Breana'

Thank you all for being so helpful!

Thanks, all! He mainly lays on semi glossed hardwood floor, and the only time I noticed a change in the integrity of his coat was after the use of one product in which it became almost too soft. I've thought of just shearing it off since it seems impossible to brush out at this point but I'm so worried about ruining his coat and having the potential for it to become more matted when it grows back. D'Elle, did your BCs "bum fluff" ( ) grow back without issue? That's really the only area that becomes so problematic.

Hi guys, my Rook is 9 years old and we're having some issues with matted fur on his hind legs. I have brushes, combs, clippers, thinning shears, sprays, shampoos and conditioners, but I can't seem to keep him from getting matted. I'm in nursing school and unable to play with him for a good number of hours during the day, so I'm thinking he just lays on the fur that becomes matted. I like to brush him out 3 times a week at the very least to try and keep it up. Obviously there are a number of issues here, namely that I could groom more often and prevent him from laying around on his back end, BUT I'm also wondering if a few of the products I'm using are making his coat too soft. Often times I use a detangler since it seems to help at the time that I brush, but soft fur/hair seem to really exacerbate and accelerate his matts! Maybe not, I guess I don't really know. Has anyone here dealt with matting to what seems like an excessive degree? Aside from spending more time brushing them out, was there a product or tool you felt significantly helped? Maybe even advice on how often to groom as I may be way way way under doing it? I know it seems like a silly question, but we've had this problem even when I was able to spend more time on him.

Thank you all so much everyone! Still trying to figure out why my pictures won't post on here but oh well. I'll be posting about progress as we make it, and I really can't thank you all enough for being supportive and encouraging instead of ripping my head off

Oh shoot, I'll try to figure out why. And I know that stuff is pretty much all junk, it's just what my mom bought unfortunately. I've been looking around on that site and trying to compare here and there, and I'll definitely take into consideration Costco's grain-free variety. To be honest I'm super disgusted with myself and just really disappointed that I wasn't paying as much attention to him as I should've been We'll get his fluffy butt healthy and in shape!

I got a few pictures today and hoooooly smokes. No excuses at all but this is definitely something that kind of snuck up on me with my nursing program and work schedule within the last year. I tried to get better ones but this is what I got for now! He's eating beneful and I think he's eating around two cups a day which is clearly too much! So I know where to start for sure. He doesn't like swimming and we don't have anywhere around here that allows that, but I have a cabin in northern Michigan right on the lake and will try harder to coax him in this summer. IMG_2064.JPG IMG_2010.JPG

Thank you to everyone who replied! Running short on time right now (in nursing program) but: I will post recent pictures as soon as I can, we are trying to increase walks, I have a food scale that I use for myself daily, and last but not least I didn't mean to make it sound like he's an old man! I always forget that he's 7 because he still acts the same as he did when he was a puppy! Minus the chewing, digging, and occasional nipping I am just worried that the extra weight is going to age him. Will be back some time this evening, thank you all again!

Hi guys, I don't post on here ever but am an avid lurker – love this community! So my Rook is 7 years old and a little more than hefty. He's not a working dog, my backyard is tiny, and the field we used to run freely at was turned into a K-9 Police Academy. The vet denies that he's overweight but at almost 80 lbs (aggravated his hip which added inactivity to the mix) that's a ridiculous thing to say for an agile breed, even though he is on the bigger side. I have a few questions about food and exercise! Can anyone with experience in this area give me some pointers? 1) I'd like to switch food as he's on a generic brand and would like to know what you guys like for your dogs and 2) How can I go about amping up his activity slowly? I know most of these seem like common sense but since he is heavy and a little older I don't want to start out full throttle and compromise his health anymore than it already is. TL;DR – my BC is fat and I need help with his weight loss.

Thanks for all the encouraging words! I definitely think one of the biggest problems is with me not knowing how to teach him what I want to because I don't know how to show it to him, know what I mean? I'm as consistent as I can be, but when it comes to a point where he isn't catching on at all because I'm not communicating it properly, I just stop altogether and play with him instead. It's hard to teach without having learned yourself But I really appreciate all your stories! Rook's a smart boy and he gets so excited when he learns something new. It's an awesome thing to experience

Thanks for the replies! I don't think 4 is old, either (especially for this breed!), but I guess I'm getting caught up on that whole "old habits die hard" thing. And since a lot of dog owners seem to enter obedience classes with puppies... Still, I do believe that with the proper reinforcement and the dog's willingness to please, age doesn't play that big a factor in training. I won't know unless we give it a shot! I'd really love to do agility trials with him or something. I know he'd absolutely love it!

Hi! Does anyone have experience with entering basic obedience classes with an "older" dog? I have a male BC who turned 4 this past September. He's enthusiastic and quick to learn, but I'm not entirely sure how to get his main focus on me without expecting some kind of reward. For example, if I have his toy in my hand, he'll listen to every word that comes out of my mouth, but he's more focused on the toy than he is on me. If I call out a command without the toy, most of the time it'll be ignored. He's also a bit...I wouldn't necessarily say dog aggressive, but dog reactive? I guess they could be used interchangeably in some instances. What I'm hoping to achieve with him would be better focus and the dog aggression problem. I feel that training may be a little easier once those are corrected. Does anyone have any advice or experience with this kind of situation?