Nekhbet

if you just want to learn I dont see why they would say no. You just cannot get a title on your dog under the IPO banner that's all. No harm in ringing and asking about it anyway is there

you cannot lock a puppy away for another month - why has the pup not had enough vaccinating? He should be about due for his second now? Or did you buy him unvaccinated? Puppies need to be outside in the fresh air experiencing noises and life. Take the dog on car rides, put it in a handbag and carry it around at least. You need to physically take your puppy to the spot its meant to pee/poo and encourage it to go, keeping it there until it does. If you dont want your pup to not toilet in unexpected areas contain it when you cannot keep your eyes on it. EIther a crate or a play pen.

I should word myself a little better. The overall inherent personality of the dog will not change. Testosterone can give an extra level of zing to some personality traits like territoriality, dominance, tenacity etc but also once learned that dog will keep those habits to a degree even after a late desexing. Desexing only makes a major change when there is too much testosterone and it is driving the dog into behaviours such as picking fights, extreme dominance, extreme territoriality etc. Testosterone itself is not the only factor in causing 'unwanted' behaviours but can aggrevate innate behaviours to be at a higher level. If you have a well bred dog with a good temperament then really what is there to change? If you have an aggressive, nasty dog well 1) it should be out of the gene pool any way and 2) the extra testosterone will be a millstone around your neck. One example - bull breed x with a set of nuts the size of oranges while still a pup/adolescent. Showing major territoriality traits when out of home. Desexed, calm within a few weeks. Testosterone fuelled that behaviour, yes. But it didnt just materialise out of nowhere either did it? Do you think some genetics could have been involved? If people want quiet family pets they should choose breeds and lines specifically bred as COMPANIONS with low to no drive and no guarding instinct. That is what makes the difference not if the dog has a set of nuts or not. I want testosterone because I want that extra push behind what some people call unwanted behaviours. Training is the majority that gets that snowball rolling, but the hormones help it along. The only time I will suggest a client desex their dog is if they show behavioural traits that are a problem in society - aggression, extreme dominance, picking fights etc, the behaviours are limiting the dogs/owners ability to live a normal life and they are not a dog for breeding. Apart from that if the owner can control their dog and it's trained and socialised then frankly, it is their own business if they desex or not. I provide people with information and they can take it or leave it. But I dont believe in forcing someone to do something just because I believe thats the way life should be in general. 'Average owners' with untrained and unsocialised brat dogs will caused problems desexed or not. Any desexed dog that goes up to an entire dog and picks a fight has problems. Vice versa. I think the bigger problem lies in the fact we expect some dogs and some breeds to behave like we all gather around a campfire and sing KoombahYah together in peace and harmony - they're dogs. They wont always get along with others all the time. Mass desexing is not going to change that. Let the owner try training, and if it's not progressing that well due to confirmed testosterone fuelled problems then desex. If the dogs just a pain in the butt because it's never had training and old habits die hard then pushing to desex wont make a difference will it?

when OH contacted SARDA they wanted under 12 month old dogs with no previous training (including tracking, obedience etc) I have the requirement sheet it says "sleeping on the furniture, chasing the cat, playing with the kids and eating table scraps is the 'good life' of a pet. None of these are allowed for Disaster Search Dogs. Consistent routine, strict diet and exercise program are all required. A strict requirement of training a DSD is that he has NO TOYS at home or away from the search training criteria. minimum age is 8 weeks, maximum is 12 months' you also need to pass to Category 1 with SES/CFA to access rubble sites and provide all your own safety equipment for both you and dog.

the tape is folded around the edges of the ears and a strip along the back at the base of the ear. DIdnt want to cover the whole ear to let the skin breathe at least at the back. I'm going to leave them on for a month, see how strong they are and probably another month or two after that depending how well they stay up. She has knuckles the size of a dane pup so at least she definately has a lot of growing to do, and hope that growing swings in my favour with the ears.

I would spend the money on a dermatologist if you can. She could have problems with some meats too causing her skin to inflame or something you use around her environment could be causing it. It's a step towards a solution then just more trial and error bandaids. If you're near a Myer try Billy Goat unscented goats milk soap

they actually are that size the foam insert is a tiny bit smaller then her whole ear Mali's have massive ears

I used the glue to tape shaped cut outs made from those Scholls foam shoe insoles, then sports tape to make sure she cant scratch an edge up .. eh VOILA! Perfect Malinois ears! fingers crossed they stay that way when I eventually stop, but I think a month or two of it will help

Contact the Gold Coast Sportdog Club, Allison Kollenberg from Nordenstaam kennels is the secretary AFAIK

or it's an umbrella for 'we dont really know whats going on but thats close enough '

There is a product called Debrisol you can get from stock feeds/pet stores.

have you looked into her diet? that amount of flaking is not normal. Calendula tea, or just buy a heap of chamomile tea from the supermarket, make a ice cream container full and wash her in it only, no soap.

And did you read the part it was difficult to handle because it was untrained? Majority of its problems seem to be lack of proper manners and training not the fact is has a set of balls. Temperament of an animal comes down to genetics and upbringing more then just being entire or desexed. There are plenty of desexed dogs out there who show the same traits as entire animals either through learning or through their lines. And believe it or not some people prefer the personality of an entire animal, has a bit more pep from the testosterone then the desexed ones can. I prefer it and I dont think I'm likely to own a desexed one again soon. If vasectomies became more popular in Australia and vets actually bothered to do them we might be in the right direction of helping prevent unwanted litters. Instead of throwing beratement down peoples throats, if they want a dog with a big shiny set, fine. Vasectomise so at least they wont cause unwanted litters. As for the excuses of escape, aggression, picking fights etc that has all to do with owner responsibility and little to solely blame on being entire.

