Poodle wrangler

What schnauzer luv said. He's only 14 weeks, so go back to the basics and supervise more closely.

I'd not take vet nurse advice for my dog's weight. They see many overweight dogs. Many vet nurses are excellent, of course, but breeder or other poodley experts advice is much better. Try posting up a couple of pics in the poodle thread that show him side-on and looking down on his body. After a bath, is perfect so you can see the body under the fur ;). I thought Charlie was lean enough about a month ago, but his breeder reckoned he could lose 2kg. His ribs were not as easy to feel, so I'm sure she's right and I've cut his food back a little.

Are you wanting a Martingale because your dog is pulling on a lead? If so, the only answer is Training! Training! Training! A normal flat collar should be all you need. I'd avoid a skinny collar if the dog's pulling- Lupine do a 3/4" collar which I use on my mini poodle.

Don't worry about her eating the vomit- let her do it. It's only because she's eaten too quickly. Some people suggest putting large rocks in with the food, so the dog has to move these around to get to the food. You could get chipped teeth, but she'll still have puppy teeth, now, so probably not so bad? Turkey necks are bigger if she's inhaling the chicken necks. Probably a full meal+ for a JRT pup. I'd rather not give chicken necks if they're being inhaled. Smaller-sized brisket bone, instead?

Dunno, but Advantix does eta: Mozzies, only! For flies- be diligent with the poo patrol and no bones left out to attract flies.

Another idea I had was to get an old towel and cut a piece out near the middle to allow access to ear. A towel wrapped around his head might make it easier to hold him steady? Humans can go home 4 hours after sedation. General rule is they have something to eat and drink, and keep it down, then go. GA alone (for Xray) for my 25kg standard poodle was about $100-, sedation should be less.

Is it just me or is a general anaesthetic ("put him out") total overkill just to inspect ears? How about a muzzle as a safety measure (if concerned about biting) and the other good suggestions above? Are you in contact with other Saint Bernard people and can they suggest a vet in your area?

A cup of food, three times a day is too much for his size. My 25kg lean standard poodle eats this much in a day (including raw) and is active. How much does Cody weigh now? Feed by weight not packet suggestions and feed the same diet- no need for changes to get him to eat more unless he is underweight. It's OK to be able to see his last rib. If you can't, then he's certainly not underweight and don't worry about him not finishing his meals . eta: Just say him in the poodle thread- he looks fine, so I'd not worry at all. Feed him a little less.

You can use the Malaseb shampoo as an ear cleaner, diluted 1:50 with water. I know some poodle people use it. I've still got pet shop ear cleaner, but will buy the Malaseb once I run out. The mini poodle's ears get a bit smelly (seems to be a bit prone to this). He doesn't like me doing it, but knows I won't let him escape, so accepts it. I squirt the ear cleaner in-quickly, about 5 drops, massage base of the ear (gently if it's sore, you should hear a "squishing" noise) then let him shake his head (NOT before), then wipe with cotton balls. Don't stick cotton wool into the canal. Our vet seems to drown the ears when she cleans them. What my dogs really dislike is when I pluck the fur out of their ears- I get Charlie trapped between my legs and just do it quick as possible.

Depends on breed, but general rule is that smaller breeds finish growing earlier than the large breeds.

My large breed pup certainly wasn't toilet trained at 11 weeks. The part about taking pup outside to toilet, but not going, sounds really common as a stage of toilet training. I used to walk pup a little and this worked well, but not an option with the plaster, I guess. Is it possible to use a sling to support the broken leg (for a hind leg, I'm not sure which leg it is)?

I also take away what's not eaten after 15 min, then give it back for the next meal. Your dog will soon work out that it needs to eat the food provided or no more will be forthcoming. Owners tend to make "fussy eaters", but offering an alternative if the original food isn't eaten. No dog needs a smorgasboard . My kids would prefer to eat chocolate for breakfast, but no way will I let them. They might have a little after eating something else healthy.

One of the reasons I choose males is due to the desexing being less complicated. I thought that dogs desexed well before their bones have stopped growing ended up slightly taller . Unless I planned to do agility or flyball with my dog when they were older (hard on joints), I would go ahead and desex at about 6 months. It's about $100 extra to desex later than 6 months with my local council. I enquired about desexing later and you still have to pay the higher fee.

I've seen the same thing with humans taking joint supplements and/or pain relief for their arthritis. Lots of them think it's no longer helping, then get the shock of their lives when they have to stop the tablets before surgery. Not so much it's "not working", but the condition itself worsens. If you try Joint Guard, see: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=117031

People aren't upset with you, thinking you're a "bad Mum". You posted about a problem, people asked questions, you seem to have answered honestly . We all care about dogs and wish you and Turbo only the best . Hope he feels better soon. I was thinking back to when out standard poodle was a pup (large breed)- he had loose poos at one stage and was drinking a lot of water. I was feeding the same dry food as the breeder, but had increased the amount of dry food vs raw mix. He was extra thirsty at this time, too. I added more low-fibre raw foods (e.g. brisket bones, raw mince) to about 50:50 diet and this improved things so poos back to normal. I'd seek the advice of the breeder. Just explain the problem and ask for their advice, based on their greater experience with the breed. Best wishes.

