Erny

That's what works for me, Moosepup. It's a good way to be able to saturate through the coat to the skin and cover every nook and cranny that you need to. Hope it works as well for you as it has (in numerous different ways) for my own boy and as it obviously has and does for many others. I've been banging on about Calendula Tea for a long time now and it's great to see it take off. But as I do periodically, I must give credit to Dr Bruce Syme (Vet - Castlemaine, Vic) for putting me on to this. It was HE who made this recommendation when I was at desperate point to give my dog some relief. It was HE who didn't jump straight to antibiotics and cortisone as the *solution*. It was HE who, through the Calendula Tea suggestion (and me witnessing how well it worked) who has given me more confidence in the wonderful potential and abilities of natural based treatments and which has caused me to explore further. The few trips I made to see Dr Bruce Syme (3 hour road trip each way) in my desperation to avoid the "antibiotic & cortisone gauntlet were so well worthwhile. So, thanks Dr. Bruce :D . And, whilst I'm on about giving credit where credit is due, it is *Augustine Approved"s founder who has increased my belief and knowledge of diet and how it is so intrinsically linked to the immune system and how the immune system is so intrinsically linked to ……. well, everything. And that has lead me to a much deeper instinctive understanding of the body and why one symptom isn't necessarily the focus of target in finding a remedy, and that it pays to open our minds.

DOL needs a "like" button. I'd hit it for every breeder who introduces and raises their pups on balanced raw food :) .

There's also raw food - human grade bones and meat, along with vegetables, which are generally easily accessible via the supermarket :).

I would be inclined to use a fresh brew for each as the used portion could carry contamination which you don't wish to pass to the other. No such thing as a silly question, other than the one which is not asked.

Dear Kavik. So sorry am I to read your post and for the sorrow you would feel at your loss. But what a great life Zoe has had with you and what a great gift you have given her. The most selfless gift you could give. RIP Zoe and run free of heart and spirit. My condolences to you, Kavik. Take care of yourself.

A rinse with Calendula Tea won't go astray.

Yes - and if those people don't respect your request that they don't approach closer, walk away with your Goldie before the threshold is breached. You are your Goldie's "voice" and it's up to you to stand up for her when others disrespect even a polite request to give space. Your Goldie needs the space she needs, so take it for her if need be. This is exactly it. Where I find people fall down with this is that they just don't seem to 'get' that by doing nothing they are doing something, and in the best way possible. They think that because they're dog is not reacting and seemingly indifferent, they should push the threshold until the dog does react ….. and THEN try to deal with it. It is quite the opposite until the dog has properly learnt that working with the owner is the best fun and that other dogs are, in effect, neither here nor there.

Keep her away - just outside her reaction threshold (even though it does appear as excitement/play). Work for "neutralisation" rather than "socialisation" per se and begin to teach her self control and appropriate approach - and these two things come from being calm and that's something you need to teach her first. Being calm in approach has her thinking in her front brain rather than in the hind brain and will see her taking her time to assessing a situation before she gets there, rather than getting there and then freaking out because she is so uncertain. ETA: If she's ready for the next level of training then don't hold her back. Use your training to keep her mentally stimulated and occupied. If you hold her back, she'll be bored (finding the exercises too easy) and will have more time to focus on her worries over the proximity of other dogs. Work with her so that YOU are the one she is excited and happy to be with, rather than her preferring to investigate other dogs. Also, maintain a sense of realistic expectations on your part. Ask for what you know she is capable of giving taking into account the different environments you are in at any given time. Having said that, make sure your training is solid before you move on. "Too far, too fast" is a problem I often see and results in training falling apart and problems setting in.

Same here, Wire Sorry to hear about your boy. Messaging you - just as a 'bounce'. Erny

