Poodle wrangler

Love it! We took our dogs on a trip around OZ, but no such luxury for them. We crated them outside as it was warm enough and little rain.

If it's for toilet training, then the idea is that it's smallish. Only big enough to stand + turn around. In a bigger crate, a corner is far enough away for them to consider OK for toileting. Some crates come with divider panels to move as a pup grows. Low-tech solution is just to stick a box in there to take up space.

My dog was attacked as a pup, requiring abscesses to be drained on his face. Nasty. He's such a laid back personality, it seemed to have ZERO affect whatsoever on him! I was worried, but he went back to puppy class the next evening, no problems. Beware of your anxiety affecting your dog. Also, attack is a risk at dog parks. My bigger dog loves them and is a laid-back personality, so I figure is worth the small risk. Smaller one is just as happy with a walk and run elsewhere, so I don't take him to dog parks. People can be blind to aggression from their much-loved dog. I also wear sturdy shoes when walking. My small dog attacked from nowhere by another dog that I had to kick to get off him.

Food is a minor expense- bag of bones costs same as a coffee. I only feed cheaper dry food+bones/ chicken carcass etc. Worming/flea and tick treatment is more for big dogs. I used to live on the coast, so summertime was every 2 weeks for tick prevention i.e. 12 weeks cover for ~$60. Much cheaper than getting a tick, however. If dogs were indoors less, would use a cheaper tick collar, instead, but I don't like the idea of kids cuddling tick collars. I have a 25kg+ 7kg, so share the stuff for >25kg dogs between them. Vet fees if your dog gets sick/ injured are the killers as drugs and anaesthetics are more for larger dogs. Kennelling can also be expensive. Much cheaper than kids ;)

How fussy is she about clipping? I enjoyed clipping those mucky bits off my MIL's Malt-Shih X. He looked a little strange for a couple of weeks :rolleyes:, but clean. I think the reddish colouring is often the yeast family of bacteria. Moist fur from excessive licking and/or leftover food is a nice environment for that sort of thing.

Both the 'boys' desexed at 6 months. Noticed no difference. Have had mostly desexed male dogs in the past- good companions.

Thankyou! Crating at night is working and I'll get a door when I save the $. Don't worry, I don't really think they're evil: Should have added a The poodles came with us on the trip around Australia! Only used kennels a couple of times for 3-4 days for National Parks. Plenty of people said we were mad, but I'm really glad they came. eta: Oscar's hiding out in the back, but spent most of the time in the backseat btwn 2 kids.

Since coming back from a 5 month trip away, Oscar-9 year old desexed male mini poodle- has decided it's OK to pee indoors. He normally stands by the back door when wants to go out. This morning, Charlie - 3 year old desexed male standard poodle- both pee and poo inside. He'd been let outside for 1/2 hour at ~10PM last night and this was b4 7AM. No more!! I've been letting them out every 2-3 hours, but not checking they've done something. Have crated Oscar at night. Thought about a dog door, but wanted some advice b4 spending $400-ish on something like the Pig in Mud one. Still have the crate. When away, they slept happily together in XL crate, though I saw Oscar pee a couple of times in the corner of that. Should I go back to crating both overnight? Go back to basic toilet training? Dog door for when I forget to let them out? All of the above? Would have them sleep outside but bit cold in Canberra. Thanks

Around Australia We're on the final couple of weeks of a 5-month trip around Australia with a camper trailer, 2 kids and 2 dogs (standard and miniature poodle). Useful Books *Camps Australia Wide. Free and low-cost campsites/ caravan sites. Says whether or not dogs OK. *Holidaying with dogs Mostly cottages, B&Bs etc., but the pet sitting and kennel pages are useful if you're camping/ caravanning. Tourist Information Centres * Usually have contact details for local kennels/ dog minders e.g. if you want to go to a National Park. * Sometimes a local will advertise there with a notice on the board. * Usually know which places are pet friendly. Still plenty of pet friendly places, though you may have to go a little further out of town. We're finding fewer places as we head from Brisbane south, down the east coast. Caravan Parks/ Campsites *Some caravan parks take dogs in the off-peak season, even though they advertise "no dogs". *Many ask what breed of dog. You will get prejudice for larger breeds or those with stereotypes. I think the reason for this is that many people just tie their dogs to the van, so anyone can approach them. Many kids aren't watched by their parents and vans might be quite close together, if busy. We crated our dogs for everyone's safety, although neither are aggressive. We heard stories of dogs being banned in caravan parks post serious injury to either another dog or person. * Many have a "dog bond". Up to $50 per dog. You get it back if you follow the rules- pick up after dog, on-leash always, keep dogs away from common areas e.g. kitchen, BBQ, toilets etc., don't leave your dog unattended on-site. We never lost a bond. *Some advertise small dogs only. Didn't realise this a couple of times and just said "2 poodles" when booking, but never any problem once they saw our friendly, non-scary 25kg standard poodle. *Many give you some flex if you turn up and ask nicely about accepting well-behaved dogs. e.g. we stayed in Port Douglas in a park with "no dogs" (we had 2), "have small dogs" (1 poodle is 25kg) and "only 1 dog per site" (2). It seemed to make a huge difference if park was owner-operated and they could eyeball both you and your dogs. Some obnoxious dog owners have made life hard for the rest of us and made life hell for park managers. * Some people stay long-term in caravan parks and you might be ble to negotiate to either pay for dog-minding or return the favour if you want to go to dog unfriendly places for the day. In some places, dogs are OK if left in carpark e.g. Devils Marbles in N.T. is inside National Park, but dogs in carpark OK with a sign saying so. If having a quick walk to lookout and back, dogs are fine. Is worth asking other travellers with dogs about this sort of thing. Don't let all the nay-sayers put you off taking your dog. Can be done and we've enjoyed our trip much more having them with us!

I asked the vet about removing dew claws on our standard poodle at desexing. Under anaesthetic already for desexing. Vet said he didn't like doing at 5-6 months. Said it's a bit like removing a thumb, has to be dislocated first, and is uncomfortable post-op for pup. He was OK about very young pups e.g. about 4 days old. No problems with dewclaws for our active dog, though his sit neatly and are often covered by leg fur.

Thanks! I really hate artificial smells e.g. those "room fresheners" etc. Bought some Advantix and 1 collar to try - I'll use it on the big poodle when he's kennelled. We'll have to kennel them a few times during the trip to be able to see National Parks.

I normally use Advantix for paralysis tick, but am thinking of collars instead while travelling. Don't normally like them as don't like the idea of me and kids coming into contact with collars all the time- the dogs spend a lot of time with us indoors and sneak into kid's beds to sleep. They'll be just outside (crate) or on camper floor to sleep when away. 2 dogs: 1 7kg mini poodles and 1 25kg standard poodle. How have people found the collars: Kiltix or Preventix? Thanks!

Best to have the vet sort it out- they've looked in the dog's ears and put the dog on some treatment. You'd be amazed how many people don't even look in their dog's ears, so wouldn't know whether or not there was a developing problem. If your parents aren't happy with how things are going, they need to go back to the vet. Are they using the ear drops/ cleaning ears as vet prescribed? Good luck.

I think there's a lack of studies to see exactly what causes problems in dog's joints. Only reason we know a fair but about human joints is because of elite sport and medical studies. Joint replacements in people are more common as people live longer and anaesthetic is safer for older people than it was many years ago. Who would fund dog studies? Xrays are expensive and don't tell the whole story, so that's probably why dog joints were looked at once dog was dead. How many breeders can have all of a litter hip/ elbow XRayed at over 12 months old? Pups are in new homes. Larger breeds are anaesthetised for hip XRays and what owner would agree to the (small) risk of that in an apparently healthy dog? In the absence of evidence, I reckon keeping a pup lean and avoiding jarring effects on joints is just a sensible idea. Have to admit, I was sceptical but decided not to run the risk when our large breed dog was a pup. Even so, I'm sure most bad joints in dogs are from birth, rather than made that way from the occasional jump on the lounge.

How are you using the Malaseb? I squirt liberally into ear, massage base of ear, allow dog to shake head, then clean any moisture left in ear with cotton wool. The idea is that the liquid cleans as well as float up anything deeper in the ear. I find it's a lot better than the EpiOtic; also cheaper. I suspect the drying agent is alcohol? My daughter had eczema and I found derm-aid pretty useless. I had prescription ointment instead- the greasiness of the ointment moisturises also.

I've managed to miss all the nearby shows this year! eta: I think a lot of people who buy oodles just don't realise the grooming and clipping necessary- might hurt their sales . Friends of ours earn big $, but seem to think grooming is overpriced at about $60. All about perception! I think $60 for 2+ hours work is good value and far cheaper than humans who have a whole lot less hair.

