Ojay

One of the new household rules for Dog 1 is that he has to go and lay on his bed before he is fed. Silly bugger refused to do it tonight and is hell bent on keeping Dog 2 away from the doorway because he knows I will walk through there with his food. Now I feel guilt for denying him his dinner as he hasn't earned it

I got your PM SnT, thank you, I will keep it on file to use if I can't make some progress with going back to basics. Nekhbet, you hit the nail on the head, I hadn't maintained it as a lifestyle, assuming that the basics would stick. We all need reminding and refreshers so it was my own fault to not pay enough attention. Dog 1 is very attentive at the moment, watching and waiting so he's at least switching on that something is up. Dog 2 has healed well and was belting around the yard this morning.

Boot camp started last night with going back to basic obedience training. We worked on sit stays, come, down, heel, give (of a ball, which he doesn't like to do). He also has to get on his bed whenever I go to walk in or out of the door. He had to stay on his bed and watch me pet Dog 2 before he got a pet. I was amazed at how excited he was by it all, poor bugger is more than likely bored out of his mind as the last few months have been really busy after a move and settling into a new job and routine. I also don't have the safe off leash locations I used to be able to let them run in. Tonight Dog 2 will be going back to basics after Dog 1 has a big run. Dog 2 can up his exercise once he is no longer lame from his injuries.

I have two dogs, aged 3 and 3.5 roughly, both large M&M's of pound origin. Dog 1 was brought home about 3 or 4 months prior to Dog 2. They have lived relatively happily together since then. As they have gotten older there have been a few little scuffles, mostly over food, but nothing serious. In the last 5 months or so it's gotten way out of hand. Dog 2 is today nursing nasty puncture wounds, bruising and a lacerated leg after last nights fight. There was no food involved and it seemed to arise from play that got out of hand. It's getting worse because Dog 2 is now fighting back. They are fed separately to avoid conflict on that front. But the last couple of fights, always initiated by Dog 1, started when I petted Dog 2 and not Dog 1, Dog 2 went near the backdoor when I was standing there. Another cause for a fight is when they are out for a walk, if another dog comes close, Dog 1 will attack Dog 2. Any thoughts, suggestions or strategies for a manageable ever after?

I think you've forced something on your family that they are clearly not motivated about. My husband isn't interested in my dogs either but he is at least supportive when I cannot be there, as in will feed them and tend to their basic needs. If you are going to keep Sam you need to change your own mindset and make her your dog and not expect your family to want to care for her, it will save you a lot of disappointment. Single people train their dogs around their routine, you should do the same with Sam to cater for your individual routine regardless of what the rest of the household is doing. They'll get used to her in time and probably appreciate her more when she is older and better behaved. The crate training and her pen are good starts at containing boisterous behaviour and minimising the impact on the rest of your family. You have every right to have a dog if you would like one, just as the rest of your family have a right to pursue their own interests, just don't expect them to participate in yours if they are not interested. It's hard and will likely involve a few heated discussions with your wife if you choose to keep Sam, but you should be able to negotiate a happy compromise. Best of luck with her Rob.

You're more than likely looking at kennel cough in this case rather than parvo. Secondary complications can be a problem with young dogs, they can develop bacterial infections and pneumonia, don't stress too much and have a chat with your vet about basic health maintenance strategies.

Your didn't fail her Chops, you did right when all else had done wrong and you were brave. Rest easy pretty girl.

This section of the yard is lawns and garden beds. Most beds are along the fenceline with fruit trees, tree ferns, weeping cherries, box hedge around the borders which have a very low rope barrier across them as protection. Since the rope barriers went up they really don't go in those beds much anymore (need to train the OH not the dogs me thinks). I did ask him to put barriers around the problematic beds which are offset along the path that leads from the house to the garage. There are two other fenced off sections, one for the vegie garden and more fruit trees and one where the washing line is. The latter section is where they will be now residing when unsupervised. There is a lean-to they can access down the side of the garage for shelter. Your garden ideas are great Max and definitely something to consider when we have the time and funds to overhaul the section of garden they will be staying in. We kind of want to make that area into an outdoor living section with pavers etc, don't see why it can't be doggy outdoor living too with a nice sand pit and space with different textures. They killed the tennis totem much to my sons disgust, but there is a huge conifer that I can tie stuff to without problem.

Got electric across the front of the property so the boys don't escape, can't really run it around the beds as the kids play there also and don't want to zap them. Have thought about the ping sting collars but they boys would eat them or the older one would swing the other around by it and choke him (can't have collar on the younger one because of this)

Good in theory PAX, but there is no front yard, the house is right on the front property boundary!

Yeah, know the feelng sasjeep, but the rottie in my avatar died nearly a year ago so he is not the problem, it's his successors causing the trouble NW, so to put the digging behaviour on cue, I guess I bury their treats with them watching and only let them at it with their command of OK (used to release them for food). Thanks for the hanging toy reminder, they love that but had not gotten around to putting up another toy since they killed the last one. Have lost the kong so will have to get another one.

