imported_Cassie

DkFairy, You sound like a great mom for this new pup. I would definately seek the advice of an animal behaviorist to ensure you take all the proper steps with this new bundle of joy. All members of the family should enforce the same rules...it always back fires when every one has their own ideas...every one must be consistant. I have taken in a few dogs which have had major behavioral problems -aggression (I have taken them in when they are adults and all the worst traits seem to be ingrained...I have worked them out with positive reenforcement ) The most important thing is to reward correct behaviour/ redirect incorrect behavior...rewards are out of sight and not given until the correct behaviour is offered/completed...success creates confidence, removes confusion, massage therapy is also very good...this also gets your pup used to your touching him/her all over...massage the neck, around the face on the muzzle down each leg and rub each toe..and end it with a good old belly rub...belly rubs are great to teach your new pup submissive postioning...it will allow him to relax while being rubbed by all the family members, encourage your children to rub the new pups belly also...I know this sounds stupid, but I have found with the most difficult dogs that this works wonders...associating your hands with pleasure is a great encouragement for your dog. Enroll in puppy obedience right away to socialize your new pup...socialization is very important for any pup...when they play with other pups they learn alot about bite inhibation etc. The most important thing I can't stress enough is to work with a professional....be it an obedience trainer (with gentle touch training) or consult a behaviorist...don't wait until a problem is ingrained...you have a dominant breed of dog which you don't want to make mistakes with....we can give you all the advice in the world but each dog is an individual and it's best to work in a group with other pups...this will teach your new pup to pay attention to you and not to be easily distracted. Some really good training exercises for a dominant dog are: [b]Gentle[/b]: teaches the dog to open its mouth and thus relax the jaw. Tight jaw muscles result in harder bites...use when introducing dog to any other dog or person. [b]Wait[/b]: dog remains outside of "3 foot" personal space until given permission to go through, use at all doorways and colose perimeters like stairways, use body as a barrier between dog and other humans. It gives fearful dog protection and imposes restriction on assertive dog. [b]Take it[/b]: dog is allowed to move forward and take object in its mouth. Teach this before you teach "OFF", teaches the time limit for remaining "OFF" an object [b]OFF[/b]: dog moves head and/or body away form object, gives you leadership and control of space. [b]Steady[/b]: dog stands quietly while on leash. No forward motion. Standing beside you when dogs are in the distance, decrease distance between your dog and other dogs, introduce motion/distraction. Approaches/ by passes: can be used in formal or informal settings, always give dog chance for success, use with "gentle" to relax jaws or "off" to increase distance between dogs. The above exercises are great for a dominant dog, a behaviorist will help you to learn these exercises. Some suggested reading: The culture clash - Jean Donaldson Excel-erated Learning- Dr. Pam Reid PhD Calming Signals - Turid Ruugas Dog Behaviour - Dr. Ian Dunbar PhD, DVM The Healing Touch - Dr. Michael Fox DVM The Dogs Mind - Dr. Bruce Fogel DVM [quote]We already have 2 large male dogs and a military macaw that all want to be the 'Alpha Male" right now. The other dogs we have are very well trained and the bird definitely runs the house......lol. The other 2 learned when bitten 1 time, not to mess with the bird. The puppy however keeps going back for more. I agree that hitting the dog is not an option and even rolling up a newspaper does not work on him. His aggressiveness just gets worse[/quote] A pup is naturally curious...but, again I would definately seek the advice of an animal behaviorist to teach you how to properly redirect the pups attention...When I first got my Rottweiler she had been left tied in a back yard for the first year of her life with no socialization...she had never seen a cat before and I have 3 cats!!!! at first I just kept baby gates up so the Rottie could not get the cats (she would go into a frenzy when she saw them) after a year of patience on my part she got used to seeing them in "their area" and they were no longer on her menu...the cats got braver and came up to the baby gate and layed down and stared at her...now the baby gates are down and the Rottie licks the cats and cuddles with them...if I throw a piece of Hamburg down for one of the cats she will sit and watch while drooling...but, she will not try to take the piece of meat from the cat...(of course the cat plays it up and chews real slowly and makes it look soooo good) some times dogs need to just get used to their new roommates, baciscally desensitize them...it took alot of patience on my part (the baby gates where a pain in the behind!) [color=red][b]Have fun with your new bundle of joy[/b][/color]. Every one has given you great advice...I have worked with animal behaviorists myself as each one of my out of control dogs has required different training...and at times when I look at my Rottie now and how good she is...its hard to beleive she was so messed up when I got her...

