Cosmolo

Who would you recommend in Melbourne? Will x rays show up HD now or should we wait until he is 12 months?

Vet said to exercise as we have been- which is hardly anything but no crate rest. No swelling present at the moment. At this stage he said we'll just re check in 4 weeks and go from there- no x rays yet as he said its unlikely we wouold see anything to give a definitive answer.

Hi S&T, yes he is still growing- he is about 6-7 months old at the moment. He has been on the carprohen since Tuesday and today with very mild self exercise he still looked quite sore. How long should they take to see improvement? I just read something about hip dysplasia and the symptoms sounds almost identical.. I just hate not knowing about what it could be.

Some of you may have read about the issues Dexter is having with his back legs and i would really like some information so i can be a bit better informed while we wait to see what is going on. He has been to the vet, is on anti inflams and joint fornula and will be re checked in another 3 weeks. What kind of joint problem could it be? I don't know very much about any joint issues as i have never experienced any before so would really like some information on what joint problems (in the hocks) are common, their cause and treatment. Would really appreciate anyone's contribution to this thread as i just don't know enough about any joint issues to not be driving myself crazy with awful thoughts

That is something special

Ditto kelpie i and poodlefan. Once the dog knows the adult can assist with double handling initially, reinforcing the childs commands, having 2 leashes etc.

Who does their dog training? Doesn't say on website?

Don't think they would accept my application..

I am going to have him looked at by Karen www.caninerehab.com.au as well- can't do any harm. It is both legs with the right leg seemingly worse than the left. He doesn't obviously pull away in pain although is uncomfortable when you extend his legs to the rear.

Thanks shoemonster- you'll have to meet him, you would love him. He has just got home and looks so stiff when he walks- he is hardly lifting his back legs when he is walking, doesn't look like he is flexing at all

Well he went to the vet tonight with OH and is now on carprophen and a joint formula. The carprophen is for 3 weeks and then we will re assess as the vet did feel some inflamation in his hock joints. He said we could x ray but as its mild, its highly unlikely to show us anything in his joints or hips. I am a bit worried about the side efects of carprophen because i believe its the same as rimadyl- can anyone confirm this? So i guess we just have to wait and see.. Does anyone know of anything else we could do in the mean time?

Trisven i am so sorry, what an awful situation. Its absolutely horrible. Hope Rowdy is playing with Otto over the bridge..

It is possible that something is out and will look into a chiro or acupuncture once he has seen the vet. Hard to explain but it does look specific to his joints with the way he is walking. Hope we can find out exactly what it is tomorrow.

Thanks.. We're not sure of Dexter's history or parentage as he was a rescue puppy so i guess it could be anything. I don't know enough about any of the possibilities though, which is why i'm so concerned. I don't want it to be anything serious

Have used pet ark calm with some improvement in anxiety as well as a paste called tranquil which i quite like- have never used any of them for aggression though

We have an appointment at the vet for Monday night but i am really worried about Dexter's back legs. He has been getting sore on and off after very minimal exercise and is very 'proppy' on his back legs. He is 6-7 months old now and i really hope there is nothing major wrong. The vet nurse saw him today and noticed his gait was not right as well and agreed that we should get him looked at asap. She said his knees didn't look quite right when he was walking. Could someone tell me what the symptoms of hip dysplasia usually are? And what knee problems could be a possibility. I am really worried, he is just a baby

Have emptied pm box

I have one starting in South Melbourne next Saturday Don't think you can do too many good puppy schools- you are likely to get different advice at each but you can take what works for you out of each one and socialise your puppy with a number of different puppies and places.

Congrats on your new puppy. Some good suggestions so far! I think alot depends on the dog in terms of how far how fast to push. While you do need to be careful about burning dogs out, you also need to be mindful that some intelligent puppies can get bored if you stick to absolute basics for too long. One of my now adult dogs progressed very quickly as a puppy- because she wanted and needed to while my latest puppy needs to take things a little slower. Have you considered attending a puppy pre school as yet? I just want another cocker puppy to come to my puppy school- love them! They tend to be very bright little pups!

Two choices- extinction train/ ignore- must be 100% consistent every time and not respond knowing this may take hours initially! Alternately, give some kind of correction- i would probably use a long line and give a lead correction from a distance. Is he crate trained at all?

Re Supplement- what diet is your puppy on at the moment? Positive R vs NO- you can use a combination which is my preference- high value rewards when the puppy does something great nd some kind of correction when they do something you do not want repeated. A correction can be anything from a verbal no, to a collar correction, lead correction, time out, water spray etc. Different people choose to use only positive R which works if your dog is highly motivated by what you have- try chicken or devon for treats or use a toy to motivate and reward. Crate Training- willl settle ONLY if you are 100 % consistent. If you let her out one time in ten when she is crying you will make the problem much worse as the dog thinks its always worth a try! What is in the crate for pup to chew on etc? Put the dog on lead near the cat and give a lead correction for barking/ chasing etc. Then give high value rewards (chicken/ devon etc) for calm behaviour and focus- these rewards may need to be almost constant to start with to keep focus.

As others have said- definitely discourage such behaviour! OCD is a serious problem that can be very difficult to resolve once it is well established.

Definitely start building a positive association with the crate. Does he have toys etc in there? Do you put him in there at other times apart from over night and when you're not home? Have you ever let him out of the crate while he's been crying? How big is the crate you have him in? Would strongly suggest you attend a quality puppy school for socialisation purposes and also to cover some of these problems!!

I don't think its fair to comment without seeing the dog as to whether or not boarding and training would be appropriate. I would however, suggest that you speak to one of the behaviourists at ADT (not just an instructor) and perhaps do a private lesson (with them or someone else if you would prefer) and get another opinion. It can't hurt to have additional information. I would also call the kennel that ADT use and speak to the boarding and training co ordinator- she will be able to give you further details on exactly what will take place if you choose to go ahead. ETA- as for dogs learning nothing in kennels, i have plenty of clients who can attest to the opposite!