EllieDog

Yes, I certainly intend too!

She's done really really well! Although the vet disagrees with me, I am fairly certain that the positive on the parvo test was due to her vaccinations. It also came to light that the breeder had been very dishonest with use about her age, and she came to us WAY to young, at 6 weeks old. I believe now that her symptoms were due to her being weaned way too early and her gut not ready for the food. I ended up taking her back to the vet for a repeat parvo test, which was then negative.

She came to us at 8 weeks, having had her first vaccination (on 7th July) on a diet of raw chicken. We mixed a small amount of science diet puppy kibble in with the raw chicken. She had soft stools but we assumed initially it was due to the addition of the kibble, or maybe just the change in environment etc. She was otherwise find. This time last week she vomitted twice and I took her to the vet that evening. Initially they wondered if perhaps the raw chicken had upset her stomach. Her temperature was normal and she was still bright and hydrated. Very playful at the vets. We discussed feeding cooked chicken, and they said that they could test for parvo but she was otherwise well so he doubted it would be the issue. I said I would be happy to have the test run to make sure. It came back as a faint positive. After having some injections and being changed to the hills prescription i/d she was doing amazing. Solid poos. No vomitting. Eating well. Then on Thursday she refused to eat the prescription diet and doing disgusting mucus poos, which she has been doing since. I took a sample to the vet last night and they did a float test? and said that it was most likely her body trying to shed the virus. Still bright and hydrated. But very uninterested in food. Will try something the first time offered (like the cooked chicken cubes) but then when offered at the next meal, just turns away. Won't even touch the prescription diet.

She was just at the vet at 8pm last night. She is currently racing around the house like a crazy puppy biting my kids toes! If she was lethargic and dehydrated she would be at the vet no question!

They did a test at the vet hospital (looked like a pregnancy test) that came up positive for parvo. She was still quite bright and playful and eating so they were happy to give her anti nausea and antibiotic injections with instructions to bring her back straight away if there was blood or she continued vomiting. Her poos changed yesterday and she had stopped eating so I took her back in last night where they did a stool test and checked her over. She then made a complete liar out of me and ate chicken out of the vets hand. Considering the vet saw her eat and she is still bright and playful he said she didn't require hospitalisation at this stage, but again told me to bring her back if her condition changed. He also gave me a sachet of glucose powder to put in her water, which she seems to like. But eating, she's not interest in. I just got her to nibble on some toast with vegemite on it....but i don't want to irritate her gut further, so was hoping someone could recommend something!

Anyone dealt with parvo? My sweet little miniature dachshund Lucy is 10 weeks old tomorrow has parvovirus They are currently happy that she is still bright enough to manage at home, but it's getting harder and harder to get her to eat. The vet has given me a glucose solution for her water and had her on the Hils Prescription i/d diet, but shes now refusing to eat that. Had a little cooked chicken at the vets last night, but has refused when i offered that to her today. Any other bland foods i can tempt her with that won't iratate her tummy?

Thank you for all your feedback, it is truly appreciated. I think it's settled in my mind that we need to wait a couple of years until she matures a bit more (and calms down) before we add a smaller dog into the mix. I would be devastated if she hurt another smaller dog. I have no doubt that she would never do it intentionally, she truly just does not realise her own size or strength and she just wants to play, like any puppy would, but whilst she is still so boisterous and unaware of her size I agree, it would be a bad idea to get a smaller dog. We are best to just continue play dates with her bigger dog friends until she grows up a bit. You give me hope!! I've heard similar from others that 2 could be the age she starts to calm (I wonder how many lawnmowers she can eat in a 2 year period?....Three and counting so far!) She goes to obedience weekly, and we work with her daily. You do make me laugh and give me hope at the same time. She was the only dog that ended up in the "crate of shame" at puppy school (for dogs who needed some time to calm down), and we're currently repeating the second obedience level again. My husband always jokes that she acts like a complete ratbag the whole time they are there, but then heels like an angel on the way back to the car. We walk past a German Shepard Club training on the way through, and I can see the GSD judging us as we get dragged through hahaha. I have stopped the rough play with her some time ago. I realised too late that I gave her the signal that it was ok when she was little......and then she got big.....it's going to take a lot longer for her to realise now that it's not cool to launch herself at my face! Funnily enough, she's not as food motivated as we were expecting, so keeping her attention can be a struggle. We WILL get there, and I know she'll be the most gorgeous dog when it clicks....how I long for her to sit still for more than 2 milliseconds so I can snuggle with her!!

