Poodle wrangler

I have 2 dogs and they were desexed at 6 months with no problems. I've never had a dog that wasn't desexed, both crossbreeds and purebreeds. If your dog was registered with my council it would cost $140 vs. $40 (desexed). Why would you want to make life more complicated for a pet? Best to desex, IMO. It's best overall for a pet's health and wellbeing and avoids the mess associated with seasons. It's incredible the lengths a dog will go to to get to a bitch in heat, so you might have adequate fences for your dog, but not someone else's!

Best to try before you buy, however, you shouldn't have much trouble selling clippers in excellent condition. You want a clipper that does the lot. A separate one isn't necessary. You want one that you can change the blades. You'd have to get a #30 or #40 blade and use a comb attachment. These only work on clean, brushed and well-combed hair (i.e. zero knots or tangles) or it will leave you with a "chewed up" appearance. You could use scissors instead. NO! Don't waste your money. They won't work and/or will soon die. Have a look here:http://www.freewebs.com/clipperbladesharpening/. I buy blades, have sharpening done and bought the Saxon brand clippers for home use on a mini and standard poodle. I'm happy with them. Excelelnt service. Colin's also on DOL: Nicestmann77. You could PM him.

I gave my dog some Mobic (another NSAID that's OK for dogs) but just used the human kind (vet suggestion) at a dose recommended by the vet. NSAIDs reduce inflammation, so reduce pain as well and are really effective. Side effects can happen, usually gastrointestinal (e.g. ulcer or bleeding) but is uncommon after only a few doses. These type of drugs are commonly used in humans post-op with minimal side effects, so don't worry. My dog was fine, but didn't seem sore day 2, so I didn't give him any more.

Do you crate him? Might be necessary for complete rest. I agree to see the vet as the rest is not working. You need to find the cause and then see what treatment is possible. Do you have a good vet? If not, or you're not sure, let us know what area. Someone may be able to recommend one?

Lots of bad reasons or belief in old wives tales e.g. It's good for them to have one litter (NO); She's so nice, the pup's will be lovely, too (Who knows?); It's a good experience for the kids (not if their dogs dies during whelping it's not!). Some people think they'll make money, but work out the number of hours spent cleaning up and you'd get an hourly rate of <$2, I'd say, that's even without proper vet care and quality food . Not to mention sleepless nights and general chewing destruction by unsupervised pups. Others don't think it through or realise how determined a dog can be to get to their bitch in heat.

You could teach him a combo of down and roll over. Go "bang" as if you're shooting him and teach him to lay down and roll over as if dead. My mini poodle loves this one as he gets a tummy rub at the end .

He's desexed, being a rescue? Crates look like a cage, but it's meant to be his "den". He will need to be trained to use it- plenty of info. here, but essentially you start out feeding him his favourite food in there, door open, then close door, then increase time spent in there afterwards etc. All done gradually. You're aiming to make the crate a "happy" place for him to be, never a punishment. If you go to a dog show, you'll see nearly all dogs are crate trained and very happy to be there. They'll chose to hop into their crates to rest. Another option is a dog run in the backyard. Can you walk him before and after work? Even a short walk has lots of sight, smells and sounds for your dog. My dogs are very settled, even after a short walk. With the washing, you just can't leave him with access to it. Move the dog or move the washing on to a large indoor airer. Much cheaper to buy one than have stuff ruined. It's too interesting and rewarding to pull it off. Some have suggested booby trapping an old sheet with a water bomb, that sort of thing. Also, look into a local club for training. Helps exercise their minds.

Pups benefit in ways other than food by being with Mum and littermates at this time. My standard poodle's breeder had pups still feeding from Mum at this time, teeth and all, because she felt it was very good socialisation for them- Mum tells them off for bad behaviour and they learn to use their jaws for feeding, not biting . My pup's certainly got a very nice temperament and is a very smoochy dog. I think you'll find many so-called "breeders" (BYB) like to get rid of pups asap- they're messy and a lot of hard work :rolleyes:.

Noroclav is the same as Augmentin- just different brand names. That's good. Best wishes for her, she looks just gorgeous. I think the Bisolven is supposed to help loosen up the mucous a bit, making it easier to cough up. THe antibiotics are the most important and making sure she drinks enough water.

I have a MIL who's also deaf to doing the right thing for her dog. The same dog she says she loves has rotting teeth and she's bought a new computer with 19" LCD and gone on holidays, instead of having the vet fix them. The vet's told her they need to be done under anaesthetic. She also spends a lot on shampoos, but won't brush her dog with problem skin properly (I even gave her a slicker) or have him clipped often enough. It's only $20 for a clip! Selective deafness.

Sivaro, JAG and poodlefan + others know lots more about poodles than me! Hope pf doesn't mind, but this is the "ears off" clip on one of her dogs, Ted. I saved it because he looks so cool (& can't find a link). Would be a good clip if ears are a chronic problem. Is also practical for less grass seeds etc. I think Sivaro has a nice photo of a Bedlington clip (ears shaved off, tail shaved off), too, but I can't find it :rolleyes:.

What antibiotics is she on? ETA: Something a bit stronger than Keflex, I hope e.g. Augmentin?

It's very expensive. Bit hard to take advantage of the no-risk guarantee. Given the postage from the US, it'd be too costly. I'd be trying all the usual suspects first for skin problems: check diet, right shampoo, brushing the coat, allergens in the garden etc. Sounds too good to be true, so probably is :rolleyes:.

