Nekhbet

I have a similar problem with two pups in class at the moment but it's a lot more severe - two GSDs unrelated 4 months old, scream the place down and won't concentrate and thats just 10m apart! There has been improvement in a few weeks but its taking very firm guidence from the owners to get them to focus. Just more cut the crap from them we should get there :laugh:

Dogs should learn to be separated anyway especially if they're bonded that strongly to one another - thats flashing red light territory that needs to be addressed ASAP.

If the dog won't eat organ meat it's not an issue. Vets All Natural Health Booster http://www.sprintergold.com/ whelp and grow/results plus if the dog wont eat it, it doesnt want it. I won't feed 100% meat only because I don't believe it's a healthy option for the dog, they're scavengers and will eat anything. No wild dog/wolf pops down to the supermarket or butcher and asks for some nicely trimmed up pieces to gnaw on :laugh: thats why I feed the VAN mix, works well for me.

two words ... e collar :laugh:

Trust me I have a cupboard of tried and true cure alls :laugh: Nekhbet's Apothecary

Part of the movement factor is inciting a little prey movement which excites the dog. Food doesn't have to be static, it's more effective with some dogs if you engage them through your own body. It's also teaching them you're part of the reward process, not just the food. Really you're just using the food to bridge the understanding gap between you and the dog and up your reward value to the dog, just handing it out is a bit average and they lose interest quickly. Saying all that people who wave their hands in their dogs face dont get the same result and frankly it just confuses the dog. You have to move, not be a blowfly :laugh: Don't bother buying there's enough on Youtube to get you there in Heeling. I have a couple of videos of a pup starting heeling work have at my school on my page I'm going to take some more in the coming weeks :) https://www.facebook.com/pages/InLine-K9-Dog-Training-and-Behavior-Consultancy/147687365290703

You would be surprised what comes through GAWS. Saying that nicer in that shop then down here in a concrete pen in Geelong it's freaking freezing. I don't see what the difference is between them being desexed from a shop or desexed from the pound. You think from a pound they get put through any more of a wringer?

We do it a lot with the high energy dogs in class and a lot on Malinois. It holds their attention on you, if you look up Michael Ellis puppy stuff on Youtube there's a lot of his videos on engagement. Just have a hand full of treats and keep moving backwards, it encourages following, focus and bonding. Just make sure the dog is looking at your face before rewarding.

You can get something similar, go trawl the pig dog forums there's plenty of bull arab x's that are white.

Why? You have experience in large, powerful guarding breeds that are sharp as a knifes edge? You have experience in protection and dominant dogs? You have the power to choke off or slam down your own dog when it decides to have a go at you? No. Few people in Australia do. These romantic notions of nawwww I wanna breed the banned breeds BS sometimes makes me glad we DON'T have these dogs in the country. We're incapable of controlling the watered down stuff we have let alone strong breeds like this. BSL is crap yes, but 1) idiots keep breeding pound fodder and 2) people keep buying these dogs and then crying when they get seized. Yes it's the dog that suffers but we can't get the whole dog management thing through our thick heads in this country at all. We are miles behind a lot of western countries in training and management I think work on education before beating the same BSL is bad drum.

Theyre partners with petrescue, GAWS, pug rescue etc head office is in keysborough, looks like a Vic company. Looks pretty good actually they offer their staff a cert in animal studies too. I went in there a couple of weeks ago and got a discount on the spot, seem nice enough

Their animals are from Geelong Animal Welfare society

Sprinter Gold Energy E and ACE are both great products for older dogs, particularly the oil. I just use human Glucosamine 1500mg/Chondr tabs for the oldies, but the E worked the best.

BC it's about engagement. If your dog prefers to be on the move, then move! Even with food. Run backwards, encourage her to follow, reward, then add a quick sit, reward, keep it dynamic. It will expend energy, move at her pace and keep her focus on you. Short bursts then a break, then another burst and a break etc, do a few classes like this and work towards extending her obedience commands. I find the easiest way to do it is to give the dog a quiet 'good girl/boy' while they're doing it and then mark, reward, start again. Keeps their focus and less whining because there's no quiet for them to get frustrated, it's constant feedback and dynamic training.

If she's an adult it won't harm her, you can also give some Recharge greyhound electrolytes to help restore some minerals.

