Christina

One of my poodles (RIP in doggy heaven now) started with arthritis all over body at age 3. Chronic at 6. I used to groom her lying down. She did this willingly & got a nice massage after. Maybe the owner would consider,due to age & heat now,just having the dog clipped real short. Doesn't look fancy but much more comfortable for the dog. You can do most of it,including inside & outside legs,round bum etc with dog lying down & just manouvering about. Sitting for the rest. Nails can be cut while lying on side. Just a weird way of doing it but less time consuming if dog will relax & lie down. Due to lack of movement they do get fat,healthier being slimmer there is only so far food can be cut back & when it gets this bad you would have to starve them,the weight just doesn't shift at a certain point. If the owner is kind you want have this one to do for much longer. There comes a time when goodbye world is the best option. Sad.

You need to take her to the vet. Sounds like irritation. Could be a urine infection or a number of things. No use guessing,best to make an appointment & find out.

Sorry if I wasn't clear on this. Of course it applies to some mobiles too. My point was that you are there & I did say that if the dog is diciplined or handled innapropriately to stop the session. There are good & bad groomers in salons or mobile. Groomers are not given years of formal training,its a learn as you go process or a short course. The rest is up to the natural talent & expertise of the individual. Some may groom for 10 years & only be mediocre,passable, where others can have a years experience & be excellent. I have seen dogs with dreadful haircuts & their owners were delighted,others want perfection. Starting out one can only learn to handle the dog,no use going any further if you cant do that,then the grooming. How expert one becomes is up to the individuals capabilities not where it is done.

Phone around & see if you can find a mobile groomer that can clip,some can't. That way you can stay with her & watch. Going to a salon is not stress free. Puppies often kick up holy hell & shriek & wriggle. If you learn to clip yourself you have to be firm & confident & be able to control her. Start now,if you haven't already. Stand her every day for a brush & comb. Doesn't matter if she needs it,its training. Talk to her so she learns what you want her to do. This leg,head up etc. Get your clippers now & run them near her so she is not scared of them,even if you don't clip yet. Some salons use very harsh discipline,are rushed & time is money. Someone who grooms on a hobby basis & will let you stay & watch is often a better option. It is likely that she will carry on initially,most do,but you may be lucky so expect firm & persistant handling from the person grooming,thats fine,they have to have control & they soon learn & stop after a couple of clips but if you object to any part as excessive stop them & find someone else. Learning from a book is fine,hair grows back if you stuff up, but you need her to stay still.

Must agree about the seperating part posted,if you are not around. Had 2 girls developed a hate thing for each other around 3 & 4,no problem before then. Ok when I was there but never left together if I wasn't. Forgot about that long ago. Good advice for you.

Oh I just think its double the fun. Had up to 5 together with no problems. They do play rough when young but thats normal. Thing is you do have to spend individual time with them for training,2 together is too hard. Things like eating in their own spot & not fighting over food,sit, etc are fine together but walking on a lead has to be done one on one until they are trained,then they are fine together. Toilet training was the hardest bit for me. I never knew which one had done it unless I saw it happen. Depends if you are used to dogs really.

I don't think the dog should have been loose when they were coming but thats not the point. These people had no right to tie your dog up to the point where it was injured. If they could not work with the dog there they should have left the job & contacted you to either return when satisfactory arrangements had been made or billed you for a call out fee for the inconvenience,which would have been cheaper than the vet fees & less traumatic for your dog. If your dog had been injured due to attacking them & them defending themselves that would be your fault,another scenario. I would be sending them the vet bills & contacting the head of the company,if there is one. For future work though it is best to either have your dog inside or arrange for it to be done when you are home,say weekend etc. I'm just sorry for the dog,must have been scary for it.

I also wonder if the pup is just growling to communicate with you,just sort of finding its voice,as opposed to actually being nasty. I had one singleton pup,no problems & hand raised a kitten from 3 days old,no problems at all. Kept both,they are fine with the other animals & just the same as from bigger litters.

