imported_Cassie

[quote]well, maybe not...here the K9 patrol vehicles are ONLY supposed to transport the canine dogs...so maybe he was sneaking them in because he wasnt supposed to be using his work vehicle for his wife's dogs... [/quote] Courtnek, I live in a pretty lax city in the martimes of Canada...believe me, he wouldn't have gotten in trouble for transporting the poodles :wink: I know he and his wife fairly well...and he always made a point of making jokes about his wifes poodles. He never had a problem taking thier pitbull and Collie in the k-9 unit car.

I had a Standard Poodle a few years ago...there are "some" morons out there...my ex at that time wouldn't have any thing to do with her on walks..he was a closet poodle lover....he never came out with it in public :lol: Some people do not realize that "some" of the trims on poodles were actually done for a reason; the dog had parts shaved down and the poofy parts left to protect vital organs when swimming in freezing waters....and to shave the other areas so the dog wouldn't be bogged down...people don't realized there was a reason for these trims when the dogs were actually working :wink: I think also we learn from a young age to discriminate against poodles...remember cartoons when the local "french poodle" was the beauty queen which all the neighborhood dogs fell in love with...and the bad a$$ bulldogs were always falling in love...the bulldogs were considered the bad apples in the cartoons...so, I think that we are taught early in life to ridicule some dogs :lol: :wink: I also just had to laugh when after I read this post...it reminds me of a police officer with the K9 unit who used to bring his wifes Standards Poodles in for clips. He would bring to dogs in his police car with his working K-9 dog...and sneak into the grooming shop (and he made it obvious that he was sneaking in :lol: ) then he would have to come back and pick them up...he would ask my boss to check to be sure every thing was clear out side...and he had the dogs trained to lay down in the police car so no one would see him with the poodles :lol: he was really hilarious...but, I suppose he contributed to the discrimination against poodles.

What a shame...you certainly have been going through alot with this pregnancy. You are probably correct in assuming that your girl may have been getting too many grains...one of my girls developed an intolerance to grains in certain foods and developed itchy spots so bad she developed arual lick dermetitis where they actually mutalate them selves due to licking. Take her off the biscuits and perhaps give her some healthy treats like carrots and apples...perhaps some boiled liver, chicken etc. I gave my Tori raw turkey necks for treats during her pregnancy, and beef heart occasionally and liver...plus veggies for treats. Variety is the spice of life :wink: I also gave her some natural bio organic yogurt with field berries mixed in as well...she loves yogurt. Of course, you'll have to be careful your little girl doesnt get diarrhea again..possibly the carrots, broccoli, apples etc. would be alright for her to munch on...they also contain fibre to help give her good bowel movements :wink:

I feel so bad for you...I have had many of my dogs live well in their upper teens. My oldest was my husky who lived to be almost 17, and he walked into the vet the day I decided it was time....and one of my Newfoundlands was 15 when I put her down. We can do alot through nutrition to help our aging friends...including feeding a high quality organic food, and either making sure it contains or add to it some digestive enzumes and probiotics supplements...this will help your older friend absorb nutrients from food and break down and eliminate the waste. A good essential fatty acid supplement should be added to the diet as well...this will help support and protect the liver and immune system, while aiding in the produciton and maintenance of healthy skin, coat, bones, muscles and nervous system. Your vet can also help you with a good diet which is best for your dog. One of my Newf's had gone through some of the same problems you are experiencing after he suffered a stroke...I fed him a good diet, stayed cheerful around him (nothing worse than a human that is feeling pity to put an animal in a down mood) I gave him herbs and supplements and had another 5 years with him. Oat tops serve as an excellent nervous system tonic that can be fed on a daily basis to help imporve and regulate nerve transmission. In dogs who display diminished mental clarity or odd behavior that is attributable to brain dysfunction or any neurological functions of the brain can be assisted and some times improved with the use of ginkgo, gotu kola, or peppermint. In some cases St. Johns wort may be useful...but, this should be left to a holistic vet who is familiar with your animal. I wish you all the best for you and your furry friend...and I know that we as care givers will try every thing to prolong the life of our animal...the biggest decision we have to make is when it has become a question of quality of life...

