Willem

Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0055937 quote: ...For females, the timing of neutering is more problematical because early neutering significantly increases the incidence rate of CCL from near zero to almost 8 percent , and late neutering increases the rates of HSA to 4 times that of the 1.6 percent rate for intact females and to 5.7 percent for MCT, which was not diagnosed in intact females .

you might try the following: next time you want to train the stand take a blanket or towel on which she slept the night before - give it to a decoy; keep some distance while the decoy is rolling out the towel in front of him....now walk with Thistle towards the decoy and make her stand on the towel / blanket - adjust the distance between blanket and decoy as required. The familiar sense from the blanket might give her the required confidence (instead of standing in the middle of nowhere now she stands on familiar ground) ... Eta: if it works and boosts her confidence you can make the towel / blanket smaller and smaller over time....

the trainings efficiency will depend on the potential of the 'reward system' - e.g. a less favoured treat might not achieve the wanted result, replace it with a treat the dog like most and the effort of the dog will increase to get the reward. In this case the potential (I guess you would be able to measure this via the amount of dopamine and the like released in the brain) was increased by switching the treat. The potential can also be increased by adding noxious stimuli. I guess the key is to use the potential that just works - if the potential is too big you would 'waste' it. Preverably the right potential should be achieved with positive reinforcement, however the potential that is achievable with positive reinforcement might not be always big enough (depending on the individual dog and task and scenario) and it might be required to stretch it by adding noxious stimuli.

I guess in this case (presence of owner prevents barking / fence running) all what's needed is an introduction of a CS that's associated with the owner?...could be music, voice from a tape, visual signals...

http://ankc.org.au/Breed/Detail/195 from a legal point of view: such a document would count as incitement to animal cruelty, so why is the law not stopping it? ETA: http://ankc.org.au/media/pdf/635576349099962677_710ef73d-e7d9-46ca-89a0-6f0af3cbf2d9.pdf ...the rating (page 29) of the different characteristics makes it even worse: a more healthy version of the particular property will result immediately in reduction of the final score.

...so how do you prevent 'carrier to carrier mating' without testing?....if I would be breeder, and would choose sperm from oversee just to find out that - bad luck - my own bitch and the sperm donator are carriers I would be pretty upset...and pretty stupid if I had the chance for a test and didn't use it.

. My 7.5 year old Border Collie would beg to disagree .. he has the option of sleeping anywhere in the house, including furniture, and my bed, but he chooses to sleep in his airline crate, beside my bed. It is totally his choice ... the door has not been shut on that crate for about 5 years, and in fact I took the door off about 2 years ago. Sometimes he gets bullied out of his crate when my 14 year old BC girl decides that she wants to sleep in there. Again, dog's choice.My dogs travel in wire crates in the SUV .. they have water and soft bedding in there, and on long trips, get toilet stops every two hours ... although they are capable of going longer. The big exception is when they travel across Bass Strait on Spirit of Tasmania ... then dogs are kennelled for approximately 12 hours. They have soft crates for travelling - the first things that go into our dog-friendly accommodation .. you can almost hear the visible sighs of relief when they see their crates. Again, doors are open, except at bedtime, when I do close them in to safeguard the property. Rory has his show trolley for use at shows and trials .. and if you ask him, he would definitely tell you it is his safe space, where he can relax. On odd occasions I have forgotten to fasten the door .. he stays in his crate. Willem is correct in saying that like all tools, crates can be abused. And if the dog has not been trained in the use of the crate, it can be problematic. With regard to toilet training .. many find it is comforting to both puppy and owner to have the puppy sleeping in a crate near the owner's bed ... then it is easy to hear when the puppy needs to go out, put a light leash on and take the puppy out to toilet, deliver the appropriate praise and then quietly put the puppy back in the crate with a little biscuit, to go back to sleep. The thing that convinces me most of all of the value of crate training, to the dogs as well as to us, is that we find that dogs, who are supposed to have difficulty generalising, seem to have no difficulty generalising the concept of 'comfy safe place' ... happily going into different kinds of crates without needing to be specifically trained to them. Maybe it's not technically a 'den' instinct, but it sure seems to work well for the dogs, whatever it is. ...as you said, he doesn't sleep anywhere in the house, he's choice is to sleep close to where you are - and I'm pretty sure he would also sleep in a normal dog bed as long as it is close to you. Obviously the open crate is comfortable for him, he is used to it, it is close enough to you, why wouldn't he sleep there?...I can't see that what I said contradicts your dog's choice where he sleeps. http://hubpages.com/animals/Are-Dogs-Really-Den-Animals

a quote from the link: " And then, doggone it, when one of us shares something of great consequence like "did you know they developed this new DNA test to identify that fatal CHG disease in puppies?" someone like Bill Andrews grins and says "Well I reckon if it’s fatal in pups, it pretty well eliminates itself. If you don’t breed the same dog and bitch again, it won't happen again." ...the further information provided on the same website (see also part 2 and 3) indicates that both parents need to be the carrier to allow for 'natural' extinction. Therefore the adopted attitude of B.A. seems to be contra productive regarding producing a healthy stock.