[quote]I had always heard good things about the Chicken Soup food and previously fed my dogs Diamond which is the same company that makes the Chicken Soup food so I figured I'd switch them over to that. The ingredients seemed fine to me[/quote] [b]spiritsmom[/b] :o Is Chicken Soup a brand of dog food :o I thought you were feeding your dog Campbell's chicken soup, the type you feed your human freinds....I'm sooo sorry.... :oops: :oops: Here I'm thinking your opening a can of this soup with the high salt content and feeding it to your dog...actually....if you can imagine my thoughts at the time of my post....this is quite funny!!!! I would definately consider it to be a yeast infection and treat this condition as like an allergy...give your dog some natural bio yoghurt....perhaps try a hypo-allegenic food and see if this clears it up... your dog should be looked at by another Vet, your current Vet does not seem to be taking you seriously...your dog has had this for 2 years and 5 months too long! I think their is a condition called candidiasis which is a yeast over growth in the body...eating yoghurt can help, [b]Echinacea[/b] has been used to treat general infections and wounds, colds/flu, [b]candidiasis[/b], strep throat, staph infections, urinary infections, allergies, and toothaches. The active ingredient in echinacea has not yet been identified. It is suspected to work by inhibiting viral and bacterial breakdown of the body's cell walls which is a necessary step before the bacteria and viruses can replicate in the body. It may also slow the growth of some types of tumors. Echinacea is used in fresh root, dried, tincture, tea, or capsule forms. Doses vary if the product is used at a tonic dose, maintenance dose, protective dose, or full course. Use is often discontinued after a maximum of 6-8 weeks since the immune-promoting impact may fade. Therapy may be started again at a later date.

[quote]I have never heard of a dog being "mad" and peeing somewhere, whether pup or adult. There is seperation anxiety, which is exactly what it sounds like, they are anxious as they have been left and they do not understand that their owner will be home again. It's not anger though. [/quote] [b]Quote by LisaLQ[/b] I also have never heard of a dog being "mad" and peeing somewhere in the house...dog's do not have minds like us humans and do not inflict revenge as we do...if so, can you imagine what the wild animals would be doing to us for ruining their environment! :o As Lisa explained seperation anxiety is the number one cause of falling off the house training lessons...and some times dogs develop bladder infections and cannot hold their bladder for long periods...or perhaps the dog did not get a chance to do "all" it's business before the owners left it alone...there are plenty of medical reasons for a dog to "forget" its house training...and some times behavior problems...or some times it can be a confused dog which has been harshly treated during house training which is confused and doesnt know what is right and what is wrong...people scolding a pup or dog for going indoors after the fact...once the pup or dog has done it's business...its thinking about now...not then...by scolding the pup/dog after its made a mistake it thinks its being scolded for perhaps looking at you...what ever it is doing at that moment...

I'm a worry wart.. if this were to happen to one of my dogs...to ease my own mind I would take my puppy to the Vet for an examination. I would be very concerned if my dog started acting abnormally or lethargic after a fall.