Lots of dogs have blue spots on their tongues...and they can get larger as the dog gets older...I had a husky/shep mix years ago which had just a small spot on his tongue when young...then at 14 years his tongue was almost completely blue/black. My Newf's all have blue spots on thier tongues and so does my Rottie. Just means they got a little royal blue blood pumping in their veins :lol: :wink:

I have to say...show people can be very very mean!!! I attend shows ALOT, and I show my dogs...even with me they are RUDE and MEAN. I have even had freinds blow up at me for all kinds of different things...from holding a dog for a friend before it went into the ring (out of the kindness of my own heart- she ASKED me to) when the dog was dumped she blamed me!!! :evil: I have seen my own friends who are breeders turn into another person at the shows...and why??? its only a beauty contest :roll: the dogs don't have to DO anything in the ring except stack...I have seen dogs have a poop in the show ring and still place...these dogs do not need to focus...and I have run quite a few dogs around the conformation ring..there is no prep to it :roll: obedience and agility...yes, your need to focus...but, even when I am waiting for my turn in the obedience ring I am nice to people...yes, your child can pat my dog and ask questions. I don't even mind people coming up to pet my dogs while I am preparing them for the conformation ring...the only people I can see really flipping out are the people who have had to straighten their dogs coat and tease it etc. But, even then they could be nice about it...I have never had any body just come up and start patting my dogs...most people with their children will ask first. The more up tight the handler is the more anxious and nervous the dog will be. I have seen people not place and throw their dogs into their crates and kick the crate...people leaving their poodles on tables in a noose for hours at a time...there are many things I consider very cruel. Show folk are a whole different sort of people...they can be very self centered...I also feel sorry for most of the dogs at the shows...most of them don't have much of a life :(

There is no scientific evidence to date, that dogs can contract Mad Cow disease or any similar disease. In addition there is no evidence that dogs can transmit the disease to humans. The only worry is that inadvertaley the contaminated food may make its way back to the livestock animals. What I used to do before my friend with his small farm stead....when I bought raw bones I bought them frozen. I myself have never had any problems with raw bones, raw turkey necks, raw meat etc. but, thats just me...perhaps my dogs have stomacks of steel :lol: if any thing my dogs have been healthier due to the fact that I give them such a variety to their meals. One last thing, if you feed your dog raw bones with marrow in them....the first few times the dog will probably get diarrhea...the marrow is very rich.

I hike with my dogs often. I have collapsable dishes...I think I got them from the pet supply house (where we order our shampoo's, brushes, etc for the grooming shop) they are basically a water proof material which you can punch out the bottom to form a dish...they are light weight and can be easily carried in a back pack. One more thing, if you have Coal wear a back back...only let him carry things you can afford to loose :lol: honestly, I used to have one of my Newf's years ago carry most of my stuff when out hiking, I bought him a specially designed carry all for his back...we experienced an accident which involved him spotting water in a deep cavern which resulted in him trying to get to the water and falling down a 40 foot drop...I was able to help him get back up, but, we lost the back pack...it was quite a scary experience. With my current dogs I have them all trained to the whistle...when they hear the whistle blow they know I have some thing wonderful for them...they all come running...and its also good especially if they have gotten aways away or if you are by a falls etc. the sounds may drown out your voice...but, they won't drown out a whistle :wink: Another thing to be careful of is wildlife....you can rig up a bell or some thing on Coals back pack to warn wildlife that you are coming...nothing worse than having your dog spot a rabbit and take off on you...I have my Rottie (shes the only dog I have which has any drive to chase) trained to an emergency down...but, this only works if you catch them in time...if your off in a day dream and your dog is behind you, then some times it can be too late by the time you turn around to see she has split. :wink: it's also a good idea for Coal to alert any dangerous wildlife with a bell as well...when you surprise a bear etc. it can lead to a bad situation...you have grizzleys in your area don't you??? we only have black bears...but, I did have one time where one of my dogs, a standard poodle suprised a black bear, the bear was frightened and ran out of the bushes and up the trail towards my other dogs...he trotted beside one of my Newf's for a while then veared off into the woods again....my Newf didn't even acknowledge the bear, but, have a dog with a chase drive and it could have been a very unpleasant afternoon. Make sure also that Coal wears proper identification. With my dogs as well, especially with my newest addition Beau...I have played hide and seek with them while on short strollss...this prepares them for a long hike to not let you out of sight off lead. My dogs always stay in close range to me....even when they are playing and running they keep me in sight...I just have to step out of their line of vision and they freak out and run back to where I am licking at my hands and excited as if they havent seen me in months :o I always found this to be the best way to train a dog to keep within your sight and not run off. :wink: What I have done when hiking in unknown areas with confusing trails or lack of trails...I carry some string with me, the type I can break with my teeth...every so often I tie a peice of string to a branch of a tree....this way I won't get confused when trying to find my way back...when your lost every tree looks the same and every rock etc. :lol:

I have always fed my dogs twice daily...a nice light meal for supper and their bigger meal in the morning. It is also wise not to let your dog get over weight...over weight dogs are prone to diabetes, thyroid problems etc. What I usually do is in the morning I feed my dogs then give them an hour to digest...then I take them for a walk. This gives them a chance to digest and then do their business before I go to work. If its on a weekend when I take them for a longer hike I will wait to feed them after the walk. May be you could give goo a little variety to his meals...some times I will give my dogs yogurt & field berries sprinkled with ground flax seed & pumkin seed. For some meals I feed boiled,steamed or raw meat with steamed veggies...I feed them their regular kibble mixed with soft food (as you are doing), some times I put sardines in their kibble or canned salmon...etc. you may also want to look into buying another good quality dog food and switching goo over slowly...its good to change your dogs kibble every few months...I switch brands for my dogs about 4 times a year...this year they had solid gold hund's n flocken, solid gold Mmillennia, wellness, Wysong...I loved feeding my dogs the hund's n Flocken..it made for a great conversation topic when I advised people I had to pick up my Flocken food...peoples reactions were hilarious. :lol: Some times with the lower quality foods the dogs love it as it has preservatives to make it appeal to dogs...like rancid grease from restaurants :-? this could be a reason goo wants the other dogs food....possibly.

One last thing to consider...if you do choose to have a pet sitter come in to look after your dog. We had a recent tradgedy here where a fearful dog got spooked while out walking with a pet sitter...the dog bolted in front of a car and was hit. This would be a worry for me...especially if I had a fearful dog which may get freaked out by some thing on a walk...some people are not prepared for this. My dog Cassie seems fine until she sees some thing different then she spooks...if she was with some one other than myself or my sister she would try to run for the security of home. Just some thing to consider when you have a fearful and insecure dog.

[quote]And my friend who works at the vet's boarding place have told me horror stories of doctors finding bloody dogs in the morning who have broken their teeth and nails trying to escape during the night. And I'm afraid that he will do the same at any boarding kennel.[/quote] WOW :o I have been working at a boarding kennel for about 15 years...I have never seen any dogs break teeth or tear nails! :o I would be very concerned about the set up at that particular vet clinic. For myself, I usually have my sister come and stay with my dogs...but, since I rarely go away any where :lol: I don't have to worry about this...I have left my dogs at the boarding kennel I work at as well when I have attended shows...and as much as I think my dogs would die without me...they do fine at the boarding kennel :wink: I have found alot of people who have dogs with seperation anxiety are very anxious themselves when leaving their dogs at the boarding facility. I advise people that yes, your dog is going to be upset because you are upset...some people will stand there and hug their dogs and say softly..."oh max...I'll miss you soooo much....you be a good boy...they will be really nice to you here" this gives a dog with fears more of a reason to be fearful of new situations. To the dog; the owner is actually reassuring the dog that it SHOULD be afraid....heck the owner is nervous...so will the dog be nervous. I have trained alot of people well :wink: most of our regulars which started out fearful, now love coming to the kennel to gossip with the other dogs...and boy, do they appreciate their owner ALOT more when they go home. Any boarding facility will be dog proof...go take a look at different kennels and compare them. Let the staff members know that your dog may be an escapist. At the kennel I work at, we have out door runs for each dog...they can come and go between their indoor and outdoor area...the outdoor run is fully enclosed with a top fencing...and there is fencing completely around the boarding kennel. Make sure you like ALL staff members of the facility, check to make sure they have credintials such as Animal care tech., first aid etc. make sure you feel completely at ease around the staff members and they are nice and friendly...rude kennel workers who may be abrupt with you may not have a kind way with your dog. Make a surprise visit, make sure the kennel doesnt smell like urine or of heavy disinfectants. I always worry about some one I don't know coming into my home...of course if they have credintials and are bonded...it should be fine. We have alot of vet tech's which do pet sitting in my area...that would be ideal :wink: If I were you I would take my dog to the doggy day care to get him used to the facility (of course make sure you check out all credintials the staff have) I would start this now...just to see if this would be right for him. I have had many dogs come in for boarding with seperation anxiety...they have done fine. Make sure you find a facility where the staff will try to spend extra time with your dog. Most times the owners have more seperation anxiety than their dogs do :roll: :lol: I had one man tell me his dog probably would not eat etc. while in boarding...the dog was nervous while his owner was there...as soon as his owner stopped cuddling him and left...the dog turned into a friendly bundle of joy who enjoyed the company of other dogs...he also was from a shelter. The poor owner, I don't know if he was more upset that his dog did so well at the kennel or if he was pleased. :lol:

dogsgalore, I just wanted to add that I don't have any thing against using a choke collar on a dog. I keep one on my Rottweiler and when showing I use them on my Newf's (a buckle collar on a Newf just doesnt look right :wink: ) I don't use the chokers to train my dogs with...I use the dead ring with a free lead...or I train them off lead with reward based training which works well. But, this doesnt mean that I am against using a choke collar, if you are walking your dog in a busy area a choke collar can be very useful...and by the sounds of how you use your choker you are doing it right :wink: when I take my dogs to an area where I think I may meet up with other people and dogs I keep chokers on my dogs as well. I think the point of the article is stating that the choker should not be used as a training device....I have lived through the time period of rough training techniques where the dogs where constantly popped when not heeling, hanged by the choker when misbehaving...and I literally mean "hanged"....some people would lift the dogs front legs off the ground to prove a point. I have seen others who have popped their dog hard enough to whip it in a half circle etc. there are still some people who think that to train a dog you have to use negative reinforcement when the dog does wrong...the best training methods is to reward when your dog does right and reinforce the good behavior and not to punish the bad behavior but to redirect the bad behavior to a good behavior. Heeling etc. are not normal doggy behaviors...we as humans have to understand that we should make our dogs want to do basic obedience....not force them. This is what I took out of the article you provided....but, on a daily walk when used correctly...I don't have any problems with choke collars.

That was a wonderful article, I have trained ALL my dogs with positive training only, the results have been wonderful...my dogs WANT to please me as it brings them PLEASURE not pain. I have never had to use a choke collar on any of my dogs to teach them to stay by me on walks...actually ALL 6 of my dogs run loose and will stay with me. I taught my dogs to look at me when training to heel. I have seen many people misuse the choke collars, and I have seen alot of dogs trained on choke collars which will still pull on the lead and have the choker so taunt that it must be uncomfortable. Negative training techniques like chokers etc. will work. But they also teach the animal to not want to be around you. Negative training techniques also cause all animals (including humans) to exhibit a stress response-fight or flight. The chemicals released in the body in this state impede learning and retention. I have a wonderful example of how great positive training (without using any negatives) can be. My Newf Dilon is a strong willed, hard to control BIG dog...when I first got him the former owners had a very hard time controlling him in the show ring and the choker they were using was not helping...out of the ring they used a prong collar etc. the dog would obey them with this collar, but, as soon as it was off he would be as strong minded and unruly as ever. When I took him in he was a nightmare :o I started training him with positive training only and now he WANTS to please me, and he enjoys staying by my side....he has become the best obedience dog Ive had for quite some time...I am now working on his CD and hopefully next I will put a CDX on him. At the trials people will come over just to watch him do his recall...he is so exuberant and excited when he comes to me..its a sight to behold. His former owners told me I would have nothing but problems with him :lol: :wink: I proved them wrong.

What we do at the grooming shop for dogs with an extremely bad case of fear for nail trimming :wink: one person holds the dog in a hug around the chest and front legs while holding the dogs head tight under your chin around your chest...then the other person clips the nails, for each nail the person trimming blows in the dogs nose....this just startles the dog for a split second while you quickly clip that nail...as soon as the nail is clipped say in a very excited tone...good dog! then on to the next, blow, clip, Good Dog! after the trimming is done give your dog a very special treat and play a little bit with him. One last thing, make sure you are calm and happy before attempting to do your dogs nails, some times the things we hate to do the most will show up in our body language...if you go through the routine of getting anxious etc. before doing the nails...your dog will get stressed out reading your stress signals :o :wink: I don't think I explained that very well :-? but, to make it simple...make it a relaxed calm event...expecially leading up to the nail trimming. For some dogs, especially those which may have had a quick cut in the past they can be very hard to gain the trust of. Good luck.