They have a personality that just makes me laugh constantly. Big dog trapped in a teeny tiny dog body haha! My mini was a tan smooth hair, but I really really long for a mini long cream....could you imagine that paired with a my yellow Lab, with a little friend who looks like he just got shrunk in the dryer! From what I research though, they are few and far between! Wires are just gorgeous too!

Thanks ish, really appreciate you sharing. I find it interesting that my Lab is quite rough with her play with me, but a lot more subdued play with another dog. That said, she's only ever played with other dogs around her size, so I've yet to see how she would behave with a smaller dog. We do have a rabbit though, that she seems completely unfazed by. They would however be left in the back yard together, so I would need to be very confident she wouldn't be too rough. Although, a better behaved dog could be left inside while Lab was out (she WANTS to be an outside dog, much to my disappointment and continued training to get her to sit with me while I watch TV). In hindsight, perhaps we should have gotten two puppies together, but she was a very high maintenance puppy. I had to learn the hard way that rough-housing with a miniature dachshund has very different outcomes to rough-housing with a 30kg Lab.......

I grew up with a Mini Dachie, had him for 16 years, he was my best friend, so they hold a very dear place in my heart. From my experience, I would be more concerned about back issues with a standard then a mini. Perhaps we do just need to wait the years out until the Lab is calmer....and maybe invest in some sort of Lab sized hamster wheel......

I have to admit, that is a concern...that they will join forces and plot against me together!!! hahaha

We have a beautiful, energetic Lab "puppy". She's very big and strong. Currently sits around the 30kg mark at 11 months old. She's been trouble since day one ;-)....in the crazy Lab puppy kind of way. She has energy to burn, and I am often left wondering if dogs can have ADHD :-P She goes for 2 big walks a day, plus she is ssllooooowwwllllyyyy working her way through obedience classes. She gets distracted easily in class, so she may be *cough* repeating *cough* for the second time. They try to assure us that the more boisterous the Lab, the more intelligent. If that is true, I believe we have the Albert Einstein of Labradors. Our family plan was to get our gorgeous Lab....wait out the crazy Lab puppy days until she was more settled and mature and then add a Miniature Dachshund to the mix, however, more recently we're wondering if our Lab would benefit from another dog friend now, to help her burn some of that crazy energy. We have playdates with a German Short Haired Pointer, and also a Hungarian Visla. Initially she's extremely submissive to other dogs, but once she has warmed up, they can frolick endlessly together. It really is a joy to watch. It's quite different to the extreme boisterous play she does with us (which normally ends with her launching at my face, or drawing blood or bruising me!) My question is, would it be more beneficial to introduce another dog now, and if so, would a Miniature Dachshund be hurt by her boisterous play, or is she more likely to calm down with it? Or would we have to resign ourselves to looking at a different breed more in match to our Labs size? Would be interested in any feedback.

I don't understand? Where have I said I am unhappy with the puppy? So I put a puppy outside for misbehaving, see it's not working, ask for advice on a forum for dogs, and somehow I've been painted as an abusive animal owner who shouldn't own a dog? Really? My last dog I owned for 16 years until he passed away 8 years ago. I still have a photo of him on my dresser. The puppy we have now was much planned for and is a very much loved member of our family. I would go as far to say that we may have inadvertently caused some of the issues by our lack of boundary setting with the puppy. Just because I say we've now taken a no-tolerance stance to the biting doesn't mean I'm beating her with a stick and yelling at her. This little girl has not even heard us raise our voice let alone been yelled at, or worse, hit. Just because I don't have the level of dog behaviour experience as many on this forum do, doesn't give people the right to automatically assume I'm some kind of monster. That's really offensive, and very off-putting to others that may be thinking of asking for help. Again, thank you for those who have been supportive and helpful. I have made investigations today into some additional help and appreciate those that have given constructive ideas and help. And yes, I have been speaking to the breeder. This little girl has been a bit cheeky and boisterous from day one. She'll definitely benefit (and thrive) from additional training.

Thank you for those who have been helpful. I would just like to reassure those who have incorrectly assumed our puppy is being mistreated that this couldn't be any further from the truth. In fact, I actually think we have mistakenly gone too far the other way and made her think the biting was acceptable. I have absolutely no qualms with a puppy mouthing or testing the boundries. But it is a problem that she will lunge and growl and snap at my face, that I have lost part of my ear lobe, and my hands are covered in painful bites that bleed. I have children that are hesitant to play with her because they are scared. I do believe she needs to know that this behaviour is unacceptable.

