Erny
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Everything posted by Erny
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Agility But He Has Agression Issues
Erny replied to mrose_s's topic in Training / Obedience / Dog Sports
So - you know he's great at home. Now you have to train him in different environments. An unfamiliar environment can often be distraction enough, so find quiet but unfamiliar environments with minimal distractions. Then build on the distractions - ie incrementally train. Building your dog's prey drive for motivation will also help. K9 has posted quite a number of references to his method of building prey drive. I can't remember where they are, but they're fairly recent and numerous. Check this forum (training) over the last couple of weeks. In addition, working to emphasise your leadership is a common and valuable recommendation, and is absolutely necessary if there is any possibility that, in your dog's mind, there is any doubt of your status being higher than his. As far as the aggression to other dogs is concerned (leadership and solid foundation training helps here too) you really do need to work with a trainer/behaviourist who can correctly guide you and your dog in a desensitisation program. It's about working with your dog in a manner and at a distance where he can retain self-control in the presence of another dog and actually come to feel comfortable about it. And then descreasing the reaction threshold over time. This can be difficult if you can't work in a controlled environment and are without guidance. Don't have a professional trainer/behaviourist that you can go to? It is possible that a Boarding & Training kennel might be able to decrease your dog's reactivity to other dogs to a managable and satisfactory level, although there can never be any guarantees. Where are you located, Mrose_s? I might be able to recommend some training kennels with staff who have experience in this area of behaviour, if you feel this option is viable to you. -
Ok ...... I think I'm about to be embarressed here .... 'Cause I didn't have time, sent a friend up to the Chemist to ask for Canestan Cream. The Chemist gave her the Amcal brand "Anti-Fungal Cream Broad Spectrum. It's for "the treatment of athlete's foot and other Tinea or Candida infections of the skin". Is this the correct cream ..... or should I be getting the stuff for internal ???? :D :D
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Agility But He Has Agression Issues
Erny replied to mrose_s's topic in Training / Obedience / Dog Sports
You need to work with a qualified trainer and behaviourist. We could all put in some advice/tips on training and behaviour modification methods, but, in cases of aggression, I think you should look to professional help, in person (or, in this case, in dog!). The cause of the aggression needs to be determined and then a program put in place. The behaviourist should, after thorough consultation, be able to give you some idea as to whether the aggression can be solved, or whether it can only be managed. The trainer (who may be one and the same as the behaviourist) can put you on a training schedule and give advice to improve your dog's command responses, in particular, the recall. As agility is (apart from the lower grades) an off-lead sport, I don't think just getting advice of the internet or from books is going to be good enough if you haven't already got some qualifications as a trainer/behaviourist in your background. Going off-lead around other dogs would put others in danger (as you're no doubt aware, which is why you're calling for help anyway) and therefore warrants professional supervision (IMO). Good luck - I hope your efforts afford you and your dog the luxury of enjoying dog sports! :fetch: -
"Rub-a-dub-dog"! (Dial-a-wash) - Great! Just down the road and no mess to clean up. And I don't get as wet, either!
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Thanks, Dru ... aware of that. Ear flapping not much, but I've seen what the results can be, which is what concerns me. Concerns me also the discomfort she might be feeling - I'll give this cream a go! Thanks for your help, all.
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Thanks Dru and Ellz. I'd like to try the Blue Power (I've been following your other thread, Ellz ... lively, to say the least! ;) ) and I did look up your link. My only concern is, and I guess this stands for any cleaner, having read the posts I guess I should be getting my Vet to check her ear drums are AOK before I use any cleaner. She's flapping her ears (mainly after she's been lying down) every now and again (2-3 times a day), but they don't seem to be driving her insane. Admittedly, there is thick, blackish/reddish gunk that I wipe away weekly that I'm not keen on (she's on revolution and has been for years, as mites were an issue then). But, she's rising 12yo and has been under anaesthetic 4 times already in the past 12 months (other unrelated issue/s) and I've only just got her back to full health. For a Vet to check the status of her ear drums, I presume general anaesthesia would be required, and I am just loath to put her back through that yet again. She also stresses alot at the Vets and she's seen alot of them over the last 12 months. During one of the operations she had, I had the Vet make the most of the opportunity by getting him to clean her ears. I explained she could not have alcohol based cleaner (alcohol based cleaner made her skin red raw, hot, and the ear flaps swelled). He used oil based cleaner (so they say) but within 24 hours the skin was red and VERY hot. Since then I only use white vinegar (diluted) to wipe out the ear (as much of it as I can see), but I wonder how much of the blackish gunk is still down there. Hence I express my interest in the mildest of mild cleaners.
