Poodle wrangler

Do we get 'before' and 'after' pics ? ETA: Please?

IMO: 1. Heartworm prevention- monthly 2. Intestinal worm prevention- fortnightly for puppies, about every 6 weeks for older dogs Some medications combine 1. and 2. e.g. Interceptor Spectrum 2. Flea & tick prevention- monthly for fleas, fortnightly for paralysis tick (that's the one that can kill your dog) e.g. Advantix (this one does mozzies, too). Not everyone agrees on vaccination schedules, but a more strict example would be: Set of 3 vaccinations as a pup, then yearly. That could be a requirement for kennels, obedience clubs etc. - best to look into it at the time and talk to your vet. It's worth checking out the costs, too, as I find possible vet bills and these others the most expensive part of having dogs. I prefer not to give the annual heartworm injection because of the risk of side effects. It's easy to give the Interceptor spectrum monthly and it does intestinal worms, too. prices: pricelesspets.com.au

Thanks for that. I didn't want to suggest prong collars are necessarily bad. I used a check chain initially with my small dog (trainer required them- Bark Busters puppy school about 6 years ago, say no more :rolleyes: ). Check chain was never used as a yanking device or to hurt my dog, though.

It's not so much 'a knee in their chest' as a block to them getting close to you i.e. knee should not be moving when dog launches at you. The 'turning your back' method is more effective and no more difficult :rolleyes: . Teach your dog to sit ALWAYS before he gets any pats/ greetings from you. Everyone should do this, so the dog doesn't get mixed messages. You can ask visitors to do the same, but might give them a food treat to give your dog when he sits to make it even more worthwhile for him. A sitting dog can't jump . Agree with ignoring dogs when you get home. I created a monster with my first dog who used to yelp and carry on soon as he heard the car. Now he knows I'll ignore him until he sits nicely at the door and waits for me to let him in. I don't make a fuss then, either, but play games, cuddles etc later on. Good luck :cool: . I'm sure your staffy will be quick to learn- be consistent!

I was thinking about a halti, anything really, after getting a sore arm at training last week . My dog's the same age as yours. I found these videos on loose leash walking/ heeling: http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com/videos/leashwalking.htm http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com/video...ashwalking2.htm. Am interested if experienced people think these vids are OK? Some videos on YouTube had trainers yanking a dog back into heel position, using the leash . I'd read that pulling against the dog isn't a good idea as it only encourages them to pull back. Ignored those and tried the ones above, instead. I tried some more training at home, off leash and on leash, with hand containing food down at my side, encouraging dog into a heel position or loose lead walk. Did much better without his nose to the ground and agility nearby as distractions. Kept it short, too. My training is a beginner obedience class (local club) which is quite big and the trainers are all volunteers, so do their best, but it's not ideal. There's not really enough space to stop dead without other people running into you .

I'd love a video, too. I'm a bit slow . Myska's doesn't have the dogs in a tie out. Thanks for this K9. I've read the whole pinned topic and the following pages. Will give it a go tonight with my older dog (younger one has training tonight and might not be very hungry).

I'm about to get our second dog desexed. The older one is now 6 and was desexed at about 6 months- no real change in personality. Many people say it helps avoid problems with aggression. No substitute for training of course . Is your breeder registered? Is your dog on the main register? If not, I wouldn't send him back for breeding. I think it's kinder to desex a pet. A tense, frustrated dog is more likely to have behaviour problems. They don't miss what they've never had when desexed .

Learning to walk on lead is an advanced lesson . First things first: You need to teach pup to pay attention to you. Teaching simpler things like "sit" are also helpful. Have you done any other training? Joining an obedience club can really help and is good for socialising your pup. . ... "doesn't appreciate being given direction, either" suggests you need to look into the pack structure at your place. Pup really needs you to be their leader. A dog who thinks its the boss will be very difficult to train and difficult to live with . Lots of info here on DOL if you do a search. Being a good leader will make your relationship with your dog so much better and is in no way cruel or 'crushing their spirit'. Modern training uses rewards, not punishment. There are some useful lessons here: http://www.clickerlessons.com/ Clickers are cheap to buy on ebay etc. Good luck with pup .

If your dog isn't to be bred from and you aren't planning on doing agility, it's a good idea to desex soon, anyway. At 6 months he should be registered with council and here it costs an extra $120 or so for a dog that's not desexed. If your neighbours did make any complaint against your dog and he's not registered, it will cost you the rego., fine, plus cost of getting him out of pound . It does sound as if the kids have been teasing him. Can you set up a video camera to tape after kids home from school?

Why do you want to change, if your pup's doing well on their current diet? $155 per 15kg bag = >$10/kg . Is that about 40% more than you'd pay for Nutro? Is it really a 40% better food, or are you paying a premium because of the PP markup?

I've picked up my 5 month old pup from the MIL's after he spent 24 hours there and pooped all over the artificial grass just outside her back door . Doesn't do it here- he has a few "spots" and returns to these. Sorry to be so personal about your dog's bowels, but...... How much poop is he producing? It must be a lot if a daily poop scoop is insufficient . Does his current food agree with him, do you think? i.e. Coat looks good, reasonable breath, normal energy level, clear eyes and ears, good weight, normal stools. Stools should be firm and small-ish (proportional to size of dog, of course :D ).

Not saying your dogs are angels, but some neighbours have an extremely low tolerance for barking. One of ours must have complained about every single dog in a 600m radius. They seem to expect zero barking .

1. You will get lots of different ideas here. Ask about food on DOL and . Various "better quality" kibbles will be suggested, but consensus is that if your dog looks healthy with normal stools, keep up whatever you're doing. Not sure how many calories are in a chicken neck, but guess maybe 1/5 cup kibble (?). You might have to experiment a bit with the right amount of food for each dog, including any "extras". The recommendations on the bag of food are only a guide. Best indicator is your dog's appearance- they should have a "waist"- narrowing b4 hips- when you look side-on. You should be able to feel ribs easily (like corrugated iron) but not see them prominent, or see hip bones and vertebrae. Labs love their food, but you will be putting stress on their bones if you overfeed and make them overweight. Many people here feed a mix of raw and kibble. I don't believe a chicken neck a day will unbalance their diets at all. If you said fatty table scraps, not chicken necks, that's another story... 2. Some breeders advised me a major causes of puppy injuries were siblings playing rough. They'd be fine with time both together and time separate. Each should get used to a bit of time alone, so it's not a major stress later on. Start it for a short time, then a bit longer etc.

I had fleas on our 5 month old standard poodle, twice, before Advantix'ing them. I don't remember seeing any flea eggs, dead fleas etc., but he stopped scratching . I'm not sure what kind of brush is good for BCs . I use a slicker brush on both poodles (don't shed), plus my sister's RidgebackXStaffy pound dog (sheds+). Great for getting rid of dead hair on my sister's dog- amazing how much fur comes off him and he seems to like being brushed too If you do get a slicker, make sure it's labelled "SOFT" or you might hurt your dog e.g. http://www.petnetwork.com.au/cgi-bin/shopp...;cart_id=614288

Basics like keeping dog warm in cooler weather, well-cushioned bedding, avoiding stairs (make into a little ramp with rubber or carpet for tread?) would help. Perhaps even a warm pack (wheat bag) in the mornings. The other posts have great suggestions and info. Can I ask why no drugs? A combination of medication and those other things will give her dog more relief than either one alone. Not many people like to give or take medication, but if you have, or know anyone with arthritis, it's more than just mild pain. Best wishes

Good . Was it a urinary tract infection? Did you get the sample? Hope she's fine.