Totally agree with this and would add that in all probability there will already be effective immunity from the mother. I happily take my puppies out and about - within reason- I don't see this any different than flying the pup somewhere or even going from the breeder to the new owners home. the path from passive or maternal immunity to active immunity via seroconversion is a little bit more complex. While the maternal immunity fades out after a relative short period, it is actually the cause why seroconversion for early vaccination (to get active immunity) can be compromised. That's why the shot after 16 weeks is the most important one as that's the approx. period (which differs from breed to breed) where numbers of maternal antibodies are dropped to a level that won't hinder seroconversion (you can argue whether the early shots do more damage than good so). As all vaccinations are a major stress for the immune system (the combined ones are obviously the worst once as the immune system has to respond to more than one type of attacker) it is recommended to allow for some recovery time after the last shot. Not much sense in being protected against hepatitis, but not being able to fight a simple stomach bug because the immune system is down and exhausted. And there can be also severe side effects caused by vaccines. Hence I always would wait a few days before I allow my dog the 'normal public program'.

wrt 'den': ...crates can be a reasonable tool, but I always have some issues when people justify the use of a crate as a 'den'. Healthy and balanced dogs don't live in dens! Even their close relatives (coyotes and wolfs) use shelters (which can be a fallen tree, the cover of a bush, den like structures) only for breeding to hide and protect the young ones from predators and wheather, so considering that in most packs there is only one breeding pair and their yearly season, these relatives spend only a very little time in den like shelters - and they are never locked! IMO there is a severe underlying issue if a dog has a need to hide from his pack members (dog owner, family memebers, other dogs), a healthy and balanced dog will feel much saver if he sees his pack members around him. Covered crates might help anxious dogs to find some less stressful moments to relax from an otherwise intimidating environment, hence covered rest places can make useful tools (and don't need to be lockable). However, it should also be noted that for some dogs the underlying cause of anxiety might have been irresponsiable long and forced stays and associated isolation in crates! Similar to an e-collar, dog owners should be aware that a tool wrongly used can do a lot of damage!...and how convenient is it to leave the dog safely locked in the crate for 'another 10 minutes', but hey, no crate user never ever left the dog locked in the crate for TOO long, of course - I just wonder how do we know when the period the dog stays in the crate is too long. Then there is the argument that it helps wrt toilet training. Seriously?...how good does it feel sitting with a full bladder in a car or bus, perhaps in a traffic jam?...walk the dog - at the beginning it might need a walk every hour - and it will take only a few days for a successful toilet training. Crates (lockable) are good for safe transport, to lock a dog for medical reasons, for short confinements as a better alternative to tethering or chaining, but there are always the associated risks that come with such a convenient tool. @OP: I would go for the cheapest soft type crate as I understand that the main purpose is providing the dog with a hide-out and not to lock him away. If you also need a safe transport option (I have a cargo barrier in my car, so don't need a crate for transport) than a wire crate is an option too.

that's for sure a recipe to get unbiased information .... http://www.thedogplace.org/VACCINES/Parvovirus-Vaccine-History_Andrews-0312.asp

...??? so BYB should stick with unhealthy breed standards??? ....???and what is wrong with you??? You can't read a post within context and the way it was meant? edited to delete the rest BYB stock comes from breeder's lines so there's a trickle-down. ...obviously I had - and still have - problems to understand what the poster wants to say wrt BYB - so why don't you just help me out and explain it to me?

Not strange at all.........it could also be nerve pain or arthritis ...or a typical result of our over-vaccination culture; ...the yearly unnecessary C3 (or even C5) shot, plus the a yearly heartworm shot with Moxidetcin ...there is enough scientific evidence that such schemes are causing havoc for the immune system resulting in skin problems, cancer, arthritis and internal infections. Over the years it will weaken the immune system of any formerly healthy dog - still such schemes are widely adopted. Considering the advantage of today's higher food quality we could expect that dogs are far healthier today, however the opposite seems to be the case.

...??? so BYB should stick with unhealthy breed standards???

both (Advantix and Advocate) contain Imidacloprid - so yes, you administer the double dose, and because it is a toxic pesticide overdosing is not recommended. You may also ask your pet shop to clarify whether they really recommended Advocate and Interceptor as the combination of choice: Advocate contains also Moxydectin (against Heartworms) while the ingredient against Heartworm in Interceptor is Milbemycin oxime - while not the same you still would administer an additional pesticide that is not required. Hence I assume that the shop recommended the combination Advantix and Interceptor that covers fleas & ticks (Advantix) and Heartworm and other worms (Interceptor). Note: the development of the Heartworm larva is pretty complex and temperature dependent and requires a longer period of higher temperature - one cold night below 14 deg C and the larvae dies in the mosquito that transmits otherwise the disease. Hence for many areas Heartworm is only a seasonal threat and doesn't require any drugs at all for the colder months.

...in this case I would avoid any (dental) treats that contain glycerin; it is at least arguable whether glycerin is natural ingredient for dog food / treats - more concerning is that it is known for causing skin reactions and allergies, and if this is not enough, there have been cases where industrial grade glycerin was used in treats which can be even toxic.

