I read on the Net that a dog's ears being back is a sign of insecurity. My pup (7 months old, ACD)does that alot around me. I'm thinking that perhaps she fears me, cuz I'm the one who delivers the corrections. She plays with me constantly. Responds to my commands. She can take a strong correction and still want to play or eat from my hand. Also, her tail is up around me.

What can I do to build her confidence?

IMHO, she's not insecure, she's submissive -- this is a good thing, not a bad thing <:-)

Here's a photo LINK...

http://www.leerburg.com/philosophy.htm

See this picture of Ed with his dogs? Look at their ears! -- These pets are submissive, but they're not insecure <:-)

ACDs, like many stock dogs, are tough buggers that are nevertheless handler soft.

What you describe is exactly how my ACD behaves.

I'd use this to your advantage.

I find for my ACD that the Flinks style obedience and drive building methods are GREAT for building the relationship, allowing the dog to be comfortably assertive around you, without upsetting the hierarchy with you on top.

rgds, andrew may

ACDs, like any breed, vary in temperament and personality. I would not diagnose a dog as submissive or insecure without meeting the dog or getting more information on the dog and its training/temperament but that is just me.

How hard a correction are you doing on a 7 month old puppy? What is your intent for this pup? Sport? Companion? I have four ACDs ranging in age from nearly 9 to 10 months old. They range in temperament from human soft but dog aggressive to extremely dominant.

I do Schutzhund with two of them. At the age of your puppy, I would be doing a lot of prey games and having fun. ACDs tend to mature slower so don't push them too hard. I was just at a Michael Ellis seminar this past weekend with my puppy (Highly recommend his seminars!) and even Michael said just to do a lot of prey games with him and don't push it. They will grow up when they grow up :-)

Best advice I can give you - relax and enjoy your pup <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Where can I get more info on this Flink's Obedience Training?

Regards,

Troy

Tell me something, what do you feed your ACDs? Mine has been on a raw diet for the past 5 months, and has had nothing but sporadic diarrhea. Now the vet is checking her for Salmonella poisoning. If the tests come back positive, I'm not sure what to do, because I have never seen my dog more happier then when she is eating her raw chicken or ground beef.


Troy.

 Quote:

Tell me something, what do you feed your ACDs? Mine has been on a raw diet for the past 5 months, and has had nothing but sporadic diarrhea. Now the vet is checking her for Salmonella poisoning. If the tests come back positive, I'm not sure what to do, because I have never seen my dog more happier then when she is eating her raw chicken or ground beef......

I'm not sure how this topic got onto a thread about puppy insecurity..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

But salmonella isn't a chronic disease...... I mean, it's not something that is ongoing and has to be treated forever. I'm not sure how to say this. It means that the dog (or person.....whoever) ate something that was tainted and then suffered the consequences. Or are you thinking that your source of meat is unsafe, period?

What does "sporadic" diarrhea mean, exactly?

This is really unclear to me..... sorry! Why is the vet thinking salmonella? Is the dog having a bad bout of diarrhea with fever, etc., or something? What prompted the concern?

If you post again with these details, I can point you to loads of authoritative info.

By the way, this is purely anecdotal, but I personally have known dogs who had a bout of salmonella, and not one was on raw food. One was (guessed) a big bite of rotten road-kill before the owner could stop her; one had cleaned up a plate of deviled eggs that had sat in the sun all day last July 4th; the third was a mystery (but the dog was on commercial kibble).

Last thing: Whatever the details here, please remember that salmonella, e.Coli, and the like happen with cooked food, canned food, fresh food...... all foods.

The "sporadic diarrhea" you mention (more details needed) indicates something other than a one-time salmonella thing. Is your dog in the habit of (sorry) poop-eating? Fecal matter is a major source of salmonella infections in pets. Another is raw eggs with unwashed shells (again.....fecal contamination).

Salmonella is nothing to be casual about in a very young dog. I am just pointing out that all diets have potential for this kind of infection.

This is all JMO. I'm not a health professional.

Troy, Be sure you are giving the correct balance of raw bones and muscle meat. Too much meat will cause diarrhea or in the least loose stools. Also add canned pumpkin, yogurt or Probiotic.

I have only had one dog that had problems when starting a raw diet. Did require a round of Flagyl and never had another problem. She was also big on eating goose crap at the pond so I was never fully convinced that her problem was due to raw diet. None of my other dogs have ever had a problem so please don't let anyone influence you to stop feeding raw because of loose stools. Before I started feeding raw I would ocassionally have a dog that would get an odd stomach bug while eatting commercial dog food. I even had giarrdia(sp?) myself one time!!!! Probably got it walking around barefooted in the yard,something I don't do anymore. Thought I was gonna die!

I have found that chicken backs or turkey necks work best for the boney parts,as well as pork necks once a week and then add other good stuff to that. Also have one dog that doesn't seem to tolerate ground beef very well...her gas will clear the room when she eats it!!!!

Do a search on this site and there are many good threads with great suggestions. Ed also has a one week sample diet, go to the Table of Contents. Just have to find what works best for your dog.

Best regards,
Debbie

Just curious here .... By any chance, did your vet run a fecal sample for intestinal parasites, or did the vet assume salmonella because of the diet?

Debbie is really correct. Pumkin is a really good fiber for regulating the bowel. I know of a dog on raw that appears to require pumpkin in her diet to keep her stools well-formed. If you try it, make sure to get the 100% pure pumpkin - NOT the pumpkin pie filling with sugars and spices in it.

My dogs will occassionally have loose stool with no change in the diet. I figure it is from playing in the creek. I give pumpkin (they get probiotic powder daily), make sure they are drinking enough water and watch them extra carefully for a couple days.

Kelp and alfalfa are natural antibacterial agents as well as being rich in vitamins and minerals. However, some dogs develop allergies to alfalfa. Kelp fed in large amounts without other "seaweeds" may be linked to blindness. I believe for my dogs, the benefits of kelp and alfalfa far outweigh the risks of these two supplements.