[kirstie]

Hiya!

Just wondered if anyone could help... have a few questions about my pup

She is 6 months old n is a doberman x not sure what she is crossed with but her mum was a border collie x dalmatian, Kaci has all the looks of a dobe but she has a white chest with black spots on it!

I just wondered at about what height should she be at now? She turned 6 months yesterday *i know this is a silly question with her being a x*

Also some days she is sick.. this seemed to stop when I stopped feeding her meat n kept her on biscuits.. do growing pups need meat? * she still has the odd bit of pup meat n seems to be OK but not OK with eating it every meal*

She also pulls like mad when I walk her on her lead.. how's the best way to stop her doing this? * I know some dogs grow out of it n others still do it when there old*

Hope someone can help!!

Thanks

Kirstie

[labman]

I will guess she will be 20 to 25 inches at maturity and has practically all that height now. The white with black spots could b a little of the Border Collie or Dalmatian showing.

What puppies need is a complete and balanced diet, and not too rich and no more than enough to keep their ribs from showing. The only practical way to make sure she is getting the diet she needs would be to feed her an adult chow, and little else. Otherwise, it is very difficult to make sure she gets everything she needs, but not too much. Too much of too rich of a diet leads to excessive weight gain and joint problems later in life. Her ribs are the only reliable guide to how much to feed. Most dogs will thrive on most commercial dog chows.



Since your dog is at past 4 - 5 months old, start with a good 6' leather
leash and a sturdy slip collar, the metal chain ones with the rings on each
end. You want the shortest one that will go on and off easily. If you walk
with the dog on the left, pull the chain through one loop forming a "P".
Facing it, slip it over its head. The free end should come over the neck to the leash, and the other end should drop slack when there is no pull on the leash. Before 4 months use a conventional flat collar to protect the tender young neck.


Easier dogs will give up their pulling with a few good snaps of the leash
combined with a stern "Bad dog!". You can work up to forceful corrections
with the leash doubled up in both hands and your whole body behind it. But
you don't want to use any more force than you need. One gentle technique I
like is to just stop when he pulls. He wants to go. If you move forward when
the leash is slack, and stop when he pulls, he should quickly figure out the
only way to get to go, is not to pull. This is about teaching him not to
pull, not getting somewhere. The man that taught it to me said "If in a half
hour you haven't made it out to the front walk, fine, you have taught him a
lesson.

Still, you may want to switch to a head collar. The leading brands are Promise, Haltie, and Gentle Leader. They have a strap going around the dogs nose looking something like a muzzle. They work by pulling the dogs head around. No other way gives you such great control with so little force. Never use the same snap of the leash as with the slip collar. The prong collar is now a dangerous relic of value only for its macho looks. Do not consider using one without hands on instruction from somebody with plenty of experience with them.

[kirstie]

Thanks for your help!

As for the adult food thing I have been told by vets and read on internet sites etc. that up until there like 12 months you have to feed them puppy food? Is this not true? Do you advise starting her on adult food now? Im not saying your wrong!!

If u think I should put her on it what adult food do you advise starting her on? And should I put her on adult biscuits as well?

Also the lead thing that's like a muzzle... I have been looking at them in the shops wondering whether to get her one but I wasn't sure what they actually did so thanks for the info about it! I will be getting her one very soon! Can imagine her taking me for a walk when its icy! :rolleyes:

Kirstie xcx

[labman]

The puppy chow until at least a year has been the conventional wisdom for a long time. As far as I know all the dog chow manufacturers still call for it. On the other hand, the service dog schools have accumulated an enormous store of data on larger dogs. I am familiar with several, and they all use the early switch to adult food. It slows growth and gives strong joints more time to develop. Dogs still attain their genetically determined size, just a little later. All dogs raised to be service dogs, are X-rayed after they are a year old, and any with joint problems are dropped from the program. The early switch is spreading to the general public. Refer your vet to Kealy, et al. "Effects of limited food consumption on the
incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs." JAVMA, v201, n6 Sept 15 1992. My vet is a joint specialist, and he is even stronger on the earlyu switch.

Just got a new manual 2 weeks ago with our new puppy. It says feed a quality chow, but does not define quality. They prefer we feed Pro Plan. Other schools feed other concentrated, meat based chows. Likely your vet sells Science diet. It contains more corn, and will produce larger, softer stools, but still give your dog all it needs. Most dogs will thrive on most commercial chows. I know of no controlled study showing how dogs do on different diets. Much of what you read comes from somebody selling dog chow. The smaller, firmer stools is a big issue with service dogs where impaired people have to clean up after their dogs out in public.