Christina

I breed cats & dogs so often have kittens & puppies together. Introductions are done slowly & carefully & I never leave baby anything with adults alone until around 4 to 6 months when I am out. Cats are usually ok with pups once they know them & will just give them a warning whack if they push the limit & jump up out of the way. Here is your problem I think. Ragdolls cant really jump very well & quickly usually. Most cats wont attack first they would rather move. Maybe its just more time that is needed. Re litter tray. I keep a large deep one in the laundry. Stood it on top of a big wooden box so cats can jump in but little dogs cant reach for smelly munchies. Maybe use an old coffee table etc.

Let me know too. I paper train all mine & they have a ball with it but around 8 weeks they just stop it. They dont pee on paper forever but I had a cat that did for 10 years, couldn't put my paper down if I was reading it.

My 6 are fed together with about a foot or so between them. They all understand "Ah ah, leave it " I do stand near by until they finish. The last new dog came in at 8 months old & had no training at all so I stood between him & the others until he got it. Takes a while to get there & they would pinch each others if I wasn't there but no fighting. I also make them all sit before they get breakfast. Dry goes down late afternoon in one big bowl but they just pick & dont fight over dry, just the meat, vegies, egg, cheese etc. Firm persistence & I am the boss I guess.

Cant say I agree with the whole article however there is some truth in it. The co dependent people part fascinated me more than the rest. It never ceases to amaze me how so many believe so called experts, media & authority. How did we manage without it all ? Suppose people had to weigh up the pro's & con's & work it out using common sense. In all aspects of life in general. Which is what is needed re vaccines. Of course it is best to protect your puppy from Parvo etc but to give a toy breed dog a C5 vaccine at 6 weeks & then give it 2 boosters is a big risk IMO for example. The same as vaccinating unwell or very old animals. Using sensible caution according to the circumstances & lifestyle of your own dog seems to be the sensible option here. While I do think they need vaccines & thank goodness we have them it does seem to be overdone & is a profitable industry.

Has anyone tried these http://vetnpetdirect.com.au/product.php?pr...=341&page=1 I phoned to enquire about them & decided to stick with the Osters & they have sent me the wrong one. Feedback from any users appreciated, I may keep it. They also have to be mailed to Sydney for sharpening so cost ? If anyone knows.

In 2 days he has hardly had chance to adjust to anything & he is only a baby. You are doing it right so have patience, once he understands what you want he will do it. If you are happy having him on your bed that is fine. Your dog, your choice. I have never had any problems at all with dogs that sleep on the bed although some believe its wrong or don't like it.

No disrespect Settlvr, I am pleased that you are so kind & talented enough to handle every dog that kicks up & gets hysterical but having worked in several places in this industry I know & you will know too that there are many groomers that are very confident & send dogs out looking wonderful that use methods of discipline that would not be popular with many people. All dogs do not instantly obey & allow the groomer to do whatever they want to them. A confident person who is used to handling has more chance of success but its not guaranteed. I have no problem whatsoever if anyone wanted to stay with their dog that I was grooming. I just tell them to sit a little way off & watch if I consider they are distracting the dog. However each to their own way I just gave what I considered my best advice having some experience. It would be great if all groomers were perfect but it is variable, as in many things.

If you cannot get this little dog used to being handled putting him in the vets & getting him sedated for grooming is the kindest option. By all means try a professional groomer if you wish. Just choose one that will let you stay with the dog throughout the process. Ignore the reason No your dog will kick up if you are around. This dog is going to kick up with anyone with its past history & he may be whipped into shape & behaving in a way that may not be beneficial in the long run. Stay with him or get him sedated. Good luck with the little man. I hope he settles & has a nice life with you.

What are 'soft' teeth ? Never heard about this. More info please ? Learning something new here. I always thought puppies just had teeth, teething & they chewed things.

Try the huge marrow bones. I get the butcher to saw them in half length ways & then across into 4 as my dogs are very small but you can have them left bigger. Keeps them busy for weeks & they still chew on them forever after all meat has gone. Pups do just chew. You can only really move what you don't want wrecked & give them something to stick in their mouth.

Often wondered about this too, more concerned with my cats eating the flies. I decided not to use fly spray as I know I can hardly breathe & gag when its first sprayed so what does it do to them, who are smaller & more sensitive to things. Just fly swat instead.

Dont know how my parents dog survived, in the bad old days, 70's. He got scraps, an odd can of Pal or Chum, I think, only 2 around then. Throttles from the abbatoir occasionally, butcher gave him a bone sometimes when he came into the shop with us. I got him a small bar of chocolate when we went for my dads paper, he licked our ice creams, lollies, chips & nuts were shared with him, food was sneaked off our plates to him under the table,especially sprouts & stuff we didn't want to eat. The poor old boy died when he was 19. No dental probs, no health probs & a lovely shiny coat. What did we do wrong ? Just feed your pup the raw food, it will be fine.

Somewhere along the line she has found this to be an unpleasant experience. None of mine run away when I say brushes,never have & some get jealous if its not their turn. So if she runs & cries you need to find out why. Is the brush too hard ? Is she sore anywhere ? Has anyone else ever groomed her & been harsh ? Why does she associate it with something bad ? As long as you have her under control to accept brushing without wriggling, grabbing the brush etc maybe try a different brush, softer ? a wider toothed comb ? a different place ? Will she relax on your lap ? maybe some doggie choc drops for a treat for brushing only. I believe you can teach a dog to enjoy a brush, its not an unpleasant thing, if someone brushes your own hair it can be so relaxing. Now Ear Plucking ? That one has me beat, cant make that one pleasant.

Sad & very rare when you consider how many are done. The dog is only out for a very short time & human error or underlying condition is the usual cause. Allergy is possible, I know a person who died because they were allergic to the anaesthetic,but that is rare too. Can they request an autopsy ? Maybe by another vet.

If she only does it when you tell her off obviously thats what is causing it. So change the way you tell her off. Maybe tone of voice, shout or whatever you do scares her. Or maybe she does not really understand why she is being told off, like she knows something is bad but doesn't realise what it actually is. She may not know chewing the chair is a bad thing. Thats all I can think of. All my dogs know what Leave it means, its a good command for them to know.

I think the best dry food for your puppy is the one your puppy likes & will eat. They all prefer meat but a little dry is good & can be convenient when you go out or its so hot you dont want to leave meat around etc. Each has their own preference & advertising makes it all so confusing, everyone wants to sell their product & states it is the best. My small dogs have a big fresh feed in the morning & just graze at the mixture of dry I leave down later. They dont like the teeth cleaning ones so much so I mix just a few in with others. Variety makes them less fussy too. My cats love Hills Science diet but I found it made the dogs constipated,too concentrated I guess.

Smart cookie,thats hilarious. Wait until he cocks his leg. I had one that leaned against the wall & cocked his leg for the 1st time,except it was the leg that was not on the side of the wall

I hate crating & pens but it is a must for safety,at times & mine are toy breed. Try a bigger pen. Mine get a minimum run of 10 feet long. I have 4 large dog crates I can join up as one pen & some puppy pens in panels that I join to make a big run with those black plastic garden ties,snip the end off or they chew them. An active puppy will be upset confined in a small crate/pen. I may pop one in a single dog crate,or pen if I am mopping the floor etc,for a short time,say 20 mins or so but thats it. You cant let a pup wander free if you cant watch it but a 4 foot space is not enough IMO.

Pleased she is settling. Pups can be a pain no matter where they come from & you have got her now. You expected too much from her at first. I took on a 5 year old toy poodle once that had lived in a cage & was let loose at night to run around a big factory shed. She only jumped out of bed to pee & eat for the 1st 6 weeks & responded to nothing,not even looking at me. She turned out fine,house trained,loved grooming & baths,unknown before,walked on the lead too & I did not crate her (she had been caged enough) or get a behaviour specialist in. She did start having fits eventually though,probably epilepsy in the line. Time,consistency & patience & babies learn quicker. Your puppy will be fine.

Any vet can do the DNA test. Its a simple swab that is sent off for the results. For a physical exam contact the canine association. Here in SA they usually have a breed club bulk testing date,they test all breeds at them,for a reduced rate. Maybe similar there.

Some dogs just eat grass anyway because they like it. Chicken necks will make it worse. Put some mashed up Brussel Sprouts in her food. They work like magic

My BIL used to take his Doberman into the shower with him. Easy.

I have had a couple that do this. When they just sit there I stand & wait if they wont walk after I have tried saying walk a few times & ignore them. I wont use treats or tempters. They always get bored & move. Longest was about 7 minutes. Its boring but a puppy wont sit there all day. Lots of praise when they move their butt. Trying not to get impatient is the hard part.

Not a bit suprised. Some people drug their children to shut them up. Dogs bark for a reason,annoying as it sometimes can be. Its up to us to find out why.

Your dog has to stand on a table & get used to the one place & know it is grooming time. Once its trained you can just say brush,or whatever word,& do it anywhere you want. If its a wriggle bum try putting a coffee table near a cupboard door handle or somewhere you can hook a lead around. Put the lead on,secure it & make your dog stand & start at the back legs. Kneel down & keep it low so it cant jump & injure its neck. Keep telling your dog stand & verbally discipline in a sharp voice if it wriggles or sits. The dog cannot obey if it does not understand what you want it to do. So talk to it. This leg,chin up,belly etc.