haven

I have wanted to reply to one of these threads but just cannot find the right words. Such utter devistation, I cannot even imagine I hope this isn't inappropriate, but I just keep thinking how much I am in awe of Jed and her actions in trying to save her dogs. I know many of us hope that if our beloved animals were in danger we would risk our lives to save them, but she must truly be such a courageous and compassionate person to have been so injured trying to bring then to safety. Please get well Jed, the world needs people like you in it.

As you are concerned about behavioural issues, I'd make the trip to Berwick to see either Erny at Pro K9 or some of the old ADT trainers at K9IQ (that last is just a link to a newspaper article, but it has contact details down the bottom. I don't know if they have a website, I couldn't find one). As far as I know both run group classes but you get the benefit of qualified trainers with lots of knowledge and experience in treating problem behaviours. Would take you about 30-40 minutes roughly from Kilsyth, I used to do it from my place in about 40 minutes on a Saturday morning. There may be something closer, but nothing I have personal knowledge of that I feel confident in recommending.

This pretty much sums up my feelings. It had actually never occured to me that you could do such a thing!

I don't know about epilepsy, but before I lost my Loki dog last year he started having seizures. The Vet said it was likely a tumor in his brain and I didn't want to put him through the stress of a scan and surgery as he was already a highly anxious dog. He was put on seizure medication which seemed to stop the seizures (at least, I never witnessed any, or any evidence that he had one when I wasn't there until the night he died). I did notice that his gradually anxiety increased and he stopped wanting to leave his bed to go outside or even to another part of the house. Then one night he had a horrid seizure, the worst I have ever seen (and I've had other animals that had regular seizures) and he was extremely stressed afterwards. Within a half an hour he had another seizure, and bit himself quite badly, and then another minutes after. After that third seizure he never really recovered. I don't think he knew where he was or who I was I couldn't tell when he was having a seizure and when he wasn't, it was like he was in a seizure state all of the time but occasionally he would yelp or whine in distress. His entire body was rigid and when I tried to force his mouth open to give him an anti convulsant his mouth sprang shut like a trap and I got bitten. I called a number of Vets but nobody would come out and I couldn't get him into the car to take him anywhere. After awhile I managed to get onto an after hours Vet who came out and I asked them to euthanise him. I would have liked to have more time to investigate what was going on but he was distressed and in pain and I felt like it was an emergency situation. I had been thinking for awhile about his quality of life because I already felt like it was quickly reducing and I think it was just time for him to let go. He had always had such a hard life and had given me so much effort in trying to work through his anxiety issues and I just didn't think he could recover and still have any meaningful quality of life. It was the most horrible and distressing thing I think I have ever had to witness and the worst possible way for him to go, not at all what I wanted for him

There is also Eastern Companion Dog Training in Ringwood. I've never been there and never trained a dog with them so this isn't a personal recommendation, I only know they are there and on their website they claim some of their trainers have completed the NDTF course.

I think Dogs of VIC is at Westerfolds park.

I'm sorry for your loss Horus

That wouldn't last long in my house! I left some treats in my jeans pocket once, there was no work involved in getting them out the material was simply chewed through in seconds

Honestly if you try and make it up to him by acting differently and offering concessions you wouldn't usually allow you will just freak him out and make him feel worse. Just act normally, if you act like something is out of the ordinary you will only make him more anxious.

Actually, as it is a nationally recognised qualification anyone can request and view detailed information about the course content. Delta themselves have claimed, and this is a direct quote which I took from their website during a previous conversation and the merits of the NDTF course vs the Delta course, "If prospective students use or promote check chains this course will not be suitable for them". Just for the record, the course offered by Delta, RUV40304 Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services, is also available through a number of other RTO's, you don't have to complete it through Delta.

You would be surprised at what damage is easily poslished out of a car, even really nasty looking scratches. Just don't go at it with a scourer, don't ask me why but if I had a dollar for every client that told me they did that in effort to fix scratches I'd be rich right now. Can you post a photo of the damage? Can you feel the scratches if you run your hand or your nail over them? Can you see another colour under the scratches? The number plates shouldn't be a problem to replace aside from the expense. And yes, son't leave your dog where he can access the car anymore! I remember a couple I used to see whose dog had a fetish with eating their car, he used to climb on the bonnet and roof of the car, chewed out the lights multiple times and caused many thousands of dollars worth of damage

Sure, I agree, all knowledge is knowledge! I just wanted to clarify because the OP specified they want a formal qualification and they may not understand the difference

It's not a nationally recognised qualification in Australia though, is it? EFS

An agility course could be an example of a behaviour chain if it were trained that way. Perhaps the person you were speaking with just isn't familiar with how competetive agility dogs are trained?

My Rotti pup is about 12 years old this year

Can you elaborate more on how the GSD and Coco don't get along? With the assistance of a behaviourist, some time and training you may find you can overcome the issues and the dogs can live happily together.

It needs to be nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework, which it isn't. That doesn't mean that it isn't a good course or that employers won't look favourably upon someone who has completed it however, but I would make a nationally recognised qualification my first priority when starting out in a new field.

So why post? It's not unheard of that PMs don't reach their destination on occasion, this way the OP knows to expect one

This question has been asked heaps of times, if you do a forum search you will hopefully get lots more responses if they haven't been deleted because they are old. If you are after a paper qualification, ensure that any course you do is run by or in conjunction with an RTO and will result in a nationally recognised qualification. Unless you want to go to uni and do a degree, your only options to specifically study dog behavior and training are the Certificate III in Dog Behaviour and Training run by the NDTF and the Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services run by Delta. You should find opinions on both, including my own, if you do a search

I remember asking Leopuppy if Leo was an unusually coloured BC I'd never even heard of an Aussie before I saw Leo!

Volunteer work or paid?

Trish I'm so sorry to hear of your loss He will be in good company at the rainbow bridge

Yes, I did it with my GSD who used to bolt in fright at just about anything.

This one was taken by Tess32:

I'd happily pay that price and more to see him if I could afford it, but unfortunately for me it's just bad timing. It's the opportunity of a lifetime IMO, to see someone like that.