Poor dog. As a preventative, I find that Malaseb- diluted 1:50 with warm water- is good for cleaning ears prone to this. ATM, I would put only what the vet suggests in the ears as they're acutely infected. The brownish-reddish stuff is normal for an infected ear and should clear in time. Smelly ears means smelly dog, but the Malaseb is an antibacterial-antifungal shampoo which will help if there's a skin problem, too. MUST dilute for ears, however! As others suggest, try modifying diet as well.

I still do #5 body in winter, though I let it grow for about 6-8 weeks in winter. More like monthly clips in summer. Face, feet tail more like fortnightly, though I tend to be slack with brushing/combing. The dogs are very good about finding the best places: Warmest or coolest, depending on the weather. They also slept outside in #5 body with longer legs during winter on the South Coast, but would rarely be much below 10degrees.

South Coast, NSW CAMPING Ground: North Head, Moruya. Adjacent to dog-friendly beach. Flush toilets+ pit/hybrid toilets. Cold showers only. Drinking and bore water. Campfires with firewood from council caretaker (when doing AM and PM rounds). Between the airport and the sea. Very small airport and not at all noisy the weekend we stayed there. $14 per night for 2 adults.

A close friend had a GSD with chronic ear infections resistant to all treatment. It went on for years One vet suggested surgery, which was going to make the dog deaf, but owner decided against it. (BTW all this info is from the friend, who wasn't too be exact about the problem) The poor dog was obviously constantly bothered by her ears- I'd prefer a deaf, but comfortable dog. Good luck.

Glad you got it sorted out. It's really better that you see the vet if you're not sure what's going on. One of my dogs has always been prone to smelly ears/ mild infection. Mini poodles have floppy ears and small ear canals so can be more prone to this. The diluted Malaseb 1:50 with warm water works well if his ears become smelly/ mild infection. He's only needed vet prescribed antibiotics once, before I used the Malaseb 1:50 at the first sign of smelly ears. Hope you don't get a repeat, but is an economical way to treat a milder infection. Need to catch it early- you don't want to pour anything onto ruptured eardrums. I'd probably check over the dogs daily for ears, bits of seeds/grass stuck in their coats as part of normal pats.

Thanks, pf. Poor Charlie got a #15 on all 4 legs, so they're even after the op for luxating patella. Now looks like a spindly-legged poodle. Fur grows so fast on him- vet had to double check he'd got all the staples out only 14 days after a surgical clip. TLC, #5 is 6mm, but length also depends on HOW you clip- will be shorter if you go against the growth of the fur. #3 is about 1/2 inch. see http://clipperbladesharpening.webs.com/clipperblades.htm I buy my blades and have them sharpened there. Great advice if you contact Colin, also. I find those comb attachments hard to use unless the dog is washed, blow-dried and brushed out very well (zero knots/ tangles). I think #5 looks very nice with legs scissored- like poodlefan's avatar. On our standard, I normally use #5 body and #4 or #3 on the legs due to laziness (lot of fur to scissor). I'm just looking for super-easy grooming when travelling. If the dog's gone shaggy due to lack of brushing/ clipping, I do a quick #5 skiptooth all over, then bath, then a quick redo with an F blade. Takes ages to dry the standard's thick coat, otherwise. F= finishing= smoother look; Skiptooth is easier to get thru a dirtier/ longer coat with a few tangles, but isn't as neat.

I'd normally do #5 body + #30 face, feet, tail. Have #15 and #7F blades, too. Thinking of buying an extra # 7skiptooth or # 8.5 for body and legs? Plan to travel in summer with a camper trailer- so won't be able to clip them whenever I like. Plan to keep them extra short all over to make it easier to check for ticks, grass seeds etc. Charlie- apricot standard- has a thick coat, grows very quickly. Oscar's a black mini with an average coat.

I'd leave it be until he sees the vet tmw (unless you can see a grass seed). Flushing it could cause more harm than good, not knowing exactly what the problem is. Could be infection, foreign body (e.g. grass seed), mites, ??? I prefer the diluted Malaseb rather than EpiOtic if the vet suggests something to clean the ears with.

You could trial an antihistamine like Claratyne (lorastyne is another brand), but 1/4- 1/2 human dose if the topical treatment is slow to work.