imported_Foster

My ACD does this. Hers is contributed to what we consider post nasal drip. She has allergies and at times they get real bad and her throat gets all gooky and stuff. She will try to eat grass (I think) in hopes that it will help get rid of (wash down) the post nasal drip...of course these episodes improve when she eats her dry food but comes back quickly. Needless to say, my ACD, is on allergy medicine and this has significantly reduced these episodes.

What you need for flyball: 4 jumps at least 8" high-you can buy a set of 4 wood, unpainted for $75, a flyball box-expensive to buy $350-500 with shipping, you can by pass the box for now and make a chute. You can find some plans on the internet on some of the flyball sites... Flyball is expensive but fun Send me your email address and I will send you a bunch of training tips. [email][email protected][/email]

I participate in flyball. I have been doing it for going on 4 yrs now. What would you like to know? But let me warn you, if you decide you want to play flyball, it can be addictive :lol: Check out my site [url]www.ok9s.com[/url] I started the team back in Jan. Under pictures, you will find some pics from a tourney back in June. There are some great pics. Kim

I used missing link for about a 2 months. I liked it, the dogs loved it. The only problem I found was that my dogs became very energetic...basically there energy levels increased drastically which is not needed since I have an acd, bc/mix and a mini poodle, they have lots of evergy on their own. I will probably put them back on the missing link at the end of the summer when the flyball season starts back up. They need flyball in order to be able to deal with the supplements and this is the only way my house will survive... :D

I would consult another vet. My australian cattledog for 6 months had puppy vaginitis. It went away after she was spayed. Since it was a recurring problem, there was a chance that she could have reoccurrences in adulthood. I had to insert cream in her for 6 months plus give antibiotics...I was so glad that it went away. The reason I knew she had it is because she had a nasty discharge. Go to another vet and see what they say. It could be a case of vaginitis which can be treated but may return...

I think we all need to stop taking sides and realize that the tone on boards can be misunderstood. I may mean to say something funny but if I forget to put a smiley, it may be taken seriously or in the wrong way. Just because someone disagrees does not mean they are bashing...it means they don't agree. Don't take things written on a board to heart. Most times it is not meant that way (good, bad or indifferent). Some folks are more blunt to the point and don't go on and on and on and on, like seem to....

My suggestion: RUN, RUN far far away... Seriously, Foster was wired as a puppy but she also comes from direct working lines. I was lucky. She learned things quickly and wanted to please but she had her moments. We still have a dominance struggle every 6 months or so. I would make sure that you are #1 and not Dresden. ACD's want to be #1 and will try to do it that. Chances are that Dresden knows the commands and chooses NOT to listen. I would insist on Dresden listening the first time, period. If you give a command twice then they won't do it until the second time you say it. Then they will push it to you saying it 3 times etc....Never allow Dresden to get away with not listening...they seem to learn exactly what not to do and that is what they want. So I guess I am saying never let them get away with a darn thing...these stubborn beasts will try and take control. I would suggest joining the MSN cattledog boards. They are nice folks and can answer many many questions. Thanks for the compliments on Foster...she is a good dog most of the time. I was glad when she became 2...she really became more laid back.

Having diabetes is not a bad thing. It runs very strong in my family. All the woman get it...and recently an uncle was diagnised with it. I am destined to have it but that is ok... Diabetes can be controlled with meds, diet, exercise, etc...I had family members live with diabetes for 30 years without any permanent damage. Shara, you did what you could for hazel. Maybe more could have been done when she was younger but your parents were not helping. You are only a child yourself. Don't blame yourself. You did all you could. Just make sure to do right by Coal. Shara, whether you suffer from some mental problems or not--whether it is thyroid or not, don't worry about it. 2 of my best friends are manic depressive...and I love them dearly. They are more high maintenenace than my other friends but I would not trade them for the world. We all have our problems. It is all about how we choose to deal with it. If you have anger problems, I would suggest finding a healthy outlet...At the age of 31, I am still playing soccer and I get my aggressions out on the field. My husband likes me better during soccer season

Flyball is no more dangerous to a dogs joints than agility or frisbee. If you are concerned talk to some vets including the ones that specialize in orthopedics. Get some advice from them. My dogs have more injuries playing ball in the yard or running through the woods than they have playing flyball. We have a dog on our team that has severe hip dysplasia. When we are active in flyball he has less problems than when he is out. His muscles atrophy during the offseason. He also had ACL surgery a couple years ago. He is better off playing flyball than doing nothing. There are many dogs out there that play agility, frisbee and flyball that have problems with their joints and many of them are better off staying active. I am not saying play or not to play but you should get facts from the vets before listening to a friend. There is a huge controversy between agility folks and flyball folks. Agility-only folks will say how bad flyball is for a dog. In my eyes, agility and flyball are actually not the cause of joint problems unless they are taught incorrectly or if the dog is predispositioned to the problems. If you are interested in flyball, do your research. Talk to some flyball people in your area, talk to vets, etc...get the real scoop not opinions. As is the case many times, the above is only my opinion.

I actually participate in flyball and have my own team. Go to [url]www.flyballdogs.com[/url] (flyball homepage) and [url]www.flyball.org[/url] (North American Flyball Association--which includes Canada) There are links that will help you find a team in your area. Coal is too young for full out flyball training but you can do some little things. But some of the best flyball dogs are trained as puppies and use "puppy jumps". They only work for a couple minutes a day on basic stuff. Instead of using jumps, you use something about an inch high and teach your dog to jump it on command. Then you add a second, third, fourth....You want to keep them at a distance that your dog will only hit the groud once in between jumps...as your dog gets older you can increase the distance. Play chase games. This means that Coal chases you. Have someone hold Coal and you start running away, that person let's Coal go, you keep running until he catches you. When he catches you, you reward him (By the way this helps build a fast recall/come command). My preference is a nice game of tug. In flyball, the dog coming to the tug is usually better than coming to food. In time, you can add the 1 inch jumps to the game. Set up a jump, someone hold Coal, you call him over the jump, when they release Coal, you run from him until he catches you, then reward.... What makes a good flyball dog. A handler that works hard and wants to succeed. You need patience. Technically a ball obsessed dog is not needed. My mini poodle hates balls but loves flyball. Any dog can learn to play, it just takes longer to train some. Some dogs will be in training for years and some for a few weeks. If you are serious about wanting to play flyball, contact a local club and check things out. They can help you start puppy training. So is this more than you wanted to know. As you can tell, I am obsessed by flyball. I love it and my 3 dogs also love it. We are working on a new website but you can check out [url]www.ok9s.com[/url] to see a couple of my dogs (Foster, Charlotte and Aspen). The updated site should be up soon and will have the same page name. If you have any other questions, you can email me offlist at [email][email protected][/email] and I will try and answer your questions.

If it is basically water that he is vomiting, he may be drinking too fast and gulping too much air which then causes him to vomit. He may be getting dehydrated so he gulps water, etc....you know the rest. The medicine he was on maybe have mde him feel dehydrted so he started this whole routine and just never stopped. Maybe try some kind of bowl where he can't drink water so fast, something with a small opening... One of my dogs does something similar...I don't worry about it since it does not happen often... Has he been checked for diabetes? Or some other disease that may cause a dog to feel dehydrated. This of course is just a thought.

I feed canidae to all 3 of my dogs, one of which is a small mini poodle who weighs 9 lbs. He does not have problems chewing the food. I do not soften his food either. He gets it straight up.

If she is always running off to see these other folks including your dad, I would make that experience bad. You need to stop running after her...If she runs to where your dad is, have him get her and put in away (crate, car whatever). You could also ask that all these people just make visiting bad. It will not traumatize her towards people but it will make her stop running to them. Have them scream and carry on...You could ask the obedience class to come early, so you can set up your dog and when your dog runs over there, the class screams, yells and stuff at her. You calmly walk over there and pick her up and put her in a timeout in the car. After a few minutes bring her back out and continue working with her. If she runs off again, then proceed as before. The class screams and stuff, you calmly walk over and pick her up and put her in timeout. Your dog will soon learn that when she runs off, she gets yelled at and then gets locked up. What fun is that??? None, and she may decide that it is better to stay with you. And when you are going to get her, do not tell her to come. She is not coming when called so you are allowing her to break the command so don't use it unless you know she will listen. Plus, you should not call a dog to you and then discipline them...you only teach that coming is bad.

Someone agrees with me??? How did that happen :lol: Thanks Barbiro...not many usually agree with me. I am the outcast, the redheaded stepchild---and I am not a redhead :roflt:

I would suggest possibly covering his crate so he can't see out. This will sound mean but, cover the crate and every time he starts to cry, give it a good bang...never say a word. It can take a night or 2 but it does work. I have done this with all my dogs and they all go to their crates freely. Also, feed him in his crate. If you don't want to try the banging bit, tie a piece of string to his collar and thread it through the door, and when he cries, give it a yank--still don't say a word. Some may say these methods are harsh but they are proven and dogs will not become crate haters....as long as you make the crate a nice place. When you put him in his crate, give him a kong or something filled with peanut butter or plain yogurt. Put it in the freezer for awhile and it will take longer for him to get through the stuff inside plus the coolness of the kong will feel good on his teeth.