BCkris

Thank you for all the very wise advise. When reading all of this it makes so much sense! I do agree each dog is different, no doubt and it sounds like I have tons of work to start on! My biggest battle is meeting other dogs. He loves to mingle even if I say leave it, So I am going to make my list of issues and tackle one by one with all of your advice. I love my dog and he is just the happiest dog around but i know he could be happier if i can tackle these issues. I will update you guys, if you dont mind, and hopefully soon!

Ok, I have a 3 yr old neutered male BC. I have met more than a handful of owners that have BC as well. All of their dogs were calm, settled nicely, no whining, listens very well, and did nothing but pay attention to the owner meaning could care less for other dogs or people. My dog, is the opposite. He will try with all his might to play with other dogs, pulls when walking on leash (we are working on that), wants to greet everyone that walks by basically complete opposites of all the other BC I have met. He has earned his cgc (point of mentioning titles is to just state what level of training we are at) and has a CD title. Obviously they mean nothing in the real world or I wouldn't be posting this. My question is why are other BC so calm and mine is all over the place. What type of training do I need to work on? Stupid question I feel that I'm asking but can someone break this down for me and tell me where to start? Please? Kris

You know now that you say that, I switched from orijen to totw and I was wondering why he was itchy... Not a lot but enough for me to notice... Since then I switched to acana and no more itch.... Hmm interesting....

Forgot a question: is coconut oil or flakes etc. fattening? Im thinking of trying this and for my cats but everyone one of them can not afford to gain 1 pound (as well as the owner! )

do you have any links that i can read more up on this? how much would you put in the food? my dog is 40-45#. He also has been going through on and off diarrhea (all lab test normal/negative). He randomly gets it sometimes from a bully stick or sometimes from a treat. even though he always eats them. Thanks!!!

I am not a Vet either but I strongly agree with this... you really do not want to use Metronidazole so freely. Fast Balance will work as a probiotic you can also try RX Clay by RX Vitamins. your Vet might be more willing to give you something like that.

Before i got my Lynus, i did tons of research on the breed etc. every single thing i read said LOTS and LOTS of exercise and mental stimulation. I have realized with my BC that mental stimulation is way more important than exercise. We go on walks maybe 3-4 times a week for around 30-45 minutes BUT do mental stimulation (obedience training) 10 minutes a day 2-3 times a day. He is a perfectly well behaved dog. This is just what i have learned with my particular dog. So yes for all dogs exercise is important, but i really do not think a BC is some sort of crazy breed that needs to run marathons everyday. Love, Mental stimulation and normal amount of exercise is all they need (at least thats what i think...)

Thanks for the input. eventually i would love to compete, but i did notice that when we practice at home and i correct with the pop after a few times he shuts down. i praise immediately after the correction but i really do no think that method is for him. i will work on no collar and use a lure. no distractions at first then gradually add distractions right? he is clicker trained so i think i will start over from the top. Thanks again!

Hello, I have a 9 month old BC and we have gone to 4 classes so far and the hardest thing for us is heeling. we use a choke chain and use the "pop" to correct. i guess my question is how did any of you teach your dog heel work? if you have a different method i would love to know.... Thanks!

Have you tried GlycoFlex III its a daily supplement that helps with joint issues and has a little bit of anti-inflammatory in it. Phycox from what i hear works wonders for most dogs so that may be a good start. As for the creatinine level i would switch medications because even though there are no signs of illness blood work tells you what will happen before its too late. usually when you see symptoms of kidney problems a majority of the kidney something like 75% or so is already damaged. so by doing the blood work you can detect problems before its too late.

Well I think some vets like to keep them becAuse they stay confined and can really rest. But IMO I think they do better at home but I don't think you should worry I'm sure he will just sleep it off the whole night and give you a challange the next day of trying to keep him calm! :0). As for the cone they do sell inflatable donuts that go around the neck that prevent them from being able to turn his neck alot to lick. Works well and they seem more comfortable. Good luck and I'm sure all will Be over before you know it!

Yeah he gobbled his food up like no tomorrow! Thank you for all your input all of it was much helpful! I purchased the orijen regional red and he loved it. So maybe I'll just stick with the regional red and see if it happens again. And I really don't think I'm going to buy any larger bag than a 6 lbs because I think the orijen food doesn't last too long. Oh well I am happy that he is eating now so I'm not gonna complain! :0) as for the food container I guess since I'm getting small bags now no Need for them and plus the small bags have the zip lock seal. Anywho I thank you all again for the help and getting me through my stressful week!

Thank you for the replies! Lynus eats Orijen 6 fish. My thought is possibly the bag went bad?... ive only had the bag open for maybe 2 weeks (my cats try to eat it more than he has been). 1/2 of the bag goes in an air tight container and the other half stays tightly closed. He has always been a great eater, gobbles up his bowl in no time... tomorrow i will be getting a different food, still orijen but im going to try a different flavor... he acts the same but just doesnt want his food... so if tomorrow fails with the different food then its for sure off to the vet! i will let you know if this works! How long do you guys keep a bag of food open? ive heard no longer than a month is recommended... and ive also just heard that containers are not good to store food?

I was just wondering if BC's go through a picky phase. Yesterday he didnt want to eat, he just sniffed the food and walked away and the same with dinner. Today he ate maybe half the amount of his normal feedings and the same with dinner. he is active as can be, no diarrhea, parvo negative, giardia negative. So since medically he seems to be just fine, are BC's picky eaters? he is 8 months old only table food he has got was a few carrots and a few pieces of apples. any thoughts?