Poodle wrangler

Is that Chomsky in your avatar? Poodles and other breeds with floppy ears are prone to ear infections as it's nice, dark, warm and moist in there. Plucking the hair out helps allow some more airflow. It's just part of routine poodle maintenance. Some like to use an ear powder (not sure what it's called) to make it a little easier to pull out the hairs. Like poodlefan, I use both fingers and tweezers. I also make sure there's not too much hair around the ear canal by clipping close from ear to nose. If you like a furry face look you can still get rid of alot of excess hair in front of the ears without it being too obvious. I find the hair plucking, clipping away from the ears and a weekly clean with ear cleaner and cotton wool keeps Oscar's ears just fine. He's 5 and has only had one mild yeast ear infection. He's got hairy ears a a thick coat, too! I'm babysitting a labradoodle who came to me with ears a litttle mucky and it's amazing what gentle cleaning and clipping extra hair away from the ear opening has achieved! He's got a finer coat (awful) and sparse ear hair. Best wishes for your new boy

Atopy is just another another word for allergy. e.g my dog is atopic= my dog has allergies. Best wishes with your dog. Also, allergies can be inherited. Are the parents affected?

Phenergan comes in different strength tablets (e.g. 10mg, 30mg) so it's a bit dodgy talking about 'how many' tablets. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it needs a prescription for humans. Side effects include drowsiness and dry mouth. I'd get vet advice as human medicines may be cheaper/ easier but unsuitable. Best of luck. I have a child with eczema and it's horrible watching them being so uncomfortable.

Our dog had kennel cough after staying in boarding kennels. As it's a virus, easy to catch in that environment. Any sign of things worsening and I'd be off to the vet. We're probably not qualified to diagnose a a secondary bacterial infection . Antibiotics don't kill viruses, so it's not first line treatment, but may be prescribed if vet suspects secondary bacterial infection. Best wishes to your pooch.

Mould/ algae seems to grow faster in the sun. Antibacterial solution- like you sterilise baby's bottles with- or bleach cleans bowls well. Leave it for > 1 hour and the mould is gone without any scrubbing. Then rinse. Not sure if OK with s/steel, however. Generic brands work fine. My Mum uses an old, heavy s/steel pot that the handle had broken off. Changes water daily and never seen any mould/ algae.

For those who like Moser clippers, which model do you use? A dial-up blade sounds convenient. Are they more expensive to maintain vs. conventional way of changing blades? I am thinking of clippers for a miniature poodle (thick coat) and future standard poodle.

I've bought blades and had one sharpened by nicestmann77- excellent service & quick postage. Cheapest I've found, too. Check out ebay.com.au Pet Grooming Supplies e-bay store. I have Andis clippers but they're just OK, I'm a novice, too.

I find burs can be a problem for my miniature poodle, too. If a 'fleece' coat is poodle-like, read on, otherwise ignore. What kind of brush and/or comb do you use? I find a long-tooth comb and slicker brush with rounded pins on the ends good for getting the extra bits out of my dogs coat- sand, prickly things etc. (he's active). Slicker brush with the rounded ends seems gentler and he hated the slicker brush I had without them. My dog only become matted at the elbows when I'd left combing, brushing and clipping too long (learned from experience!). Also, washing your dog when his coat's wet will make any tangles/ minor matting worse. A good clip will give you a 'clean slate' to start with. Addit: Please don't take the 'labradoodle' argument personally. It's directed at breeders, not the dogs themselves. We all love dogs!

I use a dremmel, too. It's not too noisy as you use the lower settings. I showed it to Oscar and then turned it on with lots of pats and praise for the first time. Next time, went ahead and he was happy enough so I did all paws. No probs! Only do it for aesthetics- poodle nails with clipped paws can look like talons. Never did it with other short-hair breeds/ crosses we've had- just walks on footpaths etc.

Sounds like you did the right thing by having the vet check him out. Being vaccinated's no guarantee against getting kennel cough (KC) anyway. My boy came home with KC after being in kennels for about a week, despite being vaccinated. Sounded like he was trying to cough up something. My understanding is it's much like the flu in humans- you're more likely to catch it if you come in contact with lots of people (like dogs at a kennel). Like the flu, you can only vaccinate against some "strains" and the virus keeps ahead of the vaccines. Dog was fine after a week. I was away at the time: Vet prescribed antibiotics and the OH gave them. Not sure they're necessary as antibiotics kill bacteria NOT viruses and the dog wasn't so sick that he had both types of infection.

