Animal House

RIP Sonar. :rolleyes: Im so sorry for the loss of your beautiful boy.

What a lovely life he had CM. Run free at the bridge Cougar, Im sure there are plenty of friends to play catch with. How hard it is to lose such a big part of your life, but you will always have the memories.

Run free Navarre. :cool:

Congrats on your new boy Tess. :cool: Parvo is such a horrible disease, I was paranoid too and carried Minty (not the most lightweight Staffy) everywhere as a puppy too. Took her to the train station, local school (no patting allowed, just to hear the noises etc) to the shopping centre, drives isn the car, sat at outdoor cafe's with her on my lap etc etc. I was sooo glad to be able to let her walk once she was fully vaccinated, but I was still careful for a couple of weeks after that, avoided lots of high dog traffic parks etc. I wonder how owners of large breed pups cope? Thinking about St. B's, Newf, Bull Mastiffs etc. Wouldnt want to lug one of them around for too long.

I would not be advising anyone to Alpha roll a pup, (let alone a Bull breed) unless you are very proficient at training, and/or have had the pup assessed by a trainer and advised to do so. Good luck Jim, but I think you (will) have these problems because the puppy was taken away too soon from his litter. I would advise getting a qualified trainer/behaviouralist in your area to come and assess the puppy and advise you on best how to handle the situation, sooner rather than later, as they are learning very quickly at this age.

Im pretty sure the little cutie in the photo is a French Bulldog. Crate training isnt cruel, its one of the best things you can do for your dog. I would be taking your pup out for a wee at set times, (obviously right before bed time) and then a few hours later, and once again early morning. Dont stress, just be guided by your puppys needs, and enjoy.

Great news. Im sure Turtle will be living up to his name in a few weeks.

How old is she? I would also crate her in your room (not in a pen, in a comfy, cosy crate with a nice stuffed toy to cuddle up to). A good crate can mimic the den that dogs feel comfy and secure in. Shes just left her litter mates and probably is very upset having nothing to cuddle up to, they are very much human orientated. Once she has settled in (few weeks) you can start to move the crate a bit further away from your bed;...(closer to the door, next just outside the bedroom door etc, until you have her crated where you want her to sleep). Shes obviously a little bit sensitive, and probably worked herself up into a bit of a state last night. Just remember, shes pretty much like a baby, and you wouldnt take a human baby back to the hospital because it cries. (although many are probably tempted) No such thing as an English Staffy either, they are Staffordshire Bull Terriers. :wink:

Some dogs/puppies are more work than others. Some of the photos Ive seen on this forum on the destruction is amazing. ;) I agree, she needs more stimulation mentally & physically. Make her work for pretty much everything, food, toys, play, treats, pats. Also, dog proof the yard, keep everything up high. Try getting a clam shell pool and putting sand in it...that way she can dig in there (you can hide treats in there that she has to dig for)...if she likes water, fill the other half up with water. There are some great interactive toys for dogs (Aussie Dog Toys) I think the Home Alone toy would be great....also the turbo chook, staffy ball, etc. Link to online store below. http://www.aussiedog.com.au/index.php?main...dex&cPath=1 She is bored, and when pups are bored (just like kids who are bored ) they turn into little monsters. ;) ETA: Marrow bones are great, you can freeze them for hot days too, lots of fun chewing on them. ;)

Lovely looking boy, RIP Cricket.

Dog harness attached to the seat belt so he cant move onto your lap. So dangerous to have an unrestrained doggy in the car, especially once they are fully grown. The above de-sensitising is a great idea, he sounds like he actually gets car sick though, hence he might not like the idea of getting in after a while. Good luck, and take it slowly.

She is jelous of the cat, and while she isnt aggressive with the cat (yet) she could be if you dont control her behaviour now. At 6 months old, she needs to be taught who is leader. Crate train her and put her in there if she is carrying on at the cat You need to train her to accept the cat, so have her on a lead whenever she's inside, and put her in the sit position with treats for reward when the cat goes past and she is sitting quietly. No use just hoping for the best, you need to work at it every day. It should take around 2-3 weeks at the most to have her sitting quietly when the cat is around.

You did your best Horus. RIP Cleo, run free at the bridge. I hope Ellie is able to come home soon, and get some extra TLC.

She sounded like a lovely cat SJ. Run free Sooty. :rolleyes:

SpikesPuppy and Cazablanca, the pup may not be overly dominant - and just may be an intelligent puppy responding to a lack of clear leadership. Ah, thanks lilli, your probably right there. I just thought the OP had said the breeder told her the puppy probably was a pushy one when she rang for her advice. Again, good luck with your Newfy, Im sure you will get some expert one on one advice in Melbourne.

Okay, Im not a trainer or a behaviour specialist, but bopping the dog on the nose wouldnt have helped any. Taking him by the collar and rough "NO" and then time out would have been a better option. I think you need to see a trainer and very quickly as these things can get out of hand, and you will have a very defiant dominant HUGE dog. Good luck with it....Oh, I see you are going to Melbourne, and you can get a behaviouralist to see him, good luck. I dont understand why the breeder sold you a dominant puppy...seeing as your a relatively inexperienced dog owner.

I would avoid any groomer who charged by the hour. I want to know upfront what its going to cost me.

Sounds like typical puppy behaviour, they have teeth and a great need to chew everything. Next time he does it, give him a toy he is allowed to chew (a puppy kong is great)

Sounds like typical puppy behaviour, they have teeth and a great need to chew everything. Next time he does it, give him a toy he is allowed to chew (a puppy kong is great)

Oh no! Im so sorry to hear about Max, such a tragic end. It must have been heartbreaking to find him like that, so Big hugs to you, Mr. Springy and Cassie. I love seeing pics of Max, he was a beautiful boy. Run free Maxie.

Fly free Cocky. :rolleyes: He lived to a great age, it will be very hard on your OH having grown up with him.

Congrats on Obi coming along so well for such a young little fella. He will still have accidents for quite some time though, a bit like toddlers when they are being toilet trained. :D I would say get some fake turf if he doesnt like to poop on the newspaper, as the carpet probably feels more like grass to him. Also, where he has pooped on the carpet, make sure you clean it so he cant smell where he has done it before, I think Biozet is very good for getting smells (urine etc) out of carpets. Is puppy school at the vets?

Get him a clam shell pool and put sand in it. That can be his place to dig. Bury some treats in there (like a toy) and prasise him when he digs in there. I wouldnt be burying his droppings either,(health reasons) just put them in a plastic bag or two and in the garbage bin, I think it probably encouraged his digging to start with. What you can do though, if he digs in the same place (worth a try) is to put his poop in the hole he has dug, most dogs wont dig there. If that fails, get a couple of pavers and put them in the places he digs, but try the clam shell with sand, so he has a place to dig, afer all, it comes pretty naturally to dogs.

Sounds like he is getting used to it, so get those puppy pads and keep up the consistency. Praise when he does good, but never punish him for accidents. If you want to get him used to outside and noises (but hes not safe on the ground until 2 weeks after his vaccinations are complete) then you can carry him around. I did this with my staffy, and she was a lot heavier than a cavy I used to carry her in my arms around the outside of the shopping centre, near the main road, to the train station, (all to expose her to the noises and sights she would have to get used to). You can also start to lead train him when hes at home in the apartment too, just a few minutes a day to get used to it. ;) We need some pictures of the little one soon, so we know what he looks like.

Hes a baby, he wont be toilet trained reliably for weeks yet, puppies have little control over their bladders. Good tips from Persephone. Also, you should puppy proof your house/unit, not expect the puppy to not chew things. Everything he sees is available for chewing, so you need to give him suitable chew toys and keep the other things out of the way. Can you get him to toilet outside? He probaby thinks hes being punished put in the laundry room, so hes not learning anything.