Poodle wrangler

I'd ask for a vet's 2nd opinion. When you say she won't eat dog food- Exactly how long have you persisted in offering only dog food, using the 15 minute rule? Also, try the satin ball recipe here (scroll down): http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=81686

I agree. Total morons take their aggressive dogs to offleash parks because they're too lazy to walk their difficult dog on a leash. A quick search here will come up with plenty of horror stories ;) . It's a great place for your pup to pick up something nasty or get bullied/ attacked. Not what you want for a vulnerable young pup. We're all thinking of the welfare of your pup here and overexercising can cause ongoing joint problems for him. Feed less- as in cut it by 1/3 if he's overweight. What's on the pack is only a guide and needs adjusting. Small breeds need only small amounts- a couple of cubes of cheese for a westie pup is like a couple of burgers for me! Being overweight is a major factor contributing to joint problems, so best dealt with asap. If you think there's an association between lead and no wee, then put the lead on at home occasionally when he's due for a wee and walk him out to his usual spot, praise and treat when he 'performs'. I don't see it as a problem, however. If visiting others, I'd leave him in an area that's OK for weeing. At 15 weeks I'm thinking he's not reliably toilet trained just yet. I think him stopping on walks has little to do with weeing. Pups don't have such great bladder control that they can hold on so long that it causes problems to that extent. Perhaps he perked up a little as weeing was a short break from walking. Check the pads on his paws and between his "toes" for any problems, too e.g. cracks, cuts, grass seeds growing into skin etc. Best wishes :D

Teach them to sit before getting any pats from anyone. They cannot jump and carry on if their bums are on the ground :D. You can train this yourself- start each dog individually. Then add distractions e.g. another person walking past, ignoring you both, then speaking to you etc. Then do it with 2 dogs, no distractions, then with distraction and so on. You can enlist friends to be visitors and use treats as a reward for sitting while they learn what you want, then later intermittently as a "reminder". Turning backs is good to ignore, even walking away to an area where dog's can't follow. Then start again, rewarding the good, ignoring the unwanted behaviour.

I had some trouble with loose leash walking with our standard poodle, despite going to local obedience. I'm sure I would have benefited from 1:1 training, but couldn't get a recommendation for someone in my area (alot of money to waste if the trainer's no good), so went back to "by the book" methods. Got there eventually. Is fine if you have the time and neither you or dog will suffer. Have a look at the dog's face if they're doing the "waltz" --> I never saw one who was unhappy, they usually seem to love it and have big "smiles" on their face. It's quality time with their human. Most people don't do training to this level unless both owner and dog enjoys it. It's not for me, but one of my dogs would love this sort of thing- he loves to do basic training and simple tricks. If I ask him to sit, he looks at me afterwards, ready to go, as if to say, "What else can I do? Let's go!" :D . The other dog is laid back and not so interested.

I would feed per the breeder's instructions when you get your pup- they often give a diet sheet with rough times, food and amounts. Goldies are notorious for loving their food a bit too much- but keeping pups on the leaner side is better for their growth (especially bones) and overall health. Eagle Pack will have a feeding guide- this is only a guide- adjust up or down depending on how your dog looks. S/he should have a visible "waist" before the hips and ribs easily felt with the flat of your hand. New home is not the time to change their diet- the change in environment can cause upset stomachs all on it's own.

Now I'm confused :D - Sentinel Spectrum covers fleas, so does Advantage, so why double up? Advantage does NOT cover ticks.

Ongoing vomiting can be a sign of an intestinal obstruction. I don't buy those plastic toys as they don't last long here, either. HAve you tried a KONG or similar? Mine like the multicolour rope toy that is all cotton with knots on either end. Cheap (Big W or Woolies) and no problems. Raw bones with some meat on are also excellent chew toys, but be wary about too many marrow bones as the marrow is high fat. Nylabone type chew "bones" are also favourites here.

A well-trained, athletic-looking medium to large dog always looks impressive as a deterrent. You just get them to walk calmly to the door with you, say "sit" (as if they might otherwise lunge to attack :D ) and "stay". My elderly Mum used to do this with our athletic boxer and people would be very wary of the dog who had a beautiful, non-aggressive nature. We never had to test the dog's protective qualities. For some reason, more people are afraid of black dogs, too.

Don't force him or fuss over him for refusing to go in. Wait until next mealtime, make him wait a bit longer and put his favourite food in the crate. If practical, spread little bits around so it takes longer for him to eat it in there. Give all good things - food, treats, toys to him in the crate i.e. toss them in there.

Healthy dogs don't starve themselves. Common things that cause poor eating are: teeth problems, throat problems (e.g. tonsillitis) and owners! First thing to do is get the vet to give her a thorough check, especially as you say she "becomes ill a lot". Do you offer her a smorgasboard? i.e. she refuses the first offering, so you try something else? HAs the dog trained you (BCs are clever ;)) ? That's a sure way to create a fussy eater. Once she's cleared by the vet, offer only one nutritious meal or 2 if you feed both morning and night. What she doesn't eat in 15 minutes is given to her at the next mealtime and so on. More "stubborn" dogs will eat little for a couple of days, but then get the idea :D

No, but I wasn't sure. Ideas can change on what's "best treatment" from time to time. Some suggest here that we might be overdoing it with all the various anti-flea, anti-worm, anti-everything treatments, but I prefer to be cautious and take a trusted vet's advice. I don't want dogs to have worms, fleas or ticks, so I treat them according to current vet advice. Prefer pharmaceutical products too as "natural" doesn't necessarily mean less toxic.

