SparkyTansy

Since she is so food motivated and you want to exercise her mind, you could try changing one of your training sessions from the usual sit drop blah blah and teach her to find it! Allows you to bond with her as well as being rewarded for finding treats... as she learns the meaning of find it, you can start hiding treats for her around the house or outside so she is exercising her mind and using her senses. Start of small by putting a treat a meter or so away, and say, FIND IT when she finds it, praise her lots. Keep the sessions short as she seems the type of pup that gets bored quickly (i had one of these too) Also, don't forget that if food is her motivator, slightly cut back on food from her mealtimes...

I agree - a vet check would be best Some skin problems can get out of hand and should never go unchecked. If you are concerned take your pup to the vet. Never "guess" what the problem could be...

No, if it is an English Setter it would not fit that description!! Somebody correct me if i am wrong for my future sanity!!

1) I defined maturity for spartan as when he could be trusted to be left alone in the house with minimal damage... 2) English Setter 3) Spartan's brain matured fairly early (weird for the breed!) at about 2 years, however his body started maturing at about 3.5 years. 4) it varies so much for different breeds and i think also depends on the personality of the puppy. I also don't really think sexual maturity comes into defining the maturity of the dog.

I agree, if you think they seem to be going too far, break it up (use a water gun, never come between the two) You need to let older dog and pup establish their own hierachy and coming between them might confuse them...

Perhaps she is just not used to having just dry food... you should try to wean her onto the food as she has probably been used to mushier stuff in the past... Perhaps the dry food is making her thirsty? Does she drink a lot and does she have water available to her at night?

It is a long shot but there is a chance your pup could be allergic to some foods or has a food intolerance (esp if it was throwing up after changing to advance)... if the food change does not work and he is still scratching and/or he gets sick (throwing up or diahorrea) it might be a good idea to get him to a vet. Spartan is allergic to chicken and has caused us many problems in his lifetime... This was a particularly difficult food allergy to find because it isn't overly common. More common allergies are to wheat, grains etc.

Greyhound!!! When isn't this a good dog for someone?? he he he Greyhounds retire at all ages... some don't even make it to the track and are rehomed as young as a year or two... Only one thing, they are ok at obedience training but not that great... there isn't a great need for obedience training and they learn house rules very quickly. They aren't dumb... You mentioned a Chow - they are not huge dogs as you think, but they probably wouldn't be a good dog if you are planning on a family... Have you looked into the personality of the Schnauzer? If you think you like it and like the look, give it some more research! Go for a Greyhound - that's my vote

I won't be able to make it - after only reading about some of steve's work today and really wanting to go to the workshop, i just can't attend on those dates... Maybe next time eh??

I have read this a few times and have just read all the posts and questions again but i need to confirm something Do you say yes when the dog looks at you, and then release the tieback and then say ok for the dog to eat? When you release the tieback what if the dog goes straight for the food? Do you release the tieback at the same time saying ok? I can't wait to try this but I want to do it right from the word go... Also, I have two dogs they eat separately (one inside one outside)... How do I work around this? Do i do one then another and in which order?

My neighbors were nice enough to let me know that my dog barked from "the minute i leave to the minute i get home". I didn't quite believe it was for that long, however I combatted the problem by getting him some company... BUT i did set up a tape recorder first to see if he really did bark non stop... sure enough, he barked when i left, but was quiet for as long as the tape lasted... The neighbours said that it didn't actually bother them, but thought it right to let me know just in case it bothered someone else and got a complaint... she said she knows how much i care about my dog and i am always with it when i am home etc and she didn't want anything bad to happen as a result. I thought that was so nice...

You can mix the rice and veggies with the kibble or meat it doesnt need to be separate... I give my boy kibble with rice/raw veggies mix it all together... the kibble is very bland on its own but he likes the smell of the garlic and loves to eat every last scrap!

I agree it could be an allergy to something in the garden that seeds at this time of year. Also there are a lot of moulds around this time of year. If it hasn't spread past the feet it is most likely a contact allergy. Keep the feet very dry to prevent any yeast infections and cut out any long hair from between the pads if you have a long coated breed... The sooner you find what the cause is the better, as it can turn from being irritating into a habit if not treated... Ask the vet as many questions as you can about what the cause could be so that you can try and prevent it from happening again (very difficult if it is an inhalant allergy, less so if it is contact or food related...)

Chicken wings, bashed chicken necks (under supervision) and any raw or cooked chicken meat (cooked meat OFF the bone!!!!!!!!!!) Please tell your friend to stop boiling the necks for her pom pup, and cooked bones cause splinters. You can give them raw just supervise! BARF diet is both meat and veggies but it is more closely related to the type of diet animals would eat in the wild (canines are omnivores, like us, and generally get most of their plant matter from the stomachs of their kill). A wolf would not cook his meat or any plant matter he eats nor would he dehydrate the whole lot into a biscuit. The BARF diet is good but you must thoroughly research it and do not go into it blind... If your pup is losing weight (too many ribs are not good) you will need to feed her a little more. If your pup has not been wormed then you may need to look into this as it could be a cause for hunger and weight loss. (you can sometimes suspect worms if the pup has a rounded tummy) Lastly if she is wormed and you bulk up her food a little, and she is still not gaining weight you should take her to the vet as there may be something wrong with her. You will get some good advice in past links on food to feed a pup and quantities. Just do a search. Good luck with your gorgeous pup!!