Anal gland secretion does smell like fish....beleive me I've had dogs blow their glands on me many times!!!! :o some dogs are not as strong smelling as others. Perhaps your dog has a yeast infection...very common...and about the Chicken soup..thats not a good idea, too much salt and no nutrition. I would definately get a second opinion if I were you...and I'd definately make a change in Spirit's diet and increase the amount of fiber to help express the glands naturally ...I found the BARF diet to be especially good...one of my female Newf's who is spayed had continuous skin infections, vaginal & ear infections...the vet would treat her with antibiotics it would clear up then come right back. I changed her to the BARF diet which is agreeing with her system...she has an allergy to the grains in dog food....or you could try a really good quality dog food, and give your dog natural bio yoghurt to replace the good bacteria in the gut. or perhaps your dog has Vaginitis this is an inflammation or infection of the vagina. It can be brought on or caused by problems occurring within the vagina, or be secondary to conditions elsewhere in the body. It is a fairly common disorder in dogs of all ages. It may be the result of trauma, however, this is rarely the cause. Most cases seen in dogs are caused by the caustic and irritating effects of urine on the vaginal mucosa or lining. Since urine normally passes through the vagina with every urination and vaginitis is only seen in a very small percentage of female dogs, cases of this disorder typically mean the urine is abnormal or its flow is in some way altered. In cases of bladder infections (cystitis), the urine contains large numbers of bacteria. Expelled with the urine, these can easily colonize the vagina, leading to an infection and inflammation of this structure. In mature female dogs, especially in those that have been spayed, urinary incontinence can be a common problem. This is basically a chronic leaking of small quantities of urine from the bladder. When this occurs, urine may lie against the vaginal lining much of the time and lead to a 'urine scald' or irritation. Infections from bacteria, yeasts, and viruses are known to occur within the vagina. The bacteria isolated from this structure are those commonly found or passed in the dog's stool. It is thought that when the animal cleans itself after urination and defecation, the licking may transfer bacteria from the anus to the vagina. As in other species, yeast infections of the vagina sometimes occur in animals that are on prolonged antibiotic therapy. It appears that these medications suppress the normal bacteria living in this structure, which in some way may prevent the growth of yeast organisms. Non-infectious inflammations of the vagina also occur due to the effects of shampoos, detergents, cleaning agents, and other solutions. The severity of these is dependent on the properties of the causative agent. In animals with vulvar fold abnormalities, the vaginitis may be secondary to irritations resulting from this condition. Young female dogs less than one year of age may develop 'juvenile vaginitis.' The cause of this condition is unknown, but generally resolves with age. I don't know if Vaginitis would have a fishy odor or not....but, your dog may be blowing its glands at inappropriate times then licking the bacteria over its vagina... Get a second opinion for your dog...it must be awful to live with such a stinky companion... :roll: if it is the glands then perhaps you should up the fiber in your dogs diet to express them naturally with bowel movements....I always beleive you are what you eat...this goes for your dog as well...Chicken soup is not a good food.

I don't know if the web page I requested went through... :o here are individual pages for your review....once again have fun with your new furbaby! :lol: [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=154[/url] [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1551&articleid=164[/url] [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1549&articleid=172[/url] [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1549&articleid=173[/url] [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1548&articleid=157[/url] [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1551&articleid=163[/url]

One more thing: [color=red][b]PLEASE SOCIALIZE YOUR PUPPY! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WILL SAVE YOU AND YOUR PUP ALOT OF HEART ACHE IN THE FUTURE!!!![/b][/color]

Here is a great page for you will all kinds of topics on raising a puppy, there are about 3 pages and some titles will not apply to you.... Good luck with your pup, and remember success builds confidence...only punish your pup if you catch him in the act...once the dirty deed is done he won't know what your upset about.... :lol: Your pup is not peeing on the carpet because he is mad...he just doesnt know what is expected of him...he sounds confused...read the articles I have attached and there is an article on page 2 I beleive explaining puppy biting, and house training [b][color=red]GOOD LUCK, AND HAVE FUN![/color][/b] :lol: :lol: [url]http://www.peteducation.com/search_action.cfm?cls=0[/url]

most dogs are neutered between 5 and 8 months of age. Many humane shelters and veterinarians are starting to neuter male animals at a younger age, even 6-14 weeks of age. This early neutering does not affect the growth rate, and there are no appreciable differences in skeletal, physical, or behavioral development between those animals neutered early than those neutered at a more traditional age. It must be remembered that younger animals may need different anesthetics and are more prone to hypothermia (lower than normal body temperature) during surgery. As long as procedures are modified to account for these differences, early neutering is very safe. In fact, animals neutered at a younger age often have faster recoveries than those neutered when they are older. Isoflurane is the anesthetic of choice in most Veterinary pratices..it's safe enough to use on pregnant animals (including C-sections) and animals with heart problems. When you have your appointment for your next vaccines and discussing the surgery ask your Vet to ensure this anesthetic is used (although, they probably already are using it)

I just wanted to add one more thing...with black nails; if you look at the bottom of the nail (underneath) you can see the quick perfectly...they are just as easy to do as white nails. It would be nice if you can get a Dremel...