Nope. If she is 10 weeks old, she doesn't have brilliant bladder control and if she is routinely peeing inside, she ain't toilet trained. Frankly she sounds like she doesn't have much idea at all. What were you doing when she looked at you... I had a pup that would pee EVERY TIME someone stood over her. It was not dominance.. quite the contrary. I think you would do best to look to yourselves for explanations as to what's going on rather than placing all the blame on the pup. If this continues, get someone to visit you at home soon. By 2 Sep, some behaviours will be fairly ingrained. I wouldn't say she is routinely weeing inside. Up until this behaviour has started in the last 2 days, I would of called her toilet trained. She is inside in her enclosure all night without accident. During the day until this behaviour all her toileting had been outside, either from us taking her out at routine times, or from her sniffing at the back door. What has changed in the past two days is me having a "no biting and growling" tolerance. As to what I was doing when she looked at me and wee'd, I was siting on the couch with a blanket and a laptop and a cuppa in a onsie! A very non-threatening sight I assure you.

deleted double post!

We definitely do take her outside every time she wakes from a sleep, after a big play, after eating, and after a big drink and give her lots of praise. She knows everytime she goes to the back door we will take her out. I would go as far to say as she is toilet trained. We are very tuned in to her cues of toileting, and at the slight sign of sniffing around, we take her out, always accompanied, and always with praise. The reason I have called this dominance weeing, is because I believe it is quite different, and actually deliberate. She was put outside alone initially for biting and growling at me. She had been taken outside moments before this and done a wee. She came inside, without sniffing, positioned herself over my shoes, looked at me and wee'd. She was told no, and placed outside. She was let back in, and came straight in to her bed, no sniffing, looked at me and wee'd.....she has repeated this behavior SIX times tonight. In all of my years of owning dogs, my husband nor I have never experienced this as puppy behaviour. We accidents when we have missed cues yes!....but this is very different.

I posted earlier asking for some advice on a biting puppy, and we have her booked in to puppy school with registered trainers, but first session is not until 2nd Sept. It seems things are escalating and she is now doing what I believe to be dominance weeing. Every single time tonight when she has been told off and put outside for biting, or for weeing in the house, when she has come inside she has almost straight away come in and wee'd on something (her bed, a rug, a pair of shoes). She's been told no and put back outside, but then repeats the behaviour. Are we handling it the wrong way? Should we be doing something different to discourage this behaviour?

Thanks Cosmolo, I have emailed K9 Pro, but I don't believe they are currently running puppy school. The Karingal Vet blurb says: "Puppy School is a program of classes aimed at providing you with the necessary tools to socialise and train your puppy in a rewarding and positive manner. It allows puppies of similar ages to interact in a safe, controlled environment under the direction of trained and experienced staff. Our staff that conduct Puppy School are either qualified Delta trainers or studying to become one. The Delta Canine Good Citizen Pet Dog Trainers Course is an eighteen month vocational course in reward-based dog training which leads to the award of a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services within the Australian Quality Training Framework. Delta is a Registered Training Organisation within that framework. This all means that our Puppy School staff are trained and certified with the highest nationally recognised qualification in dog training. Positive reinforcement training techniques and basic obedience commands such as sit, drop, come and stay are taught. You will also get help with common doggy dilemmas such digging, jumping, biting, barking and toilet training." Does that sound like they would have the right training?

Just wondering if anyone could recommend a Puppy School. I've noticed a sign at Karingal Vet Hospital that they run them. Is it best to go to one connected to a vet? A Pet store? Somewhere else? Puppy is nearly 10 weeks old and could benefit from ongoing socialisation :)

Oh she looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth doesn't she! Haha I agree with the vet, my husband grew up with a lab (who died too soon due to being born with a hole in her heart) and is well aware that it will be like having a destructive toddler in the house for at very least 2 years! I grew up with a Miniature Dachshund.....so whilst I'm used to crazy puppy, I'm used to it with much smaller teeth!!!

I was told parvo was quite rampant at the moment, will she have enough protection with just the one vaccination? Here's some little puppy candy for you all!

Thanks everyone, you've given me some really good strategies to try with her, I shall give it a go. Looking forward to taking her to puppy school after she's had her 2nd vacc at 12 weeks!

Hi Everyone, We have a gorgeous little 9 week old Golden Labrador puppy. She is really the most sweetest little thing in the whole wide world. She is however, a biter!! The biting started off gentle playing and mouthing....but is getting harder and harder....and developing into me having welted hands and bleeding ears!. Her little teeth are very sharp! I did some reading on discouraging the behavior and have spent the last couple of days yelping when she bit me (to try and encourage more bite inhibition) but now everytime she wants up for a cuddle, the biting starts. I have been telling her no and popping her on the ground, but then the next time I let her up, she starts up again. She has heaps of toys (more than the average spoilt child) and I've also tried putting toys in her mouth (instead of my hand). I'd appreciate any advice on discouraging the hard biting behaviour before she gets big!