You're not alone. My MIL felt it necessary to tell me to "make sure I wormed Charlie" because her pup, bought from the paper, was riddled with worms. She blamed the backyard breeder's vet because it was "vet checked". I told her to go to a registered breeder next time and that would be unlikely to happen. Her $300 "cheap" dog has a heart condition, allergies and needed its anal glands removed for repeated infections. The "cheap" dog has cost a fortune at the vet. I'm sure she'd say she couldn't afford $800-1000 for a pup from a registered breeder, but the worst problem my 6 year old purebreed from a registered breeder has been a mild ear infection. He has cost far less than her backyard bred dog. I hope your pup does well :rolleyes: . Sounds like they have a caring owner. Spread the word about avoiding backyard breeders (BYB) now you know better. Pet shops are as bad, if not worse. It's very sad that dogs are being bred by people who don't know enough to care for them properly, let alone the puppy farmers who know better, but don't want to spend the $ . Also, is your dog microchipped? Required by law by 12 weeks (in NSW, at least). She'll need to be lifetime registered with council at 6 months, which is much cheaper after she's desexed.

My vet also suggested Metamusil (Psyllium) for my mini poodle, but problem was only short term and I no longer use it. I check and express them at bath time, about monthly (just in case). My MIL 's dog had it done due to repeated infections and dog is OK.

Any floppy-eared breed is at more risk for ear problems as they get less air flow into the ear. Need plucking regularly- powder makes it easier to grab the hair. You don't have to pluck it all out, but enough to promote air flow. I leave my standard's ears pretty much alone as they're never a problem. The smaller, mini poodle seems more prone to smelly ears, so has them cleaned more often to avoid this. Can clean ears with a Malaseb: water combination, diluted 1:50. Malaseb is an antibacterial/ antifungal shampoo. I didn't make it up, many vets use this. Depending how bad the ears are, would suggest going to the vet who can prescribe an antibiotic-antifungal medication and/ or treat mites. ETA: Chronic ear problems seem to sometimes go with allergies/ skin problems in many breeds. Change of diet (e.g. more raw, less processed) can sometimes help.

I think hip dysplasia is much less common in the smaller breeds. I wasnt advised to avoid overexercising with a miniature poodle (adult ~8 kg), but I was with a standard poodle (large breed, >30kg as adult). Also, no jumping e.g. in and out of cars, on-off lounges, beds etc. and no running up and down flights of stairs. Other advice: Keep a large breed lean and do not feed ordinary puppy food, but one specific for a large breed (if you feed dry or canned foods). Hip dysplasia is multifactorial- heredity, exercise, weight and diet all have an effect.

I clean the poodle's ears, though the standard's less often (don't need it). I just use a pet shop ear cleaner, about 4 drops, slosh around and massage under ear, let dog shake, then clean excess off with cotton ball. I use powder to pull out any excess hair with my fingers- makes it easier to grip.

Thank God you did your best to help this poor dog :rolleyes:. It makes you wonder about dogs that owners don't bother taking to the groomer ;) . You deserve a medal for that one ;)

An exhibitor at a local dog show felt the need to tell me crates weren't cruel (never thought they were), so perhaps some nutters have been doing the rounds? they said something about "animal liberationists" thinking crates and dog shows in general were cruel to animals. ;) All those tortured dogs on cushions in crates, out with their owners for the day :rolleyes:.

Newfie. I can't see the old pics, though. Does he do this at any other time? My dog sounded like this in the early stages of kennel cough. Was more like an attempt to vomit than a cough. People used to elevate food, thinking it would help prevent bloat, but there's no evidence (I'm aware of) that it really does help.

Perhaps it's also cold in the bathroom- the tiles suck up any heat in there? I'd guess twice a night at 12 weeks. Also feed her and give her treats in the crate to reintroduce it as a happy place.

Some puppy schools are run out of vet surgeries, by vet nurses with no dog training experience or qualifications. These are the ones to avoid. Pups off leash in a bit of a free-for-all has been described by a couple of people here who've been to these sort of classes. They're also really overpriced for what you get. Compared to a local obedience club, for example.

My first thought, too. I had no idea what it was, at first, when one of my dogs had it. Was like he was trying to bring something up, rather than a cough at first. If it is KC, vet sometimes prescribe antibiotics in case they've got a bacterial infection on top of the KC (virus). Thyroid gland is in the centre of the neck. Boxers can lose weight easily and are normally pretty hyperactive . THey should be lean, but maybe you can post a pic, so some boxer people can advise if she is too thin? Might need to look at her diet if it's not just the sore throat that's caused her to eat less very recently. Best wishes, Bondi

Do you think owners of older dogs who are really "past it" are too close to their dogs to see it? Maybe a trusted/ respected person having a gentle word could help them look at the situation more objectively? The denial about fat dogs is unreal. My FIL's dogs are morbidly obese and all the family say things like, "it's all fur" (Maremma) and "he's actually lost weight since we moved to the property" (lab that's as wide as it is tall, and elderly ;) ). The humans aren't big, so I don't know why the dogs are so fat? I'd never had a problem with our older dog's weight, but he's now slightly overweight and he's getting it off asap. It "snuck" on with the arrival of a larger breed pup. OK, at first I put it down to fur, but the ribs don't lie. When in doubt, wash your dog . I've overfed him. I've recently noticed he's slowing down on longer walks off leash (otherwise healthy). If being overweight makes a difference to a pet dog on a 1 hour brisk walk, I'd hate to think what it does to a dog doing agility or flyball. It takes very little extra food to get weight on a dog < 10kg. Have you ever seen fat humans doing well at athletics? I think most would be "underweight" if you look at those height-weight charts. Are owners not responsive when told why the weight is a problem for the dog? I guess it's about changing their whole outlook about what's 'normal' for a dog sports dog? As far as the joints go, many people who get joint replacements are huge and have not lost weight b4 surgery despite being told to do so. Losing weight is one of the biggest things you can do to improve painful joints. It's a sad state of affairs if you're on bedrest and are too fat and unfit to lift your own bum off the bed with assistance! Sorry, OT.