Cosmolo

Given his prior bad experience, i don't think its worth guessing as to how to get started. I had a client recently with a dog who was petrified of enclosed spaces and it was amazing how quickly she came along once we started working with her.

Fair enough Though i do think its the terrier breeds that would suit that sort of physical activity.

Best to enrol in some dog training classes so you and Lemmy (love his name!) can learn together.

Beef is very rich- if his stools are too loose, bland chicken and rice for a few days and slowly reintroduce the regular foods over a week or so.

Though normal, you need to make sure if you stop your pup from playing you don't then let them go to play again while growling. The purpose of stopping a puppy is for them to settle down- growling, squirming and mouthing in that context are all signs that your puppy is getting more frustrated and wound up and so you need to ensure they do not go to play again until this behaviour has stopped and you feel the pups arousal levels are coming down.

Growling in play with the other dog, provided the other dog is also happy to play, is fine.

Why no JRT's?! They would be perfect

I use the cue as soon as they look at the distraction, then immediately reward.

I think my OH and I get better with every puppy we raise- and i would love to raise more and more puppies. I'd like to think we get smarter, more creative, more flexible and this helps the puppy to develop in a wonderful way. Certain skills we have become better at training and the results can be seen in our dogs i think. I know for many people the first 18 months of a dogs life is the hardest time but i LOVE it!

I think the dog answered your question. There are a few things i like about teaching the dog its okay and even a great thing to look AT the distraction.

- It teaches the dog to deal with the distraction in a positive and appropriate manner and allows for further progression in the appropriate behaviour.

- It prepares the dog (and handler) for the times when the dog is not looking at the handler which is inevitable- teaching focus on the handler only does not do this.

- Allowing the dog to look appears in my experience to reduce stress and conflict, so much so that the dogs actual focus surprisingly improves as well.

What Aidan said And i like the cue for the reason's Megan said too.

Oh no.. How awful. RIP Cindy

Sorry Nek, i didn't know!

Nekhbet- In line K9 is based in Geelong but i think she is a one woman band.

Not sure of any others in Geelong on the forum with both a male and female trainer.

I think it is very important to voice concerns about inadequate treatment/ customer service at any shelter- it IS worthwhile to write a letter or email to the president/ shelter manager of a shelter and make a complaint.

There are times where their genuinely wouldn't be a suitable dog with that criteria- cat and dog friendly, no behavioural issues etc but there are ways to advise you of that without making you feel inadequate.

I am so sorry Jules, there are many wonderful dogs over the bridge to show Brock the way. Try to look after yourself.

Most at home minders who are professional businesses with insurance etc are actually more expensive than a kennel. I don't think there is any other option unless you can find a friend/ family member to dog sit for that length of time.

I wouldn't want my dogs receiving food in that manner either i'm afraid, though i think for some dogs a modified idea like this (like what Aidan was referring too with limiting barking) may work well. Why not give access to a treat ball though? If a dog is playing with a treat ball, actively working to get food not only is it more likely to tire the dogs mind but it is a behaviour incompatible with barking- they can't do both.

Why do i not want my dogs to be rewarded in that way?

- i don't want remote rewards in my absence to be their main source of food. I believe this may compromise other training i wish to do.

- i don't want my dog to sit quietly near an inanimate object all day- i want them to explore, push a treat ball around the backyard, engage with each other etc.

- In a multi dog household, separation from the rest of the pack for 'quiet training' purposes is likely to be counter productive, potentially increasing boredom, anxiety.

I also believe that for many dogs, the rewards would be given haphazardly- in that the dog would not connect quiet behaviour with the food reward. What if the dog was sniffing a particular area at the time the treat was delivered- if that happened more than twice for 2 of my dogs they would spend their day sniffing that spot to get the 'reward'. My other dogs would just sit their staring at the device- go and bark at what they want to bark at, then come back for reward- its too easy for the dog to get th best of both worlds.

I think this comment is pretty insulting too, its a pretty big seriesw of assumptions!!

"Because treats make your dog happy, and you don't want your dog to be happy while you are out, which is why you also lock him/her outside in the rain and cold with no protection, don't take it for walks, don't provide it with a comfy bed or kennel?"

In some cases the patellas ability to stay in place improves with age/ muscle development. Our Jack Russell had his pop out a few times when he was under 6 months of age but have had no issues for the last 6-8 months. Breeders don't have a crystal ball so provided precautions were taken (not breeding from dogs with luxating patellas etc) its just bad luck.

I wouldn't recommend any off lead areas to socialise your puppy. Its important that every socialisation experience is controlled and you teach your pup to value you above everything else.

Go and see training classes before you enrol so that you can make sure they will be suitable for what you want.

I had a shiba pup in a class recently and she was really lovely!

Agree with the agility too- made a massive difference to our timid girl and when she is doing agility, things that would normally bother her do not and no one watching would know she had any issues. She actually enjoys obedience ALOT as well, though we do small bursts, lots of recalls (her favourite) and definitely no stand for exams.

Impossible to say without seeing him. But there are some dogs where you get to a point that is 'as good as it gets'- i have one here like that. Wonderful, friendly, confident dog 90% of the time. But there are some situations we just do not put her in and there are still some situations (the 10%) that we can't avoid. Today we had to leave her at the vet and she was so stressed, she has to go back tomorrow too.

I have no idea how or really even when but one of my dogs has broken a back tooth. Will the rest of it need to come out? Or will the vet likely just give antibiotics?

How old are they in that photo? Look like pigging mixes to me too.

Glen Eira Vet in Ormond 9578 0041

WRT building a reward system being too hard- in my experience its not that its too hard so shouldn't be done. Its that in addition to building the reward system the owner NEEDS some immediate suppression for some reason.

Area demographics come into play here too- it is very different rehabilitating a dog aggressive dog in an area with a lower dog population vs one where the owner steps out onto a narrow street and encounters a dog too close, too fast. Trainers do need to take this into account as well.

That video was so cool Aidan- i was so pleased with myself that i had got it right but totally missed the 'thing'.