the very FIRST thing you can do is turn off your caps lock. now on to trouble shooting. the no close with remote is normal for when a sensor reports something blocking it's path. you need to verify the wires are repaired properly(make sure they go to the correct ones), and then make sure the sensors are aligned. both units have lights on them and both lights should be solid at all times. if not, then reaim them at each other until they are.

I don't give edible chews as too many of the foster dogs come to me with resource guarding issues and things like bully sticks, bones, greenies and rawhides are just too high-value in their eyes. With my personal dogs, the Dane will INHALE a rawhide roll in about 3 minutes, the GSP gets diarrhea from pig ears and the BC hordes little pieces in her crate and gets defensive around the LGD's, who couldn't care less about bones, etc., but won't let a challenge go unanswered. I've had to clean up or pull out too many to give my dogs anything edible. And be careful with antlers. A friend's BC found a shed and broke a tooth. All the dogs will sneak trimmings when the farrier comes. Horse is the favorite, but pig and sheep trimmings are popular too. I don't buy the commercial hooves though - too $$. And again, the BC will get snarky if she gets a chance. I wrote some time ago about my suggestions for aggressive chewers: The Extreme Kong is great - I've NEVER seem a dog destroy one. The Classic Kong is pretty good - I have one that is 15 years old and it was still fine until the GSP started on it. He may have been OK with a newer one. They are pretty boring on their own, but I've never had a dog ignore a stuffed one. Working to remove the food, especially when it's the only food she is going to receive, should work. Plus, they'll be learning that toys aren't for tearing up. The dental stick and dental jack are worthless - both broke into large pieces within minutes and they are only available in red. Kong treat balls (stuff-a-ball) were also quickly destroyed. The biscuit ball lasts longer, but still wasn't suitable. Air Kongs are glorified, expensive tennis balls and met the same fate as their cheaper brethren. Kong balls are nice and the dogs seem to especially enjoy the bounzer ball. Kongs supposedly have a replacement guarantee, but I wasn't particularly impressed with Kong's customer service after contacting them about the dental stix. Nylabones are more of a crap shoot. I haven't had success with the original flavor, but these (in souper size bacon flavor) http://www.petedge.com/Flavored-Nylabones-TF178.pro seem to be a hit with the Dane and GSP. Nylabone gumabones, dental chews and healthy edibles are worthless for an aggressive chewer, but an easy chewer would be satisfied with them. Puptreads are made from recycled tires and have the advantage of being available at Walmart, Tractor Supply etc. Vigorous chewing did rough them up, but only small rice-sized pieces are missing. I have this particular one http://www.petstore.com/ps_ViewItem-category-Ethical___Spot_Pup_Treads_Rubber_Bone_Dog_Toy_(6_Inch_H)_Dog_Supplies_Toys_Rubber___Vinyl_Toys-vendor-Ethical-SearchStr-treads-action-view-idProduct-EU04963-idCategory-DGTOVI.html but they come in a variety of shapes and were pretty cheap. As far as balls, tennis balls don't last. There's something about that covering that is just irresistible to the aggressive chewer. And the "tough" tennis balls especially for dogs aren't any better. Chuck-It Ultra balls http://www.petedge.com/ChuckIt--Ultra-Rubber-Balls-ZX482.pro last much longer than any other ball except Kong balls. The advantage of the Ultra balls is that they bounce better and are great for indoors as they are light. I've heard that raquetballs are similiar, but don't have personal experience. Also, goughnuts! http://www.goughnuts.com/ They're a little heavy for indoor play, but the dogs enjoy carrying them and chewing. So far I'm impressed. They do come with a replacement guarantee and, should the need arise, I hope I'll have a better experience with them than i did with Kong. For the dog who likes to chase a larger ball (like a basketball, volleyball or soccer ball) you can look into something like this http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751746 I haven't tried it because I have a connection with a soccer coach who gives me his dead balls. I can't leave the GSP alone with them but the free balls are adequate for chasing around for a day or two until they are truly "dead" Like you, carmen, I also use lids from 5 gallon buckets for Frisbees. They do tend to disappear in the snow, but the GSP will use his nose to find them. Sending your Lab on a hunt for them will burn off some of that puppy energy in a productive way. I ABSOLUTELY do NOT leave them unsupervised and the noise drives me nuts, but all my chewers LOVE empty plastic soda bottles.

I had the same problem with my rotti. The vet removed a tumor (it was nothind bad) from his elbow. I watch him like a hawk, because of his licking and messing with the staples. Almost no sleep for me. Then i got some "Johnsons baby powder" the one with the starch in it ( vet said it's fine ) put it on the staples and a tight sock over the staples and on top of the sock i sprayed some "Bitter apple spray". I did this only at night so that i could get some sleep. During the day i just watch every move he made. I don't like that big collar and i never used that. It worked for us and my dog is big and tall. The same dog went trough ACL surgery twice and i did the same thing. Good Luck

Your dogs are gorgeous. I've seen a working cattle dog in TX; that's the first I was aware of the breed. That was one happy, busy dog. When I was searching rescues and shelters for a dog, I kept seeing a gorgeous cattle dog mix. He had a pretty face like your two, but somehow he had these cool long legs. He was so pretty I wanted to adopt him, but I doubt I could keep even a mixed cattle dog busy enough. I know his height would be a disadvantage cattle because his head would be at perfect kicking height, but he sure looked cool. I hope he got a good home where he could do some sort of herding.