Hi Tommy15 Are you feeding the puppy several meals a day, or just at the same time as your other dog? As she has some greyhound in her as well as bull arab this would indicate she would have less weight than other bull breeds. I cannot give you an indication of how much you should feed her, but I wouldn't reccommend giving her enough to make her put on weight. Hopefully some more experience people can help you but perhaps you could also contact a vet for a clearer indication based on her prospective size/weight...

Thanks Georgia I appreciate your help.

My sister is not an irrisponsible owner, she has done a huge deal of research and this is not the first time she has had a dog, or even a dog of this breed. I know for a fact that she will spend all her time with the puppy when she is home... Kristie what you said is true, I did not start this thread to be told what we are doing wrong, rather to find out whether having a young puppy outside is good for health reasons. Just because we are at work all day trying to earn a living, it doesn't make us bad owners, and just because there are some people who can spend their time at home and they have a dog, it doesn't mean they are good owners, or that they spend the time they have with the dog.

Thank you for all your opinions. I appreciate everyone has a different point of view on this matter and I have taken away what I could to fit my sisters situation. All your comments have been helpful. I cannot wait to post some pictures of my sisters puppy when he gets here. Just so you all know, I have convinced my sister to allow the pup in an area of the house which is quite large but is tiled and easily blocked off for the first few weeks. I have also encouraged her to purchase a crate and have given her some useful information on Crate Training. She is well prepared and has quite a few chew toys and warm bedding for the puppy when he arrives. Thanks for your help everyone!

Can anyone recommend some very good Puppy Preschools in the Southern Suburbs of Perth? If anyone knows of any fantastic ones North of the River those suggestions are also very welcome... I have heard some puppy preschools are not as well run as others and I want to go to the best ones... It is for my sister who lives near Southern River area but it doesn't have to be in that area.

Allergic reactions in general are very scary... had a few occasion but one springs to mind Spartan once at a plant called mother-in-law's tongue (how appropriate) had a major reaction to it, his eyes swelled up and stuff and he actually got really weak and almost passed out... Then there was the time, where we don't know what it was, but his ears swelled up so much you could no longer bend them in any direction (weird for a floppy eared dog!) Another time before we knew he was allergic to chicken he came up in heaps of pussy welts it was so gross!! (we had given him a chicken frame!)

... I am well aware that this isn't an ideal situation for a puppy, and I know that people who work and come home to find their house or garden destroyed because their pup is lonely tend to give up on their pets without much thought. which is probably one of the many factors of dumpage of dogs, but I also know that my sister is not like that. Yes, it isn't ideal, but she is responsible in every other way, and if she wasn't I would kick her up the backside.

It seems there are many differing opinions on this subject. I think I will have my sister speak to her breeder about this as I am sure the breeder is already aware that my sister works. As Miranda says, my original post was about the health of the puppy being outdoors and that seems to have the differing opinions but I think i know the answer to that now. As for the other things (lonliness, feeding etc) that is another issue that must be solved. I would just like to point out that working and not being able to get time off/bring puppy to work is a problem faced by many people who obtain puppies... I was lucky my mum lives near me, but my sister isn't as lucky. She works in the city and I work 40 minutes drive from my home. Not easy get around this issue... I know about the whole considering an adult thing too... but she wants a puppy...

I am aware of company being a need for a puppy however this was not my concern, as he will have a neighbour come over during the day to feed him the extra meals he requires and spend some time with him. I also am not concerned at the fact he is 8 weeks, because as far as I am aware 8 weeks is the best time for a puppy to join it's new home, as i thought many breeders would concur. My general concern was that there are diseases around (parvo etc) that puppy could catch if exposed. There is nothing in her yard but being in a suburban area, there are dogs on both sides of her, which may or may not have been vaccinated. I fear for the health, as I know that the rest is taken care of. All I want to know is, is it possible for him to catch anything by being outside at such a young age.

Hi all My sister is getting a new puppy in a few weeks and plans to have him outside during work hours (7.40-5.30 Mon-Fri). I have tried to talk her into keeping the pup inside for the first few weeks but I need confirmation (having never had an outside puppy so young before myself) is it in any way dangerous to have a young puppy (we are talking from 8 weeks) outside, due to the many things that he could catch? Her excuse is that she doesnt want him to get used to being inside... Please help I need confirmation that it isn't a good idea... Please let me know if it is ok...

Definately look into atopy... it usually starts showing signs at around 6 months. It isn't a nice thing for any dog to have and the sooner you see a dermatologist, the sooner you can take steps to get it under control... It may be a food allergy... Spartan chewed his feet as well as had a bad scratching problem - turned out he was allergic to chicken... I had to change his diet a couple of times in order to find the real problem and this takes time and patience.