!st thing is to stop the poodle going down into the other parts of the house. Just tell mother to shut the doors. 2nd thing is to start toilet training over again. How old is the puppy ? Little dogs can take a bit longer to train for a start they cant hold it for as long. Occasional accidents will happen for the 1st few months. Being upstairs maybe she is not letting puppy out as much as needed. Paper training can be an option. The puppy needs to be put in the laundry or bathroom when she is out & left with some newspaper to go on. Crate training not a good option here if she has sort of trained the puppy. A toy poodle would be very miserable as a an outside dog. They need company & are totally unsuited to that life. Give her some house training tips & don't expect perfection initially.

I tried 3 vets when I moved to a new area. The last one won me over when my puppy stood shaking on the table,just for a new puppy check. He said she is scared I will just give her a cuddle 1st. Very happy & the staff are all fantastic too. Always recommend them to others. Nothing worse than an inefficient or uncaring vet. We place so much trust in them,as well as $ & our animals cant talk. Heard of some shockers,as in all walks of life.

Your puppy looks so cute,I bet you are so excited & can hardly wait. I cant answer your question about toilet training using crate method as I dont do it. I crate pups for safety when mopping floors etc or when I cant watch them but I paper train & graduate to outside. For grooming you will need a soft slicker brush,these come in normal size & puppy small size,which is handy if you are not used to using a slicker brush. Also a straight metal comb with wide spaced teeth at one end & smaller spaces at the other end. Give her a little brush & comb every day to get her used to it even though she doesn't need it. Good training. Wouldn't worry about the kennel. Why will she want to go in it when you are there. Lots of fun coming your way.

Yes it is my dog. I only pluck with fingers,the hair inside the ear,small mount at a time. Use fingers,ear canal is much too small & dangerous with wriggly dog to use haemostats. She is fine having ears just handled. Past experience in salon work & dont approve discipline methods I usually have no trouble training dogs or pups for all grooming,apart from initial resistance with some which is normal. At vet check ears were fine. It does hurt a little at first like having eyebrows plucked but they do get used to it & it shouldn't be an ordeal if done regularly. Never had one carry on this much. Stumped.

The problem is a poodle puppy,just 4 months. I have plucked her ears,which are quite hairy, about 4 times now. She goes hysterical jumping around & carrying on so much I have to sit on the floor with her & the only way I can do it is to wedge her head against my chest & pluck the opposite ear. Used to grooming I know that some kick up at first & then give in but this is the worst,you would think I was killing her & she has to learn to accept this. I can hardly hold her & its a half hour job as I cant even get to her ear. I am firm but she wont give in. Dont want to stress her too much & make this a nightmare for her,but it is. Patience of a saint but I honestly felt myself getting angry last time with the frustration,which is no help & useless,so stopped. Another person helping was worse,better alone. Reluctantly considering a sedative but how will she learn if sedated. Will not take her to salon. Any suggestions, apart from sheer bloody persistance much appreciated,especially ways of restraint that wont hurt her.

As I browse the posts I wonder. How did our pet dogs & many others survive for 13 to 19 years quite often, in the days when we did not have all this knowledge,choice & vet advice. They were often fed a big bone & some raw offcuts from the twice weekly butchers shopping,what we had sometimes,scraps,dry,what little choice there was back then & an odd can of Pal or Chum as thats all there was. Now we are bombarded by manufacturers advertising & various media stuff. So confusing. Dogs eat meat & birds basically. You have to feed dogs what suits them. The pet meat stinks & is loaded with preservatives so unless a better source can be found I wouldn't use it. Science diet is great for half my cats diet but it constipates my small dogs,Advance suits them better. Use your own judgement & common sense by observing your dogs health,coat,teeth & bowels is the best I can say.

Had the same problem with a Doberman I used to have. She didn't do it all the time but still did it as an adult. I realised it was always on windy days when the line blew round a lot. The cure was to put a pair of stockings on the line with some pepper in the feet. Watched through the window. She grabbed them & let go so quickly. Ran out with water for her & felt so mean but she never touched the washing again. Think you need to find the Why & then take appropriate action,thats not too mean.