Rufus is sweet, and very lucky to have an owner who loves him so much. I can hardly wait to see some more pictures. You were able to access the site OK? it does have alot of good information..you can also access the home page under peteducation.com and find information on worms, fleas, health problems, problem behaviors etc...its a limitless site and will come in handy if rufus ever has a problem, which all dog do at one time or another...for exam diarrhea, vomiting etc. Have fun with your new puppy, I'm glad rufus has done so well in his first "real" training session. :wink: I love the picture you have of rufus...looks like he's eager to please. :lol:

Marble, I'm very lucky the breeder still pays for feeding & vet billls for 3 of the Newf's...she still uses them for showing and breeding. When she is finished with them then she signs them over to me...that is what happened with my oldest Newf she is now 7 yrs old and was signed over to me after the breeder was finished with her... In a few more years I will have to start feeding them myself... :o I wonder if the bank has a regesitered saving fund for feeding large dogs...and is it tax deductable??? :lol: :lol:

4 Newfoundland Dogs 1 Rottweiler

First: get you pup used to grooming, with the coat an Old English sheepdog its going to require daily brushing...if you have a hard time keeping your dog in a long coat, then get it used to going to a groomer to have a shorter trim. Once the coat mats, the mats pull on the skin making it very uncomfortable and when air cannot get under the mats (which it can't) hot spots will develop...I have seen alot of matted dogs which the owners did not take care of come into our grooming shop expecting us to perform miracles...once in awhile after shaving the poor thing down we have found to our disgust hot spots with maggots living in them! :o our motto is at the grooming shop "humanity before vanity" so please brush your dog daily. Here is a whole page of different articles which will help you (there are some articles on this page which will not apply to you) but check out each topic... [url]http://www.peteducation.com/search_action.cfm?cls=0[/url] Also, you are still within the critical period...it usually ends at around 16 weeks depending on breed....get your pup socialized with every thing during this period....get your pup used to other dogs and pups (enroll in puppy classes) at the clinic I work at we start puppy socialization classes at about 8 weeks (they require their first vaccines before enrolling)..get you pup used to noises he will hear as an adult.... traffic, riding in the car etc...another thing I always loved doing to my pups (when I had pup's)while they are so young they wobble more than walk is to take the pup out in the back yard and hide behind a bush when it is not paying attention to you....when it finds you really give alot of praise...I always found this helped when they became adults to play this hide and seek game on them...they usually will not let you out of their site...practice recalls also...and when calling your pup only call it's name once, for example : buddy,....come...if your pup doesnt respond go get him/her...as your pup gets older then you can do these recalls on lead...only say it once if him/she doesnt come pull him/her towards you...nothing worse then having a dog running around you and you are yelling at him/her to come...they don't take you seriously when your out there calling them over and over. I'm sure others on this board will give you really good advice...I havent had a puppy myself for over 20 years (always adults for me) check out the sites I have posted. Have fun... :D

Rosebud, I'm postive you will be a wonderful breeder...you strike me as the type who will get into breeding for the betterment of your breed....by the way I think your Rhodesian's are beautiful...it is very rare to see a Rhodesian in my area.

Grass is actually very good for your dog, it has alot of essential fatty acids in it...my dogs come spring go out "grazing" in the winter time I grow grass for them inside the house (wheat grass, no illegal stuff! :lol: ) As metioned by every one else, the only thing to be concerned about would be pesticides.

If it's Candidiasis, check out this site [url]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1448&articleid=1347[/url]

I have heard of Horses getting thrush in their hooves, a bacteria infection which is really smelly and hard to get rid of...its caused by unsanitary environment and the horse standing in it alot...they would wash the hooves with jabex to get rid of the bacteria infection. I have not heard about dogs getting thrush, unless there is another name for it which I am not familiar with...dogs can get yeast infections...this can be due to too much grain in their diet or allergies...my Newf had vaginal, ear, skin problems...the skin would stink etc...this was due to yeast over growths in her body and antibiotics etc would just solve the outer problem, but not the underlying cause...I changed from a kibble diet to BARF diet and added yoghurt to her diet which helped replace the good bacteria in her gut...I solved her problems through diet. I am not familiar with the word "thrush" with dogs...perhaps we refer to the problem under a different name in my area???? Is the problem your dog has classified under a different name?