The only bad thing I have heard about Pig ears is the fact that there are more cases of salmonella being transmitted by pig ears than any other type of chews...also dogs crunch through the thin, fatty chews quickly, which does nothing to clean teeth and gums. I started my dogs out with femur bones....the small raw bones without much raw meat hanging from them...my dogs love to get the marrow out of the bones...these keeps them occupied for hours.....they also work out their mouth by chewing the bone trying to get the marrow. Once I have felt comfortable that my dogs were good chewers :lol: I give them occasionally meaty bones, lamb legs with the meat still on...etc. I only leave the fresh bones with my dogs for one day...they dry out quickly and can be prone to splintering. I have a friend who owns a little farm with cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys and pigs...he provides all of my fresh bones and meat. I know what the animals have eaten...I feed only organic meats to myself and my dogs...and the bones from free range animals :wink:

HF, I can really emphasize with you...we went through a simular experience with a kennel hand at the vet clinic I work at. We have our grooming shop under the vet clinic..simular to your set up (renting from the clinic) they usually hire kids from high school to be kennel hands...some times this makes me wonder, I would not trust half of these kids alone with my dogs...once they had 2 GSD's in for boarding...all the kennel kids were frightened of the dogs as they made alot of grumbles etc. when you came near their kennel...the dogs would not have gotten out at all for a pee & poop if it wasnt for us being there and taking them out...then we had to show a couple of the kids how to properly approach a dog :roll: The clinic had hired a young guy before X-mas...this is when I first found Beau and left him at the grooming facility until I got some weight on him etc. so Beau was there all night for the month of December...when this kid was working it was the first time my boss actually locked the adjoining door from our shop to the main vet clinic...we all had a bad feeling about him, each dog in the vet clinic seemed to be given 5 seconds to pee & poop outside with this new boy and he dragged them on lead, even the ones which had had surgery...we timed him on a saturday morning...he got 20 dogs out within a 1/2 hour :o poor dogs. He was also a mean boy...but, we never saw him do any thing wrong...we only suspected. One day we caught him spraying the vets cockatoo's with a spray gun...this is in the winter, any small amount of a draft could have given the poor sqawky things pnemonia. We told the vet this and she told us she suspected he wasn't the best kennel hand either...but, until they caught him doing some thing wrong their hands were tied...you can't fire some one for unknown reasons...especially if they are fullfilling all their duties & the job needs to be filled....you have to do every thing to the letter and give a few warnings first so an employee can clean up their act....if they layed him off then they wouldn't be able to refill the position... I think they finally caught him doing some thing wrong...I think it had to do with calling in sick too often :-? and they let him go. This is what you get some times for hiring cheap employees. It's hard to prove that a fellow employee is mistreating the animals...accidents can happen very easily and even if you suspect some one has been hard handed with the animals...they are innocent until proven guilty. It's too bad your couldn't catch him on film doing a potentially harmful thing to a dog...or threatening a dog. I wish you the best, keep your dogs away from him...when out side keep them on lead and don't let them loose in the fenced in area....carry a water gun with you to spray the guy if you catch him coming near your dogs. Watch every thing he does...once his guard is down he will do some thing in front of you...why not, he doesnt think of you as a fellow employee...document every little misdeed he does and present it to your vet (Doc)...don't blow up at him...be civil...some times these low lifes can become aggressive towards people who challenge them. Keep your shop doors locked, and watch him...at least you are aware of what a problem this person is...the clinic is the one who will get a bad rep for mistreated dogs....not you...I imagine your shop is a seperate company just like our shop is....I know your concerned, but, let Doc take care of it in his own way...give him fuel for the fire...but, be diplomatic about it... :wink: sorry thats all I can offer...I can offer my condolences as well...this happens ALOT within the dog care business...I have seen ALOT of heavy handed people working with dogs...its very sad.

