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lylol

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  1. I have a GSD, an Aussie, and a Boston Terrier in addition to the youngest member of the family , a BC. I love the old fashioned GSD work ethic... but nothing beats a BC for me except my little heart dog, the BT named Major. For all those folks who dont like short nosed breeds, I belong to another BC board where there are several of us who own both Boston Terriers and BCs... a strange combo, but not that strange it seems... heart dogs come in so many shapes and sizes... I love that both my BC and BT are such great buddies!!! I would not want a: Chow Beagle (for the voice) or a Pitt/Staffie... they are so misunderstood. Lysa
  2. Julie... Until I go check out some local ranchers only know what I read so far... so will let you know! One of the ranches also raises stock dogs and says the reds have a strong flock instinct. Heres what the specialty page says: "Though alert and athletic, both rams and ewes are known for their gentle easy going temperaments and responsiveness to quiet handling. Both sexes are naturally hornless. The California Red is an easy keeping breed that, when fed a balanced pasture grass and/or hay diet, does not require heavy graining to reach market weight.WOOL is beige or oatmeal colored with hairs, ranging from gold to dark cinnamon red, intermixed throughout. Due to the silky feel of the wool, along with the unique visual texture of the contrasting hairs, it is no surprise that it is sought after by hand spinners and weavers." Have plenty of time to do more research... found some ranchs not too far from me. Perhaps a sheep mentor in there somewhere. Thanks for the info. Lysa
  3. Well, OK, here is a niave newbie question then... we will hopefully be getting a new bit of property to move to next year and be able to semi-retire... needing to do vegitation management in my moderately forested So CAL mountain property. Have a small fenced padock and thought I could use an Electranet type mobile fencing to move periodically across the 4 acres. Thinking 3 sheep. Looking at CA Reds.... they seem to be calm, easy keepers. Does this seem a reasonable approach? Do I get just ewes/ewe and lambs or add one welter and 2 ewes? Not looking to breed. Of course my border collie would be delighted. Lysa
  4. I am sorry you and your dog are going through this experience. I too have begun the journey to reduce the itching on my young BC. I didnt want to start on steroids, etc so young. Luckily I got pointed to a good vet specialist in allergies. You dont say if the vet you have worked with is your family pet vet or a specialist... I apologise if this is the route you have already tried. The trouble with scratching is it can be SOOOO many things or combos of things. I am not a Dr, but here is what I have learned and tried.. that you might consider and discuss with a specialist. After examining my dog, discussing the pattern that he itches (where on the body, how often)and taking some samples off his skin/coat... she thought he would be a good candidate to do a skin allergy test like they do with people. Discovered he is allergic to dander... cats, feathers, wool... dust... and certain tree pollens... all of which I have in my house. I was surprised that it was recommended that I bathe the dog every 3 days alternating between an anti-fungal and a sensitive skin shampoo to wash off the irritants. This has really improved his skin and coat quality (I always thought less bathing for dry skin... but not for this guy). Though he doesnt appear to have significant food allergies... I did move him to a better quality food and away from lamb (which he had been on all his short life)... and I am very happy with the change in appetite, and coat and stool results. I add the fatty acids as well. We have since started to give him allergy shots (just like they do people) to desensitise him. This is a LONG process and no guarentee of results but for a young dog I am willing to give it a try if it can reduce his discomfort without going on to heavy steroid use. It isnt cheap but not too outrageous and overtime will be cheaper than other drugs. Because his problems really appear environmental (we took him on vacation for 10 days and he stopped itching) I think we have a good chance of success. Bottom line to this long post is that its different for each dog... if a specialist can localize the problem then you have a good chance of addressing it... knowledge is power. If you search on allergies you will see lots of other thoughts on this board. Good Luck. Lysa and Merlin
  5. I have come upon the Agility in Motion site a couple times and wondered if it would be worth the investment? How often is it updated? I train alone frequently and wondered if this might be a good addition to my resources? Lysa and Merlin
  6. If you are looking for a how to train thing... I started with Excelling at Dog Agility Book 1 by Jane Simmons-Moake... just looked back at it recently and realized how much more I now understand/see in the book left to comprehend. I also asked for the Greg Derrit videos for a christmas present and found them very good. I know this sounds hoaky, but when I was first looking I really got a lot of general understanding out of one of those book/mag's you see at PETCO... they had one on agility and explained all the different venues, etc... NOT a training/how to book... but gave lots of good broad info about the sport. THere are several excellent websites for that too... if you are interested let me know. Lysa and Merlin
  7. http://www.dog-play.com/agility/equipment.html I have used this link to find good deals and also LOTS of ideas for ones to make myself. If you are looking for deals, check to see if they have anything in their sales section of their page... got a few good items that way. Lysa and Merlin
  8. Have you checked out the alternative to the lamp shade collar, which is a long plastic collar that goes from shoulders to just behind the ears... like a turtleneck is the best way to describe it... it needs to be long enough that it restricts ability to bend the neck to reach areas of interest. A friend tried one on a shoulder surgery and was much happier(so was the dog) Lysa
  9. Concur with anal glands suggestion. But it seems odd to me that it is EVERY TIME. Vet check would be warrented. I had it happen once with my terrier was very young and someone at a family party snuck up when he was napping and scared the "xxx" out of him. I have heard of dogs having to have the glands removed (from my Boston Terrier board) or treated for infections. Lysa and Merlin
  10. I didnt answer previously but we have 4 dogs ( 8 yr old Aussie, 6 yr old GSD, 2 yr old Boston Terrier, 6m old Border), 2 cats (in and out... we live in the country), 1 Goffins Cockatoo. Everybody sleeps inside the house structure (ok the cockatoo's cage is in the garage but we live in san diego). The dogs all sleep in our bedroom. If anybody knows anything about Bostons, he sleeps under the covers between hubby and I. Everybody else sleeps on the floor... the border sleeps under the bed. The Boston got me in to agility to help him gain confidence... and now I like it more than he does... hence the Border baby. Love em all. Lysa and (in order of age, Loki the cockatoo, Micah, Mason (cat), Magnus, Molly (cat), Major and Merlin the Border Collie... my hubby wanted everybody with M's...go figure)
  11. When you get ready to check out other classes, ask how the instructor handles situations like you experienced. My trainer was very clear about identifing dogs in class that needed "extra space" either because they were a bit agressive or timid of other dogs... they wore bandanas so everyone would remember that this was a dog that just needed a little extra room when doing walk throughs and wouldnt appreciate your dog right up in their face. Good luck. Lysa and Merlin
  12. Just my ten cents from training my first agility dog (not a BC)... dont forget that the dog also reacts to YOU. It sounds like it had been a busy time for both of you. The times that I had my terrier shut down on me could often be traced back to how I was feeling/reacting (tired cause I had hosted a big party the night before and we had all gone to bed late; I had been down with the flu for a few days, etc)... I think my terriers tolerance is low for inconsistent handling/lack of full enthusiasm and focus on my part. As I begin to start my young BC this spring, I expect this will continue to have to be an emphasis for me. Even though you are just starting, it is a TEAM sport... and both or one of you will have off days... and then bounce back. Unless you are unhappy with the instructor, I would give it sometime and/or look for another class. Lysa and Merline
  13. My GSD has a summer itch problem for which we try to find some creative solutions. Benedryl doesnt help him much. The only shampoo I have found that doesnt compound the problem is a coal tar based shampoo like T-gel. It can be expensive... (sometimes a place like COSTCO has it) but it really helps with the greasy skin/smell and seems to bring some relief for a week or two. You might want to get a small bottle and try it out. The following is ONLY an inconclusive observation so take it with a grain of salt... I started with Missing Link this summer for all my dogs, and it has been a lower itch summer for the GSD... its also been a cooler summer... so will have to see more over time. Good luck. Lysa
  14. I have a Boston Terrier, as well as a BC... Bostons with their short nose and long palate are notorious for reverse sneezing... I do as others above suggested, just try to massage and reassure. It is a routine day for Bostons, and I suppose other dogs. Lysa
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