That 1st idea is brilliant.Not had this problem but will remember that just in case.Thanks.Elizabethan collars are awful.Makes me feel like choking thinking of them.

Persistant scratching of ears,head shaking & if bad black gunk in the ear. If showing any of these you need to go to a vet as mites cant be seen. The vet will take a swab & look at it under the microscope for diagnosis. Not had it in a dog but a cat I bought from interstate had them.She had no gunk & no scratching,however a vet check revealed them.They can be contagious so if you do suspect them isolate from other animals until clear.

Used this product and found it to be really good.One of my old dogs injured his back,being a bit senile he needed keeping quiet.it worked very well.Also gave it to one of my boys when he was stressed & gone off food due to a bitch on heat.Settled him nicely.The tube has a dosage plunger thing on.Its a bit hard to use at first for a small dose but manageable.Just takes a bit of practise.Less drastic than Valium for sure.

Grooming should be a pleasant experience for a dog not something to be dreaded.Some small breeds hate having front feet shaved but thats about it.Most dogs love to have a brush. Stop sending your dog to the groomers unless you stay with it. Stop the session instantly if your dog is harshy disciplined.I dont mean the firm verbals,Thats ok. As suggested stand your dog on something,table,washer,bench etc against a wall or in a corner so you have some control against jumping.Speak gently to your dog & praise when compliant & a firm No or Ah Ah when not.The dog will try to please if it knows what you want.Groom daily.Have a food treat to be used at the end of grooming only.Gentle but firm persistance works eventually. I never stop until I have finished or the dog knows it has won. If your dog is really terrified & stressed you may have to stop but I would want to find out why it is terrified. They usually kick up at first then give in if you make it enjoyable. It is not supposed to be a nightmare for you & something your dog dreads.Keep trying.

It is good that the breeder is honest about this but for $900 I would want a puppy without a heart murmur. Maybe best to wait for another puppy. Having said this I lost my chihuaha at 16 years of age. He had a mild heart murmur diagnosed at 3 months so it wasn't anything drastic. If you go ahead make sure you get your guarantees in writing. I assume your puppy is for pet only not to be bred from.

Sad but very true.At least with a mobile you can make them stop if you dont like how your dog is disciplined.In a salon you wont even know.Sounds like these people who are making these remarks want your business.Just ignore it.If people are happy with your services they will come back & recommend you to others.

This makes me so mad.Its not just the cross breeds that come in all matted to the skin. Do the owners think that their dog who is not used to being groomed is just going to stand there while all these strange things are being done to it Apart from some being scared & stressed they can also get very rough handling from some ( not all ) groomers. If they cant be bothered to put a brush in their hand for a few minutes a day they shouldn't have a dog that requires it. It is a form of cruelty they are just too dumb to see it. Grrrrr.

My contact lens. After a good night out & a few drinks I dropped the case with solution & lens in. Pup ran forward & drank the lot.

Hi, It's not all so hard. Poodles are people dogs & they really want to please you.If he's not crying at night he sounds fairly placid & content.There are a million books you can read on training & each will use a different method.Its just a matter of common sense,consistancy & connecting with your pup.Whatever you use,no is ok,its observing & making sure he understands you.The pup cannot obey if he doesn't get it. Be kind but firm.Also as he will need frequent grooming remember to train him for this.Daily gentle brush & teach him to stand still. Look in his ears,mouth & handle his feet.Make it nice not nasty for him so he will not be scared & difficult at the groomers.Better still learn yourself.He is a pup so he will be naughty(in your eyes not his) You should love him more as time goes on.The newness never wears off for me.Patience & confidence in yourself.There is no magic 'right way' Enjoy your baby.

Hi, Go to the vets before you lose them all,or at least phone. There is a 24 hour vet on Anzac Highway,one at Golden Grove One on Walkerville terrace & a couple of others in yellow pages. No idea whats wrong,not much help but you need the vet. If you haven't a ph book post again giving your area & I will post ph number of nearest to you.