SparkyTansy

I haven't read all the posts so sorry if someone has already said this, but one thing I would recommend you do is to make sure that when you take puppy to the laundry and you definately think it is time to go, do NOT give up... stay there as long as you have to encouraging your puppy to toilet... Cover the whole floor in newspaper if you havent already. A puppy as young as yours is never much more than half an hour off toileting, which means if you have to, just stay in there so you can be ready to praise when he does go. I had a terrible time with my little puppy last year... he was going literally every 5-10 minutes and with no warning at all... i started to take him out every 10 minutes and would stay out there repeating the phrase until he went... no playing or distraction... as soon as he went he would get more than enough praise from me plus a food treat - when i introduced food treats he learned a LOT quicker. Eventually he knew what was expected of him outside and that if he went inside he got no praise at all... It may seem like you are not getting through at all and then one day they just have a breakthrough... look forward to it!!

I believe it is quite possible to raise a puppy full time, as long as you are dedicated and fairly flexible in your working life, which is hard for some... I totally agree with Goldielover, that i would rather see a pup go to someone who works full time, but has the committment and determination to make it work, rather than to someone home all day that might happen to leave the dog outside all day with no interaction at all... Best of luck Jamesanddean, it seems like you are already part of the way there by asking all the right questions before you get a pup I hope you find what you are looking for and until then, keep asking those questions!!

Maybe cross post this in the breeders forum?

My boy had this when he was a puppy several times. He was diagnosed as having an allergy to chicken not long after that... it might be food related although it seems you are already doing an elimination diet for food allergies? Perhaps he is not reacting well to the goat meat... Spartan is allergic to chicken but also has low tolerance to many other meats. Best of luck getting Zedley treated..

What about George Almitee? ;) Kowai, my boys call name is Spartan!! Nice choice!!

Hi Nat, welcome to DOL! Generally most breeders will give you an information pack which includes feeding, what to feed etc. It might be a good idea to check what it is the breeder is feeding and feed the same diet for a few days and then slowly change it to what you would like to feed. It is also up to you whether you feed your meat raw or cooked. On DOL, there are many differing opinions on what food is best but it may pay you to do some research into Dr Billinghursts BARF diet. there is lots of information on DOL if you do a search. Diet is really a personal preference and I find it depends on your own lifestyle what you can feed your dogs. As for feeding times definately 3-4 smaller meals again i would check with the breeder to see what times the litter get their meals now and mimic that for a while. And stick around on DOL you will learn heaps!!

I would go for non visibility only for safety reasons... never really thought about the barking issue although i think my dogs would bark all day if they saw things going past...

I agree with poodle wrangler, she is trying to push the boundaries to see how far she can get... both times you gave in she got what she wanted, so do this again and it will make it more and more difficult to revert back to the crate. Buy your housemate some earplugs and be firm and in control. Eventually, she will understand that no amount of crying will get her what she wants and she will settle and entertain herself or go to sleep. hang in there, it sounds like you are doing a great job!!

My puppy swelled up like a balloon when he has his second... a quick trip to the vet and an antihistamine and he was fine.

Seems like your breeder is a great support to you. There is a heap of debate regarding fresh vs dry on DOL and it is up to you what you try. IMO fresh and raw is much better than dry however time is a factor for me and as a result i sometimes end up feeding dry. Take the time to read some of the debates etc and decide for yourself. Also don't give in to your pup... if you think that fresh is better and the pup likes dry, don't give in because this could result in a fussy puppy. If the pup doesn't want to eat, take the food away... one missed meal isn't a big deal and she will eat what you put in front of her next time.

Did either vet suggest further tests or x-rays to find out if it is anything else? It seems to me that neither vet looked very hard into what it might be, and if the second vet was aware that it occurred already, they should have done more to find the cause... There are plenty of good Chiro's out there but IMO you should get the vets to dig deeper to find the cause... Chiro's treat the problem, but they may not be able to tell you why it is occuring...

A little yoghurt is also a tasty addition to boring kibble! I have heard that the tasty smelling kibble that claims to be "palatable" to dogs is sprayed with animal fat to make it smell pretty good...

I sympathise with you as i currently have an English Setter who chews through reticulation pipes... he has managed to destroy about 50% of them in the back yard... I leave him plenty of stimulating toys during hte day but i am pretty sure they only occupy him for about 1/2 an hour when i leave... My boy is nearly 11 months and my other English Setter went through the exact same phase... he is on the other side of it and doesn't join in on the puppy's games at all... I am fairly convinced the pup will head in this direction... eventually!!

I was excited the first time my 4yo cocked his leg then quickly changed my mind... i have now started to encourage him to squat and only let him pee on one tree while out... if he must pee it is flat on the ground but he usually finds a branch or twig to pee over! my 10mo puppy hasnt cottoned on yet and i hope to god he never does... although he did do it once, but it was a quick leg up in the air oh god what am i doing, leg down and continued to pee... he looked as if he was doing some sort of courting dance...

it's moments like those that you wish you had an eye in the back of your head and one in every room!