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Hey Mel ... for your info, I contacted Assistance Dogs for Independence. They train on flat collars (when the dogs are puppies) and then go to a Check Chain.....
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Sorry to drag this thread back up again, Dru ... but have you, or any other post readers had any experience with using Maloseb as an ear wash on a dog that is super sensitive to the usual cleaners? Is it more mild than others?
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And you're entitled to it, Mel - it's the sharing of opinions that can lead us to become wiser! Perhaps I need to go back in my research! However, my own experience and use of the correction chain does not waver my opinion. I have worked with headcollars (they have their place, but are more of a control tool than a training tool), and I expect assistance dogs wear them due to some physical limitations of the handlers (lack of 'hold' strength etc.), but I'm not sure that this applies to a majority. But in this respect, I'll make a point of contacting Assistance Dogs for Independence, just as a matter of "knowledge". :rolleyes:
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I agree, Mel. And all the more so because prong collars are banned. And I think it all comes down to ignorance, which in itself has been reinforced by the current Victorian Government's insane decision to ban them here. :rolleyes: But about Check Chains - these tools are used, I understand, by more than 90% of all Service Dog Trainers throughout the World and has been around for a heck of a long time. I doubt that this would be the case if not for a great percentage of proven successes time over time over time. The other thing I like about Check Chains is that, once a dog has paired the two together, the simple sound of the "zip" as the ring 'sings' along the chain can in itself become, to the dog, the correction. So, in some cases and for some of the times, it is only necessary to create the "zip" sound and to the dog the correction is applied. It's like you can make the Chains 'talk' with the proper use and handling. Don't get me wrong - I'm not putting one up against the other (P.Chain/C.Chain). I simply see them as tools to be used in the most appropriate situation, on the most appropriate dog to achieve the best outcome.
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Advantix / Frontline / Advantage Differences
Erny replied to Brian_Newcastle's topic in Health / Nutrition / Grooming
What problems did you have with Revolution, Koza? -
IMO, any "prong spotters" are not "learned" - it's a contradiction in terms! Yes, I've known of the collars being threaded through a sock .... or being powder coated to match the colour of the dog, etc. etc. Idiots - I know of a number of dogs with certain issues where it would be much kinder (for dogs and handlers alike) to have them work in a prong collar. And I agree with Haven - I wish they'd stop labelling chains "Chokers" - it gives people the totally wrong perception for the use of this otherwise well tested and proven successful piece of equipment.
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That's a good idea, Anne. I wonder if the government will have a change of attitude when they see how nice and pretty the prong collars look! And we can change the ribbon to match our outfits on the day too! (Just to clarify, I'm being sarcastic to the govt legislators who banned it here in Victoria, not to you, Anne!)
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I think "OVERDO" is the right word, Ellz. But as they say .... "everything in moderation". Sources for my info come from Dr. Ian Billinghurst's "Give your Dog a Bone" and Dr. Pitcairn's "Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats", both of which, coincidentally, are recommended readings by the "Barf" diet crowd. Hhhmmm, what's that I see in the distance? Vets ducking ?????
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Maybe things have moved on a bit, now Ellz .... with more recent studies, I think we've come to realise alot of things about dog diets that we didn't know before. Generations of dogs (wild and domesticated) have eaten raw egg whites, along with the yolks, when they rob them from nests (eg. ground birds). However, my understanding of it is that egg whites have an enzyme inhibitor, which can make it difficult for a young pup, or old, or sick dog (eg. pancreatic probs) to digest. Also, egg whites contain Avidin, something that binds with the vitamin biotin (something to do with the VB complex), and this makes it unavailable to your dog. But this shouldn't be a problem if the remainder of the dog's diet contains sufficient quantity of biotin. Even the egg yolks themselves contain a good amount of biotin. So, except in cases where you're dog cannot tolerate it, whole eggs, yolk, whites (and yes, shells) are great for your dog.
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Yeah - I'd like to know too .... Phooey to the legislaters who banned these collars. My understanding is that an MP has confessed that submissions in favour of the collar when the legislation was proposed, were not even read. IMO, government adopted it as a "vote catching" device targeted at the stupid and undoggy-educated!
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Reply to KathP 3 June (4.14pm) Don't forget to go out and reward your dog for when he's being quiet. We often forget to do this, having concentrated so much about GETTING them to be quiet. So, even if it's an 'accidental' quiet, let him know this is the behaviour that will get him things he wants.
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Absolutely, Myszka. A big part of the reason they were banned here (Victoria), I believe, was through the publications of pictures, rather than education on their uses and benefits. Besides often being kinder than the common "Check Chain", there are some dogs around that cannot wear anything other than a Prong Collar (or Power Chain, as they are also known as). Eg. Dogs with neck injuries/sensitivities. They have limited "slip", whereas the Check Chain does not. Pictures often make people think they're designed to "dig into" the dog's neck, whereas, if people had the opportunity to actually see and feel one, they'd see it's action is based more on a "pinching" of the skin. I've seen some really great responses from dogs working in these types of collars. And I've seen dogs that wag their tails and get excited when their owners bring out their prong collars to go training or for a walk or whatever. That was, of course, before legislation to ban came in here in Victoria. Now I don't see any of them at all ..... ever.... no way ..... absolutely not!
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True, Ellz ... but I guess it depends on the dog and the issues. I imagine using it as a tip for my clients when they have a dog that is only mildly frightened of having its ears handled (maybe through lack of early socialisation/handling, or through a previous bad experience). If the dog starts licking the peanut butter on the fridge, for example, and that keeps him occupied/distracted enough to allow his ears to be handled with minimum/no fuss, then I'd say we're on our way to building a positive association with ear cleaning. I would find the "peanut butter on fridge" method useful as when I clean my girl's ears (which she hates) the worst she does is lower her head to the ground, until I'm nearly doing it standing on my own head!!! Not a big deal - I can handle it, but the peanut butter on the fridge might get her to keep her head up. If the dog is so crazy at ear cleaning time that he can't be handled, then I agree with the earlier suggestion posted here, I think, that positive association training be dealt with in smaller increments. IE Touch ear/near ear - food treat. Hold ear flap between two fingers - food treat. etc. etc. (oops that was you, Ellz, who mentioned this process). Edited to add: oops again! didn't mean to include your whole answer as a quote, Ellz. Good points you raise, though.
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yeah .... bummer ...
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Peanut butter/Vegemite on the fridge - great tip, guys. Thank you!
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Slightly off the track (but not quite) and running the risk of hi-jacking this thread (sorry Haven - hope you don't mind), I'm told by a couple of greyhound and thoroughbred racers that there is a lady by the name of "Donna" who works out Pearcedale VIC. way (I think). She's not a Vet (I don't think) but she diagnoses problematic symptoms, often by studying a sample of the affected animal's hair. One of the fellows who told me about this said his horse had an ailment that he'd been to a number of Vets (as well as Werribee experts twice) and they couldn't find what was wrong. He sent a lock of the horse's mane to her and she diagnosed the condition. The horse owner was then able to arrange appropriate treatment for the diagnosed condition. I can't recall the outcome (ie whether the horse was cured, or whether the condition was incurable), but the point was that, after months of time, energy and money, she was the one who finally could pin point the problem. (Eg. I believe she can study the animal's coat and work out if it's a kidney problem, liver related problem etc.) An acquaintance/friend of mine owns a GSD with allergy problems (apparently he's allergic to everything!) - I gave her this girl's name and number, but I don't know if she's been there yet. Has had any dealings with 'holistic healers' (my words) like this? With good or bad results?
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Haven - have PM'd you.
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Hocus Pocus? No way! Good on you! I have a dog who exhibits severe sensitivity to ear cleaner (alchohol base or oil base). I use white vinegar (diluted) to clean her ears instead (although I don't like to actually put the solution in her ears - I can't see what's going on there and fear ear drum damage - I just saturate cotton balls and wipe around where I can, as far as I safely can). I think there is a place for natural remedies. The NDTF course even has a section on natural remedies/medicines for dogs. I think anyone shutting their eyes to any methods, be it training and/or medical related, are really losing out on knowledge that can be very useful in certain circumstances, for certain dogs. After all, it's all about 'what works for the dog' and 'what is best for the dog' (IMO!) So go for it slowone and don't let anyone hold you back! Actually, I wouldn't mind doing a massage therapy course (I started one - distance learning - with Australian School of Petcare Studies, but I'm not impressed and I would like to pick one up in a 'hands on' environment. Wouldn't mind doing Bowen Therapy either .... just need to find the time and the money!) So to you, slowone! Oops - edited spelling!
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I'm told you can boil the rawhides - this softens them, so choking on them is less likely. ...... but then I wonder if that defeats the purpose of giving them to a dog to chew on. I guess that depends on whether you have a 'delicate' eater, or a vacuum cleaner like my girl!