Yes he gets his time-out when he behaves likes this but it still makes me laugh on the inside, just glad he's not a human teenager, much more difficult to manage

Been there done that, it provides a short term deterrent until the poop breaks down then they are back at that spot and in another spot in the interim

Yes I think that is part of the problem Benji's Mum, they do run riot together and the worst time are in their after dinner play and first thing in the morning. The parts of the garden that do have barriers they do not cross into very much and don't go through there full pelt, nor have they dug in those parts at all lately. I have suggested these preventive measures to OH in the past on many occasions but he has chosen not to do anything about it for whatever reason. So far, I will be meshing the garden, covering the mesh with mulch, putting the sand pit in the place they are currently so interested in then, bury the stinky treats in it for them to dig for (will even bury crickets in there for them), then will move teh sand pit gradually over time to a more suitable location. Will put them in the other part of the yard that is fenced off at high risk times and/or when they can not be supervised....just hope they learn to hold their water overnight when locked inside, thankfully the floor is tiled.

Yep did that last week, made absolutely no difference. Nor does spices or chillies, they love them to eat.

Alas have not got the spare $$$ for a dog walker at present. Bones are a good idea Benji's Mum, except one is quite dominant and will aggressively attack the other one when bones are present. I also have not yet caught them in the act. Even when you go crook at the older one, he taunts you barking and laughing at you saying ner ner ya can't catch me ...suck eggs....he's a right so n so that boy. Potentially the cause may be attention seeking Erny, but not quite sure. They are very happy with each others company, play for ages good n hard too, sleep in the house and have free access in and out to the entry foyer where their beds are, HUGE yard for their play, lots of toys, can see out the front for variety and things to yap at, bones every day....just me gone two-three days each week which does not change their behaviour at all. They get a BARF type diet so not full of artificial stuff to hype them up.

I'm hearing you Erny. They don't get any interaction or away from home exercise when I am not there.....he's an animal hater so getting them fed is all that I can ask for. There is no change in their behaviour on a day to day basis, as in there is no pattern with my absence. The kids have a sandpit but the dogs don't utilise it for anything. By sandpit do you mean the wading clam type? If I get one, how do I reshape their digging behaviour? Am not sure what they are going after, whether it is bugs in the ground etc, as they go after three or four particular spots. He wants to tie them up but that will only make it worse, as in they will start yapping and fighting. I'll couple any changes with wire mesh over the problem areas to prevent them digging where I don't want them to. I guess I will start with the sand clam/pit by burying smelly treats in there etc......any other thoughts?

They could get more stimulation, couldn't they all, but I do as much as I can within my limitations, we go walking around town, long off leash walks nearly every week up the busy, we play ball in the yard regularly and tug of war. Fact is I am not there 3 days a week to keep it up every day. They do it whether we are there or not, nothing that springs to mind seems to make much difference Oh and there is another fence off area that they can utilise but OH doesn't want them in there (goodness knows why) because they dug holes in the corners.......arrrgggghhh....... the ultimatum I am faced with today is keep the garden or keep the dogs.

Hi all, My boys, about 18 months and 12 months old, are absolute maniacs in the garden. They have eaten expensive trees, incessantly digging holes, smash into things when playing etc etc. Now they have been threatened with a rather unpleasant outcome if it does not stop, either that or they will cause a family breakdown, and that is by no means an understatement...dog lover living with dog/animal hater. It has come down to the dogs go, the garden goes or I go. Have tried many different preventive methods, such as putting their poop in the holes, citronella flakes, fencing off (this has been not too bad in some garden areas). Where they are currently digging they are doing so repeatedly and they are not just holes, they are craters. Please, any ideas.....strategies that I will be trying is chook mesh over the beds dug in at the sides with mulch over the top and read on another post here about naphtalene flakes (though am concerned about toxicity). Please...help!

Tilly, that seems to be a lot of food for one rottie, maybe he is a busy boy and needs that much. My rottie was 45kg, only a small boy, but he was never overweight. He used to be fed on Scotty rolls and Supercoat. He got about 150-200g of Scotty roll and 2 cups of dry a day and was in fab condition to the day he died. My boys now are on a raw diet and go through 5kg of meat, about a kg of mixed vegies and fruit etc, also up to 500g (uncooked weight) or brown rice a week. They also get a meaty bone each day which would be probably up to 4kg of bones a week, they are med-large m n m's and are in great nick.

if there is damage to the sphincters in her gut then yes the gas and some fluids may ooze, kinda like indigestion. People who suffer from severe reflux often have a very unique smell about them as you can smell what is in their gut

Am wondering whether her gut is working properly and whether she is experiencing reverse peristalsis where fecal matter ends up in her gut. IF this is the case she would probably vomit it up. The worm infestation may have damaged the lining and muscle in her intestine meaning that food is pooling there and resulting in excess gas taking a path of least resistance out of her gut...upwards

make your own dog food then there won't be any problems or ethical issues other than your own personal ones

my guys LURV their lamb flaps, pity my butcher doesn't sell them cheap! I get them chopped into 2-3 pieces and they are scoffed down within seconds. They aren't hard for the dogs to eat, not like leg bones. Rib bones especially on young animals like lambs are soft and have a high % of cartilage.

Pushed in a spoonful of peanut butter, has NEVER failed for me