You don't want to make any changes to her diet immediately- it's best to stick with what the breeder has been feeding to minimise stress to the dog as she settles in . Settling in is enough to contend with. There's so much info. on diets and everyone has their preferences. If you do decide on a change, just be sure to do it gradually over 3-5 days. I guess premium brands aren't that expensive in quantities for such a small dog.

My understanding is they're not suitable for dogs who are barking with anxiety and/ or boredom. These dogs may resort to other detrimental behaviour e.g. chewing themselves to the point of self-mutilation etc.

I'm south of Sydney, but our local club was "whatever the vet recommends"- nothing specific.

My standard poodle does exactly the same thing if he can see us and the other dog together without him. I think it's normal. We have both dogs inside or both outside most of the time. Have you checked the basics: * Enough exercise- daily walk, pref. 2 walk, though not too long while he's still growing. I'd ask the Dobe people (e.g. the Doberman thread http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=99740) what's suitable for his age. I find even a short 10-15 minute walk around the block settles our dogs out of proportion to the exercise involved. Lots of smells, sights etc. * Stimulation- training, different toys, play. THe behaviour you describe- digging, climbing, barking- sounds like he's bored.

Runny poo, but gaining weight? What are you feeding and how much? He really needs to see a vet. They will probably want a poo sample, too (yuck). It's not very good that a breeder would send you home with a dog on medication for diarrhoea. Some medications just stop the diarrhoea, but you must treat the underlying cause. As you've found out, otherwise, it just comes back. Bit like shooting the messenger

I don't mind the Purina One food. I'm feeding it atm and both dogs like it. No poo issues at all. In fact, improved on this. You'll find the other brands suggested much more expensive, but each to their own. I also feed chicken carcasses, chicken necks etc. Purina One will have a table on the packet with suggest amount to feed per day- divide this by number of meals. Feed less dry if you're feeding other foods as well. How much does your dog weigh? Breed? Dogs need only a minimal amount of fruit/ veg, so cut that back. If loose and frequent poos are a problem, reduce the amount of food and add raw bones e.g. brisket bones.

Sorry, am not sure, but I'd be going straight for the medications. There's a couple of different ones the vet can prescribe. Certainly wouldn't hurt to limit water just before bedtime. I'm guessing you've already done the basics like have the urine checked for a urinary tract infection?

How much exercise does he get each day? If the move to your parents is recent, could this have unsettled him? I'd strongly suggest upping the exercise, chew toys (Kong stuffed with something tasty) and a crate so that he can be brought inside at night. You'll need to crate train him, however. He may not like it at first, but how much worse can it be than what's currently going on? Invest in earplugs for all the family. If you no longer need the crate later on, they're not hard to sell. You should act now before the neighbours make a complaint. Wouldn't hurt to drop a note in their letterboxes saying you're trying to address the barking problem. Electronic antibark collars shouldn't be used on anxious dogs (going beserk over a cat meowing sounds a bit "hyped" to me). They're more expensive than a crate and banned in some states. Start at $120 and require special batteries (not cheap). Debarking is a minor surgical procedure and can cost ~ $300+. Many vets will not do it. If the dog attempts to bark often during recovery, then they get scar tissue and can still make a fair bit of noise ( a raspy bark). You'll sometimes hear some dogs at dog shows that are debarked- sound like old smokers ;).

"Mauled" was the term used for the last attack before it was PTS. Kid spent hours in hospital. They thought this was a case of "cocker rage" which is slang for an uncommon neurological disorder diagnosed by a vet. It doesn't sound at all like what Frank has described in his dog. The other cocker was growling aggressively at the owners. The difference in this dog after a trainer worked with the family was astounding. Like a different dog and the whole family were able to finally enjoy having this dog around. Didn't crush the dog's spirit in any way. In fact because of the improved behaviour the family spent more time with the dog than b4. win-win. Common thread in "It's me or the dog" is how the owners wished they'd got help sooner. In some cases the bad behaviour has gone on for years, with stress on relationships, arguments etc.

Sorry, don't have a dog with it, but my understanding is that all you can do is provide pain relief and gentle exercise (as able). Lots of medications get a bagging on the internet, but if I had a choice between my dog being in pain and potential side effects, I'd go with the medication every time. Vet should discuss possible side effects with you. If you're aware of them, you can see the vet asap if there are any signs of problems. You might have to experiment with different medications to see what is best for your dog. If you ever read the product info that comes with commonplace human medications, you'd be appalled at the nasty possible side effects, but the reality is these are uncommon and there are things you can do to help avoid them e.g. some meds should be taken with food. Best wishes for you and spud ..