Christina

You can take the tap/spout off & screw a hand held shower head on there instead. Easy . As shown except don't let your friend re tile unless you are sure they will come back & finish it for you

Your only decision now is whether the side effects of chemo are worth it for quality of life & time given or to let go. Worst nightmare. My sincere sympathy.

Poor dog. I would give him time to grieve & not take him to the normal places he went to with Bonnie. Maybe just closer to home for now & less exercise. Maybe try some Tranquil Paste from a fodder store. It is a vitamin type thing that calms & soothes but has no drugs/medicine in it. Relaxes them. Really good for my boys when girls are on heat & they stress. I don't get skinny boys since using that. Would not go anti depressant. Thing is that its right for him to be depressed for now. Also if the medication does not do what its supposed to & has a side effect the dog cannot tell you. When these kind of drugs alter your brain chemistry & make it go awry it can be drastic & how will you know ? Dog can't speak. Short trips to new places, lots of pats, any food he wants, left out all the time, let him pick if he wants to. Just takes time I guess & that is variable not set. Doubt he will starve himself to death even though its a worry.

No, that wasn't quite the reason. Being easter & the last day the vet was open & vet being busy & relaying message/conversation through nurse it was all a bit puzzling however after easter when I was there with kittens I asked what had happened. The stricture was widened by inserting something, not cutting/surgery, in such a small animal. This means that although she was stretched internally & checked afterwards it can go tight again. This is what had happened by the time I checked her. She had the surgery a couple of months ago. The stretch is basically forced entry & hopefully the dog can get in when its time. Does not always happen. Putting her to the stud & him gradually doing the deed over the few days & stretching her was what seemed to work. The timing was about right & did not cause the problem. We will see the result with an ultra sound in a few weeks. Bit hard to understand as one thinks if it is stretched it stays stretched, I did, not so.

The only way to find a food allergy is to feed one natural food only. For at least a week. That means just fresh chicken. Or just fresh beef. Or just fish. Or just beef. If you feed anything that is manufactured or has more than ONE ingredient, even a supplement it is not a true result. All well ? after a week add another thing. Maybe rice. Fresh rice that you open & cook. This is how an food allergy test is done. Not by using low allergy manufactured food. Your dog may be allergic to a low allergy thing & how would you know what it was. Allergy is guessed so much & misdiagnosed & misunderstood. Thin pup does not mean allergy. There could be so may reasons. Worms, just an active phase, thyroid, genetics. All sorts. All too vague really. Pup may not be ill at all.

Had a Great Dane once. Acquired as an adult. Fabulous well trained & obedient dog. Adored him. Only 2 faults. Him weighing over 9 stone & me being just under 8 didn't help (Kilos not used much then). Used to have a go on the trampoline outside after the children had gone to school. Fun alone. He would not let me off Every time I went to get down he charged under it & started lifting it up. Great game for him, tail wagging & woofing. Terror for me gripping the edge & trying to lie flat on my belly. I was over 40 Finally people walked past the back gate & he charged over barking so I got off. Tried it all again but this time when I was not home alone. He did the same again, twice. Funny he never did it when the children were on there but he had come from a home with 3 young children. Other thing was if he got in the hallway & did not want to go out. Obedient anywhere else but here he would lie on his back with his legs in the air, head back & lip flaps wobbly on the floor No amount of asking nicely, getting firm, trying to physically lift him would get him to roll over & move. The trick was to make a chocolate spread sandwich & form a trail, like in Hansel & Gretel story, to lead him through the house & out of the back door. He would not follow a trail of any other food & didn't do this in any other room in the house. He was 5 when I got him so maybe these were habits he already had.

Yes. home visit is always the best. You can get some suprises. Wonderful & :D A website is just a website. Show is fine for a look around & to meet people but people may also be busy & not have chance to chat unless you time it right, after the judging. Preparation & waiting to go in the ring does not always make people feel inclined to chat, I found a few times. Lots of breeders in NSW so good luck with a great breed choice. You will love your baby, they are such fun.

Cheap soft blanket things from variety store, homeart etc or op shops at first with newspaper/puppy pads for toilet at one end. They are easy to just pick up & change & wash once or twice or more a day & help until their little feet grip enough for a harder surface.

Yes. Will help if she needs it & won't do any harm if you are mistaken about her being in pain anyway. Maybe she just feels funny but I would get some regardless.

Success No use day 13, 14, 15, 16. She was standing willing, experienced dog was willing. Little poke only. Day 17 he got in but didn't tie enough to get off & turn so stayed on her back sort of stuck. Ouch my knees & back all that time on the floor supporting them Day 18 he tied. She didn't kick up a fuss, which I was worried about a bit. Weird. Last time I had an AI on her as I was going on a short holiday & it was day 12. Rush job & prog test result was phoned to me 2 hours later & got told she had gone past, missed her. Days were correct, very sure on timing. Didn't realise she had the stricture at that time. Stud boy is 9, very good & never misses or gets it wrong. Last fling for him I think so fingers crossed for a good & ceasarian free birth. I would really like something nice to keep from this mating. Oh the joys of breeding. Was confusing to say the least.

You seem to have some anger management issues. Probably a good thing the woman had gone. Likely she would have decked you. ;) Yes issues, sick sense of humour can be one of mine, often, funny post really.

Your dog will be fine with your cats so don't worry about that part. Used to them for so long & cats are much better able to defend themselves than guinea pigs, he won't suddenly see the cats as prey now as he didn't before. The guinea pigs were a seperate issue. No more small pets of this sort is the sensible option. Dog was being a dog, that's all. Its not just turned into a monster. Just a sickly & a bit of a shock when this happens.

All too much stuff now & no knowing if it is doing any good or making it all worse. How about stopping it all & asking the vet if you can put him on an antihistamine, like Phenergan, or similar that is safe for dogs. It may stop him scratching & make him dopey/sleep for a while, better, to give some sense of relief for symptoms to settle until you can get more help. Poor dog.

Keep them completely apart for 28 days, even if you think she has gone off & he is not interested. Sometimes you are not always sure of the exact day the season started, especially at first. I had one girl once who would not let the male mate her until she was between 19 & 22 days in heat, no matter how much he wanted or what I did. She was right, 3 litters from her. Not the usual but if the timing is not as you think better to be 100% sure. No pants or anything is sure to stop him getting her. Crates or seperate rooms/areas are a must. Some peoples dogs are not so much trouble & others just are no matter what. Peace will come with the desexing.

Normal & varying according to dog. Experiment & see if he is better in different places. Some settle better staying within sight of owner, some as far away from bitch as possible, inside or outside. 3 girls in heat here & the boys are much better when I am sat in the room with them. Use the quiet word, whatever it is, a lot & praise for obeying but don't yell at him or get mad, just confusing for him. Tranquil or calming vitamin paste from your fodder store/animal supply place may help. He may react less as he gets used to it or next time, my older boy doesn't go as nuts anymore. Earplugs

Thank you, helpful. Simple surgery, done months ago, no cutting, so doubtful. Early season may be misleading too.

Specific questions I need answering Why would the vet come out ? Yes I have put on gloves & felt inside her. Little finger only goes in half way, she is very small. Does this mean she is not ready ? Or does this mean that that is just the size she is ? Has the stricture gone ? I put her in for surgery. If she is more ready tomorrow will she be less tight ? She is acting ready. Will the male, if he keeps trying, make her wider ?

Any experience or advice please. Toy poodle, vaginal stricture, repaired a few months ago. On heat at 4 & a half months after last, same as my other 2 girls. The stud is very experienced & excellent. He just can't get in. She was a bit unwilling yesterday so I only tried twice but today she is standing, flagging & has been mounting the other 2 girls. Other 2 girls already mated. She is not quite as eager & horny as the 2 tarts are but is a maiden bitch. The male is eager. I phoned the vet who could not come to the phone but via vet nurse said he could AI her. Don't want to do this. If he can't get in pups can't get out for sure & I don't want her to have a ceasarian. I only mate natural & easy to whelp, the unexpected can happen accidently, I don't want it on purpose. I have given her a little tranquil paste to relax her & put her to him 4 times for a few short tries, hoping he may loosen her up. Don't want him bruised or damaged but doubt he would be so silly ? Could it be that she is not quite ready ? Can the dog penetrate if she isn't ? I would think so. Do I put her with him over the next few days if she is willing or is it all just a waste of time & frustration for the male ? Any knowledgeable input would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Yes, had a congo line of 3 here all day.

Also thinking WTF reading all this.All living things have a smell. People can be one of the smelliest species, get on a crowded bus on a hot day last time I did, about 20 years ago, I got off & walked the 8 kilometres instead. All dogs will have some kind of smell, even if you don't notice your own. Smell can be stronger due to health issues/teeth etc but generally you can expect a dog to smell like a dog, like a person smells like a person. You love them & the smell of them & don't have one if you don't like dog smell. Regular wash & brush helps too. Their sense of smell is far superior & more sensitive than ours is. I sometimes wonder how they cope with the smells us humans create with all the chemicals used in our homes & weird cooking stuff.

Love my toy poodles with their tails. That is the way they were born & the tail expresses a lot of what a dog is feeling. I see absolutely no point in removing healthy parts of a dog unless there is a very good reason. For cosmetic purposes is not a good reason.

PRA test & regular, yearly, patella checks on the adult dogs. Ask to see these. Anyone can say yes they are done. The other things are either rare/not common enough to require a test or not testable, like epilepsy. Stay away from any that have staining from the corner of the eyes too. Cosmetic/maybe but a nuisance thing.

Suppose posting this news on a pure breed dog forum isn't going to get you a round of applause. Good luck with your puppy. I have done similar in the past. It is human for the heart to rule the head sometimes. Mongrels (that is about the right description) do often survive & exist without all the things that responsible breeders do. It is pot luck if it is healthy & problem free. Hope all goes well & you & the dog are all happy & together for a long time.

Yes mine have had it, at about 2 or 3 weeks I think. They also go food finicky for a short spell too. Normally they are not fussy eaters at all.

Quite simple really. It is your dog & if you don't want to tie it up then don't. You have paid the person for advice. Whether you take it or not is your choice. No one way is the right way for training all dogs. Some respond well to a certain way & some respond better to other ways. You have to feel comfortable with whatever way you do it. I can't see anything wrong with being affectionate with your dog, I cuddle & fuss my lot heaps, but if you completely ruin it, are not consistent in making it obey you & making the rules clear & your dog understanding your requirements, you are not going to be able to do anything with it. Maybe this particular trainer is not right for you.