Hi There

[Alex]

Hi All

My name is Alex and I have finally managed to register (my own clumsiness the reason for the delay). I have however been following the forum and posts for a while and are amazed by not only all the knowledge, but also the spirit within which it is shared. I live in Cape Town and have recently ventured into the world of DS's and have to say I am amused (and challenged) daily by the breed and specifically my new friend Curtis, who is now 6 months. I have attached some pics when he was still four and started obedience training.

I hope to be an active and contributing member to the forum.

Alex

[Tim91118]

Welcome.....how does he get along with the Boerboel mix ?

[Alex]

Great actually. I adopted her. She was previously abused and very shy but Curtis helped to get her confidence up. He is relentless and there is no place to hide. Hi is however sees the Yorkie as a handbag who is not impressed. They all get along fantastically though. The DS and boerboel are constantly at each other which helps alot with his drive and energy levels.

[centrop67]

Welcome. I love the coloring. Gorgeous pup.

[Alex]

Thank you. I think I am driving my family slightly crazy with my obsession. But it is impossible to help. I am absolutely enamoured with him and cant stop talking about not only Curtis but the breed in general. One question though. He is extremely mobile when it comes to playing catch but it sometimes look as if he is struggling to get up when lying down. Is this something related to his young age or should I be concerned? Also apologies if I should ask this under a different thread.

[Tim91118]

Who named the dog Curtis is what I’d like to know....lol

[ladyjubilee]

I would be concerned.

[ICE]

How are you playing catch with him? With a DS that has no concern for his well being and also only 6 months you need to strategically play fetch so they don't jump high and twist, stop on a dime etc. You need to be the one who stays concerned for their safety. If you already do all that and he still struggles getting up from laying down, I would be concerned and talk with my vet.

[Jay knowles]

Welcome to the forum, try not to over exercise at a young age,I worry my dog may have been over stressed when young with a limp that comes back now and again. Jay

[ladyjubilee]

I hope it is something like that.

But I would talk to the vet. Gotcha, my Dal that passed before we got Bramble, had a degenerative neurological issue. At first the signs were so subtle I don't think the rescue even noticed. We noticed early on because we have experience with neurologic issues. We noticed she had a little hesitation getting up, not pain but more like motor planning.

They couldn't really do anything for her, but we just made modifications to help her as things progressed.

So anyway, I'd at least ask a vet.

[Alex]

Thanks to everyone for their valuable input; concern and advice. I have indeed been bouncing the ball where he jumps and twist. Even when the ball is on the ground he chases relentlessly and does not seem to be bothered with change in direction. We go to a professional trianer once a week but she has not noticed or commented on his mobility. I dont think it is an issue of pain. The way that he rises reminds of a an action i saw in older dogs. The vet checked him a month ago and gave him a clean bill of health. I am however neurotic when it comes to his wellbeing and since I have shared a a space with a DS I am paranoid about almost anything I cant explain. I am striving to be a responsible DS caretaker. Any suggestions as to specific test I should focus on? Thank you again for everyone's comments. It is greatly appreciated. Alex

[Tim91118]

The two tests performed on Shepherd breeds are elbow and hip dysplasia. It is inherited and those that have it should never be bred.

[Alex]

Neither parent have either of the two. Have been checked and certified. Both working dogs from one of the best breeders in the country. I have been observing him and I am not sure it is a physical issue. It only appears on some.occasions. We are visiting the vet. To follow up. Thanks again

[ladyjubilee]

Two simple tests the vet did with Gotcha: 1) he took her outside and walked her over obstacles 2) on the table, he had her stand, then flipped her paw over. The tests were kind of like when neurologists tap for reflexes on a human.

At the beginning, the signs with Gotcha were very subtle. Most people, even dog people and the vet, didn't notice. We noticed because of the time spent with her, that we know the signs in a human, and really the way Snuggles and Peanuts responded to her. They just naturally seemed to have extra patience with her.

[Alex]

Thank you. It is exactly the same with boerboel. She seem to have endless patience with him. Another thing. When he goes to lie down he kind of just flops down like a bag of potatoes being dropped. Could it be related? My ridgeback had similar tendencies but it usualy came with a massive sigh as he was just too depressed with the state of world politics. Never haa anynother issues though. I have been checking Curtis constantly and cant seem to pick up anything else. He doe have spectacular faceplants when he misjudges a step or plays and loses his balance.

[ladyjubilee]

That's hard to tell. Bramble discovered that humans laugh when she goes tumbling after a ball. Now every throw end with her tumbling after.