Gosh so many new people/puppies. Apologies for not saying individual hellos and welcomes but I am woefully behind on the thread.
Sally, we have only just started using Advocate for Lurcherboy, prior to that we used Drontal Plus for worming and Frontline for Flea treatment. He doesn't eat grass or slugs/snails and we don't leave his toys on the lawn overnight so he's very low risk for lungworm. I buy my Drontal and Frontline online and it's ££s cheaper than getting it via the vet.
Pip has Advocate plus Drontal for tapeworm, as he's a gannet that will scoff anything he deems interesting enough in the garden.
We're having problems walking our two in the local park. Several times last week we were accosted by dogs that shot from right over the other side of the park to get to our dogs. Every time it was dogs that had appalling communication skills, all hackles and tails bolt upright and coming roaring in face on. Pip was terrified and three times (each of which involved overweight, untrained Labradors) Lurcherboy ended up having a go at them because they barrelled in, jumped all over him then stole his ball. Pip really doesn't need to be having experiences like that several days a week and it's putting me on edge every time I take them out.
Today one of the same Labs was there, but because the owner didn't want to let him off (as obviously he just bolts and ignores him) so instead he stood slap bang in the middle of the park with the dog on lead for about 25 minutes while he waited for everyone else to leave, with the dog staring intently at all the other dogs that passed. Pip hates being stared at and I had the devil's own job keeping him focussed on me and stopping him from panicking. I had left Lurcherboy's ball at home today - after it being the cause of friction a couple of times and this meant he wanted to go and say hello to other dogs instead. Of course I then spent the whole walk constantly calling him to me, so he didn't approach the Lab - not fun for me or Lurcherboy.
The problem is, other than taking them over the fields - which I prefer not to do on my own - I have no choice but to go there, because the other options are too far for Pip to walk at this age. Once he's older I will have the choice of two different very large parks, both of which are lovely and we have had no trouble in at all whenever we've driven there to walk our guys. So frustrating when your dogs' walk has to be cut short because of other people's badly behaved dogs.
Puppy class tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed Pip will be as brave this week as he was last and actually take part in the training.