Thanks Steve. Both your posts (above) explain what I was trying to say of sorts, except that I was in a hurry when I typed them and because you word things such as this more easily and better than I do. I guess I do go beyond the 'norm' in terms of how careful I try to be with what I feed my dog but I think, given the battles I have fought (and to an extent won because of my attitude and determination) to bring him to the best he can be (and that's something I continue to work on) are a good enough excuse and reason :). I do tend to recommend the 'purest' (well, not totally purest but the best that is feasible) approach to diet and other things such as avoidance of 'chemicals' (e.g. unnecessary flea treatments; chemical based shampoos; etc etc) when I read of others who have dogs who are exhibiting skin, ear and/or digestive upset symptoms, but I recommend that through my own failed and costly experience of running the gauntlet with so many of the top brand commercial diets; veterinary line diets; and veterinary prescription diets … without achieving a satisfactory level of success if any success at all. When there's problems, turn to herbs for treatment where herbs will work and where it is known that supplementation of those herbs will be beneficial or at worst, do no harm (such as Calendula, something I've been on about for years on this forum). Use this as at least a measure of addressing, soothing and assisting to heal the symptoms whilst you address cause. And by switching the diet to the purest form of natural diet possible and keeping it really simple at least to begin with, you can, if you wish, explore onwards and upwards from there once your dog's system has swung back to a semblance of balance again.

Oh - I have informed the breeder of the problem(s) ….. from the early outset. No help. No interest. The breeder blamed me for initial growth abnormalities because of the "good food" I was giving him. He came to me weighing 3.5kg, when he should have been 7 or 8 kg. No comment or explanation from the breeder. One time during the very early days of these troubles (I think this was before skin eruptions and the main issue was weight gain) and I was in a spin trying to work out what was the cause I spoke to the breeder and she informed me that one of his relatives was inclined to being lean and difficult to hold weight and Mandela possibly took after him. That was where the 'help' in that conversation began and finished. Some time further (by this time, troubles had increased) I got back to the breeder to see if I could find out who owned that dog and whether I might be able to speak to them, only to be told that dog was no relative of Mandela's. Then later on, when I was having trouble getting weight on him due to his food sensitivities, all I received was a resounding remonstration for not having enough weight on him. There has been not one scrap of interest leading to enquiry after Mandela's health from the breeder. You might be right and genetics is certainly something I'm not blind to. But just because your dog (and many dogs, in fact) do ok on common foods available to us, doesn't mean that it is the best food for them. Just because it may be genetic doesn't mean that "bad" food didn't contribute to that way further back down the line. It possibly didn't show up way back then either. (By "bad" food I mean food that might contain contaminants that can affect the body adversely, albeit undetected.) The other thing to note is that yes, my dog is sensitive to these things. Meaning that his body shows them up in obvious ways that are visually perceptible. That others don't, doesn't mean the food is right or the best for their system. They may get through life quite happily and if they're not breeding dogs, any underlying thing that is not perceptible won't get passed on. But it doesn't mean they aren't affected by it in one shape or form. Minutely or more so. I am somewhat more sensitive to what food contains for my dog - understandably so given the years of issues and hard work to bring him through. And when a dog is exhibiting those sensitivities, all the more reason to try for food that has been reared 'naturally' as, if the problems continue to occur, how does one separate possibilities of cause?

Can you lot tell I'm happy? :D

Glad you found it helpful, or at the very least, interesting, VM :) . Also glad your mind-set is to work to avoid 'chemicals'. But do take into account your environment as well. *Touch Wood* - risk of tick bite where I am is low. Same for heart-worm. Consequently, I don't treat to prevent these things. Both dog (as an individual) and environment (for "risk" factor) need to be taken into account and balanced as much as possible. Congrats on your new pup, and I think it is great that people are opening their eyes more and more to the wonders and possibility of natural treatments . This should never be done with a blind eye to conventional modern medical treatments though, nor to the exclusion of Veterinary diagnosis.

Why make it that you must let other dogs near her (regardless of the fact they are known friendly) or take her up near other dogs? I'd suggest you begin re-building her trust in you by using distance as your friend and working motivational exercises which yourself and your Golden share the fun and joy of. Let her begin to relax at training by building her understanding that *presence* of other dogs does not equate to an anticipation of "pressure", which is what she would be feeling at the moment. Give her time to learn that *presence* is ok, before you begin to focus on *proximity*.

