ShatteringGlass

For a costume for Sydney! :D May 15th there's a Walk For Animals in New Bedford, MA. It's to raise money for the Humane Coalition for Animals. So Syd and I are defenetly gonna sign up and get sponsers, but they're also having a costume contest! :D So what should I dress Sydney up as?

Not sure if it's a possibility for you, but I find at my work, if you can work on a dog high up like on a table, they behave much better. Some dogs I can work on the floor with no problem, but some are awful, so I'll put them on the table and there's a big improvement in their behavior. Maybe if you have a large sturdy table, or one of those big rubber-made bins you could try putting him on? just an idea

[quote name='hillside']We also have to remember that we didn't see the whole training session. Reality tv is notorious for just showing the bits and pieces of situations. There very well could have been praise and proper training, it just might not have been shown. That being said, I don't think this dog has been very well socialized at all. I do also think, based on what I have seen, the trainer needs to be replaced, any trainer worth thier salt trains the OWNER to to train the dog. Does anyone know how old this pup is? I'd be able to guess if it was a larger breed, but age guesses on smaller breeds elude me.[/quote] I was just thinking that, like what really happend? We obviously don't get to see everything that happend, because of such heavy editing. I think they edited the film to make a bad trainer look worse :lol:

[quote name='kendalyn']I'm not even sure exactly what the trainer was doing at all. I think maybe he was trying to teach come? All he did was drag the poor thing around on a leash. But he must have done something to that puppy (it was probably an accident) because it didn't just squeak, it screamed and was aboslutely terrified! No trainer should have that effect on a puppy. [/quote] He was dragging it because the couple carries the dog everywhere, it probably barely walks anywhere. I can't stand people who coddle their dogs like that. :roll: I don't think the trainer did anything to make the puppy scream. I've had puppies scream at me for just touching them (i'm a groomer), so I don't think it was the trainer's fault, accident or otherwise.

:roll: loser

I think he just finds smaller sized regular Dals, then breds them all together untill all the offspring come out miniaturized. Great breeding practices :roll:

[url]http://www.miniaturedalmatians.com/[/url] This guy is an idiot. All he breeds for is size, he obviously doesn't take in health, temperament, etc, when breeding these dogs down in size. And now he's got 2 different sizes! Toy (8-12 lbs) and Miniature (18-24 lbs) and he charges between $750-$1,750 :o "All Pet Quality dogs vary in price and WILL be Spayed or Neutered" How do you determine between "pet quality" and "breeding quality" for dogs that aren't even a breed or have a standard??? :roll: They should all be spayed and neutered so he can't produce anymore!! This guy is crazy, I sent him a nice email :bad-words:

[quote name='TDG']i'm wary of any product that does not give a detailed ingredient list. personally i'd recommend getting the homeopathic remedy fragaria vesca, which is guaranteed 100% natural since it's homeopathic, and use it in conjunction with a regular brushing regimen. fragaria vesca loosens existing plaque and calculus so it can be removed more easily (1 pellet/day for 4-8 weeks), and when given at a maintenance dose (1 pellet/once weekly) helps prevent new buildup. 100 pellets cost around $8-10[/quote] Where can you purchase it?

[quote name='MajiesMom']I know someone that uses Leba III on her Yorkie. It's similar to that. Her dog is feed raw also, she still needs to brush his teeth and he still needs to have his teeth cleaned at the vet twice a year. I find just brushing and scraping the tartar off my dogs teeth is enough but my breed doesn't usually have teeth problems. (Well Magic has broken a lot of teeth but they are all still all white and shiny). I was also wondering, I know these products are all natural but my first thought is they can't be good to give your dog if its strong enough to breakdown tartar on teeth. I would be surprised if it only worked on the teeth and nothing else like the digestive system or organs etc and damaged them, I don't know, I'm not into biology or physiology but it just doesn't seem right to me.[/quote] I heard that if you just scale/scrape teeth without polishing, it makes it easier for tarter/bacteria to stick back on to the teeth.

[quote name='Sarahq']Thats great that you are doing so much training with her! Odd that she is a retired show dog and has a fear of large buildings though. Most in-door dog shows are held in auditorium type settings. hmmmm.... I would recommend that you try the Rescue Remedy first. Simply because it is widely available. Dont expect drastic results, but it has worked for "taking the edge off". I would recommend that you work with a trainer/behaviorist (if you arent already). Its always helpful to have a second set of eyes and expertise to tell you where you could be improving. Good Luck![/quote] Yes, it is odd, but she also hasn't been shown for a little over 2 years, so I assumed she wasn't out of the house that much after she finished. I've heard mixed reviews about Rescue Remedy, I don't think it will be any more effective than the Pet Calm stuff I tried. But you never know. thanks for the advice :D

:banan: :banan: :banan: :banan:

[url]http://www.petzlife.com/index.html[/url] I'm very tempted to buy this! And if it doesn't work, there's a money back guaruntee. It's also 100% natural ingredients.

[quote name='Kat']Thats great to hear that your Sydney is becoming more confident. You are doing really great with her. I saw the recent photos and just felt so delighted to see her progress and how much effort you have put into her to get her looking and behaving so well :wink:[/quote] Thanks! I'm very proud of her improvements as well. The first month or two that I had her, I couldn't touch her tail without her yelping! Now, I can touch her tail all I want, and she was kind of the same way about touching her legs and under her belly, but she doesn't mind it all now. I've been clicker training her, and Im now getting more into having strangers touch her all over, and she's doing well with that also! Eventually I want to do CGC training and get her tested. She's gained a lot of her confidence back! :D

[quote name='DivineOblivion19'][color=indigo]And please keep her away from the boys! They only want one thing. :lol:[/color][/quote] :roflt:

[quote name='mouseatthebusstop'][quote]A tired dog is a good dog[/quote] very true I remember now you have the retired show dog- I would try to avoid large building[/quote] Well, my work is a large building where I have to take her sometimes, and many training classes that I want to take are in large buildings. I don't want to avoid these things, I want her to get over her fear. Since I've had her she's made great strides in improvement. It's not like she isn't progressing, So i'm sure she can eventually be 100% relaxed and comfortable in those situations.

[quote name='Sarahq']I havent used that product, but other Dynamite brand items are good. I dont think it would be anymore effective than something like Rescue Remedy - depending on the dog. Is there a particular situation you are having trouble with ? Or is this just an in-general kind of thing ? I have 2 Dalmatians. I find the best calming agent for them is copious amount of exercise. Run them run them run them.. until you think they are done.. and then maybe just a little more. :lol: I use lots of exercise in preparation for all big events... family gatherings, trips, etc.. A tired dog is a good dog![/quote] My dog has a fear of wide open, large buildings. I've been gradually de-sensitizing her buy bringing her into large buildings often, but I'm looking for something to help her along just a bit. I've tried a product called "Pet Calm", and it was OK, but not great. She gets plenty of exercise, she's even got her own little saddle bags that I put rocks in to tire her out faster! :lol:

Relax for Dogs [url]http://www.dynamiteonline.com/Products.nsf/%28Catalog+Lookup%29/Relax+%28TM%29+for+Dogs+-+DOG+PRODUCTS?OpenDocument[/url] from the description, it seems that you will notice it's affect pretty soon after administering, unlike Rescue Remedy, I've heard you have to start giving everyday for quite a few days to notice a difference in the dog's behavior. I'm interested to give it a try, what do you think?

No Dalmatian :cry: but I live in an apartment complex anyway

[quote name='AllAmericanPUP']i dont know about in canada, but i am guessing its the same here in america.. basically all the bulldog breeders suck, even the "reputable" breeders. why? because they are breeding bulldogs that are so short and pushed faced that they cant run or play or do anything, so it's basically a bump on a log instead of a real bulldog. ever looked at Renascence Bulldogge? they are basically a larger healthier version of the english bulldogs. [url]http://gargoylebulldogs.com/GARGOY~1/Page_1x.html[/url] look at this dog, he's amazing! [url]http://gargoylebulldogs.com/GARGOY~1/Omen2x.html[/url][/quote] I don't think I could take a person seriously as a breeder when they have this pic on their webpage: [img]http://www.gargoylebulldogs.com/GARGOY~1/Links/IMAG0000.JPG[/img] :roflt: Not sure if I missed it, but I didn't see anything on health testing or they're breeding practices, it was basically just pictures.

[quote name='delh1']it's conformation that shes going to train me for. but even if i don't get any money it's going to be great.[/quote] Sounds great, I wish I got into Junior Handling when I was younger :D

[quote name='Kat']very interesting article. thanks for posting it :wink:[/quote] No problem :wink: I never really saw the point to clicker training before, but recently I've been researching it, and I understand it much better now, I'm thinking of trying it on Sydney to see how she does with it.

I highly dislike that show. The animal behaviourist is annoying and I don't think she knows anything about dogs :roll: And they give these people stupid "tasks" to teach the dog without giving them instructions on how to train the dog.

[quote name='Kat']it sounds like she has maybe got something in there and its causing her discomfort. The vet is your best bet to see under illumination if theres anything nasty like a grass seed stuck there. :wink:[/quote] Hopefully its just that and nothing major. Her eyes are looking better since Ive been flushing them out every so often, but I'm still going to take her to the vet just to be on the safe side :wink:

Just found this interesting article about clicker training a show dog. I also read in Dogs In Review magazine, how the inventor of clicker training sees how traditional show handlers are doing everything wrong. It was a great article/interview and he made some really great points. here's the article (not from Dogs In Review) [url]http://nipissingkennelclub.com/showtrain1.htm[/url] [quote name='Kat']Also in the lower classes for obedience you can't carry a clicker into the ring with you, but you are allowed to use your voice therefore I see it as an overall better option. Most Champ handlers that I know have trained using their voice as means of motivation.[/quote] In the Dogs In Review interview, he spoke of the misconception that if you clicker train your dog, you have to use the clicker in the ring. He said that its not true, the clicker is a conditioning tool, not ment to be used continually, once the dog understands what it gets rewarded for and does it right, you no longer have to use the clicker.

Something's up with Sydneys eyes. Yesterday morning, I noticed she was squinting, they where watering more than usual (making a tear stain by one eye) and her nictating membrane was showing a little in the inner corner of her eyes. So I flushed them out with some opti-clear and went to work. When I came home Saturday night from work, they looked a bit better and I flushed them out again, which by the way, she is NOT cooperative about! :lol: When she gets excited, like when Im going to feed her or take her for a walk, she opens her eyes all the way and they look normal. Today they still aren't back to normal, and all the vets are closed today, so I'm going to make an apointment first thing tomorrow when I get to work. I'm just not sure what could of caused this. She came in season on Thursday, but that wouldn't give her any problems with her eyes? Another thing I was thinking, Friday night, I brought home some bacon type jerky treats for her. She'd never had these before, is it possible mabye this is some type of allergic reaction to something in the treats? Hopefully the vet will take care of everything, I hope its nothing serious. :cry: