goldielover

Smart boy! I once had a puppy in a litter who would assist me with the pooper scoopering. She would point the poo's out for me - a great help!! LOL

I've been feeding Artemis pretty much since it first landed on our shores and am very happy with it

I think that's a wonderful idea puglvr. It would show Jed how many people care, and give her a bit of a boost. I can't even begin to imagine what she must be going through . Sending lots of positive, healing vibes her way R.I.P to those lost in the fire

Also, perhaps try toileting them all. Even if mum seems to be doing a good job of toileting i sometimes have to help

They look great! Can i please order 3 medium and 1 small. Happy to combine orders with others in SE Melbourne eg. Goldieboy

Hi BooBoo: Poor Humphrey (and poor you having to clean up all the accidents!). Sounds like he may have a U.T.I. Probably best to try and collect a specimen and bring him to the vets. This is prime time weather wise for UTI's! Ususally females are more prone to them as they have a shorter urethra which makes bacteria easier to enter the system, but males can certainly get them too.

So very sorry to hear that Reg lost his fight, IG. Big hugs to both you and his owner.

Keeping everything crossed for him IG!

IG: Hopefully it's nothing serious. Best of luck at the vet!

Great news!!

Great idea MP. I'm sure Humphrey's breeder won't mind a bit!! BooBoo: Izzy was the last puppy i bought elsewhere (the rest i have kept on from my own litters). She was absolutely wonderful. A few whimpers that lasted perhaps 1 or 2 minutes for the first 2 nights and that was it. I think i was incredibly lucky with her though - slept through the night from day 1!!!! oops, i forgot about Pirate!! He was also very similar to Izzy - a few whimpers the first few nights and that was it. I took him outside the first few nights when i had to go to the toilet myself but other than that, no problems at all. It's difficult, but if he does cry, just ignore him, unless you really think he needs to go outside to toilet. Are you going to crate train Humphrey? I find crate training wonderful for assisting with toilet training. Izzy and Pirate had no accidents in their crates whatsoever, whereas i find if you give them a larger area they often do wet their bed! ETA: I also put the crate in my room which i feel also helps

Shouldn't be an issue. Not so sure about dogs, but i know of many humans who take both medications in the morning.

It's kind of like the 'terrible two's' with kids!! My puppies almost always go through this at 5 or 6 months unfortunately. As the others have mentioned, training!!

Hi Snowball. I actually haven't read the 'exhausted' thread but i don't really have a routine as such.... perhaps more of a 'what i expect of my puppy' type of scenario. Essentially i don't let a puppy do anything i don't want an adult dog to do. If you don't want a 30-odd kg dog jumping on you or laying on your couch, don't let the puppy do it. I try not to feed at exact times personally but it does suit my work, but i don't want a puppy that demands brekky at 7.30am on the weekends. I make a puppy sit before i pat it and ask my visitors to do the same, and also sit before i let him eat his food. Once he looks up at me i give him his release word to eat. I use a crate, but mainly for night time. I have been extraordinarily lucky with my last few puppies. My current puppy whinged for about 5 minutes the first 2 nights and that was it... we went out to toilet the first few nights also but none since (i usually have to go in the middle of the night so i drag him out too LOL). You can get him used to the crate by giving him a treat in there. I also leave a toy or 2 in the crate. Get him (or her!) used to various household noises quickly without making a fuss - washing machine, dryer, fans, blower vaccs, vaccuum, whipper snipper, loud bangs, lawn mower, car starting, plastic bags, etc. Personally i think if you can supervise your puppy as much as possible the chance of it developing behavioural issues is greatly diminished as you are able to correct the behaviour as it occurs. Do a little bit of training (just a couple of minutes) each day so that he is mentally tired... sit, come, etc. I think come is one of the most important commands. Goldens love food, so treats as a reward go down well! Also, get him used to a collar and lead soon (just a few minutes the first day and build it up). Give him lots of attention, but also make sure he can be on his own so pop him outside for a few minutes, then build up the time, otherwise you will have issues if you leave him for extended periods. Ignore any whining or scratching at the door - it will take a few days but he'll get the message!! Let him in once he's been quiet for a few minutes and sitting nicely. So essentially reward good behaviour and ignore bad behaviour. I don't believe that negative reinforcement (eg. a stern 'uh uh' or 'no') is such a bad thing provided it's not over-used. A dog needs to learn acceptable and unacceptable behaviour just as we do. And most importantly... don't forget to pop in the Retriever thread with pics!!!

OG: While i think coat can be hereditary, i do believe that dogs housed outside (particularly overnight) do grow better coats.

I agree with the others... don't clip. The double coat does act as an insulator.

Quite possible the vaccines have caused an inflammatory response in the bowel. Definitely chicken and rice. Could also try adding some Slippery Elm Powder (health food shop). This will sometimes last for up to 3 weeks!

Some good advice already. I guess some basic rules as well eg. arms always at their sides. It's hard to stop kids running around so perhaps just try one thing at a time. Not having kids myself i'll leave this one to the more experienced people in this area!! LOL. Great idea about rewards for the kids as well as Scout!

Agree with Staranais. I don't see the point? It's all about managing the symptoms.

That is a huge concern DNH. I've often wondered about this myself. Perhaps a letter to the AVA may be in order to see their response? Even non-prescription medications which are available at pet stores are often stored incorrectly eg. 'store in a dark, cool place' whereas they are directly in the sun over the summer months. If i'm using anything long term i refuse to accept any medication not in the foil pack. I have been lucky though and if the expiry date happens to be on another section of the pack, the vet has always informed me of the date (AFTER me asking, mind you).

Bunnings advertised them in their catalogue that came out a few days ago so stock hopefully should be in. They're not as cheap any more considering you need 2! Not a lot cheaper than buying a 30 inch puppy pen from ebay

I think the above is fabulous advice. Scout doesn't know right from wrong now - it's up to you to teach her how to behave. I agree with the above, plus i'd keep her on a lead so that she doesn't have the opportunity to go bounding around and jumping up on the kids. Make her sit patiently before any interaction with the kids and if everyone is just too excitable, i'd pop Scout in the crate with a toy for a while. It will take a lot of work, especially in the first 6 months! Relegating her to the backyard will be futile as she will grow quickly then you'll have a monster on your hands. The more work you can put into her now, the better adult dog she will become. Just saw the other thread - she's looking gorgeous. She still has those mischievous eyes though LOL

What a gorgeous old gentleman Elliot is. In all of your suffering i'm sure he's remembering how wonderful his life was. My thoughts are with you Chewie

Hi Sahla... sorry, i was under the impression that the stools were just soft, 3 times per day which isn't all that unusual for a puppy in a new environment but if it's diarrhea a vet visit is in order Also, if she has snuck in some of Pancho's food that would give her a bit of an upset too.