But it's not extreme - I've seen plenty of dogs that go into shutdown or complete panic when a flat collar is put on. As for being nailed by correcting a dog with a prong, that means it wasn't a correction it was too low to stop the behavior and it redirected. That can happen on a lot of equipment and I've seen it again happen to a few people because the correction is under threshold and the dog is already wound up. As for your scenario, if the dog found it more acceptable in a prong collar and learned better then the flat collar why not? I am training a rottweiler at the moment that goes into shutdown mode in a flat collar so easily, yet on a correction chain is happy and wagging it's tail and we don't get that shutdown. On a sporn harness it acts absolutely ridiculously and it's direction cannot be controlled, all it does it pull against it and it's owners. Horses for courses, you say I can't make assumptions and use outliers but you're horribly averaging equipment beyond belief. Saying the equipments aversiveness is up to the dog is not the extreme end of the spectrum it's reality. For every dog. You can't rate equipment over the entire canine species because the dog decides what it likes and doesn't like. I have a dog that originally panicked and ran/pissed in terror if you made a happy voice to praise her, whereas the deeper the male voice the more she was relaxed and happy to be around them. Through training we can sometimes change the level of aversion the dog finds the equipment be that one way or another. A dog can hate a prong and learn to love it, or enjoy a flat collar and learn to spite it.

Your dog has not learned to focus on you or to sit still. You should not be treating sparingly but when the dog is doing exactly what you want. The dog should be rewarded for focus on your face, sitting stock still and remaining there and rewarded often. You've pulled back the rewards and she's probably a little confused and frustrated hence the whining. Set the parameters clearly of what gets rewards and baby steps to get there :)

Too much too fast, I wouldnt be swapping I would be slowly introducing red meats in a week. It's literally a teaspoon and see how she goes etc if you're finding her stomach isnt settling.

slippery elm powder is good too for upset tummies I just used the human capsule one, opened it and added to moist feed. One is enough for a medium sized dog. If you are going to use protexin and probiotics you need to use them for at least a week or two to build up the good bacteria, diarrhoea tends to empty the intestines too quickly and imbalances electrolyte levels for the bacteria to flourish properly.

Wait and see what is definitely wrong with the pup first before you make decisions. I don't go on cost I go on quality of life. If it's not there that's when I make that decision because that is the deciding factor. If it's something temporary, which the stress of travel probably has caused, then get her better and enjoy your pup.

Of course it causes discomfort otherwise how does it stop pulling? Armpits are sensitive parts of the body, the sheepskin is there so the ropes dont rip the skin to shreds from the sawing action of the harness. The level of aversion is solely dependent on the dog, not the equipment. Some dogs find a flat collar highly aversive and some dogs find prong collars mildly aversive at best, some not at all. This is why people need to read their dogs and not just have preconceived notions about equipment. Some dogs will bash and scrape their faces bloody with a 'gentle' head halter because they find them so aversive. Prong collars can also be used solely in reinforcement based training. Learn to read your dog, it will get your further in training and you'll spend less money on marketing and gimicks.

That's for livestock, in their hard feed per tonne quantity.

It's a good food, just remember it's rich so you don't have to feed massive meals, smaller meals of the food

I agree with you on that one, I too don't think it's a purposeful expression but a reactive outward expression of conflict, just like a dog going into confusion or pushed too far will start sniffing around etc. As for the pug, she's a funny creature. I'm thinking part of her licking too comes from her weirdly trying to reach her nose to clean herself (she has a big skin fold above it as she was very overweight when we got her to the point of dragging her front feet until they were scabbed) and it seems to be when she first nestles in for a rest she licks OR when if shes eaten late she'll lick too for what she managed to cover her face in. I know if she's overdue for a bath she'll do it more then wipe her face all over her bath towel too. I find it annoying and if I remind her she's doing it she stops, it's almost like it's only when she's zoned out and not paying attention it comes out. Then when she's tired enough she stops and falls asleep.

I wouldn't take her for a walk until you have more respect and attention. You can't expect a dog with no realisation she's meant to focus or how to gain rewards from you to respond, plus now she has equipment she doesnt understand. She'll pop like a balloon and you have no chance of gaining her attention. WOrk at home with obedience, just play with her either throw a ball, tug, treats for responding to her name etc then try the walk. Otherwise you can buy all the equipment under the sun but if she's over stimulated outside you have no chance with no base of respect or obedience.