I could see the collar was too loose- 3cm or more of daylight b/w neck and collar when dog pulled on the lead . Collar was as tight as it could go. Friends of mine did the same with their younger dog- bought collar bit to big for him to grow in to. I'd be worried about dog hanging themselves . What are your thoughts on slip collars or haltis for bucking broncos (aka a 5 month old standard poodle)? Not as a total solution, but to stop my arm falling off while I work on training? I use a flat collar at the moment. Think I had a bad night at beginner training last night. Am I clutching at straws, or, just need to get back to getting basic attention with my dog? Just stop when he starts to pull when walking? We do a lot of heel, turn, about turn, stand, halt (with sit), down/drop and place, so this is a bit hard to do without getting in everyone's way. It's a bit difficult as I'm part of a large beginner class. Still worth it for socialisation.

At training an energetic GSP slipped her collar and took off. this time, but she wouldn't want to be near a road. Owner had a nylon, adjustable collar on his dog. I probably missed it, but didn't hear the trainer suggest anything to him about it. What would you suggest for the owner? I also know why people buy Haltis: My arm was ready to fall off with the bucking bronco at the end of my leash last night who spent a lot of time with his nose on the ground and/ or longing to join the dogs at agility. A "quick fix" seems so attractive . More training for me, I know, no relying on contraptions . Think I need to work on dog paying attention better attention to me with distraction.

She is both picky and puts on weight easily? My dogs avoid eating kibble until they're quite sure I'm not giving them any more fresh food. Maybe she's holding out if you offer her something more interesting later? Our dogs are smart . My older, smaller dog did well on Supercoat until recently and never farted or poo'ed excessively. It's a matter of finding a food/ foods that suit your dog. Feed her much the same thing each day and don't worry!. Otherwise healthy dogs will not starve themselves. It might just take a few days before she gets the idea. Fair bit of sugar in canned foods, so tastier. Someone else here suggested Great Barko (Laucke Mills in South Australia) as a good budget kibble for their dogs. There's a website. Haven't fed it, myself.

I must be a , but for the life of me cannot understand how dry food that keeps fresh in the bag for many months can be the best food for your dog? Fed exclusively, doesn't that mean no bones? Raw bones help keep my dog's teeth in good condition. I really saw the difference in my older dog when he didn't have any for a few weeks. I'm hedging bets and doing about 50:50 kibble to raw. I'd do more raw if I didn't hate handling meat and had more freezer space. If your dog is thriving on what he's eating, keep up whatever you're doing .

Cooked = stinky. OK if you can stand the cooking smells, though.

Sounds fine. Normal.

All pups would rather sleep with you, regardless of breed. Sometimes the bigger, the sookier. Don't fall into the "she's small, so it's OK" trap, or you will have a bossy little dog. It's difficult when you have a housemate. Can you buy yourself and him/ her some earplugs? Seriously . Let them know there may be a few bad nights, but you're on to it and it'll be much better in the long run. You said it yourself- she's playing it up a little. Maybe a lot :D . She gets a great reward for doing it- sleeping with you- so you're effectively training her to wail like a banshee :D . Sleeping with you is not a great idea for a pup as it sends all the wrong leadership signals. Try putting a blanket over the crate to settle. Good job with the no fuss overnight toileting. Leave her wherever you intend to have her sleep long-term. Make the crate a happy place- feed her there, treats in there etc. (sound like you're doing this already), never in there to punish. She may now try to test you with behaving worse than b4, as she's had a few payoffs for doing it. Be consistent and firm, saying something like, "Time for bed" when it's that time. Ignore the "I'm dying" performance. She should settle into your routine in only a few nights. Good luck .

As she settles in to her new home, she might have some tummy upsets, so it's best to give her the same food as she had at the breeders. Then you can gradually- over 4 days or so- introduce new foods and the routine you want to have. Most puppies do well with routine- similar meals, similar times. For dinner, it sounds like what you give is fine. Don't offer a 'smorgasboard' (e.g. offer something tastier if she doesn't eat what you give) unless you want a fussy eater. Just put it away and offer it again later. She'll soon get the idea . Lucky with a toy breed, you can feed good food for little $. I give raw mince, too.