armahani

I was reading some news from a friend o/s yesterday, commenting that their new mum was struggling with milk production, and someone replied asking "have you tried x, I put all of my girls on x." Which got me curious so I looked up x product which apparently is a complete wonder supplement ;) helping with all things from milk production through to renewing reproductive organs :), and what I did find was a whole raft of dietary supplements - some for pre-mating to help with reproductive capacity, some for during pregnancy, some for during birth, some for while they are nursing etc. Which continued to get me curious ('cause I'm a bit like that :D ). And I was wondering what other people's practices are. Do you use supplements for your breeding girls? What do you use, when and why? What results have you found? Do you use them in all situations or only if you encouter specific problems? Interested to know other's thoughts.

Can anyone advise me of any vets in the Brisbane area that they either use or recommend for doing x-rays for hip scoring purposes? Approximate costs would be handy too, if you know. Thanks in advance!

Hills Kennel Club have Neuter Classes at their Champ show coming up as well Am hoping to enter Varda - just need to work on her coat some more (hate Lappy coat when they are desexed after they have their full adult coat ) That will make 3 Finnish Lapphund neuters showing! Not bad for a rare breed!

Thanks!

I showed in neuter for the first time this weekend, and had a great time! It was lovely to be able to get my girl out in the ring. Funnily enough, the things I was worried about .... that she was always not so good at and I thought would be even worse given how long it has been .... not sitting down and standing still to be examined .... well she was really very good indeed :p . However ...... I'd forgotten the other bit about showing her ..... her tendancy to bark at the bait! *Groan*. It was like "oh yeah, that's right, I'd forgotten that"! However, all up it was a lot of fun, and I was happy to be showing off one of my first borns again . There was a full line up on Saturday and Sunday for neuter in show, and only the toy missing on Friday. So that was lovely to see. Wow, it sure is a long wait for neuter in show though isn't it!!!

I had an amazing weekend! So much fun! It was nice to be in NSW again for a show weekend .... it has been a very long time. Although I'll admit, my trecks into NSW are usually only just across the border Got Best in Group on Friday with my boy and Best in Group on Sunday with my girl. Seriously could have knocked me over with a feather!!! They've been very spoiled today :p

I have a potential new exhibitor in Melbourne just waiting with their Neuter that I bred to be given the opportunity to do so once the class is offered at Melbourne shows :D

I actually suspect that the notion that it has to "pay for itself" in the early days is the key reason that not more shows are offering it. It's a catch 22 situation. Shows don't offer it before it won't pay for itself, therefore the critical mass doesn't get generated (new things always take time to take off and require the ability to participate for that growth), and therefore the numbers aren't there for it to pay for itself. With something new, you kind of have to accept that it will run at a loss for a while and other things will be subsidising that loss. If it is important enough in the long term, then that just is accepted. The question for a club considering offering the class at the moment probably shouldn't be "will it run at a loss?". Chances are it will for a while. Instead the questions should be: "Do we think this class is important for the future of our sport and its future growth?" "Do we as a club have a role in encouraging the growth of this class during this 'growth period'?" and pragmatically "Can we afford it?" or maybe "Can we find a way of affording it?". If clubs believe the answers to those questions are "no" then I guess there is a real question on the legitimacy of the class/title. But if there is critical thinking that it is important .... then surely a short term loss is an acceptable thing? If 95% of clubs sit back and say "we'll offer it when the numbers are there" then the numbers will never be there. I think the Ovens Valley example is one of being a trailblazer in Victoria. It is almost inevitable that numbers are going to be very low for those trailblazers prepared to take the step. But hopefully they are doing it for more important reasons, and believe in its future, so were expecting and are prepared for that anyway. Of course, sometimes looking at a simple calculation based on numbers in the class isn't a legitimate measure anyway. I'm heading into NSW for three days of shows later this month. I was thinking about doing them, but hadn't really made up my mind whether I wanted the trip this time around. In the end the factor that tipped me was noticing the neuter class on offer. So I decided to enter. Maybe I would have anyway. But equally I possibly wouldn't have. So, yes, I only have one neuter entered to contribute toward the cost of those NIG ribbons. But ..... I have three other dogs entered, the entry fees the club probably wouldn't have received otherwise. They got those entries because they gave me a value proposition I found attractive .... but they would probably never know that if they just looked at my one little neuter entry :p