What I used to do with my Rottweiler which had TOO MANY ISSUES :lol: when I first adopted her...first I taught her "off" or some people like "drop it" and "take it"...I reinforce this all the time with play toys like balls, kongs etc. chase, bring back, "off" and throw....etc. when the game is over I tell her "off" and some times I will give it back to her by saying "take it"...I make sure my Rottie does not have a reason to "guard" objects...if my dog had a wonderful food source such as wrapper with some wonderful food stuff still stuck on it...I would either tell my dog "off"...if I am still not sure how wonderful my dogs "off" command is I would offer her some thing "better" in place of the food wrapper she stole. Dogs are natural scavengers, they can be very good at stealing food items. The reason I say I would offer some thing better for the item the dog has stole is you are letting your dog know that you control all resources and have really good things to share with your dog. I have found more people have run into problems by losing their tempers and grabbing an item from a dog...this can lead to your getting bitten...also cornering your dog and grabbing the treasured food wrapper then getting mad is not helping Zebra....to a dog this is making you look unpredictable in his eyes...you just turned on your dog. Zebra is not acting abnormal. Until you have "off" and "drop it" completely trained I would offer a better treat for the valued resource which Zebra may steal...then reward once he drops it...reward and praise...before giving the treat for the item stolen...tell Zebra..."off" and then offer the good treat and say "take it" then start reinforcing the training with play toys without offering a treat in return, but, instead the chance to chase after it etc. also try to have Zebra come to you when he has a valued resource you want to take away from him...a direct approach by you can seem threatening to a dog which can lead to the dog becoming more defensive. With my Rottie now, I can take away meaty femur bones...pat her while she is chewing them...she will actually keep chewing while rolling on her back to recieve a belly rub...belly rubs are a wonderful way to bond with your dog and give you an opportunity to have the dog in a submissive position and be very relaxed about it...and this is a dog which attacked me a few times when I first adopted her...she also would not allow me to pat her head (most dominant dogs find this to be a dominant gesture) etc. you can over come these dominance problems with positive training, I know you already do the NIFIL...a happy secure dog is a good dog...and one of my favorite phrases..."success builds confidence, removes confusion" whatever you do....don't confuse your dog. :wink:

I would have my dog looked at by a vet...any new behaviors which are not normal for my dog, I have them looked at. It could be some thing simple for instance perhaps your dog cannot express his own anal glands...some dogs will scoot, some will try to bite at their rear end...some will lick the anal area...it could also be an indication of parasites...etc. etc. I would have it looked at just in case.

Dogs love to sniff and smell....I wonder how much of a dominance problem the dogs which smell out narcatics and bombs give their handlers? :roll: :lol: I own 3 very dominant dogs...they never have caused me any problems and I let them smell every thing in sight...I also couldn't care less how many times they scent mark on our hikes either. This is not an issue of dominance...its a dogs way of communicating.

Yes, they do have special conformation classes for altered dogs...my female Cassie was spayed and the breeder still takes her to compete in the altered classes (conformation) even though she already holds championship titles in 2 countries...and I have competed in obedience trials with her as well. I don't know a whole lot about the conformation showing, I've never really been that interested....but, I imagine you can still get a championship title on a nuetered dog. At the dog shows I have attended there are all kinds of people who compete with their nuetered dogs...but, its a special class...you don't compete with the intact dogs. The also have senior conformation classes, Cassie has also competed in these competitions as well...its fun for the owners :wink: :lol:

On the Yucca root from solid gold they give the dosage levels to give the dog. When I have bought the human yucca root...I have taken a capsole opened it and put a pinch into my Rotties morning breakfast...one capsole can last me for a week. Considering the human yucca only cost about $6.00/canadian for 90 pills...this is a big savings. :wink: my idea is less is best...I don't like to over do any of the supplements I give my dogs.

