

I've ordered a sleeve from them before ... customs hacked open the box and shredded my invoice in the process havnt seen anything else from them but they are reliable and easily contactable. Got a catalogue around here somewhere ...

He has you eating out of his paw. He's getting everything he wants - attention. You allow yourself to be played by this dog and he uses it to his advantage. As for destroying things ... if he cant get to them then he wont destroy them! You leave food, shoes etc withing his grasp then chase him round yelling at him ... his brain is going 'WOOHOO THIS IS GREAT all this noise and running and all I had to do was pinch a shoe". When he's inside, put him on a lead or tether him next to his mat until he gets it. If he half sits, correct the little bugger. Sit ... a couple of seconds ... CORRECT ... if he hasnt sat then repeat. You give him too much slack. You have taught him to ignore you as well, repeating command without any sort of correction or reward from you means he has self rewarded NOT to listen. You say leave it and he goes "oh I can eat this now" Also you have to work with him individually, you cant have him and Maisy out at the same time and expect him to behave. Time for a complete lifestyle AND training method change, so far he has run all over you so you need to learn how to deal with a dominant dog. look up K9 Force and also www.leerburg.com training articles, treat him like a new puppy and start everything all over again.