Hi Wire. Sorry to hear your dog's experiencing these issues, but as per Steve's response, what you're seeing are the symptoms of something that is quite often way deeper than skin-deep ….. i.e. diet. I'm no canine nutritionist but as a result of my experience and the learning I've received as a result of it, I am highly suspicious of the meat protein sources that are commonly available to us these days. In my unprofessional opinion and belief, it's not the meat (i.e. beef; lamb; chicken) that is the origin of the problem, but what these animals are fed before they become a meat source that could be contributing to the problems we are seeing more and more of in our dogs these days. What meat sources and what quality are included in commercial foods along with whatever else goes into them and their processing is something else again that I think complicates much potential for being able to narrow down to determining where or what the issue really is. So I think (and again, this is based on own experience and learning by reading and listening to others who had and have more than I) the best thing to do is follow the "KIS" principal. i.e. Keep It Simple. Select ONE meat protein source. Preferably one which is (a) organic and/or (b) an organic novel meat source your dog has not eaten before. If you can't go to "(b)", then aim for "(a)". For this, I find the easiest and cheapest to source is Roo mince (human grade - with no preservatives etc added). Your dog will need extra added as meat off the bone alone is not sufficiently balanced. In my instance I followed the recommended diet that Augustine Approved put up on their website. This included select veggies in select quantities, along with their "SuperBoost" supplement (which comprises of a conglomerate of herbs - Steve would understand the individual herbs and their beneficial effects more than I). But in addition to the above, I did the hair-DNA test. You could try this first if you would prefer, to determine its indications. I use Ross Wilson of Coburg Health & Nutrition Store (Coburg, Victoria) for this. I brush hair from my dog, enclose the sample in a *Glad* zip-lock bag and post it in. I include a list of any medications my dog is on at the time. The analysis comes back showing what the hair sample reveals as the dog being low or imbalanced in and it includes with each result a list of symptoms that can accompany that imbalance. This is it in a summarised nutshell. I have been quite dumbfounded on more than one occasion (for more than one animal/human) as to what things are revealed and how closely it can target. In the analysis a list of recommended supplements are given. It's up to you where you decide to get them from but other than any which I find I can get from Steve, I find it easier to purchase them from the same store Ross Willson works from. The supplements can prove pricey, but in the long-term I think it works out cheaper than all the Vet visits that otherwise prove necessary but aren't necessarily successful overall. But do go ahead and make use of the Calendula Tea (and the Lavendar, as per Steve's suggestion) to help your dog's skin in the meantime, whilst you are working on sourcing the origins of your dog's troubles. You are at the very least helping soothe the symptoms and also helping to prevent those symptoms turning into secondary skin infections. This is what I did and how I avoided my dog having to be administered antibiotics and cortisone, which back then, each of the different Vets I saw (save for Dr Bruce Syme, in Castlemaine ) was urging me to do. As a "by-the-way" and a bit of an aside, as this is not likely to be your dog's problem but something I think I may have narrowed my dog's problems to …… Mandela has had two different things he has *suffered*, both of which I've had him to various Vets/Specialists about at different intervals over his current life-time. One is his digestive issues - no known definitive diagnosis other than "sensitive". The other is skeletal - odd gait. No definitive diagnosis of any reason why and X-rays show "clear". Putting two and two together (with the help of first, my current Vet and second, my own personal Chiropracter who *pinned* it) I have come up with a possible ONE cause for BOTH dilemmas. And that is, Mandela's Iliopsoas (core) muscle. My current Vet pointed to this as perhaps being the problem that caused Mandela to show very obvious and positive signs for a sore back. My Chiro (yep, we tend to chat a lot whilst all my joints are put back to where they ought to be, lol) was the one who explained to me that this core muscle effects/affects the digestive system. I won't bog this down with Mandela's story, but my hypothesis that THIS is where Mandela's troubles all come from helps me make sense of so many things that I've tried along the way and also why they've failed or not been 100% successful. I'm now in the throws of organising to start on core strength exercises for him. My one (at this time) remaining unanswered question is whether it is *core strength* that is the issue, or whether it is possible that his core muscle is too short for this frame. Not much out there on the internet in terms of dogs, other than info on Iliopsoas muscle injuries. But there ya go. It is amazing what we "see" and what "really is", how different those two things can be and how easy it is for us to miss it if we don't keep digging. ETA: Pardon the marathon post.

They've changed the assessment criteria used for Councils to determine if a dog is of a restricted breed or not. Of the new criteria, the dog only needs to meet a whisker over half of all total points. And even then, it only needs to meet "substantially" (which could mean to them, half or more) of each individual point. So in effect, the dog only has to fit the criteria by one quarter over all. Pffffft. The worst is that all dogs who have already been seized and who have won their appeals but are still going through the Court loops, can be re-assessed by this new assessment criteria and may, according to Government, fit the bill where previously they did not. Of course all these changes are only to make it so Councils can win their cases more easily. Thanks for the *bump* Mita. And please, everyone - share it with whatever groups you belong with (including Obedience Clubs etc etc).