YES!!!

I actually agree with most of what you wrote (and I appreciate your effort), however, I still believe that there are some merits in being clear in what we as a responsible carer want to respond to. For example I don't want that my dog - when left alone for a few hours - starts barking to call me (or other family members) because this behaviour was reinforced in the past. Hence I would be very careful in which way I would response to the barking - which doesn't mean that I wouldn't take the potential reasons for her barking into account! And it also doesn't mean that I wouldn't try to address any underlying motivations if they are obvious (e.g. anxiety), but I would definitely try to avoid that the dog would recognise my response (to fix the issues) as a response to her barking. In case the barking is driven by anxiety: responding to the barking and giving instantly company doesn't fix the underlying issue, it just results in a less stressed dog that stops barking (for the moment she has company), but it doesn't fix the anxiety itself. That is were the training becomes challenging and where every case needs and individual assessment and consequent approach. (@ OP: ...my apology for getting a little bit off-topic here, but I think it still can benefit our understanding of dogs.) Eta: ..spelling...

...that's an unusual (?) high / good value for a CKCS?...most of them have some abnormalities regarding blood platelet counts - while over 40% looks good on paper, it would make me suspicious wrt how it was measured if I had a CKCS... http://www.cavalierhealth.org/platelets.htm A PCV has nothing to do with platelets Willem. A little more research (google?) before commenting might be best. ups...my apology, thanks for pointing this out.

...I'm pretty sure it wasn't me calling others morons, thoughtless or idiots...

...??? ... barking is a behaviour and of course it will be reinforced by rewarding it with the right response. Similar like a dog that jumps on you seeking attention. If your response is giving him the attention he is seeking, the behaviour (jumping) is rewarded and he will keep on doing it. Of course there are always motivations involved that drives a dog to those behaviours, but it is for obvious reasons not a good thing to do if dog owners always show the 'wanted behaviour' the dog is asking for. Showing affection for a dog includes also to do the things which might cause short-term stress for the dog, but pay off in a long-term. I am pretty confident in the research backing up my statement.... the / your statement I referred to is highlighted as above - I won't hold my breath till a behaviourist comes and confirms that this statement in question is at least not misleading.

isn't it a little bit keen - without further information from the OP - to assume that the dog suffers from 'anxiety'? ...the dog is used to sleep upstairs, and was of course confused that he had to sleep downstairs now. Other dogs are barking and wag the tail when the owner arrives as they are just excited...the dog might have just standing at the stair case with a wagging tail and barking...'hey, what's with me?...get me up here'... Not every behaviour is due to anxiety!!! here a quote from a behaviourist (with PHD!) who adds valuable information (I don't mean this in an ironic way!!!) to this forum (and 'valuable' doesn't mean that I always agree with it): The thing is it's impossible to know what internally motivates an animal - scientists even have trouble defining what "play" actually is. I've read a few books on the subject and I'm a scientist and I train dogs. I've read pages of Internet discussions and arguments about "drive" and I think it's a waste of time if you're actually trying to solve a problem. ETA for clarification: this comment was made in a discussion about 'drive'...fear / anxiety is just another driver behind behavior.

first: when you read my first post (#10) in this thread you will recognize that I'm actually carefully evaluating (all based on the information provided by the OP) whether it is worthwhile to a) apply additional stress to the dog for a long-term benefit, or b) whether comforting the dog (= avoiding any stress) for increasing his chances of healing would be the better option. The OP never said that the dog (11 years old) is dying - the health issue stated was a pinched nerv, which is usually not deadly, but could require to apply some adjustments to the environment of the dog to address his limited agility. second: a statement like '...Feelings and emotions are not something that you can reward so responding when he barks isn't reinforcing the behaviour...' is in many aspects at least misleading - this is a public forum and this thread gets read not only by the OP and the people who respond (well, I admit that it seems that even some of the latter ones don't spend much time on carefully reading), hence why not pointing it out?...while this is a public dog forum, sometimes I get the impression it is more about 'comforting' and 'pleasing' the dog owners instead of providing some knowledge for people really interested in dogs.

...??? ... barking is a behaviour and of course it will be reinforced by rewarding it with the right response. Similar like a dog that jumps on you seeking attention. If your response is giving him the attention he is seeking, the behaviour (jumping) is rewarded and he will keep on doing it. Of course there are always motivations involved that drives a dog to those behaviours, but it is for obvious reasons not a good thing to do if dog owners always show the 'wanted behaviour' the dog is asking for. Showing affection for a dog includes also to do the things which might cause short-term stress for the dog, but pay off in a long-term.

it is white foam, not yellow bile ...if it would be yellow bile the dog would be starving... @ OP:...you can give your vet a call to be on the safe side, but as long as the dog is not vomiting yellow bile, and as long as his body language is alert and aware a little bit less food for the next 24 hours won't harm him. ETA: don't fast (= no food at all) him for 24 hours...that's only recommended if he is grown up.