Inherited Dog - Australia

Generali

I'm looking for some advice.

I've inherited a mutt, perhaps 10 years old. She was living in Darwin but has been in Sydney for about 4 years. The Darwin owner og ther from the pound and she doesn't like hoses (they clean the dog's space with a guerney without tkaing the dog out) and doesn't like sticks (beaten by a previous owner?).

She's a classic Aussie 'yard dog' - only comes into the house (utility room) when there's a bad thunder storm or fireworks. She's a little dog - plenty of terrier in there I would say from the look and temperament.

I've been feeding her meat, on the bone where possible - chicken drumsticks, leftovers, some fish, occasionally mince but not often as she doesn't seem to like it so much. She has no interest in veggies

She gets walked now and again but she does have plenty of space to run around out the back.

Any thoughts or advice? Should I give her some commercial dog food now and again for example? She seems to keep herself clean by rolling in wet clover. Is that enough? (she smells ok). Overall she seems really happy and healthy.

She's pretty much untrained too. I quite fancy having a go at teaching her 'heal', 'sit', 'fetch' etc. Is that feasible at her age?

I've never owned a dog before and don't really like them that much but she's my responsibility which isn't her fault so I owe her a nice life I think.

Oldernotwiser

Congratulations on taking the responsibility for this dog - I hope that you both become very attached to each other.

Do be careful about giving her meat on the bone - chicken in particular is really dangerous.

Do you want her to continue to be a yard dog or do you want her to live more like a dog would in the UK?

RacyRed

Generali wrote: »

I've never owned a dog before and don't really like them that much but she's my responsibility which isn't her fault so I owe her a nice life I think.

What a lovely, responsible attitude. Maybe you and she will learn lots from each other and who knows where it may lead.

As for the advice you seek, I'm sure some of our experience dog people will be along soon

suki1964

Meat on the bone as long as it is raw is fine. Never feed cooked bones


Dog sounds fit and healthy. No need to bath a dog unless they are indoor dogs and minging.

Do get her wormed regularly - esp as you feed raw

If you can walk her on lead then there is no reason what so ever you cant train her in the rudimentaries. I find small bits of cooked liver, cubed cheese, sausage ete make great training treats. Feed freely from the hand for a while get her interested, then make her work for one by doing the sit, paw etc. Break command down into smaller bits and treat for every step of the way she gets right - she will soon learn.

Theres no need to feed commercial unless you cant source enough raw. As she is a yard dog if you want to feed commercial I would advise a dry kibble and remove whats not eaten after 20 mins so you are not attracting vermin

Generali

suki1964 wrote: »

Meat on the bone as long as it is raw is fine. Never feed cooked bones


Dog sounds fit and healthy. No need to bath a dog unless they are indoor dogs and minging.

Do get her wormed regularly - esp as you feed raw

If you can walk her on lead then there is no reason what so ever you cant train her in the rudimentaries. I find small bits of cooked liver, cubed cheese, sausage ete make great training treats. Feed freely from the hand for a while get her interested, then make her work for one by doing the sit, paw etc. Break command down into smaller bits and treat for every step of the way she gets right - she will soon learn.

Theres no need to feed commercial unless you cant source enough raw. As she is a yard dog if you want to feed commercial I would advise a dry kibble and remove whats not eaten after 20 mins so you are not attracting vermin

Thanks all and to suki1964 especially.

I want to keep her as a yard dog. I don't like dogs inside very much and there's no good reason for her to come indoors given the climate (if it gets below about 10C she gets a coat, if it was to get below freezing she'd come indoors but that doesn't happen here).

Why not feed her cooked bones? I've given her leg of lamb that's a few days old for example with no apparent ill effects. On a similar note, is there any reason not to give her off/turning meat now and again? I've noticed that sometimes she takes meat away for it to get a bit higher for a couple of days.

How do I get her wormed? I've 2 young children so this sounds important. Can I do it myself (something in the feed) or do I need to take her to the vets?

suki1964

Cooked bones splinter and could cause serious harm - and Im talking really nasty stuff here as in punctured stomachs or bowels

If you know any one that hunts or shoots then rabbits, birds etc are fine to be fed whole. If you have a good butchers or meat counter you can always ask for the trimmings and bones. My personal recommendation is to avoid weight bearing bones as they do wear the teeth down. But carcasses and ribs are ideal

Always give raw bones. Cooked meat is fine and its fine if its just turning, obviously try to avoid anything that's green and maggoty lol

Worming is easy to do yourself. You need to weigh her though. So jump on the scales and then jump on with her - the extra is her weight. Then order DRONTAL or buy it from a pet supply shop. I know its not a prescription only drug there so it should be freely available. You give up to two tablets every three months (because you feed raw and have children) depending on weight of the dog

You may also want to flea treat? Frontline Combo is pretty good


Hope thats of help?

You can also google BARF - which is feeding dogs raw food to get some ideas of what you can and cant feed

Barneysmom

Well done for taking the dog on you're a hero! :cool:

For the worming, I do mine March, June, September and December. That way I can't forget to do them.
If you get some cheap cod liver oil capsules and give a couple per week it does wonders for a shiny coat.
There's no need to bring her indoors if you have a nice shelter for her, but when he's getting older she might need a bit more comfort, so be prepared to arrange a bed indoors for her.

Toys. When I got my girl dog she was so uncared for that when I rolled the ball she just didnt have a clue what it was, I had to teach her how to play. Dogs do love teddies, they will often pull all the stuffing out and then just cuddle the empty teddy.

As for bones, just make sure you are watching carefully, it's horrible to see a dog choking. A big cow bone is best if you can get one from your butcher...
Lamb bones do splinter, as do chicken bones. In the drumstick there's a very fine splinter bone that you have to take out before giving it to her.......

Generali

Thanks for the advice. It's getting alte here now so I'll reply in the morning (my time).

Barneysmom

Have a nice evening Generali :cool:

foreign_correspondent

poor little dog - it does sound as if she has been whacked if she doesnt like sticks. I once picked a hoe up suddenly, and my little dog flattened herself to the floor. I am glad you have taken her on, you may just find yourself converted!!

If she is outside does she have a kennel? - she needs some shelter, and a place to sleep which is insulated from the cold and damp floor at night - eg. a dry kennel with a bed in, and something soft to sleep on.

raw bones are good - cooked are too risky - but dogs can miss out on some nutrients if they are just fed muscle meat, I believe - I think they need organ meat too for some nutrients - I am sure one of the raw feeders will advise you!

Cooked eggs are also good (not raw, as if fed regularly they can cause your dog skin and coat problems), leftovers may also go down well, especially cooked rice, potatoes and veggies may well be acceptable if mixed in with tasty leftovers. Most dogs love fish, and oily fish (sardines, pilchards etc) will help keep her joints healthy and her coat shiny!

Avoid grapes, raisins, onions, chocolate as these are all poisonous to dogs.

You may also want to be aware that slug pellets are a common cause of poisoning in dogs, so make sure things like this are not accessible, especially if she is living in the garden.

You definitely can teach her some tricks - (the idea of not being able to teach old dogs new tricks is a load of bunkum in my experience!). It will be best if you are armed with some tasty treats, bits of meat, very slim slivers of cheese (not too much, you dont want her to get fat!) - try doing simple things like 'sit' and 'lie down' first, and as soon as she does what you ask, telling her 'good girl!!' and giving her a treat as the same time - she will soon catch on!

If she does not even know 'sit' try this first!!

Does she like fetching a ball at all?

and finally - can we see some pictures??

Fire_Fox

Be careful with cod liver oil as it contains quite high levels of vitamins A and D which can be toxic in excess. The active constituent of cod liver oil is omega-3 essential fatty acids but there are actually higher concentrations in fish body oil (just sold as fish oil).

To add to what Suki advised about BARF you may find this booklet useful, just ignore the bits where Orijen is recommended (it is good IMHO, but real food is better)
http://www.orijenpetfoods.co.uk/acatalog/ORIJEN_White_Paper%2809%29.pdf