Puppy Advice (merged)

fruity5

Now if you want your dog to eat its biscuits only, make food time fun. here is a cheap idea with a HUGE response. My dog can be a picky eater and shes a big game lover so try putting her biscuits in a 600ml plastic bottle and she/he has to 'hunt' them out. Now i didnt think my dog would go for this but omg she loves the game! she ate every last one, everytime! She gets her paw and flicks the bottle and they fly everywhere keeps her entertained and keeps me happy. Dogs mental stimulation is just as important and exersize! but also going to have to train your hubby too lol (i know he means well, i have the same trouble) just to let you know too: GRAPES, CHOCOLATE, ONIONS & RAISINS are POISIONIUS for a dog so beware of that with scraps. nite!

MinnieMoo_2

I'm in the no to Jan Fennel camp as well. She is easily misunderstood and can cause more harm than good to the dog. She is worth a read so you know what people are talking about when they discuss training methodology. Gwen Bailey, Ian Dunbar; Stanley Coren are clearly written and easily understood by the novice. Robert Alleyne (Dog Borstal) has written a very good book. Cesear Milian is inappropriate for your pup, he deals with an entirely different type of dog, although I think he has some pertinent things to say.

Again, you need to research into good puppy classes, these are found by asking owners of well behaved dogs, if they went to classes. You need a teaching class not a puppy party, IMO they are not teaching them anything except dogs are for play.. some dogs might not be, mine don't like dogs hurtling towards them with no manners and will tell them off. Free access to any dog is a reward. You have a terrier mix so I can guarantee it will be barky; chase things (cats; other dogs; children; skateboarders) due to the type of dog it is, its genetic inheritance. It will need training like any other dog.

About jabs... and being allowed out. The first few weeks of a dogs life contain extremely important socialization windows that if missed can be difficult to correct. A good book on puppy development will explain when and what they are. I personally don't agree with isolating dogs until their second jabs are effective (maybe at 12-14 weeks). So I take my pups everywhere I can, pub, park, fire station; trains, buses, shops, schools, cafe's, cars... they just don't hit the ground... they do go to classes from the day I pick them up. A good class will have a puppy only class, either firt or in a seprate room.

Food: I'm not a fan of Hills; Purina; Iams; Eukanuba, etc., Try a very simple pup food like Burns, Nature Diet, Arden Grange or James Wellbeloved. Keep the protien levels low. High protien can cause fast growth which is to be avoided and hyperactivity, similar to ADHD. In emergencies, Chappie or Butchers Tripe (tinned) is perfectly acceptable.

For a terrier mix, I don't advocate squeaky or soft toys either, all they do is increase the prey drive. This is a professional killing machine disguised as a cute pup. Get you pup fixated on a ball and get a good retrieve installed. Chew toys; Kongs Nyla bones yes yes yes!!! Dogs love to chew, it is a natural activity that doubles as a stress release for them, so they have free access to all chew toys. Get the mouthing; play biting whatever you want to call it dealt with asap.

Spaying (neutering) can be discussed later. She won't be ready far a while yet. I don't agre with the 6 months old lets spay it now school of thought.

Apologies to anyone if I have inadvertently caused any offence.

Good Luck

minihay

I just wanted to say thank you for all your help and advice. We have decided not to go and see the dog as a few things weren't adding up. Firstly the address she gave me was a different farm to the one she put on the original advert, she also sent me some photos and it looks like the dog isn't a border terrier and she looks very grey so she could be quite old. She is also readvertising the dog so makes me a bit suspicious that there may be more than one available.

We had previously considered a rescue dog as my parents have had some lovely dogs from rescue centres in the past, but when we visited the RSPCA they wouldn't let any of their dogs go to a house with children under 3 and another local centre would only let dogs over 1 go to a house with children and to be on the safe side we thought that a rescue dog isn't the best option at this current time.

So we are now looking for a new puppy and I feel I now know what questions to ask and what to look for so fingers crossed we can find one to join our family.

:beer:

Ruffles_2

:T I think you've made the right descision. I just wanted to say, not all rescue dogs come with baggage, some are much loved, well cared for family pets that find their way into rescue through no fault of their own. If your willing to look, I'm sure there's a perfect dog in rescue for you somewhere. Also, not all rescue's have 'blanket bans' on homing with children. A lot of rescue's take each person/family etc and will match them to a suitable dog. I'm not sure where in the country you are, but here are a few Border Terriers that are in currently in rescues http://allbreedsrescue.googlepages.com/border-terriers http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=172722&hl=rascal+&+rosie Twix (only 4 months old) http://www.cdrs.btinternet.co.uk/ http://www.borderterrierwelfare.org.uk/

foreign_correspondent

f1re_cr4cker wrote: »

hi i'm thinking of rehoming an adult pug and eventually (if its not already on it) putting it on dry food- maybe Burns. How much would this cost a month roughly? Price isn't a worry, id just like a rough idea.

So glad you are looking at rehoming rather than supporting unnecessary breeding - good luck, I am sure there will be a lovely little dog waiting for you somewhere, who will be glad of all the thought you are putting in now!

Lorne

Hi there,

thinking about getting a lab puppy from a friend (very money saving) and would like some advice about what I should know before saying yes - colleague at work mentioned hip and eye scores but I don't know what that means and is there any other background information that would be helpful? What does KC registration mean?

We've been thinking of getting a dog for a long time and this would be a great opportunity for us, other half works from home so we are in a good position to take a puppy from my friend. Just want to make sure I have all the facts before we meet the little one!

Thanks, Lorna

ka7e

Basically KC registered dogs have their details registered with the UK Kennel Club, who expect certain requirements be met. It doesn't guarantee a problem-free puppy, but is aimed at minimising the risks of unsuitable dogs being used for breeding

Breeding stock must be tested annually for Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy (CPRA). These are hereditary eye diseases that breeders want to eradicate[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]. [/FONT]Tested dogs will have a certificate stating they are "Clear". The dogs have to be taken to a designated test centre or to a specialist vet (often visiting dog shows) - most vets aren't specifically trained to do it. This is an annual cost not covered by insurance.

Also, at about 1 year old they will have a hip X-ray to assess the liklihood of them developing Hip Dysplasia, another hereditary disease that can lead to severe arthritis and pain as the dog ages. A score is given for both left and right hips and they are recorded eg 4/5 or 8/12. The lower the score the better - I'm not sure what the current parameters are, but when I bred my Lab, the figure had to be below a combined hip score of 12 (I think!). The X-ray involves a light general aneasthetic due to the positioning of the dog during the test, so it seems too expensive for some pet breeders and they don't bother with it. It is not covered by insurance.
http://www.labradorforums.co.uk/hips.html

The KC will not register more than 4 litters from the same female dog, nor will they register pups born after she is 8 years old - this is supposed to stop puppy farms churning out a litter a year (or more) from their stock. Unfortunately, puppy farms rarely KC reg their pups or have various fraudulent ways of getting round the system with fake papers.

Top breeders usually only breed their stock when they want new showing or working dogs, and the stud dog is carefully chosen to complement and enhance the "female dog's" qualities. The surplus puppies being sold off to fund what is a very expensive enterprise. I'm sure your friend has bred her Lab with all good intentions, but unless both the parents are tested and clear, the puppies are more at risk of having problems in the future.

schizometric

You only need hip/eye scores if you're breeding or there is concern that there may be a problem.

They chew, a lot, if left on their own. This can be expensive. Labs are extremely sociable, active dogs and need an active home where people are about and willing/able to walk them really for at least 30 mins two times per day

Raksha

The parents of the dog should always be hip and eye scored if these are appropriate to the breed, and the score should be within normal peramiters for the breed (and these vary from breed to breed). However this is not a guarentee that the pup will not have problems, as well as genetics, breeding and incorrect excercise can also exacerbate hip problems. It's heartbreaking to see an active dog like a Lab limited to lead exercise only because of hip problems.

Labs do love their people, but will amuse themselves if given suitable toys and training on how to be alone. Don't live with the dog always with you for 6 months, then expect it to cope with being alone.......

Lorne

Thank you all so much for the information, definitely a lot to think about. Thanks for taking the time to reply, much appreciated, Lorna