Misconceived_paws

My advice would be to contact an experienced dog trainer/behaviourist PERIOD. Do not seek advice online as someone earlier stated it is hard to diagnose let alone repair without directly seeing her body language, her triggers, her response, the stimuli etc etc. All of these factors determine and influence training methods and results. If you're stuck on how to find a good behaviourist I've listed some tips. Before choosing a trainer research extensively! Stay away from large training facilities that claim to board and train your dog. Aside from the obvious, you don't know how they're training your dog essentially it is pointless to have her trained without you first and foremost being equipped with the skills to manage and maintain said behaviour because at the end of the day it's your dog and you will need to learn these skills. Some of the larger boarding establishments also don't give a training guarantee like some of the smaller independent trainers do should any issues arise down the track. Don't necessarily go with the "bigger franchise companies" as these trainers are usually given a time frame to complete your training i.e 2 hour long session and one remaining session there after which can not only be really pricey but MOST dogs especially owners need a minimum of four weeks preferrably more of regular individualised training to have any chance of success, these larger franchizes often paint with a broad brush. I am NOT saying all and there are a few larger franchise trainers who are AMAZING! Don't be afraid to ask for references from your trainer whether it be online or through contact to ensure they have worked with dogs similar to yours and have successfully completed the end result. Speak to the trainer first and ask as many relevant questions as you can a good trainer is approachable and a good communicator if you feel uncomfortable ask questions. Don't be afraid to shop around. More importantly make sure you understand the trainer and have good communication because you as well as pooch are getting trained. Look for a trainer who incorporates ALL aspects of training which includes but isn't limited to diet, (yes a dogs diet can play a huge role in behaviour), genetics (a good trainer will always take into account a dogs contributing genetics), environment, family members, exercise,enrichment etc etc. A good trainer should bring out the best in you and your dog good luck!! ????

My GSD in "condition"

Gorgeous dogs Jonah and Jesse. What a shame there hasn't been more replies to this thread? I'm hoping it's because of a lack of interest not a lack of fit active dogs! Come on where are all those sport dogs hiding!? Herders, protection dogs, flyball champs, agility runners , dock divers WHERE YOU AT! ????

How cool Miss Squish where do you guys do the coursing also could you explain to me the rules of coursing would love to learn!

Hi everyone! I would love if people posted photos of their fit or active or working dogs any sport (action poses highly loved!) As there is nothing more I love seeing than a fit dog and an active dog! It could be any photo that shows off your dogs athletisim! Or even just a really stunning lean dog! Looking forward to your responses! (sorry if the thread has been done before) Misconceived_paws ????

Hi there I'm a raw feeding advocate so all of my suggestions will not contain things like kibble or fillers. The reason your dog is not putting on weight seems to be a sign that possibly the kibble she is being fed is not as nutritionally dense as her body may require. If you follow these tips she should be putting on weight in no time. I have used these personally and can tell yout they help heaps. Firstly I would incorporate brisket into her diet. Beef brisket and or lamb brisket which ever you can source has a high fat content and is a favourite of most dogs. I would be adding a lot more chicken to her diet, I. E chicken carcass, chicken wings and chicken feet these have great sources of glucosamine and calories. Organ meats such as beef heart are high in taurine and for some reason whenever I feed a high heart diet to my own dogs they put on lots of weight quickly which I don't necessarily like as mine need to be lean ????. Green tripe not from the butcher as it has been washed and bleached of its goodness no good for dogs you need to head to an abattoir or butcher for the good Stinky stuff haha. Tripe is full of omega compounds and fatty acids and really helps leaner dogs put on weight fast. Chicken mince mixed in with her kibble also. Fresh eggs shell and all as the shell contains many nutrients. Tuna or sardines as someone added previously. Lamb products as lamb tends to have a higher fat content. Hope this helps ????

Hi there I'm a huge raw feeding advocate and owner and I'm lucky to know many many tips and tricks for raw feeding due to many years of raw feedin and being a member of the raw feeding community online :). You said he chews excessively? Ok personally in my experience dehydrated and dried bones etc do not do much for chewers they actually seem to make it easier due to the crumbly texture. Kongs and such can be temporary enrichment however like yours they can easily destroy them or simply they grow bored of them. Dogs take much more of an interest in things they can consume wholey. I have six dogs in total medium to large breed dogs with powerful jaws. I freeze bones in the summer period. Some people may say this increases teeth fractures it can but use common sense. Don't give a small dog a frozen boulder bone or even a medium dog dont generally give boulder bones anyway for the most part they're useless and only good for teeth damage. Always use bones that have a high meat content rather then bone content to freeze I. E chicken carcass is perfect. I've put down a list of bones I have found over the years acceptable to freeze and give without any damage to teeth: - beef brisket - kangaroo tails - chicken carcass - frozen tripe yes as it is already hard to chew with its rubbery texture freezing it makes it ideal - lamb spines - lamb necks - pig trotters If these bones are hard to source I will suggest freezing your organs. If your dog is fed a complete raw diet he or she should be getting a percentage of organ meats in their diet. These are a list of organs to feed and freeze for your boy which when completely frozen will make a hard snack to eat: - beef heart - beef liver - beef kidney This can also be lamb also. They must not be commercial organs I. E from woollies as these are far too small try to source from your local abbatoir OR butcher the larger the better. My vet also sells goat heads etc. I freeze those and my dogs eat everything fur and all and just leave the teeth. See if you can source any live stocks head or have any hunting friends and freeze them (hunted animals need to be frozen a minimum of 2 weeks). Hopefully this helps a little :)

I'll just add my two cents as I see fit. Ricey good on you for standing your ground you should be allowed to own the breed of dog you desire responsibly. Unfortunately due to breed restriction the scare mongering has gotten out of hand. This may dismay some of the members who truly don't want the apbt in bsl affected areas or even Australia period. But I'll have to burst your bubble. There are a HANDFUL of responsible ethical apbt breeders IN australia still doing the right thing. I know of two personally. These people have five generation pedigrees for all of their foundation dogs spanning back many years even before the import ban, registered with international governing bodies (I.e the Adba which is one of the oldest most respected apbt registries out) , they also WORK their dogs in various sports which I will not detail to keep their privacy which as the apbt is A WORKING breed first and foremost it fits the breed standard. They also breed only every two to three years depending on dam and sires proven work ability or to improve their lines and usually have owners picked out before breeding due to long waiting lists and screening. They do not advertise on sale sites only through word of mouth through existing owners who have purchased prior dogs or people recognised in the community and up to three generations of foundation dogs are kept in their yard happily for new potential owners to view (I. E sire and dam great sire and dam ETC). Many of you would scoff and say yeh right. We havent seen or heard of these people and that's proof that they exist especially seeing as so many of you have no idea what constitutes the apbt and NO it is not a blanket term for bull breed mutts it is and always will be a pure bred dog REGARDLESS if the ANKC doesn't recognize it as one there are MANY conformation and pure breed shows in different countries and there is a specified standard that must be adhered to. The REAL apbt community in Australia still exists and it is a very tight nit group of people who do not do what these puppy peddlers do or the bybers we hear so much about. They DO NOT often sell to the public and the community exists and is prevalent sorry to say and I is because of this fact. What ever these bybers are doing taints the name for everyone but it also ensures that only the truest and best specimens remain for the remaining ethical breeders. The American pit bull terrier has and will always be a pure breed, Breed of dog the misinformation in Australia is ridiculous. Just because people use the term as a blanket term does not mean it is not a recognized pure breed. ????