Hillside....oh oh...I did not have a drink for mamma & pappa Newf...another social blunder committed :o :lol: HF, I really think a Newf would complete your pack :lol: whats one more dog?? :lol: seriously, I find the Newf to be such a wonderful low key dog...every Newf I have ever owned plus all my friends Newf's have such a high tolerance level with other dogs, children etc. they don't get aroused like my other dogs...and believe me I've had ALOT of different breeds...its takes alot to set off a Newf... Once they come out with a smooth Newf. that would be perfect for your climate :lol: the breeder I work for actually sold a Newf to a family in Bermuda...of course she went down to inspect the home before selling them a pup (nice excuse for a vacation) :wink: the home was air conditioned and right on the beach...the dog has now been there for a few years and is doing great. :wink:

I have a Rottweiler with a high prey drive...the predatory drive is used in many breeds to perform many different jobs...some dog breeds do not have the complete series of motor patterns which would lead to them killing another animal...for example many hunting breeds are bred to only use "some" of their motor patterns and the rest which could cause a bad hunting companion have been deleted :lol: you wouldn't want your retriever mauling or tearing apart your duck before it brings it back to you :lol: I have been dealing with a high prey drive and have done all the obedience and training for my dog...but, I wouldn't rely on all the training in the world if the dog is aroused by a running cat...some times the chase can be much more of a reward than going back to the owner. I found that by training my Rottie an emergency down I can usually control her when she sees wildlife dart in front of us on our daily hikes...she can still see the prey...but, it gives her time to calm down, then I can walk up to her and snap on her lead - most dogs will respond to an emergency down before they would ever respond to a come command....a high prey drive is not an act of aggression...its a natural part of the dog...without it we wouldn't have a pet which chases balls etc. the most important issue is to work with it and try to control it...I certainly would not let these dogs run free any where...fast moving objects can be very tempting. Another thing...even if you are able to have a dog with a high prey drive get along with the house cat wonderfully indoors...don't expect it to be the same when out side. Our dogs do not stop and think before chasing...I know my Rottie (as much as she loves my cats) would chase after them if they ran away from her out doors...indoors she plays with them, sleeps with them and grooms them and lets them groom her...but, this does not pop into my Rotties mind if they run from her outdoors...she does not associate them as the cute little fur balls she was being groomed by 10 minutes ago. I feel bad for what happened to your friend...tell them not to hold this against the dogs...its usually a hard wired motor pattern for many breeds. If they can try to socialize the pup in a puppy socialization class and try to desensitize the pup to fast moving objects now...they may save them selves alot of heart ache in the future. I used to take my Rottie for walks in very busy park areas where children were running around and people had their little dogs out for runs, people biking, playing ball etc. and I would carry treats with me...when she got really aroused by some thing I would say her name and once she looked at me I would reward her...this is supposed to get your dog to pay more attention to you than to the activities going on around her....one thing not to do is to pull the lead tight when you see fast moving objects...this can give the dog mixed signals...I always had a loose lead when I redirected her attention back to me.... I also taught my Rottie "off" and "take it" this I use constantly when playing etc. when I want an object which is in her mouth I say "off" she will drop it immediately...most times I will give her a wonderful treat...the treat was very important while training...now, when I tell her "off" she knows to get her mouth off what ever she has it on...or spit out what ever is in her mouth. I found this to be very handy one day when she did chase my cat and grabbed it before I was able to get her to down...I then told her off and she let go of the cat... :o I don't know if it was a fluke that time or if she really has gotten the hang of it and will drop any thing in her mouth now. :wink: I hope your friends seek the guidance of a local vet who can direct them to a good behaviorist....a high prey drive is natural...but, it can also be dangerous especially if the dog has not been properly socialized...children are small too...and some times dogs with high prey drives which have not been properly socialized can be dangerous to children...the pup is 16 weeks old...most dogs the critiacal period of socialization closes at 16 weeks...its important to get that pup used to many different objects and people now.

I meant to say I give my dogs canned sardines twice weekly...not twice daily :lol: :wink: Here is another web site with loads of information...you can check out each herb and the use for each one. [url]http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cls=0&cat=1448[/url]

:lol: :lol: Dogs, are they not the greatest! My Newf Dilon is famous for finding burdocks, mud, sand, dead animals to roll in...twigs, I have even found branches in his pants :o I am sooooo glad I have a mud room which I can take my dogs into first before they come into the main house...I have a bathtub and grooming table set up in there...plus my washer and dryer. I can zap my dogs with the high velocity dryer or if its really bad...bath them before coming into the house. I almost have to say this is a must for a person with 4 Newfoundland dogs....my Rottie and Dobie never get dirty...their coats are so short they can walk throught the same burdock bush as my Newf's and possibly not get any burdocks on them...my Newf's with their big coats come out with every burdock that was on the bush. :roll: