K9Fran

If this issue isn't addressed and fast, both these pups will end up with very anti social habits around other dogs (and possibly people as well). It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to me

Sleep tight sweetie, and look after your human friends left behind.

I was listening to the kennel owner speaking on BBC Radio 2 news at around 4.00 - she said that Rotties as a breed were notoriously unreliable - some dog lover!

Nope, I'd say it was honouring her in a very nice way.

Claz that is seriously impressive and I think Dave will gladly hand over his crown with no contest. Hope you now have a speedy recovery.

Very, but luckily he's less Lab and more Doodle, so he dries out fairly quickly.......

I bet he said 'ouch, oh dear, that smarts' or something similar......... I feel his pain.

I've been working Barney mainly on a long line since I got him in Sept - slowly progressing to stints with him dragging it behind him when there are minimal distractions (other dogs, ducks, squirrels, birds etc.) This morning was wonderful training weather - chucking it down and blowing a gale, so there was nobody else out there (except a foolhardy squirrel and a few ducks floating on the very flooded stream). We got about half way round our walk, having just crossed the stream which forms the base of the triangle which makes our 'short' walk. Suddenly his lordship took off, heading for the stream which is about 3 or 4 foot deep now!!! He is too far ahead for me to catch hold of the long line and he has that body language which tells me that there is no point in calling him, he ain't going to come!! EEKK!! I didn't hear any sploshing, but somehow he'd slithered into the water, and legged it up the other side, at that point his body language changed, and I could see he was worried, so I called him. He tried to get back in the stream at that point, then changed his mind, then paced the bank trying to find another access point - tried another one about 10' to my right, but chickened out again. Then he looked up, back at the direction we'd just come, as if he recognised that our normal path (and the footbridge over the stream) was that way - and took off!! We'd just had a battle on the other side of the bridge because he'd seen a squirrel, so I hoped and prayed that wasn't what he's seen.......... I needn't have worried - he ran back about 50 yards, crossed the bridge, and came galloping towards me with a HUGE smile on his face......... I guess I can trust my boy a bit more now.........

To be fair - it was the only way my OH could see what the source of his discomfort was - it was right at the back of his leg and he coudln't see it..... Update - it's looking a lot better today, the discolourlation is slowly subsiding and the scab (which was HUGE - about 2cm across) has been knocked off, good clean new flesh under neath and the hole is shrinking day by day. He's still working on his stamina, and still can't sit upright for more than a few minutes (so still eating off a tray on the sofa) so won't be going back to work next week

That's one serious oowweeeieeeeeeee.......... Hope you is not technicoloured for too long.

So glad this is still ongoing, as I had a horrid dream the other night that this poor dog had been found drowned Thanks to everyone working their little socks off to find this baby.

Nother Update on Dave - it was finally diagnosed as a psuedonomas (sp?) commonly found in hot tubs, sewage and other places (guess the advice to leave the original wound undressed while he was working on stripping out the bathroom wasn't the best.......) It's a nasty little family of bugs which are becoming antibiotic resistant ('superbug') and usually strike humans who are already immuno compromised.........

Provide her with somewhere else where she can play 'queen of the castle'? Whilst covering the table with a protective covering that can't be moved - you used to be able to get padded cloths which went under a table cloth to protect the table from hot plates/dishes, which I'm sure would be good if held in place - maybe using those clips you can get for sheets or ironing board covers......

Ouch - that smarts!

Well he came home on Tuesday, but is still in a lot of pain. So much so we went to the Out of Hours Drs, who said the only thing left to give him was morphine! He's holding out on taking it though, but is hoping it might give him some sleep tonight. He's got to go back to his normal Drs tomorrow. Just as an aside, I couldnt' believe the behaviour of some of the children in the waiting area - they were fighting and kicking the dividing wall between two areas (which backed onto our seats, so we felt every vibration) all their mother could do was tell them (when somebody 'tutted') to keep the noise down! So selfish

At first make sure the treats are coming really frequently, and this may mean walking him on his own and treating every other stride (that's your strides, not his) until he's looking at your for the treat. Then you can start to drop the frequency of the treats. I find the easiest way to do this is to treat after 1 stride, then 2 strides, then 3 strides, and so on, as long as the dog is beside you and keeping the lead loose. If they start to make the lead go in a straight line (not even 'proper pulling') then start again with rewarding after 1 stride. It won't be long before you're up to 15, 16, 17 strides, especially if you're using really yummy treats (I like Mattesons Fridge raiders cut into small pieces, 'cos they is really yummy, or garlic sausage or smelly cheese) Don't forget to cut down on 'normal' food (or use it along with the treats if the dog will take it) HTH

Are you any stronger through your back? Could you attache his lead to a belt or similar and use yu,,y food treats or his breakfast to train him to walk on a loose lead? Springers are notorious for wanting to be 'out front'.

Missy had dissolvable stiches, but they were still there 3 or 4 weeks later, so I removed them myself.

Simon King - ever since he and I were teenagers I've had a thing for him - my longest running crush. Ray Mears

Two steps forward, one step back......... There is still a serious infection and they are now thinking about an abcess. Do NOT go looking up leg abcesses on the 'net......... I am just shattered after 10 days of this, working f/t, keepng the kids lives as normal as possible AND trying to run my dog training business (3 classes tomorrow, thank heavens I did my last Tuesday evening class before Christmas last Tuesday) I am now getting narky with him because there is no one else to listen, sorry, 'scuse me while I have a quick wibble.......

Scan was painful to say the least, but he was a brave soldier. Scan says NO DVT!!!! Cellulitis is obviously present, but there is also a deep seated infection. He's off the IV AB and onto oral (AB's, you smutty lot!) and when his temp stabilises (instead of going up and down like a yo-yo) he can come home - that's 2 weeks of daily dressings and trying to keep the dogs from bouncing him, but at least he'll be home. It may be as early as this weekend, but I'll not hold my breath.

LOL - it's in such an awkward place, it was the only way he could get to see what was hurting him Drs are still maintaining that if it is a DVT, it just shouldn't have happened on the Warfarin dose he was on.

dave's leg - it's been like this on and off since early Sept - until last Weds that is, when it blew up like a big red balloon, giving him pain in every joint in the leg, a raging temp and a ride in an ambulance..... He's been on IV Anti biotics since then, and they still don't know what's causing it. He had a special dressing put on it Friday that was supposed to last until Monday, but was soak through with gunk 4 hours later.......... Hopefully they will do some scans tomorrow (Mon) and we will know more.......

As I understand it, GP's have to fund the running costs of their surgeries from their 'wages'.

He's a Consultant on a salary of 75K, she's a GP (salary unknown), how come they have a 500K house???........