Macsmum

Over the last wee while I have noticed a funny behaviour with my Mac - probably once or twice a week I will come home from work and find he has taken a shoe off the back step and put it in his bed in his kennel. He never chews the shoes or damages them, it's like he just likes having something of mine or my partners with him! Am I reading too much into this/does anyone else's dog do this?!

Hi everyone, I am just after some advice regarding funny behaviour around food in my 1 year old pup, Mac. From day one, whenever I fed Mac, i made sure to put my hand in his bowl, touch his head etc, so I was confident he wasn't going to snap at me or anyone else if I needed to take food off him etc for any reason. He was great with this and we never had a problem. About 4 months ago, Mac spent a few days at a kennel when we were out of town and not able to take him too. This was his first time at a kennel. He came home and we noticed that if we tried to touch him while he was eating he would growl and stop eating, tail would go between legs and he would shake! The kennel owners said dogs are always separated for feeding so I am just assuming he was upset just by even having dogs in the kennel next door! He was very timid at that time and I was anxious about how he would cope with all the other dogs. Since then he growls every time we touch him around his bowl, I can take bones and other things off him no problem but his biscuits are a no deal! I have tried the approach I used when he was a pup, touching or patting for a minute then leaving him to it, sitting beside him while he eats etc but it doesn't seem to be working! I don't feel its an aggressive growl and I don't feel nervous putting my hand in his bowl, I think its more to indicate that he's worried about the situation and I don't want him to be stressed around his food! Does anyone have any techniques they have used to combat this kind of behaviour? Thanks in advance, Nat and Mac.

I see similar traits in my boy Mac, we occasionally play fetch at a dog park that is very close to my home. Literally the second Mac is inside the gate he is in crouched 'eye' position waiting for me to throw the ball. When he is playing (or working perhaps!) he shows absolutely no interest in other dogs and does get annoyed if they try to play while he is finding the ball. Interestingly if the other dogs are also chasing the ball he doesn't seem to mind as they are not bothering him! He has always been very timid around dogs he doesn't know so I actually think it has been quite good for him because when he is so focused on the ball he doesn't get so worried about all the other dogs around and it's helping him to realise other dogs aren't all bad. Will keep an eye out for any guarding behaviours though.

Thanks for the help guys! Don't worry, i definitely didn't squish them beyond the first inspection! Vet said he thought they were most likely haematomas, even without me yet having volunteered the information that he had fallen earlier that week, so I am reassured it's nothing sinister! Taking him back in a month to double check they are going down and no other changes have occurred! The little critter has just pulled all my washing off the line and dug a hole in the lawn so clearly not feeling off colour! Time for a trip to the beach I think!

Hi everyone, I have just found two lumps on my 7 month old pup and I am hoping someone can provide some reassurance while I wait to get to the vet! The lumps are squishy and move around, both on his side, behind his ribs. One is small and roundish and the other is longer and can sort of be 'squished up' into different shapes. They don't seem to be uncomfortable as he is quite happy for me to feel them. There is no sign of any breaks in the skin that I can see. About 5 days ago he tried to jump a cattle stop and fell hard enough to have a limp for a few minutes, could this be some kind of strange swelling from a knock like this? I am wondering if I wait a few days and see if they disappear or if I need to get to my vet tomorrow!? Thanks in advance for any advice! Nat (and Mac)

I never thought I would dress up a dog but we had a first birthday party on Halloween and it was just too funny not to...