Help at wits end need some advice

Amymay, I don't think you have read my posts throughly. I have taken the advice given. Already have a dog walker who takes him out twice a week whilst I wait for my scooter hoist. Brownmare recommended a link to some interactive dog toys and Cayla recommended (and others) getting a Kong. I ordered a dog Roulette toy and a XLarge Kong which have both arrived this morning.

Someone else suggested contacting an agility place, which you will see from my post yesterday I have done. Unfortunately they have not returned my call so I have tried them again and will drive round there later as its only up the road.

So where are you reading in my posts only reasons things that can't be done for my dog?

I came on here asking for advice, I have done and will continue to take that advice to make the life of my dog better.

I am in a very difficult possition as my illness is currently very debilitating and am the first to admit its not ideal for him, however I am not about to take the easy route and rehome him without trying everything first.

My dog is very well looked after, he is fed good quality food, has a large garden to play in, is now getting mental stimulation, excercised as much as possible, company all day, warm bed to sleep in and regular visits to the vets. Whats to say, if I did rehome him, that he would not be as well looked after?

Goya, will take a look at flyball, thank you. Did a search on Agility clubs in Suffolk yesterday but apart from the one just up the road from us they are all too far away. Where we are is very rural, 15miles from the nearest town and we live in a small hamlet of 10 houses. Obviously I have more chance of getting someone to take him agility/flyball if they don't have to travel to far - me taking him would not work as he would not leave me and if they managed to get him to go he would not concenstrate. We are only about 2 miles from the one up the road so that would be ideal. Obviously if this does not work out I will phone the others, you never know unless you ask.
 
If your OH does feel like he can help more, he can whack on a head torch and some hi-viz and get out there, I have to do this in the mornings and the evenings and while it isn't fun, the dogs get out :)
 
CaveCanem said:
If your OH does feel like he can help more, he can whack on a head torch and some hi-viz and get out there, I have to do this in the mornings and the evenings and while it isn't fun, the dogs get out :)
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Exactly - it will also benefit your OH. I imagine his job is stressful, and what better way to de-stress than to walk the dog.

Toys are all very well OP, but won't help the dog burn off energy, receive the mental stimulation etc. he'll get by being taken out etc.

Can't quite get my head round what prevents the dog from being walked at least twice a day. You have a partner and a dog walker - use them.
 
I will speak to OH when he gets home, although he hates walking and grumbles when I drag him out at weekends when he's not working. I can but ask though - not putting objection up, just stating the facts. OH is not a dog person, it was always if you want the dog you look after it, but now obviously circumstances have changed so hopefully he will be receptable.

I have just managed to speak to the dog training place. The lady I spoke to said that she did not recommend agility for him as in some collies it ignites them and makes them even more restess at home. What she did recommend is to work on the mental stimulation, get him to pick up certain suitable objects etc like an assistance dog (like someone on here recommended) Train him to do tricks persay.

He's just got back from his walk and is pretty shattered so I'll let him recover for a while!
 
OH is not a dog person, it was always if you want the dog you look after it, but now obviously circumstances have changed so hopefully he will be receptable.
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The thing is circumstances have changed - and you need to be supported. He may not like it - but I can't see that he has any choice.
 
Just a thought but would it be worth contacting an organisation that specialises in training dogs for people with disabilities? Just doing a quick google and came up with this-
http://www.dogaid.org.uk/ or http://www.support-dogs.org.uk/DADogs.htm
I'm not sure how much they can help but maybe at least able to advise you on ways to teach him suitable tricks which could make your life easier.

And you OH, could he walk the dog say once or twice a week as a comprimise?

Shame I am not in your area, I would have jumped at the chance of having a collie to do some obidence or agility with.

Sounds like you are moving in the right direction, I hope your health and situation improve soon :)
 
Herbie, if you are in the South Wales area - anywhere near me - I would be very happy to walk the dog for you.

PM me if I can help.
 
Thanks for those links Nicki85, very kind of you to look them up for me. Will take a look.

