Poodle wrangler

How frustrating . Same as Miranda- they prefer absorbent areas- most dogs will wee on grass rather than a path, for example. My only suggestion is vigilance and perhaps take her out a bit more often as you would a younger pup? Ignore accidents inside, otherwise she'll just hide from you to wee and poo. She's still quite young, so persevere. Sounds like she's actually doing pretty well, overall

My older dog did well on Supercoat and a bone about once a month for a couple of years when he was younger. I feed differently now as the larger standard poodle seems much better with more raw foods (+ dry). If they look good, have energy etc., why change?

Sorry, should have mentioned that the dog's been here almost 12 months now and is a choc lab. They said he blew his coat massively when he first arrived.

He doesn't look too neglected to me!

Is that like a surge-protector, or something else entirely? Glad he seems OK. If there are no burn (entry-exit) should be fine. Beagles must like cabling. Someone I used to work with got a beagle and it chewed thru new >$1000 trailer wiring.

My older desexed dog will cock his leg often if walking offleash, but he's not allowed onleash- I don't want to stop at every tree or post . Saw the nearly 11 month old standard poodle lift his back leg for the first time the other day. I'm sure it was much earlier for my older dog, but large breeds are usually slower to mature, I believe.

Both my dogs occasionally eat grass, also vomit occasionally- seems to be no problem. If they vomited a few times on the one day or for a couple of days in a row, I'd have them checked by the vet. Please be careful about the compost- I know some people who put rat bait out near their compost bins

Haven't seen the dog, but they did tell me he's nice and lean. He goes on runs with the owners. It's sad to see overweight labs, especially the oldies whose joints don't cope well with the extra weight. I'll give them all the info. and suggest a rake. Think they'll be happy as they only want to do the best for the dog and genuinely thought clipping might make him more comfortable.

that is a good point bek, my brother works casual F/t sometimes he at home working or sometimes for the whole week he might be working not at home but in the office and the dog he has now is fully grown but is as happy as larry with him. he gets everything and gets walked every night for an hour or more. loves his park runs every night. you open up my bro's cupboard and its like a dog shop i just saw today a family that has owned a pair of jacks and they were always not locked up going all over the road and cars had to slow down so someone called the pound and they picked them up. the family didn't care, then i see they have gone and got more dogs and again, they are out, so it won't be long before the pound come again. these sorts of people should never be owning dogs! I see that someone has come along and tied the kelpie, really friendly to a tree, and the family don't appear to be home they look like they have gone on holiday they haven't been there for a couple of days now. I saw a little dog in a similar circumstance all over the road and the mother was inside somewhere with a window open watching me i could feel her eyes and her 6 or 7 yr old son was out front playing with the dog. not behind the fence in full view so i went up to the kid in a loud voice for the mum to hear, (knew she was listening) i will give you an hour thats your dog isn't it? the boy goes yes, why will you give me an hour? i said because your dog for its safety should be behind this fence, he goes ok. i said if he still isn't behind that fence within the hour i will take this dog off you go and tell mum. he goes ok. so i went back an hour later, with a lead mind you and the dog was gone. so my work was done that day. poor puppy dog. felt so sorry for it, i noticed a week later the same thing happened so i didn't say anything just went up with a lead and looked towards the house, then the dog was behind the fence again. he never got let out again after that. *bigdogs I like your creative thinking. In all this, remember to try and think of it from the dog's point of view. Dog is pack animal. The fact that many dog cope with being alone 10 hours a day doesn't mean that it's ideal. Disposable income is nice, and you must be able to afford a dog before you get one, but my dogs really just like to hang out with me. Any toys aren't a true substitute.

You're describing normal dog behaviour. Your younger dog is growing up and asserting themselves. My smaller dog will growl until the bigger dog leaves the food for him if I have them together for feeding. No fights, though. Still, I separate the dogs to eat- feed one first indoors (other dog outside), then swap. I never leave bones/ pig's ears etc out for them to possibly argue over. YOU are in charge of all food and dogs should respect this. Try doing Triangle of Temptation (TOT) http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=64101 with both dogs, but especially Bundy. You'll have a repeat incident if you don't separate them. Prevention is better than cure.

My mini poodle would be dead if one grape could kill. He's eaten a few grapes before as well as some fruit bread (lots of fruit in it, too) and muesli with no obvious ill effects. Not that I actually feed him this stuff- kids!

Avatar dog has barked at plastic bags and today at a sprinkler- I just call him and ignore it. He loses interest.

I'm pretty sure it says it's OK to bath on the packet, but I'd wait 48 hours to be sure. Too expensive to waste the stuff. I'm not sure what the Advantix 3 month one is? The Advantix I use is monthly for fleas, fortnightly for paralysis tick. IS there a new one out?

It's a weird one. They're caring owners and think they're concerned about the different temperature here vs. the UK. I think the rotti owner left the impression that it's something we do in Australia . I suggested the hydrobath and force dryer idea. They say he's not shedding that much at the moment and that they brush their dog a few times a week with a slicker Thanks. I'll tell them a definite NO!

Friends have a lab who's been in Australia for a year (from the UK) and the owners were thinking about clipping him Said they know a rotti owner who does his dog and he thinks the dog's more comfortable in summer They say the dog's mane area is quite thick. What do groomers/ lab people think? I've never heard of it before, though people clip horses .... My initial reaction was to say get a paddling pool, shade etc., rather than clipping as I didn't think clipping was a great idea.

I'd say that to drop in, have a bit of a play and leave him with something to eat would be great (about 1/2 hour only). It's best not to make a huge fuss coming and going. e.g. Comes in, gets a coffee, sits outside with dog, then plays game with dog, leaves food for dog and leaves. Pups do an awful lot of sleeping. Training tires their brains, too.

Hmm. Is possible he has new friends. I'd use an anti-flea treatment that starts working asap e.g. Advantix (supposed to start killing within 20 minutes of application). I always use this as I'm in a tick area. I'm not sure, but suspect Frontline works similarly. I don't use flea rinses etc. pricelesspets.com.au have good prices.

I'm scratching now, too. Have you bathed him recently? Sometimes I get those dandruff-like bits if I haven't rinsed really thoroughly. Just a thought. I wouldn't worry, fleas really do irritate a dog once they've built up numbers.

yep, just run them under the water to remove the ice, still gone in minute's... Yep- even a miniature poodle demolishes them in about 5 minutes. Let alone a rotti The black kongs are designed for stronger dogs that like to chew. I'd throw it out after a while, though. If you leave those sorts of things outside they perish a bit over time.

I was going to say- just check how much it is all up before getting the needle aspirate done. erhaps the vet thought to save you an additional expense by simply removing it? If it's something nasty, that will need to be done, anyway. Best wishes for Doris.

Kennel cough (KC) is usually only serious if the dog gets an infection in addition to the KC. Like a human cold can develop into a pneumonia. Normal care is to keep dog warm, plenty of fluids, rest. Cough mixture has been shown to make no difference to the course of respiratory diseases in humans, but plenty of people believe their dogs seem more comfortable with it. Antibiotics do nothing for viruses like KC. They're used only if pneumonia is suspected. If the cough worsens and your dog seems more unwell, I'd go to the vet.

The only raw food I feed is raw meaty bones, together with dry food. I never measure anything, but watch the dog's condition and weight. Both your dogs are large breeds, so keep them lean for nice slow, steady growth (best for growing bones). Many vegetables will come out the other end undigested. Hopefully the raw feeders will be along soon and help ...

I give my guys brisket bones, but they're gone pretty quick. A black Kong (the toughest ones) stuffed with some treats or peanut butter? Quick walk in the morning or 10 minutes training before work to tire them out? Sorry, not sure what other long-lasting bones (if any) are suitable?

Don't lose heart . The pulling will settle with time and consistency- I thought it'd never end with Charlie- and it was 25kg pulling me. My other dog's a mini poodle who walks like dream, so I'd forgotten what it was like to have a dog that pulls. Sometimes I'd wish I'd left Charlie at home and brought Oscar to training. Very frustrating! You can buy car harnesses at those cheapie shops for <$8 and they're adjustable- might be OK to try out? Can you try a game before starting your walk to tire her a little? Or start off your walk at a light jog, so she's not pulling the leash?

Just wanted to say how gorgeous he is. Sorry, can't advise about the walking. A large breed pup is new to me, let alone a giant breed.