RedFeather

I suffer the curse of friendly and ridiculously good looking dog. He's getting better at sitting when he meets new people, but if that doesn't get him what he wants (attention...little hussy) he WILL jump, and then people of course pat him GAH training people is much harder than training dogs. He would look ridiculous in this muzzle...muahahahahaha

Thanks for the recommendation. It's tough because I am a 'it's too hard for me to deal with on my own so I'll pay a professional' type...Hubs is more of a 'we can do it OK, maybe not perfect but free' type so it might be hard to convince him. I am not super keen to deal with coat drop on my own though!

I just don't know where to start when it comes to finding a decent groomer. I'm already having trouble with our dog getting matts in his undercoat, and my brush will barely touch them. But I'm too scared someone will start trimming him, which is NOT something you should do with a lappie's coat...hearing how moronic some people are is not helping me work out what to do He does NOT like being brushed and I need a groomer who can help me desensitize him a bit. Also he just wants to eat the brush which is entirely not helpful.

My brother-in-law just gave me a product that you can put on the teeth that doesn't require brushing, that will soften and theoretically eventually remove the plaque from the teeth. Pretty sure it was this http://www.petzlife.com/catalog/complete-oral-care.html http://www.greenpet.com.au/products/PETZLIFE-ORAL-CARE.html I haven't used it yet but it seems to get good reviews, and it's 'all natural'

Some of the modern pekes looks like tribbles. Not tibbies, tribbles! Still amusing that the book has the entirely wrong dog on the cover though!

^I've heard people with fit labradors complain because people have reported them for animal cruelty, because people think they are starving their dogs. This is how stupid and dangerous it is to promote fat labs (and other breeds...)

Bas's breeder shared this album with our group over the weekend, contains interesting information for anyone wanting to add turmeric to their dog's diet (plus some other bits and bobs). The second image has their recipe for 'turmeric paste' which is apparently how you get the most out of turmeric treatment.

I don't believe their claims that it can't be tipped over. I think my Baskerville could tip anything over given enough time. Also he'd bark at it for 10 minutes before actually trying to eat. Sigh. Think I might buy the cat version for my folks though. Seriously that cat is a nightmare. But he is snuggly so it's worth it lol

I would always take a dog to a vet if I can't find a phone number on its tag. I like to assume it will be microchipped and a vets is a good start. Also, lots of pet owners come and go and someone might recognise it. My mother-in-law held on to a puppy overnight til the vets opened the next day, but that would be as long as I would hold it. I've had this misfortune to find lost dogs whilst waiting for public transport. Those dogs always had tags so not such a big deal but once I couldn't get hold of the owner but had to get to work. I always still wonder and hope that that dog made his way home

My parents' cat has a gulping-then-vomiting problem (yay cats) and they use one of these to try to slow him down https://www.ozpetshop.com.au/products/2917/dog-bowls-feeders/dogit-slow-anti-gulping-dog-dish.html but they still have to feed him in two shifts. It worked well when they first got it but then I think he worked out how to just gulp it down anyway. Still, it's a bit big for his head because it's designed for dogs not cats, it might be a more permanent slowing-down solution for a dog.

His 'off' is pretty good. Might need to work on settle. Any tips for teaching it as a specific command? He definitely needs to learn it!!

My only hesitation is the dogs being seized. And, you know, the guy saw my husband and I have a paranoia thing about retribution

How do you train dogs not to jump on people? Basker will rarely jump on us because he knows he won't get anything out of it. But usually, when strangers or new people are around, they've already responded and patted and cooed at him before we can train the people to ignore his jumping. He's just too damn pretty for his own good, everyone wants to love him even if he's jumping. Bloody lappie good looks. He's already bowled over a 3 year old with his silly puppy enthusiasm. Three year olds are hard to train to be good around puppies.