I see plenty of desexed dogs with 'urges'. Start thinking like a dog and not like a human. Desexing is not the be all and end all to solving problems in this country, changing the way people view dogs as backyard ornaments that get some tinned slop and glorified horse feed is a bigger start then forcing people to desex their animals.

training controls a dog, not desexing. I can tell you the horniest dog in the house was desexed years ago whereas the entire male has learned to keep his mouth shut during seasons. If he doesnt want to then you cannot make him. If the dog is an adult, unless there is a massive testosterone problem fuelling behaviour it wont cause that much difference in general, maybe to sexual behaviours. I dont see why we push absolutely everyone to desex - if the dog is contained and controlled then why? What makes registered breeders immediately more responsible and knowledgable then the average dog owner? Sometimes its the other way around in fact. The old arguments are getting just that ... old. If you absolutely cannot handle an entire dog, fine, desex it within a time frame that is healthy for the breed. Most of the time people who cannot handle an entire male can't handle a larger dog at all so really testicles simply become an excuse. I have my dogs entire except the rottweiler. I dont have problems, my 60kg male doesnt drag anyone or rip palings off fences to get out and mate - this year he decided to try braying like a donkey but thats as far as it went. My bitch when she comes in heat knows the routine and all is (reasonably) quiet. Not everyone likes desexing, but if they're willing to put in the effort and be responsible I dont see why anyone elses opinions should be shoved down their throat. ETA as for gelding, my horse was an ex-racer who was gelded due to an attitude problem. I can tell you it didnt fix it, he was still a big, violent and nasty piece of horse flesh 10 years off the track. His attitude never changed. Personality is not only hormone fueled, genetics has a lot to contribute to temperament.

I wouldnt let this pup near your other dog for at least a week and you should have taken it straight to the vet the day you got it for a full work over. Diseases have an incubation period and parasites are not always glaringly obvious until the rest of the family has them. Keep it separate, vet work it and give it a week before introducing it to your other dog. For all you know it could be brewing Parvo which is so prevalent at the moment.

MY EYES .... DEAR GOD MY EYES

get yourself some minute oats from the supermarket, soak them for 15 minutes in enough warm water to make them sloppy and add a tablespoon of Livamol to it. Some sausage mince mixed with this as meals will do the trick to get the weight on.

I want fireworks dammit ... where are the fireworks .. and the fanfare ...

Haemophilia in females is exceedingly rare. How did they come to that conclusion? There are ways around it, alternatively the vet can just go in through keyhole with specialist supervision and do a tubal ligation instead of a full spey or just remove the ovaries. Being a bitch that has cycled she will have extensive vascularisation to the reproductive organs which in any case will be more prone to bleeding. If the males are related to the bitch enough cut them all out of the gene pool, when you start having females with Haemophilia you're hitting the wrong end of the gene pool. I gave my bitch Covenin this season and although it did pull her out of heat it took a week. It is an option but not forever.

Have you seen a chiropractor? If your dog is stiff in the neck it can be pinching nerves and reducing the signals to the legs. What state are you in we can recommend a good chiro to try out. Your dog should not be eating palm seeds. What kind are they? It could be causing inflammation or gut cramps which can be misinterpreted. I find it weird your dog has a temp and bad constipation yet they say it's Pano - trust me I have owned cripple dogs and when they need to poo no amount of screaming joint pain will stop them. Are they sure it's not an itusesseption (intestines folding in on themselves) as they dont show up on x-rays ... or just a palm seed blockage? Pano is usually accompanied by a protein reduced diet, what diet do you have your dog on currently? Unless you're feeding a high meat diet it's not going to be that bad to stop the dog defecating.

remember many pups will be or starting teething and wont be keen on chewing hard things which can knock their teeth about. Saying that some dogs just hate kongs I can tell you even my high drive dogs can't be bothered with them really when there is something else to shred Must be something about the taste or smell of the rubber

glue has arrived, we bought sports tape ... thats tomorrow mornings job

If your dog can eat Julius and Schmackos he's not really that sensitive or fussy - he just has you well trained which most of the small fluffy dogs tend to do. They're both quite average ingredient wise. Most anti-inflammatories though like Metacam should be given with food as they can irritate the stomach. Be tough for his own good and cut down hand feeding. No dog will starve itself and he has to eat his medication so make it a happy routine. Food down, doesnt eat it in 15 minutes put it away for the next meal in the evening and nothing in between. Chiropractor is definately required and if your dog is in that much pain he cannot walk he needs x-rays. Metacam is not a long term solution when you dont know exactly what the problem is. It's easy to say arthritis when the dog flinches or squeals when manipulated, my own dog was diagnosed with it supposedly and turned out to be something totally opposite. Also consider if your dog needs to lose some weight - if you cannot easily feel ribs then your dog is too fat for it's joints. Arthritic dogs need to be lean and consider short walks only or somewhere like the beach paddling etc. 5km for a toy breed is way too much. If your vet is not giving you suggestions on maintenance such as diet and supplements find another. I'm very surprised they did not tell you about joint guard or the vet only foods until you found them yourself.

yes I know a couple of dogs remotely related and they have softer ears, but not as bad as hers. Her sister has beautiful Malinois ears! *sigh* If the worst thing about her is that her ears are a bit soft then it's not going to be that big an issue if her health scores, temperament and nerve are stellar, her colour and shape are never going to be in the show ring anyway. It's more annoying me then anything else OH loves her with floppers. Mim did you use the human fabric/paper tape for bandages? I bought a bandage wrap (kelato?) and it kept peeling off, the glue was woeful. Only stuck to itself really which meant she could shake it off. waiting by the post box for the glue to arrive ... then ... operation pin down ... she's such a wiggle worm this is going to be interesting ...