Amymay. That is such a lovely offer, thank you. Unfortunately we are the other side of the country from you, but thank you for thinking of us.

Well he has recovered from his walk so we had a go with the dog roulette thing. At the moment he has not got a clue bless him, but was starting to get the hang of it on his second go - we left it there. Got very excited by it and kept trying to bite it and cart it off to his basket the daft thing. But definately got his brain working!

He then had a play with his cuddly, which up to now we called his 'toy' but I have started calling it his duck in readyness of introducing other objects - he's now crashed out! lol

I can't thank everyone enough for there offers of help and advice. Hopefully now we are on the right road and I shall have a more stimulated and ultimately happy dog.
 
Nicki85 that Dog AID link looks really good thanks, they teach you to train your own dog to be an assistance dog which would be ideal for us.

Unfortunately though it says on the website that they are not taking new clients until 2011, rang them to find out when in 2011 and got a recorded message saying keep an eye on the website. So have added to favorites. Thanks again for finding that link, would never had thought such an organisation existed!
 
Herbie31 said:
CaveCanem - sorry, didn't reply to your post. I know your not getting at me, I know the amount of excercise he is getting is not acceptable but there are not alot of options open to me right now. If I can improve his stimulation that will be a step in the right direction. We did have a game with his cuddly earlier (mostly retreive and tug of war with my son) before I initially posted, I know not exactly brain stuff but he liked it.

Brownmare, thats a lovely thought. I doubt anyone is near though, we are in Suffolk.
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Where abouts in Suffolk? I am very near Sudbury on the Essex/ Suffolk border. If you're not hours and hours away I'd be happy to help with dog walking?
 
Also it would be a good idea to change his food to raw and natural;it is quite amazing how super active dogs chill out once off the dreaded dry food. For a BC six to eight raw chicken wings and a few plain Bonio biscuits would be about right..and you could well see a complete chill out in him.
 
He is fed skinners field and trial maintenance which is 18% protein. Supplier had run out so he was on the hypoallergenic skinners for a short while which is 22% I beleive - there was a marked difference!

Not sure raw would work for him as he has a very sensitive stomach - have at least one trip to the vets each year because of it. We even have to be careful what chews he has, pig ears for example set his stomach off.

If I did go that route though, how would I know what protein he was getting?
 
Once you go the proper way of feeding you leave behind all the stuff about "protein content",mine for instance get raw chook carcases ,lamb flaps ,beef head meat mince and tripe..sometimes a handful of dry is tossed in the mix(duck from Katie-Lou!) but that is about it.
That is the natural way,it gives the dog`s stomach something to work on..breaking down soft bones..and they are quieter and more contented.One of the tests we do very regularly on my breed is a urine test called a UPC/Ratio ,and if this diet WAS too protein high you would definitly see readings indicating damage to the kidneys. My breed has a major problem with kidney trouble,but my own dogs seem extra good in that area. A couple of years ago we had a rescue come in ,who looked to be on his way out in a few months due to his kidneys. However ,he went onto the usual BARF diet ,recovered incredibly and lived another whole year.
Now even I found that incredible.No dry food is as good as feeding raw,it is convenient and much more sanitary..but never ever as good for the dog.
 
Thanks for your reply East Kent, I appreciate what your saying however I would imagine there would have to be a high amount of protein to cause kidney damage.

Blue can't handle the 22% protein food, which is obviously at a level which would not cause kidney damage (disclaimer - I don't know much about this, but can't imagine pet food makers making dog food that would damage kidneys) and on the raw food I would have no way of monitoring how much protein he was haveing. Do you know for example how much protein a chicken wing has in it? I would only be able to consider a raw diet if I knew the protein amounts of each component.

I am interested in feeding raw, but I need to know alot more about it to make sure its right for us, especially as any change would have to be very gradual. Some days I am not well enough to cook the evening meal so the time to prep the raw food and clear up the mess after he had eaten would also have to be taken into account.
 
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