I'm showing in the neuter class for the first time in a couple of weeks. V excited. It will be so nice to get the little princess back into the ring again - although I'll probably be cursing her afterward. I suspect she may have forgotten everything she ever learnt

Thanks!! I am glad this was brought up, as I was wondering the same thing, but just figured i would work it out on the day. Thanks guys Ah, when you have multiple dogs, and you expect to be the only one there, it's always nice to know before hand which order they'll need to be in the ring :D

Thanks!!

I'm sure I should be able to find the answer to this question myself fairly easily - but being lazy so I thought I would ask here. Judging the neuter class (18 and 18a) for each breed...... Is it 18 after DCC and RDCC has been awarded and 18a after BCC and RBCC, with run-off at the end of class run-offs? OR is both 18 and 18a judged at the conclusion of BOB and other class run-offs? Mmmm, not sure if I'm making sense. Just trying to check which is the order of judging: Option 1: Baby Puppy Dog through to Open Dog DCC and RDCC Neuter Dog Baby Puppy Bitch through to Open Bitch BCC and RBCC Neuter Bitch BOB and RUBOB Class Run offs Neuter Run off OR Option 2: Baby Puppy Dog through to Open Dog DCC and RDCC Baby Puppy Bitch through to Open Bitch BCC and RBCC BOB and RUBOB Class Run offs Neuter Dog Neuter Bitch Neuter Run off

Hate to tell you but the answers to your questions totally depend on what State you are talking about having the dog re-registered in (usually the State where it is going to be resident). For eg, if in NSW, everyone just signs the back of the certificate and it is all done easily. Think this is the same in SA, WA, ACT (but not 100% sure) If in Victoria you need to fill out a Syndicate membership form, with a "nominee" for main communication purposes (usually the person the dog lives with), plus include a contract detailing a number of things, plus sign the back of the certificate If in Queensland you also need to forward in a contract specifying various things, as well as signing the back of the certificate. And then if you ever have a dog in a Victorian syndicate membership between two Dogs Victoria members, and then one owner sells out, and the dog ends up being co-owned (and living with) someone in NSW, everyone in the office in Dogs NSW will throw their hands in the air and say they can't do the transfer Dogs Victoria will have to do it, and then everyone in Dogs Victoria will throw their hands in the air and say the dog is in NSW so Dogs NSW have to do it. Then eventually after you have hit your head against a brick wall repeatedly Dogs Victoria will agree to do it. Then when you need to lease the dog to the NSW owner for a litter it will have to be done through Dogs Victoria again. And then when the lease expires and the dog reverts back to both owners again, somehow the certificate will miraculously become a Dogs NSW one again and be sent to the Victorian owner by Dogs NSW!!!!!!

Mmmm, I must have blanked the trauma of that out . Nup, 7 has been my max . Good luck with the litter Woofen - I'm sure Abby will be just fine.

My girl is the biggest princess! My repro vet can't even go near her privates with a q-tip without her screaming the house down! A complete obvious flirt, but when it comes to the action, it is a different matter! There are names for a girl like that! I figure some girls are just like that. She's been checked out and there is nothing physically wrong with her. Has had two completely text book litters (although did wake up everyone in a 10km radius when the first pup in her first litter was born) - one with two fresh AIs, one with three natural matings. She's just a bit precious.

My dogs just think I'm mad! Right ... so we got in the car ... we went for a nice drive ... we stayed in the car while you unloaded it ... then loaded it back up again ... then we drove home! Um, why?

I'm in a SUV, but there was someone in a hatchback in front of me driving out and you could tell they were very very nervous driving through the water. Probably a good thing we all left when we did or there could have been quite a few people stuck!

Thanks everyone . They were such a fun litter and I still miss having them around ..... not pups for the feint-hearted puppy owner though . Although guess I should have known that given who their parents are .