When hubs was walking Baskerville yesterday, he came across a dog in a yard that came out to play, but then started snapping and growling. Hubs picked up Bas and walked home, but this dog followed him all the way home, and into our yard. The dog had no collar so hubs looped our leash around it choker style (not idea but there was no option really) and walked him back around to the house where it had come from. He knocked on the door and heard two other dogs barking but there was no answer. He checked with the neighbours who confirmed the dog lived in the house where it had come from. Hubs went home and wrote a couple of notes and then went back with the dog again, and this time there was an answer. Hubs said 'Is this your dog?' and the owner said 'Yep, thanks', let the dog inside and shut the door in my husbands face. Now, I don't expect everyone to be the same type of dog owner as me, or as responsible as me. Some people just aren't but their dogs are perfectly happy. If it had been me, I would have just put the dog on the footpath and closed the gate of our house (because I have a bit of a phobia of bully breeds...I know, I know, they are lovely, but I was bitten by a couple as a kid and I just can't shake it), but we live on a main road and hubs didn't want to run the risk of it being hit by a car. Since we know where the dog lives, should we report this to the council? I mean, we're fine, our dog is fine, but what if it got out and hurt a child? Or a smaller dog than ours? And why is it being allowed to just wander, anyway? I doubt these dogs are registered, especially if he has three on the one property (local council limit is 2, although it's pretty easy to get an exemption I'm told). I don't want anything bad to happen to the dogs, either, because it's not their fault they have an irresponsible owner. The dog that followed hubs was some kind of bully/staffy breed or mix by the sounds of it, and I don't want it seized because of breed bias when I know they are perfectly lovely breeds. I just want this guy to register his dogs, have collars on them and keep them secure so they don't wander and get hit by cars, or attack other dogs or people. Are the council even likely to investigate something like this? Or only if there's more than one complaint?

Oh good. Mine isn't the only one then. Basker was not happy about not being able to save mum from the horrible colourful furry monster on her head. It's eating you mum, I must kill it. No, Bas, that's my beanie. Stop it.

We have solid timber floor boards but the digging is in a few specific spots - wondering whether something long dead is under there, or we spilled something several months ago that he still wants. Or, He's a moron. Jury's out really.

Our puppy preschool behaviorist suggested toilet training on lead. Don't remove the leash until there has been bladder and bowel action (or just bladder if it's that time). Then, reward and take the leash off for outside play time. That way, pup gets the idea that play time happens after toilet time and it acts as a reward. We didn't really have to 'teach' Basker to use his indoor toilet, he just did it. It took a little while, because we set up a soft warm bed in his crate but being an arctic breed he decided the cold hard floor was in fact his sleeping area so this soft warm thing must be his toilet *facepalm*. Now, he's pretty content with always going outside but the indoor toilet is handy on days he has to stay inside due to the weather. We've found the key to training Bas is working out what motivates him. It's taken us a good four months to get him to a point where he's pretty well behaved at home, and we're still working on other places. Basically, his prime motivation is to be with his people. So, if he is doing things we don't want him to, we remove him for the people either with a crate or a pen or a door (ie, we go into the next room or inside) for a short time - even just 30 seconds is enough and he gets the idea very quickly.

Got my fingers and toes crossed for you Bru xoxo

Baskerville isn't allowed to jump up on kitchen benches or dig at the timber floor on the kitchen. So he sighs. Oh the puppy sighs.

It would be good if I could bring my dog in on days where it was going to be swelteringly hot, say, over 36 degrees...I could keep an eye on him at work and he could stay cool in my air conditioned office. My home isn't air-conditioned so even leaving him inside isn't a perfect option. I mean, I don't drive so its moot unless I got my husband to drop us at work early. I still think its good practice, rather than people stressing at work over the fate of their fur babies.

Even my relatively rare Finnish Lapphund pup, from a good breeder, health tested parents, vet checked and DNA tested puppy didn't cost that much, including flying him here from Sydney.

My boy is outside when we are not home, the time varies as I am a PhD student so some days I'm gone all day and sometimes only for a few hours. I have fatigue issues so if I have to sleep during the day he's also outside then. When we're home we tend to leave the back door open so he can come in and out as he pleases but mostly he wants to be with us - bit of a velcro dog if we are around but happy enough on his own as far as we know, our neighbour has never really complained. He has a kennel he can go into if he wants but he doesn't really, unless its to get something out of there to destroy...there is plenty of shade and shelter from the elements as well as sunny sleeping spots but mostly he'd rather run around in the rain and get filthy and wet.

I went shopping for 3 ingredients for dinner and came out with 5 types of doggy treats...trying to find a chewy food thing that lasts more than a few minutes with this dog...arrrrrgh.

To be honest I have no idea how much our vet charges...because I'm fairly sure that if they prescribe anything, or give any treatment, the consult is 'free' - ie probably built into the cost of the medication or whatever. Kitty has had to have various antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory shot once (cracked a claw...owies...), and a biopsy of a lump in her neck, and from memory all I ever paid was treatment/test cost and the cost of any take home medication. With her dental, the follow up consult was free anyway, and they gave her annual vaccination at the same time. The bill for the dental on the other hand...oy...ah well, love my fur babies and would never scrimp on the vet!

Our backyard is mosquito heaven for some reason. Sigh.