Emmala just wanted to say your puppy is an absolute Gem... very pretty!

Goldie puppies are the cutest! Congrats to everyone getting or got a new golden... seems to be an epidemic at the moment!!

It may be a good idea to speak to your breeder, who would have an idea of when it is likely to happen... It may also be a good idea to speak to your breeder about when he/she recommends the dog be desexed, as you will find that opinions vary throughout the dog world...

Hi there If you are going to go grainless i would keep him on a meat for now, otherwise, if the itching continues, you will not know whether it is the meat or the grain that is causing it. I think the idea of elimination is to eliminate one thing at a time, but start by giving the dog a completely different diet. Interestingly enough, my vet said to try fish and potato initially and go from there. Intradermal testing will not test food allergies, and tests can be done but they do not bring back a very accurate result. Elimination, even though it is annoying, is the best way to find out which foods your dog is allergic to, as it could be more than one. There are vets out there that can give you a good guide on how to start your elimination diet... sometimes it is just hard to find a vet that is willing to tackle allergy and skin problems, because of the complexity and difficulty to treat.

Hi Maria Congrats on your new golden girl!! I would start housetraining from the word go... even if they don't get the hang of it straight away the learning starts as soon as you get her (they are like sponges). Also, be patient and consistent... sometimes it may seem like they arent getting it but persist... my puppy pee'd so often... he wouldn't even give me any signs he just went.... i started taking him out every 15 minutes just to get the point accross! Regarding the small vs. large crate, some say that you should use a crate where there is only enough room to sleep... if it is too big puppies can tend to sleep at one end and do their toilet at the other end. They do not generally mess their bed but if they only take up half the crate they might see the other half as toilet half, particularly if you aren't there to take them outside. Some crates come with a divider so you can adjust it as the puppy grows. As for moving the crate around i can't see that this would be a problem, but i am no expert. I did move the crate into the laundry when i was not home and it didnt seem to have any ill effects on his training. Good luck with your new baby and please don't forget to post some pics!!

I know of someone who had just gotten an 8-9 week old SWF (from a BYB i believe)... this dog seemed to have the same issues, did not like to be picked up or moved, never came when called and growled quite agressively if you tried to pick it up. I remember one day it was under the car and I tried to get him to come out and he growled... well I just walked away as it wasn't my dog and the people who owned it are not the sort to see it as a problem.. in fact, they thought it was "cute" when he did it... The dog did not grow out of it and they never did anything about it. The dog is very dominant. They brought the damn thing over to my house once and it had a go at my 3 mth old puppy for no real reason I was so furious because all the owner did was laugh!! Anyway, it is great to see you are trying to nip this in the bud - i think it is imperative you do this and keep on top of it to avoid the problem getting too big...

Hi Frank... Sounds like your wife and kids like the look of the cutsie ball of fluff but keep in mind this may not be best for your lifestyle. Sounds as if you like the Labrador if so do more research on the breed and tell your wife about the pros and cons of this breed. It turns out it may not be well suited to your family but you need to do the research. Now you have realised that a purebred pup is best you need to look not only for a breed well suited to your family but also do your own research into breeders. You said PM anyone willing to sell a pup within 2 hours of sydney. Most breeders would be willing to sell a pup anywhere as long as your meet their criteria so the best way to go about this is to do your own research. You say you don't want to miss any opportunities? Do this correctly and no impulse buying and you will find your perfect pup.

I had this problem... although it didn't last long as we got my boy a companion and now he is quiet during the day... Also, when some people say he barks from the moment you leave the to minute you get home could be exaggerating... i think some peoples idea of a constantly barking dog differs from others... I set up a tape recorder with a long tape and recorded when i left in the mornings. Well, ok so he barked a bit but it was not constant like the neighbors said... I still did something about it, but it worried me less when i heard it for myself. Sorry i don't have any other advice except walking them in the morning is great...like Nellie said

From a different POV, perhaps it isn't that Charlie dislikes being alone, perhaps he thinks that he needs to look after you... afterall, if he is displaying dominant behaviour such as humping, he may also think of himself as pack leader even at this early stage, and is there to look after you and your husband. i would contact a good behaviourist recommended by DOLers, and in the short term, i would not make any fuss of him upon your return from leaving him alone, or when he appears stressed, as you are only giving him an excuse to do it more by reacting. Good luck, your puppy is very cute. Generally people do not get too offended on here about x bred dogs as long as you do not call it a purebred cockerpoo or something... there are many DOLers with x bred dogs but they are just that...

He is totally gorgeous - beauty isn't just in the eyes of the beholder!! Sorry no tips on coat i just wanted to tell you how gorgeous he is... The coat king is a great tool to use though, not dangerous at all