Poor little Ben, When my friend had the allergy test done for her Boxer...boy, was she surprised at how many things the dog is allergic too..he may as well be kept in a glass bubble. Good luck with the allergy food....another thing she does is cleans her house with vineger and water...and she uses hypo allegenic soap for clothes etc... The allergy tests are expensive but very acurate with a blood test...there are 2 seperate tests, food and environment.

One more thing I want to mention, some times the symptoms which patti is showing is an indication of a fearful dog...but, it does not always mean the dog has been abused...it can also signafy a dog which has not been properly socialized...I see that alot! We also have had alot of dogs in for grooming which you would swear have been abused by their owners, cowerinig etc...even the owners will say it seems as though the dogs have been abused they take them different places and they act like freaks and they act like phyco's in their own homes..but they have had them since pups...and they are good dog owners, some times it can be the product of bad breeding also which can land a litter full of phyco dogs.

Try clipping nails daily for dogs like this! :lol: Alot of dogs do not like their feet being touched...and these dogs have never been abused...they just don't like it. At the grooming shop I work at of course its easy as we have a grooming table the dogs are heisted up on and they have a noose around their neck....we have lots of Sheperds, Rotties, Dobie's come in to our shop to have nails done. We are so quick at doing the nails its over before the dog knows what happened! :shock: When I first adopted my Rottie which had been neglected before I got her...I had a heck of a time to clip her nails...instead of taking her into the grooming shop all the time I instead started giving her massages...down the back, down the legs then down to the paws the first few times she would pull her legs away and freak out...but after awhile when I was able to massage her paws, and massage each toe she actually began to enjoy it and lay back and relax...I'd snip a couple of nails and leave it massage some more...give her a treat then do the same the next day and snip off a couple more nails...basically I desensitized her to her foot fetish! One other thing, any groomer that would tie a dog to a wall has got a problem...then your backing the dog into a corner :nono: that would be very scary especially with humans luming over top of him, nothing worse than putting a fearful dog in that position. Now, putting a dog on a grooming table is not bad, the dog is off the floor and they are some times more concerned about the height they are at and a groomer etc can clip the nails quite easily without putting the fear of god in the poor thing. The massage therapy worked well for me, dogs always need to have some thing good go with the bad...and plenty of treats should be available. Get the dog relaxed and laying down, don't come from above the dog with the nail clippers...if worse comes to worse walk your dog on plenty of pavement to keep the nails worn down! in the summer I never clip my Rotties nails.

I'm certainly not going to be the one to toss one of those Newf's! :o :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'll try to post some pictures of my babies....thank you mouseatthe busstop for the site you provided... I agree Courtnek, it would be nice if more breeders were like my friend...she really cares about the dogs. it is hard to place dogs in homes with small children, as you mentioned they are big dogs and can knock a child down easily...especially if they are excited. The do love children, I have a cart which I hook my dogs up to and my neices and nephews get rides when ever they come over...they are always supervised when around the dogs... And any one who says you make big money selling purebreds is quite wrong. My friend spends a fortune on her dogs...

Thanks Rosebud I am always very careful with our "intact" animals. My friend who shows & breeds usually gives me her "best" dogs to keep so she has easy access to them when it comes time to show, or breed. She has a wonderful facility and breeds very nice Newfoundlands...she is very very picky about who purchases her dogs, will not sell to people with small children (some times Newf's can be neglected due to busy family life) a neglected Newf is a sad sad thing...she has will take back her Newf's if the persons situation has changed and they can no longer take care of them and keeps in touch with ALL the people she sells her dogs to...she actually confiscated on of her Newf's it had a hereditary problem which she was not aware of...the Vet contacted her to take these dogs out of her breeding program...the dog could be repaired in a very expensive surgery which the new owner was not prepared to pay...my breeder friend gave him all his money back and took the dog back as she states right in her contract that if the dog required medical attention it must be done...or she is legally able to take the dog back... I really respect my friend and her vaules...she breeds for the love of the breed and has the facility to take proper care of them... the best thing is she still legally owns 3 of my Newf's so I don't have to pay for any food or vet bills...I really have it good! :wink:

Anal gland problems affect small breeds more than others...it doesnt matter is they are intact or not...its they way they are built which predisposes them to problems. As for trying a prescription diet ask your vet if you can try a sample first...at the vet clinic I work at we have little samples pre made from the manufature to hand out to customers...we wouldnt want them buying a big bag and the dog not liking it. Good luck :wink: