ETO

Since you like them so much

I have just bought my first Bridge camera. £130 from Argos - Nikon L810 coolpix. It doesn't have view finder though, but I am more than happy with it.

Completely agree! My dogs are my companions first and foremost. And because they give me that - I give them the best food I can and exercise both their bodies and mind so I feel they are fulfilled to the best of my ability.

You could do worse than JWB.

My view is pretty much the same as Jean Donaldson's view. I think we are too quick to label bad behaviours as dominant and think our dogs are going to take over the world but really we don't look at what it really is. For example; Louie will greet another dog with his tail and head held high - from a less experienced persons point of view that is dominant - he's trying to show the other dog who is boss. From my point of view, knowing what he has gone through (he's been attacked several times this year) he isn't confident and is trying to put on a front as a way of trying to hide that uncertainty from that other dog. Uncertainty is a weakness within any animal structure. When I introduced Jack to our household, Louie would grumble and stand by me - he wasn't confident enough to deal with it on his own. My way of dealing with this was to walk away from them. A person who believes in dominance would have rolled him over and held him until he was still and stayed there without being held. This just puts more on you. And if I had done this rather than walking away - I would've had caused more tension between the two dogs than there was before. Within 3 days Jack was accepted and now they are happy with each other. I have to admit, once upon a time I did believe in dominance and Caesar Millan's methods. I did use them on one of my dogs - Benjie. Now I have found our relationship tainted by those methods. And now I have watched his interactions it is clear he doesn't know how to behave and interact with other dogs. So now I am rectifying that I am finding our relationship strengthening and also that he is understanding how to interact with other dogs. I have worked with him for the past 4 years. And 4 years ago he would've gone up to another dog and basically start a fight, now he simply sniffs and comes away. Within my "pack" all the dogs are equal. There are appeasement signals now and then; licking other dogs mouths, low bodies and rolling over. The pup still has her puppy licence so gets away with some ruder behaviours - such as paws on the shoulders of another - but only within my dogs. If she did it to one of my friends dogs - she'd be told off. But anyway - my views are that dogs don't dominate humans - ever. We read behaviours wrongly and therefore we create a lot more behaviour problems than we would have if we understood how to read our dogs.

http://www.claus.com/naughtyornice/nn_hmpg2.php

Well I know a lot of you will know more than I do and will truly believe that the dominance theory exists... but it's outdated and wrong. Dr L David Mech. An internationally recognized wolf expert, a senior research scientist for the U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (since 1970), and an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. He has researched wolves since 1958 in places such as Minnesota, Canada, Italy, Alaska, Yellowstone National Park, and on Isle Royale. From his research in wolves - we then transferred it to our pets - as Jean Donaldson explains below. An extract from Jean Donaldson's "The Culture Clash" You can read the entire book here: http://codeazur.com....ultureClash.pdf After you read this article - read the comments. http://www.whole-dog...gs_20416-1.html And a Grade A essay including links and quotes to plenty of sources that also discredit the dominance theory. http://www.facebook....QBu_euYPzXXo0GX So any of you changed your mind? Or do you still think I should watch my back as my three pooches, are comfortably laid on my sofa plotting to take over the world snoring their heads off as I type?

Brilliant photos of an excellent little girl!

Not really as he doesn't actually live with me full time. He has a strong bond with my OH's autistic brother so when my OH is away at camp, his parents have the dog. When he's back we have him. I've had to do lots of purpose training to work with his issues. For example - he is food/object possessive - so I've worked on this by first teaching him to get on the object he guards then teaching him off. Lots of reward for both. And also he barked a lot and wouldn't shut up regardless of the reason. So I taught him to speak and then taught him to be quiet. With his food guarding - that was easy, he loves going for a walk so if I had to get food off him I would bring a slip lead out and he'd happily trot away from it and I would say "Mine" when he came away. So now I can get to his bowl, say mine take it off him without a problem and he gets a reward for it. And I don't get bitten or warned anymore. However I will stop now as this isn't my thread.

He's not mine he's the OH's and he's a rescue and due to being taken in by people who have limited knowledge of dogs they've repeatedly ignored his warnings and gave him mixed signals due to believing in the dominance theory. So if he had been mine from the start - regardless of the rescue situation - he would never have bitten me as I wouldn't have given him mixed signals or ignored warnings. It makes him a little unpredictable with strangers but now he understands I get his signals and I don't give him mixed ones we get on completely fine.

It's not even a question of Rank. My dogs are dogs, I am a human. Dogs don't see us as the same species so why do we pretend we are by bringing in all the outdated alpha theory nonsense. Even the bloke who came up with it revoked his comments as in the wild there isn't alpha wolves - there is just the breeding pair and the non breeding wolves. I don't see how dogs being allowed on the sofa or beds mean that they won't listen. Yes if your dog has a possessive manner - like one of mine does then you will have issues. But it doesn't mean he thinks he's higher up than me. I just taught him to jump up on command and jump off on command. And now I can get into bed without being bitten or having to force him off. He gets a reward for getting off too - win win situation. I could go on but I'm not going too cos I'll just ramble

TBH it sounds as if your dog is asking for space. You have to watch she doesn't practice this too often as she could do it if the dog is genuinely being friendly. Or she could do it at the wrong dog and end up in a worse state. But other than that I don't think you have a problem dog, just one that prefers her space. I have one like it and I put him on lead and call out to other owners - that way I don't have to deal with him or their dog. And I can continue my walk in peace.

Don't talk rubbish! Dogs don't dominate people. All mine are allowed on the sofas and beds and I have no problems.

Hmm I'd want to call her something unique to go with that leg - which I did not see! Is she your first Spaniel? I think I'd call her Diz. Short for Dizzy - as thats what Spaniels are Is she KC reg? I'd use something from her KC name if she is. My friend has a Cocker who's KC name has Grouse in it. I told her she should've called her Willow - cos of the Willow Grouse, but she ended up calling her Lilly. You really want a one syllable name. My next dog which I am convinced is going to be a Cocker (Pennie was supposed to be a Chinese Crested ) Anyway I'm going to call the Cocker "Tick" short for Ticking time bomb How about Pip? Or seeing as she's pretty much a Christmas pup Elf? LOL sorry I just watched that film

Oh what a darling little thing. I love her snow nose - that eventually should colour in, but sometimes they keep the loss of pigment. Whats her name?

Thanks guys - I try my best

If there was anything there the other dogs would've been in on it too, it could've been though - I'm not certain what it was. Jessie likes to dig and not with her paws - she bites at soil funny little thing!

My friend and I haven't walked together in a while and we had a lovely peaceful walk around part of Sherwood Forest today, dogs behaved perfectly and we had a good 3 hours ramble and nattering. However my camera kept dying so I don't have many. The Collies are Jed and Jessie, the Wirehair is Flynn and then there is my Louie and Jack. First Jessie did some rabbiting.. Had a bit of a play. Got blown about Posed on a log Thanks for looking.

Well apart from a couple of mad minutes mine sleep or potter about the house during the day. I've not took them out for a week because I'm suffering an ear and chest infection and they haven't torn the place up. However Lou had a sneezing fit 20 minutes ago and Pen decided to repeatedly pounce on him and now she has her head stuck in a basketball that she'd previously popped and ripped a great hole in. They're characters!

Mine are indoor so they're coats are slightly thinner than what they would be if kept out. But saying that - both of them have different coats. Lou - my eldest is slightly wirey but the soft type and only wirey along his spine. However his underbelly is thin so he gets a few cuts and scrapes but other than that he can work undergrowth just fine. I don't walk mine with coats and we go out in all weathers and all terrains they manage fine. Pen's coat is more Labby. As is her tail, whereas Lou's is more springer - it hasn't got the otter look that Pen's has. They both go swimming in freezing water too and Lou is fine in the snow too. Pen hasn't had snow yet. The one thing that lets them down is that they are basically a Springer in a lab coat - so the tail is an issue. Lou's is mashed up at the end where he keeps knocking it, but docking it would make him look stupid as he looks more like a lab. But overall I'd never say no to another one. They have an off switch too - guess thats the lab side

I admit I was rushed for time and my comment wasn't very useful but I see this too often that people just get pups without thinking about it. I'd not bother with the crate to be honest, whilst I'm an advocate for using anything positive and modern - there's no point to crate training other than to keep the pup in one area. Mine sleep in a crate for the first few weeks to get them used to it for travelling etc. But when the accidents stop they can have free reign. With toilet training take the pup out after every, meal, drink, play and sleep. I take my pups out every half an hour for the first week then up it to 45 minutes the next week and then work my way up. My waking/sleeping routine was never changed much either, I would keep the pups up till 11/12 - if they fell asleep before then, I would wake them up, toilet, play then toilet again, then bed. As my pups slept in my room - I would wake up when they woke me up and take them to the loo - regardless of time, then pop them back in their crate and go back to sleep. If they didn't settle I would bring them in my bed and found they did settle. For food - skip puppy food, it's a con. If you find a decent branded dry/wet then there is no point to puppy food. Or you can opt for the raw - but this does take research - you can't just jump into it Decent branded dry foods - that I would feed if I fed dry would be; Acana, Applaws, Fish4Dogs, Barking Heads and Taste of the wild. However they are the higher end of the scale. So the decent afforable brands I would feed are; Skinners Salmon and Potato, Skinners Duck and Rice or Autarky Duck/Salmon. I don't feed wet food but Nature Diet and Butchers Tripe are the ones I would feed if I did. The rule of thumb with dry/wet foods are the less grains - the better! Grains cause all sorts of skin complaints and issues. Bakers in particular causes many behavioural issues as it's filled with E numbers that are banned in our own foods. They cause aggression and hyper problems. Pups should be fed 4 times a day until 6 months old and roughly 4 hours between, 3 meals till 9 months and then I usually do 2 meals onwards. As for how much - I go on hand and eye - if the pup is skinny, feed a bit more, if plump, feed a little less. As for keeping the household happy - just make sure everyone respects each other. Make sure everything is puppy proofed - if you don't want things chewed - don't leave them where they can be chewed. I haven't kennelled dogs before but if you are going to, start feeding her in the kennel area at first, then when she's about 6 months feed her and start leaving her in there about 15 minutes longer each week. I wouldn't kennel a dog until a year old +. I would never kennel a dog before it was toilet trained anyway. Hope this helps and if you want any advice on raw feeding just PM me

They're Lab x Springers. The thing behind the lead is Louie's manhood.

Erm not to be harsh or rude or anything - but shouldn't you have worked all this out BEFORE picking the pup up?

I saw this new breed today. It has two heads and six legs. I asked the pup to heel but Lou was in the way so instead of doing the normal thing and either squeezing between or being at the side she tried to jump him and ended up like this - I asked them to wait and there you have it.. 2 heads and 6 legs

Bestwood Country Park