Cosmolo

Personally i think things like "requires strong leadership" can actually put off the very people you're wanting to attract. As someone experienced with dogs, if I were looking I would be likely to skip straight past dogs that have comments like that simply because I have seen it used all too often for dogs that are completely out of control, have behavioural issues etc.

Definitely Cottage Kennels.

It will only pass if you make it pass. If it doesn't reduce and then stop quickly, it's likely that clarity or consistency is lacking.

Who on earth told you that pressure on his neck would cause syringomyelia? Using his scruff to correct can be appropriate- provided you are consistent, not rough and do plenty of gentle handling at other times so that the puppy does not become apprehensive of you reaching for him. Wearing a collar may also be of benefit so you can take hold of him more easily. However, i'd not recommend any techniques involving aversives unless you have been shown how to do it properly.

Be careful doing immediate toy or food exchanges- for some puppies this simply reinforces the behaviour. I prefer to stop the behaviour first (using a technique suited to you and your puppy) and then redirect.

What kind of prices are we talking about? I didn't know veterinary treatment was so expensive in Canberra/ more expensive than other states.

He likely yelped because you surprised him and stopped him from doing what he wanted. Puppies yelp when you put them in time out too- it's not always about physical pain. How much gentle handling do you do with him? Is he wearing a collar?

It sounds like you may benefit from having a trainer come to your home to address some of the issues you're experiencing. Guess work can be problematic as the puppy can become more persistent with each unsuccessful attempt to stop the mouthing.

Although yes, it's relatively normal it does need to be addressed sooner rather than later. What did the trainer you saw tell you to do about it?

Totally agree with Vickie and Huski. Frustrating

Oh Ness.. i don't know what to say. What would the prognosis be for such surgery?

While i will refrain from giving advice on what you should do i just wanted to make a couple of points-

- Keeping a dog and child permanently separate is near impossible. Once the child is mobile chances are they will make a mistake and go through a gate or door they shouldn't. The consequences for such a mistake could be more dire.

- It sounds as though you have done ALOT of great things and you should be commended for that. I am sorry this has happened after everything that you did and hope your little one is okay.

- Situations like this very rarely have anything to do with the dog believing they are higher in the pecking order than the child.

I agree exactly with what Sandra said.

Dogmad- another dog has been tried and did not improve the situation.

Easy to train BUT generally not as drivey as some of the other herding breeds. Drive, focus and engagement really needs to be nurtured gently from when you get the puppy for the best results. Very easy dogs to live with.

While everyone who owns a dog needs to be responsible, those who own powerful dogs who are capable of inflicting serious injury need to be particularly careful. Mistakes are costly.

Different dogs have different predispositions and thresholds. It is the owners responsibility to understand (rather than deny they exist) these and manage them appropriately.

Levels of stress. Nutrition.

(though i do think genetics will overpower most things in this regard)

We have puppy training in Sth Melbourne on a Saturday but obviously that involves travel! Have you tried Four Paws?

But Wobbly you can't even get trainers to agree on what is 'right' and what's not. And what do we do with those who don't want to be educated? This is where serious enforcement of CURRENT laws needs to step up.

While i certainly tend toward positive methods for the vast maority of training- obedience, good manners etc, mouthing is one behaviour that needs to be stopped swiftly. The longer it continues the harder it is to stop and MANY people have difficulty with this behaviour into adulthood. Curbing it using a appropriate correction is not a bad thing, though in this situation a different correction may need to be utilised.

How is the pup now YvonneM?

Behave normally and he will be fine. It is a bit of an over reaction from him but shouldn't cause any lasting issues. Play some games, feed him some treats etc.

Thanks :) He is so excited when i get him out for a walk- trying so hard to be calm but thank goodness he has had the training he has had as without it i don't think we'd be able to keep him calm enough! You can tell he desperately wants to run and play.

Yes i am really happy with the improvement in the last week.

Definitely a nurse. I know he might not have been that great at the rehab side of things anyway but feel like they just got our money and washed their hands of us which has really annoyed me. They know we wanted to see the specialist- that's why the appt was rescheduled in the first place which was bad enough- so we can't even get on to him! He was meant to call us the day we picked Dexter up and never did either.

I'm sure we could get a referral if we need one.

So in actual fact Dexter didn't see the specialist yesterday- he saw a nurse so that's who made the underwater treadmill comment too. Stu didn't tell me while i was in Perth (got back 4:40am this morning) because he knew i'd be furious.

I cannot believe that we have not seen or spoken to the specialist since he did the surgery. I had intended to liase with the specialist going forward- if we need to deal with other hip issues, another cruciate etc. Now i cannot imagine i would use them again. Pretty poor.

I am away in perth so have been getting reports from husband that he is good. Staples came out today and apparently specialist said he doesn't need to do underwater treadmill- not sure I believe that yet. I can't wait to see him.

Yep. I have lots of people making suggestions and i do appreciate them all. All i want is to do the right thing for Dexter- sometimes it's just really hard to know what that is.