tentalover

Thanks I'll try that

Can anyone recommend a coat sunscreen? - I have a lovely Liver girl but the sun is ruining her colour and she is a sun worshipper so I just can't get her out of the sun unless I completely confine her and I don't want to do that.

check his back molar's 11mths is about the time they start to break through and these would be causing him some discomfort. If he's not eating bones the way he used too its probably becasue his back teeth (the ones he using for cruching up bones) are sore. A few of mine have shown similar signs when the molars were breaking through. But if its not obviously those molars I'd pop to the Vet

Im keen to get back to some obedience work as well but became so disallusioned with the club I just haven't been back, and the training just hasn't been happening. Unfortunately I can only train of a weekend as I work fulltime but come daylight savings an evening training session would be an option as well. Maybe even different venue training occassionally would be a good idea as well. Let me know if it gets off the ground becasue I am keen. Leanne

Personally, I'd be going to the vet as the lymphs glands are in the neck and if there's an infection in a lymph gland you wouldn't want to wait a week or so. I am speaking from personal experience here. I had a dog who developed a lump in her neck and it turned out to be an infection. Unbeknown to us at the time it was a precurser to other problems that developed over time. So personally any lump in the neck it would be off to the Vet. Hopefully it'll be all good for you and your dog.

We get our meat from a wholesaler, I think it's called pet chef?, anyway it is across the road from the animal welfare shelter in Elizabeth - just off peachy road. Not open every day of the week though but there is a pet food store in the Elizabeth shopping centre (near woollies and donut king) they stock the same meat that you can get from the wholesaler. As for bones, we just keep an eye out in the local supermarkets and butchers. We ususally get chicken wings or necks, sometimes turkey. There used to be a pet shop at Angle vale that sold meat and bones. I found the meat to not be very fresh but the bones were better qaulity - often could get whole cicken frames and venison flaps from them. My dogs love chicken feet but they are hard to get now in my area. Cheers. I've got a fried down in Adelaide that goes to a great pet meat supplier. I remember when I was there 3 years ago and started wishing we had something like that in Newcastle. I think it might have been petchef but not sure. I can find out if you want. Just Pm me and I'll talk to my friend and find our where it is for you

Newcastle, nsw, unfortunately we don't have any dog training clubs of worth that I have found around here, and certainly none that I know of that encourage the use of a clicker. 1 club has actually banned their use, go figure... needless to say this club is about 25 years behind the times with their training methods which is why I am no longer a member.

OK here's some more info. 1st of all I'll say that I love the enthusiam I just don't know how to control it. He is the type of dog that just can't sit still. The only times I see him not moving is when he is asleep. As an example when I ask for a sit I get one but the backside is constantly moving and the front feet still pacing, it might last for 2-3 sec's and then he's offering any and all other behaviours to get my approval. He just doesn't stop. He is really very clever and I think this is the major problem because he picks up everything very quickly then just goes like a bull at a gate so the whole shaping of the behaviour goes out the window. To explain how smart this dog is I'll share a story with you. He had raced outside around 7pm last night and I followed to see what all the excitment was about. There is my baby pacing the side fence, on his hind legs backwards & forwards in an attempt to see what was happening on the other side. Now my boy is only 1 1/2' tall on his hind legs and he was trying to see over a 5' fence from about a meter out. I just watched him to see how long he would keep it up & about a minute or so into the pacing (still on his hind legs) he figured he was too short to see anything so he backed away from the fence (still on hind legs) to get a better field of vision. Obviously that didn't help but he was at it, on & off, for another 15 minutes or so. I really want to train this dog as I know I'll never come across another one like him, and I really believe I can achieve a lot with him. I am just at my wits end trying to figure out how to calm him down so I can start shaping behaviours, I do not want to dampen the enthusiasm though. Learning is not an issue it is just getting things stable and getting exactly what I want not what he thinks I want. I should add its not necessarily the sight of the clicker that sets him off he is just as enthusiastic without the clicker as well. he just want's to please.

Its seeing the clicker and the thought of training I think. Its like " oh boy oh boy! what can I do? what can I do? I can do it! I can do it!"

Hi everyone I'm hoping a few people may have some suggestions for me. I am blessed (cursed) with one over the top Tenterfield who is just so keen to please that I can't settle him to get any wothwhile training done. I am using clicker training as I don't want to be hauling him around on a lead for training but he see's the clicker and goes slightly more feral (keen) than he usually is. Does anyone out there have any idea's as to how I can settle my boy down so I can have some effective training sessions with him. I should also add that he is usually way over the top with everything he does, shows brilliantly in the ring but its in obedience that I think he will excel. I also want to get him into agility but until I can get some focus from him that is out of the question. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Leanne

Before you get too catch up in the whole elimination diet thing. The least expensive way to determine if a contact allergy exists is simply put a singlet or t-shirt on your dog when they go outside. If over a few day the rash subsides on the belly and chest then a contact allergy is more likely. This is how I determined my furry kids had a contact allergy and when I explained what I had done the vet was very impressed with the idea. I'm still trying to find the right solution for my guys as everything mentioned so far I've tried and each has helped to a certain degree but I'm getting really desperate now. I'm on the search for a good homeopath that understands dogs to try some natural remedies, any recommendations out there?

Why don't you try feeding using a Kong and/or treat ball. double bonus here 1. she can't gulp the food down and 2. it'll keep her busy for a while and out of mischief Just go and buy a large Kong and stuff her wet food into this. You could even try freezing the food in the kong so it'll take her even longer. And a medium to large treat ball if you also feed dry. You may need to teach her how to use it but if she is that keen on eating she'll have it figured out in no time. Also as she gets older the extra exercise the treat ball offers will help with any excess weight as she will have to work for her food. Also you could hand feed for a while and when she snatches the food put the bowl on the table/kitchen bench and walk away for 10 mins, then go back and start again. everytime she snatches take the food away she'll soon learn not to snatch. After she gets used to this idea you could put the bowl down and if she gulps take it away. I wouldn't recommend this for an older dog expecially of the large breeds if they were food agressive though.

I could be way off track here but this has worked for me. If the dogs skin in red and sore use some "bepanthen" (nappy rash cream). I find it relieves the itching, settles the redness and puts a barrier on the skin to protect it when she is back out in the yard. I will add that I regularly used malaseb & phyxohex with little benefit and since using the bepanthen I have been able to reduce the use of steroid tablets to help with the itching.