Re: Ear Mites! I so hope so as well. Poor lad having to wait that long time but I expect he was given a pre-med and dozed the morning away.
Re: Ear Mites! Aaaw, poor Dexter. Hope he recovers quickly and that this is the last of the mucky ears.
Re: Ear Mites! Glad he's all shiny and home again I'm sure he'll be much more comfortable now. Well done on your fab teeth cleaning regime too
Re: Ear Mites! Thanks everybody....normal service resumed!hope everyone else is well and good today too Bye for now xxxx
Re: Ear Mites! I haven't been back to update this thread but all has not been clean and shiny in the ear department these last few weeks unfortunately :'( We had a couple of clear days and then mucky ears were back....I've had so many guests pass through the house and quite a lot of extras on me locally for friends so when time has been available I've just been concentrating on Dex ,looking after him and trying to find satisfactory vet care here ,so I've not had much time to post.Im on my 3 rd vet now and think we might be getting somewhere...... I've also been lucky to have a resource in the UK that has kindly offered to help me getting samples tested properly.We've stopped all medication so we can get some viable swabs....his ears have just been bunged up with the medication as much as with the issue that's causing the problem , im just flushing twice daily as of yesterday. However aside from this ,the new vet I've visited has suggested a food change .....so we are on a food trial. Local lab results indicated some bacteria and infection but he hasn't responded to medication that should have bobbled the problem so the vet thinks an allergy may be a factor and it's worth a try ,I agree ,I'll try anything that seems appropriate but this is something I've always dreaded ......2-3 months of just kibble......I worry for his focus and rewards when we are outside off lead. Luckily I'm a couple of weeks in on an Obedience course here...I've had my ups and downs with the trainer as he doesn't want me to use food but we are managing to work it out and get along together and he's been showing me how to use my voice to reward Dexter.He noticed I have got such a lot of focus from him after our reactive training so he showed me how to get him to associate my voice (an over the top excited version ,and to be honest a bit freaky sounding ;D ) with a food treat.its helped me to reduce the need for so many food treats and I've been just training with kibble at the classes and getting good results......it's also working on walks where I have now got Dexter returning a tennis ball to hand basically praised on the run back by someone who sounds like a smurf on helium.Dexter has never done this particularly well or enthusiastically ;D my method to get the run out has been to use a ball launcher and make a game of it....part of which involves me running over sand dunes like a nutter woman and then flinging it as far as I can and initially acting if I was racing him for it,it works,he loves it and brings it back everytime... I guess sardines give me confidence ;D That is a sad statement to make in any context isn't it ? ;D Sorry this post is a rambler and covers various topics....it was just to give a bit of news about what's going on and apologies for being a bit quiet about ourselves, I've been using my time to keep up with all YOUR news and achievements and enjoying reading about how you are all doing. Angela x
Re: Ear Mites! [quote author=Dexter link=topic=8682.msg129041#msg129041 date=1418062785] Luckily I'm a couple of weeks in on an Obedience course here...I've had my ups and downs with the trainer as he doesn't want me to use food but we are managing to work it out and get along together and he's been showing me how to use my voice to reward Dexter.He noticed I have got such a lot of focus from him after our reactive training so he showed me how to get him to associate my voice (an over the top excited version ,and to be honest a bit freaky sounding ;D ) with a food treat. [/quote] I would very much like to learn this technique for myself, so I think we need a video. For educational purposes.
Re: Ear Mites! [quote author=snowbunny link=topic=8682.msg129043#msg129043 date=1418062990] [quote author=Dexter link=topic=8682.msg129041#msg129041 date=1418062785] Luckily I'm a couple of weeks in on an Obedience course here...I've had my ups and downs with the trainer as he doesn't want me to use food but we are managing to work it out and get along together and he's been showing me how to use my voice to reward Dexter.He noticed I have got such a lot of focus from him after our reactive training so he showed me how to get him to associate my voice (an over the top excited version ,and to be honest a bit freaky sounding ;D ) with a food treat. [/quote] I would very much like to learn this technique for myself, so I think we need a video. For educational purposes. [/quote] Fiona YOUR ears would be in a similar state to Dexter's ...trust me....in fact there you go maybe I've found the root cause....my new voice makes Dexters ears bleed!!!
Re: Ear Mites! Ah, so sorry to hear the ears are still troubling. I hope you get to the bottom of it. Do you play tug with Dex? Tug can make a great reward, even on lead.
Re: Ear Mites! I was reading your whipit post with interest Julie.I think it would really help us and I need to get serious with it.we've only ever played 'gentle' tug not an all out 'kill it' exciting version ......I've bought one of those kong bubba canvas toy things and I've been luring him over his jumps and hoop with it trying to get that tuggy thing going you see BC's do at the end of an agility run but he's not bothered ,he gets hold of it but doesn't get into it really.i need to read up on using toys and getting the interest. It's for reactive situations I'm concerned the most...we can get past most dogs but if we meet a really reactive dog that is staring,barking and lunging at us but I don't want to lose Dexter's focus.... In these worst cases ,I go back to clicking for him staying calm ,the click breaks through to him and I was still using high value treats ( sardine)....we met a nightmare last night ,the dog was nearly garotting itself I thought it would slip it's lead,Dex was a bit bunched up across his forehead but I kept his focus and rewarded with his new food which I guess was high value yesterday being new....and we got past ok.....I'm glad I've practiced so much otherwise I would be scuppered now,our cues are pretty good,it's me and my confidence again I guess,if he's done well getting past a pretty explosive dog I like to really reward him.....then Is NOT the time to use 'smurf on helium ' voice ......I need to be more 'boho on pot' :-\
Re: Ear Mites! Angela I love the way you can read his body language - "a bit bunched up across his forehead" - fantastic
Re: Ear Mites! Oh Hun so sorry it's been such a trial and isn't over yet To give you more confidence "smurf on helium" is a recognised training voice frequently seen in use by extremely serious and experienced trainers whenever necessary! (And by serious and experienced I'm talking trialling types!) Hang in there, you'll get through this and all your hard work is paying off, there's no reason to think it won't continue to do so. You're so much more than a sardine dispenser and don't you forget it!!! xxx
Re: Ear Mites! Whether your aim is to keep his focus on you, or "look at that", the reward game should still be about you and him. Your smurf on helium voice might be your biggest asset... I went back to the trainer saying "Charlie isn't really interested in tug". Really, I was the one that was half hearted about it, thinking "proper gundogs don't do tug". : : : On how many levels is that just not relevant to Charlie??? ;D ;D Helen picked up my tug toy and with many "which way is it going to go, Charlie? This way? That way? Hey! You got it! Tuggy tug tug!" she soon had him beside himself with excitement. I have to want to play it too! Although - not my quote - tug shouldn't be "dental work by tug" and some of those BC owners look like they are holding out the tug toy to deflect uncontrolled waaaay over threshold excitement. Charlie's tug is exciting, but it's still quite a gentle game - it can collapse into me and Charlie walking along holding the same toy together each giving gentle little tugs, which is rather sweet, and then I start to feel somekind of this magical and somewhat mysterious "connection" with my dog...
