[rjalex]

Dear friends,
now that Baymax is just over 4 months (and a couple with us) I'd appreciate a little insight to a few questions I have, in no particular order

1) Here in Rome Spring is starting to show itself, most trees are sprouting new leaves, temps are just wonderful, no mosquitoes yet Vet advised I protect Baymax from fleas/ticks since we spend most of our walks out of the house in a park with a LOT of dogs (and cats and some wildlife). I asked if there are better brands for a Lab pup but he replied, whatever and just mentioned Advantix. Do you from warmer countries have suggestions?

2) Until recently I would have defined Baymax quite obedient. Now he's less so. He's not guaranteed to come to me when I call him during our walk and he'll mostly ignore my calls if he sees other dogs he wants to play with (not even mentioning what happened last weekend when he sursprised 4 families having a pic-nic on the grass ... he ran away with one of the babies pacifiers Thankfully they all were quite amused as much as I was embarassed. He also used to walk quite close to my leg without pulling on the leash (a "stopped noose - retriever leash" but sometimes he's not obeying to my little calls to stay near me and today it was particularly bad with the result of almost choking himself so I had to interrupt the walk and go back home. How would you handle this "evolution"?

3) Doggie had stolen/found a sock heaven know where and ingested it whole I know since I found the whole disgusting "sausage" vomited on the floor all wet with his juices. He has also changed type of kibble (I buy them online and they sent me another type). It's a couple of nights I'm finding 3-4 small "vomits" only made of saliva/drool on the floor. Otherwise the dog seems healthy, eats normally. Anything to be alarmed of?

4) At 2 months when we got Baymax the attempt of crating him failed since he soiled his mat and laid in his own waste. After 3-4 times we gave up. Now because of his tendency to eat ANYTHING and ALSO ingest it I guess it would be wiser to get him used to it. Any suggestions on how to attempt this second time? Baymax is used to sleep in the living room by himself all night without raising any fuss but for example if we inadvertently close him behind in one of the rooms he'll very loudly complain until we rescue him from his isolation. Suggestions more than welcome.

5) He seems to have a small "scar" on his muzzle. Is the fur going to grow back or will it be permanent? You can see it here under those little black dots where his whiskers sprout from:

Thank you very much for the patience.

 

[Tarimoor]

Dear friends,
now that Baymax is just over 4 months (and a couple with us) I'd appreciate a little insight to a few questions I have, in no particular order

1) Here in Rome Spring is starting to show itself, most trees are sprouting new leaves, temps are just wonderful, no mosquitoes yet Vet advised I protect Baymax from fleas/ticks since we spend most of our walks out of the house in a park with a LOT of dogs (and cats and some wildlife). I asked if there are better brands for a Lab pup but he replied, whatever and just mentioned Advantix. Do you from warmer countries have suggestions?

2) Until recently I would have defined Baymax quite obedient. Now he's less so. He's not guaranteed to come to me when I call him during our walk and he'll mostly ignore my calls if he sees other dogs he wants to play with (not even mentioning what happened last weekend when he sursprised 4 families having a pic-nic on the grass ... he ran away with one of the babies pacifiers Thankfully they all were quite amused as much as I was embarassed. He also used to walk quite close to my leg without pulling on the leash (a "stopped noose - retriever leash" but sometimes he's not obeying to my little calls to stay near me and today it was particularly bad with the result of almost choking himself so I had to interrupt the walk and go back home. How would you handle this "evolution"?

3) Doggie had stolen/found a sock heaven know where and ingested it whole I know since I found the whole disgusting "sausage" vomited on the floor all wet with his juices. He has also changed type of kibble (I buy them online and they sent me another type). It's a couple of nights I'm finding 3-4 small "vomits" only made of saliva/drool on the floor. Otherwise the dog seems healthy, eats normally. Anything to be alarmed of?

4) At 2 months when we got Baymax the attempt of crating him failed since he soiled his mat and laid in his own waste. After 3-4 times we gave up. Now because of his tendency to eat ANYTHING and ALSO ingest it I guess it would be wiser to get him used to it. Any suggestions on how to attempt this second time? Baymax is used to sleep in the living room by himself all night without raising any fuss but for example if we inadvertently close him behind in one of the rooms he'll very loudly complain until we rescue him from his isolation. Suggestions more than welcome.

5) He seems to have a small "scar" on his muzzle. Is the fur going to grow back or will it be permanent? You can see it here under those little black dots where his whiskers sprout from:
View attachment 26667

Thank you very much for the patience.

Dear friends,
now that Baymax is just over 4 months (and a couple with us) I'd appreciate a little insight to a few questions I have, in no particular order

1) Here in Rome Spring is starting to show itself, most trees are sprouting new leaves, temps are just wonderful, no mosquitoes yet Vet advised I protect Baymax from fleas/ticks since we spend most of our walks out of the house in a park with a LOT of dogs (and cats and some wildlife). I asked if there are better brands for a Lab pup but he replied, whatever and just mentioned Advantix. Do you from warmer countries have suggestions?

2) Until recently I would have defined Baymax quite obedient. Now he's less so. He's not guaranteed to come to me when I call him during our walk and he'll mostly ignore my calls if he sees other dogs he wants to play with (not even mentioning what happened last weekend when he sursprised 4 families having a pic-nic on the grass ... he ran away with one of the babies pacifiers Thankfully they all were quite amused as much as I was embarassed. He also used to walk quite close to my leg without pulling on the leash (a "stopped noose - retriever leash" but sometimes he's not obeying to my little calls to stay near me and today it was particularly bad with the result of almost choking himself so I had to interrupt the walk and go back home. How would you handle this "evolution"?

3) Doggie had stolen/found a sock heaven know where and ingested it whole I know since I found the whole disgusting "sausage" vomited on the floor all wet with his juices. He has also changed type of kibble (I buy them online and they sent me another type). It's a couple of nights I'm finding 3-4 small "vomits" only made of saliva/drool on the floor. Otherwise the dog seems healthy, eats normally. Anything to be alarmed of?

4) At 2 months when we got Baymax the attempt of crating him failed since he soiled his mat and laid in his own waste. After 3-4 times we gave up. Now because of his tendency to eat ANYTHING and ALSO ingest it I guess it would be wiser to get him used to it. Any suggestions on how to attempt this second time? Baymax is used to sleep in the living room by himself all night without raising any fuss but for example if we inadvertently close him behind in one of the rooms he'll very loudly complain until we rescue him from his isolation. Suggestions more than welcome.

5) He seems to have a small "scar" on his muzzle. Is the fur going to grow back or will it be permanent? You can see it here under those little black dots where his whiskers sprout from:
View attachment 26667

Thank you very much for the patience.

1 - I don't use flea, tick or worming treatment unless they are a particular problem. As an example, I don't wear mosquito repellent myself unless they are about, otherwise I'm just putting chemicals into my system that really shouldn't be there, and actually I'm allergic to anti malarial medication so I do have to be careful, as they love me, thank goodness it's not endemic here in Yorkshire. So really, I'd suggest only using them if they are a problem, and there are natural alternatives, I use herbs, garlic and neem oil, the latter only externally, but it you google natural parasite remedies for dogs lots of info should come up. In the UK there's a product by a company called CSJ Billy No Mates, which is a powder you sprinkle on food as a commercially available natural product.

2 - A saying I use when people ask about training pups, I concentrate on three things, recall, manners on lead, recall, sit/stop and recall. Also, coined by someone else some time ago, the golden rule of recall, don't ask for it if you know they won't respond, otherwise you are training them how long they are allowed to ignore you. So take a step back and look at why he's not recalling, has he got something he wants and knows you're going to take it off him, is there something more interesting he's going to want than you?

3 - A good friend of mine has a cocker spaniel who is a sock fiend, I think he's had to have surgery three times now to remove socks, so it is something to definitely keep an eye on and discourage.

4 - I've never had this issue with mine, they occasionally protest when I leave them a bit longer after feeding (three go in crates, two are fine out of crates) but other than that they are quiet. The only other time is if they've been crated overnight if I'm out, and I hear them when I get back in from work. I would start with feeding him in there, and making it a good place to be, and after a few days shut the door while he's eating, and gradually build up from there.

5 - Pups often play very roughly in the litter, and come out with odd scars so he probably will keep this for life. My FCR got pegged by a cocker spaniel as a pup, and she still has three small white hairs on top of her head.

Hope that helps, I'm sure others will be along with more advice.

 

[rjalex]

Thank you very much. Have good weekend!

 

[JohnW]

• I’m the same as Tarimoor, and never use either flea or wormers unless I’ve reason to believe I have a problem. BUT, you are in Italy, which is a warmer country and possibly has different problems to here in the UK so I don’t believe I’m really qualified to answer this question.
• He’s getting older and more confident. Again as Tarimoor said, look for the reason why training is going wrong. Think about your dog’s interests, then with that in mind think about how your dog views your training/commands. Think from your dog’s viewpoint, “Whats the more interesting, my owner who I’m with all the time, or that other dog over the other side of the field?” I work hard with a pup to be the most interesting thing in my dog’s life. This is where training, and particularly gundog training comes in. It’s something we do together.
• If the sock has passed out of him then I think it very unlikely there is any problem there. But Labradors do encourage tidiness!!! Chloe never eats socks, but does carry them around given half a chance! I’ve lost several pairs that she has chewed holes in.
• If you want him to use then by allowing him not to you have made a rod for your back I’m afraid. There is an old saying, “Start as you mean to go on.” If that is going in the crate at night and if you have to go out then this soon becomes the norm. But if you now want to change the arrangement from what he knows then you are going to have to steel your heart and say this is it fella, get use to it.
• It depends on the scar tissue. You will know after the next moult. If the fur does not cover it then it’s likely it will always be there. Working gundogs often pick up a scar or two. In the show ring they are known as “Honourable scars” My Anna had one on her forehead where she ran into some barbed wire. Particularly on the face and muzzle, because the fur there is short, scars often show for life

 

[Maddie]

Unlike in the UK ticks in continental Europe can carry fatal diseases. Advantix works well and you can usually buy it online. I learnt about tick borne diseases the hard way when I first moved to southern France and nearly lost a dog. I also give mine a garlic capsule daily too. If you’re not keen on using one make sure you’re absolutely aware of the signs of tick borne diseases. If you know that ticks are rife, use one, but I’d suspect that where you are that ticks possibly wouldn’t be a major issue. My vet always reminds us when we get to “tick season” and if a pet has an unexplained symptom they routinely test for tick borne diseases.

 

[JohnW]

Unlike in the UK ticks in continental Europe can carry fatal diseases.

Babesiosis? I know thats in Africa. I know Leishmaniasis, carried by sand flies can be bad in certain areas of southern Spain. I know the heart worm found in America is a lot more serious that what we here call heart worm. Thats why I would not comment on what's overseas. I'm not well up on parasites abroad.

 

[Deboragh]

The pacifier story really gave me a smile ☺

 

[rjalex]

Thank you for the good insights my friends

I completely understand your point on being the center of the Universe for a gundog. I have an impression that is the best course of action when you don't stumble on other K9s every 2 minutes.
Here in a large urban area with almost as many dogs as humans maybe it's slightly different. I am encouraging Baymax meeting other dogs and learning (in a controlled fashion) socialization. He needs to learn the ones he can pester with his affection and the ones you better leave alone and possibly never be afraid of any. Of course being 4 months he'll think all other dogs are wonderful playthings while I expect that he'll temper this enthusiasm as he gets older (as unfortunately we learn too against our fellow humans).

He's still responding well though and usually gets praised for being obedient. He's the only puppy/dog in our park that always comes back to me from afar when I whistle. It's only when he meets a new dog and wants to play that he gets so focused on ingratiating himself with the new friend that he might ignore my calls. No biggie He now sits and lays down and stays at command most of the times so I'm happy about how he's responding to training.

On the re-crating I will try. The problem where I live is not only that our family has to steel its heart but living in a flat with other people we cannot have him barking for too long. Will try and hope for the best.

We definitely have leishmaniosis around here. He got shots against that but usually most dog owners also do treat dogs chemically against fleas, ticks and sandflies (carriers of Leishmania).

 

[Maddie]

In France and Southern European countries we have Piroplasmose (Babesiosis), where I live it’s absolutely rife.