Good luck in your search. I joined a club where on rego. night the lady collecting money said, "Poodles? I'm the only one here who likes poodles!". This is a breed that does well in agility and obedience, too. At least I seldom get the "OMG it's a killer" ignorant reaction. But is was clear some trainers didn't like my breed of dog. Doesn't make you feel good when you're having a bad day. Much worse for you- I can imagine what's said and you have BSL to contend with, while I'm just "uncool".

Just to add: A boxer attended our local obedience club and pulled like mad on a sporn harness .

I use a slicker brush- both on my poodles and my sister's short haired dog. It collects a loose fur well. You can buy them at supermarkets now. If you get one, make sure it's SOFT or EXTRA SOFT. Try it on your skin- it shouldn't be painful at all.

I use Interceptor Spectrum- covers heartworm and most intestinal worms. Monthly tablet. As a pup, I also used Drontal for intestinal worms- given mid-month (i.e. about 2 weeks after Interceptor Spectrum). Some people say to worm pups fortnightly when young- but check with your breeder what the latest thinking is. I'm in a paralysis tick area so also use Advantix to cover fleas, mozzies and ticks. For ticks, it must be used fortnightly. Monthly for the others.

A professional hydrobath and force dry (like a super blow dry) afterwards should help remove any dead coat. Brush right down to the skin i.e. part fur with one hand, brush with other, and comb through afterwards to remove any knots. Is the furminator suited to the cav. coat? I'm not sure they're meant to be used every day . Perhaps the cav people can recommend all the right equipment for you, if your breeder hasn't already?

First question to ask yourself: Are the dogs getting enough exercise and mental stimulation? I wouldn't blame them for barking at people as they pass by your old place. Kids also like to razz dogs from the safety of behind the fence. Other things to consider- visual barrier, so they can't see the cars pass? Fencing off an area out of view of the road for them to be in during the day? Dog run?

I reckon my standard poodle could rival your lab sometimes- he loves his food. Try doing the Triangle of Temptation (TOT) with him: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101. Is a great program . Print it out and do it exactly as described- there's a whole thread on it to answer any questions. Dog will probably drool more (while he waits for food) but it will greatly improve his manners around food, as well as manners in general. There should be none of this dance of joy b4 food because he'll be tied out (per TOT). I'm sure he has lots of other joys in his life . I think he should go outside while you eat, but that's only personal preference. He clearly loves food, but why make a hungry dog drool while he's inside with you?

I'd check with the vet, too. My guess would be to give it again, but best to check with the vet.

I think you might get into trouble off your manager if you tell customers the truth: These devices are no substitute for training their dogs to walk on loose leash! Often they only work in the short term, too. More training, less gizmos . IN the real world, I guess you could sell them something AND strongly encourage them to train. Harnesses are what sled dogs use to pull ..

Drontal is more expensive but covers all the intestinal worms. Pups can be done fortnightly, by weight. So I'd imagine you could do the dogs the same. Probably best to treat all dogs, too and be extra diligent on poo patrol

Was curious and found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carprofen Note the specific reference to black labs having side effects- they say they're unsure if it's breed related or because of their popularity as a breed. If more dogs take any drug, naturally more side effects will be reported.

Know this is fairly obvious, but is your aunt brushing right down to the dog's skin? Common mistake not to (guilty here). Combing through afterwards to remove any knots? You have to part the fur with one hand, brush with the other and so on. This will help the coat and skin to "breathe" instead of being clogged up with dirt/dust/ knots etc. Particularly important in warm, humid weather. Certainly does no harm :cool: A soothing shampoo like Alloveen?

Sounds like normal puppy play at this stage, but as others have said, that could all change as they grow up. Pups that bond to another dog will be hard to leave alone later if you want to/ need to later on. My pup has barked loudly and solidly for 20 minutes when I had to take other dog to the vet. It's been said here b4, "they don't call them bitches for nothing". People say bitches can fight more determinedly than 2 males. If you're inexperienced as a dog owner, it's better to rethink the situation asap.

You can always do the bleeding obvious b4 going to the vet :cool:: Check paws/ pads/ between pads for any cuts, grass seeds, cracks etc. Rest the dog as previously suggested and see if there is any improvement. 20 minutes of running is a lot of exercise for a 7 month old large breed dog. Overexercising isn't suggested for large breeds while their bones are still growing. Ditto limit jumping, frisbee, that sort of high impact exercise. Is she nice and lean? Lean dogs have fewer joint and ligament injuries. Do you feed a large breed puppy formula, if you feed dry food? These have lower protein to promote steady growth. It's thought to be better for their growing bones, also. That it's worse after sleep/ activity suggests something that needs more investigation, though e.g. hips (? hip dysplasia). This can only be confirmed on vet XRAY. My vet would say he'd need to give a GSD an anaesthetic to do these XRays. Could be any injury, really. Ligament? Also have a think about what you'd do IF it was something like hip dysplasia? If you have no intention of operating, you could start on joint supplements (e.g. Joint Guard, glucosamine & chondritin), doggy chiro etc., however, and watch for results. All guesswork. Ask here for a recommendation for a good vet in your area. Ask for estimates of any costs, also.