Ditto, poodles. A 6-weekly shear (like a sheep) is less effort than cleaning fur off everything!

Finally, bought myself a Dremel for Xmas. Cordless version $50 @ Bunnings + $10 for pack of fine-grit sandpapers. Works well and dog happy, too. Followed the instructions from 'Doberdawn' (link posted previously). No sharp edges like after clipping.

Good luck. I found getting my dog used to me just handling his paws first helped alot- touching, moving, separating them etc. for <1 minute to start with. Oscar still isn't enthusiastic about shaving between his "toes". I get him onto a table, then into a cuddle/ headlock first, so he can't move and I can't hurt him accidentally. Might be a bit more difficult to wrangle with a Norwegian Elkhound, though!

Have you had a go yet Norskgra? Blasted black nails. I've cut the quick, too. What do you think of the mini hobby kit and engraver $15 at Bunnings? Have seen a Dremel for $89 at Mitre 10, but would only be using it for a mini poodle! When you trim fur off the paws, it can look like a poodle's got talons, despite lots of walking on the road etc., plus trims at the groomer. Oscar occasionally jumps on my Mum who has paper-thin skin. Ouch! Even if they're trimmed, the nails can be left with sharp edges.

My understanding is that the drain will allow the wound to heal from the inside out. Although it looks far worse, the real damage was hidden b4. Now the wound has a chance to heal properly. Best wishes, he looks like lovely boy. Let us all know how he fares.

Both Rottis and Dobes have quite 'soft'-looking faces. Beautiful dogs! It's the muscled body that goes with it that'd deter an intruder.

Don't judge me by the name and avatar. I've had bigger dogs, too. My Ridgeback X (pound dog, now my sister's dog) and a brindle boxer would effectively deter people from going near our fences and front door. The boxer was lean, athletic-looking and well-trained. She'd quietly walk at heel to the door with me. The dog looked menacing because she was quiet and well-behaved. Her attitude was protective, though I've got no idea what she'd do, if challenged. People would always take a step back from the door. When someone under police chase jumped my parents' fence, the Ridgeback X ran toward him, barking, and I've never seen someone move so fast- jumped straight back over the fence and away. People step back because he jumps, barks and growls. Both are/were cuddle dogs on the lounge with us. JMHO, but isn't a dog mostly a warning and deterrent. Why would a thief/ peeping tom/ idiot go to the bother of getting past a dog, when someone else's place doesn't have one? It'd worry me that a trained protection dog is still no match for a bullet, if someone's ABSOLUTELY determined to get in to your home. Addit: In defence of poodles, a neighbour had a large, black standard poodle and GSD (female). People who came to the house were more worried by the poodle as it barked louder and more aggressively. Because it looked nothing like a show dog, in his scruffy version of a pet clip, they didn't know what kind of dog it was!

I've tried a bark collar. They're expensive as are the batteries you need to run them (I borrowed from a friend). Found it worked Ok to begin with, but effect decreased over time. Also, sometimes 'beeped' loudly when dog NOT barking e.g. jumping or playing with ball. Would try other suggestions first.

If the dog is for showing it may pay to do something quickly. My dog accidently ripped out a nail- still don't know how- after his nails had grown only a little bit long. They were nowhere near long enough to affect his walking. New nail grew back deformed.

I'm a bit off topic, but do schnauzers shed hair? I'm thinking of the OH, who's allergic to most dog hair, but seems 100% fine with a poodle. The poodle has even been on his pillow (unbeknownst to OH). Would love to know as I've always thought how handsome and full of character schnauzers are, but discounted them thinking their hair/fur would be a problem. Haven't met a giant schnauzer, but they look like magnificent dogs.

My vet suggested giving Metamusil to bulk up the poo. It's fibre supplement for humans from the chemist or supermarket. The vet can also show you how to express the glands yourself which was easier than trying to feed my dog Metamusil!. Trust me, the stuff stored in those glands smells and you DON'T want any left by your dog around the house.

My vet suggested giving our mini poodle 'Metamusil' (fibre supplement for humans) to help stop his anal galnds getting too full. Messy, gluggy stuff and I ended up reverting to poodlefan's technique as it was easier. No more scooting along.

Great to see some poodle action photos. Dogs gotta have fun. I'll read some more about lure coursing. Think my Oscar might like it. Possible natural talent, but I probably need to improve the recall. It was hard to get him back from chasing a kangaroo across the local golf course (Oscar's idea, NOT mine!). Looked strange- black mini poodle vs. Eastern Grey.