I agree, Sabbath. The problem being, we've been saying that to Govt for years ….. AND offering a better solution. A "solution" that is just that - a "solution" and not the dismal, failed, flawed, destined for continuous doom that our current BSL is and always will be. This petition is to have it that the Government must look at BSL - from the beginning to what it is now - and ask itself the questions we've been asking for years. And provide itself with the answers. If those answers are not sufficient and do not validate BSL, then BSL MUST be addressed. Thanks to everyone for signing and sharing. Please keep it up. Don't let my silence have you think we don't need any more signatures. We have a long way to go but we can get there - and we'll get there fast the more the word spreads and continues to spread.

I've found a hair-DNA analysis very good for targeting what supplements a particular 'body' (person or dog) needs for certain things. I know of some people/dogs who have similar/same ailment, but body hair-DNA indicates what supplement (as there is often a range of supplements possible) is the most likely to be better absorbed and therefore potentially more successful. And sometimes, it can be a case of targeting a different area to increase the absorption of a supplement for the specific ailment. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks everyone. Signatures are climbing, bit by bit :D. Hopes are for it to also result in a meeting with Napthine or Walsh about it. The more signatures, the better chance of this happening, if it will. We can all only but try, and that's what we will do and it all comes with your help.

If you consider that what people call their dogs is a reflection of how they treat them, I think it matters. Erny's post suggests that this is the case. I think it's a stretch to correlate the two for a lot of dog owners. I call Nacho 'the bane of my existence' when he's being particularly tiresome, it doesn't mean I treat him accordingly. :laugh: Don't get me wrong ….. I wasn't suggesting it IS the case for all people, but I do often find it is a reflection of what I see in my work. I would say "a lot" of dog owners, but not all. And it has caused me to cringe when I hear the term. Hence I don't like it. I'm not personally offended by it. It's not as though they are calling ME their puppy-duppy, lol.

Thousands of people, thousands of dogs, will thank you :) . I thank you :) .

Thanks, guys. There's a person behind this who is working hard on gaining the support of parliamentarian ministers for this. I know what tireless, endless work is involved in campaigning for something that you know is important, and how often people think that somehow the work simply gets done and chugs along. This is not so and there's a lot of pains taking unpaid (and sometimes unappreciated) time that is thrown into things such as this, usually by only a select one or two, or if you're lucky, three. Really appreciate you signing the petition as every signature counts. If you think you can and will, sending the link on via your FB account or via email to all your friends asking if they too will add their signature to it, would be a HUGE help, along with the fact that you have added your voice to this request for parliamentary inquiry. Thanks again.

With many of the public I work with, the "difference" is that what they call their dogs is a direct reflection of how they regard their dogs, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, so to speak. The more they call their dog "baby" or other derivative human-child term, the more they think - subconsciously or consciously - and therefore treat their dog as though it is just that. The forum here may not think so, but then the forum here is full of people who have taken that extra step forward to join in and read up. There's a lot of people out there who don't, and don't realise.

Please sign this petition. It requests a Parliamentary Review of the current BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) in Victoria. It is super important and whilst there is at least a small gain of support of but a few parliamentarians, the fact that there IS support is a milestone step forward to where we have managed to get so far. The strength of this petition will help a great deal to getting this over the line. We need it urgently. 10,000 signatures is the goal and EVERY signature is one closer to that number. Please sign the petition and please pass it to anyone and everyone else for their attention and support. This should count for non-dog owners as well as, when you think about it, ALL Victorians are asking for is that the Government look into BSL, ask a few questions about it and find the answers for themselves. Nothing wrong with that and if it can lead to a better outcome, ALL Victorians (dog-owners and non-dog owners alike) will benefit as a total Community. This needs YOUR help. Please don't turn away thinking your signature won't make a difference. It WILL. Note : It doesn't matter if you do not reside in Victoria. Your postcode will show up on the petition so it will be evidenced which signatures are Victorian and which are elsewhere. The show of support, even Australia-wide, will still make a difference. http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/support-an-inquiry-into-the-effectiveness-of-bsl-in-keeping-the-public-safe-from-dog-attacks?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1392414043

Ditto to the above ^^^^ I find it distasteful to regard dogs as "kids" or any other like-replica of human-child definitive label. Dogs are dogs. And we should recognise the respect of regarding any species of animal for the animal they are. Not for the animal we want them to think of them as.