Remember Holly? She is Kirra and is also here in Victoria. Unfortunately her fight with the hailstone had some long term impact which changed some of the plans her owners had. But she is still very much adored, and is seen regularly at Lappie events being as naughty as possible!! Remember Angel? She is Quito, who lives in Sydney. Also the occasional show participant, and a very much loved family member. So there's the update. And as for Mum and Dad .... they are still doing well here .... and need to go and get ready for their agility lesson

This thread is very old now, but I've been always meaning to do this - I just kept forgetting. I received an email with an update photo this morning and it reminded me. Hard to believe these babies are now a little over a year old now! So ........... Remember Mistletoe? She's now Cookie and lives in SA. Cookie is doing very well in her agility lessons and has recently been in a few shows over there too :D Remember Star? Oh oooops - well despite the fact that I see Taija all the time I STILL don't have an updated photo of her . To be rectified soon! ;) Remember Noelle (aka "the nutter")? She's now Myrre and lives in Brisbane. As to be expected, she's a real gun in her obedience lessons, and has a real aptitude for scent work. She's also planning on starting agility classes soon. Remember St Nick? He is now Dolce - or Australian Champion Dolce :D . He lives in NSW just out of Canberra and is a regular in the show ring that way. Still strutting around letting people know he is the boy! Remember Snowflake? She is Kyla, and is very much loved here in Victoria. She is training to be a therapy dog, and sees the show ring fairly regularly. I haven't seen her in a little while, but will get to see her on Saturday

I'm in a very similar situation to you (as you know ;)), and have done this with three litters now, with both boys and girls. I'll never have huge numbers here, and can't currently anyway, and all my spaces tend to get taken up by imports ! But I still want to continue on with my breeding program and show my breeding, so that's about the only way I can do it. I know of a number of breeders in Europe in my breed who tend to do it this way as well. Only one of my "on terms" girls has got to the age where I have bred from her though. So the cynics might say "watch this space" My rules, which are just how I prefer things, but you may feel differently: (1) you have to really trust the person, they have to really trust you .... and trust is something you always need to work on .... it's the same as any relationship .... but don't even think about going ahead with it if you have any doubts (2) open communication is essential - you have to be completely up front and discuss every potential scenario (3) if all your puppy buyers are like "family" your co-owned/terms homes have to be like "immediate family" (4) if it is going to go pear-shaped you need to be prepared to walk away and take the loss Ok, my experiences (with the girls, because I guess that's the trickiest situation): Litter 1 - girl placed on terms with a pet home with agreement for her to come back for a litter. I also showed her to her championship (used to turn up at their house to pick her up early in the morning on the way to KCC Park while they where still in their PJs ). I didn't have a relationship with them prior, but we developed a really good friendship over the course of those couple of years, and I still hear from them frequently. I had a really really really good feeling about them from first meeting. I ended up trusting them so much that when she came here for her litter, my import girl (her mother) ended up having a holiday with them at her place to keep them and their boys company! And believe me, she is my life and doesn't go ANYWHERE except to my parent's place :D . Their girl is desexed now, but still goes to my parent's place to stay when her owners go away on holidays (my Dad refuses to let her go anywhere else! :D ). When it was getting close for her to have her litter I was conscious that her owners were getting a bit stressed about it. I thought it was about the whole pregnancy/birth/being away from home thing. Turns out they were concerned about their "little girl" being "violated" by some boy!! They were actually thrilled when for other reasons we ended up doing an AI with her. . She was registered in joint names, but transferred to me prior to being bred, and her owners decided not to keep up their membership so she's actually still in my name. Actually - out of interest - I have a second co-owned girl from that litter who is in the USA, but not planned that way. I have rights for a pup back somewhere down the track, and her owner actually wanted to have both our names on her US registration, which wasn't a big deal for me, but I was happy to do that if it made her happy :D . She even put my kennel name as the pups' "middle name" when this girl had a litter late last year, and the owner of the pick boy from that litter emails me updates and sends me photos (wish I was his breeder though - whooo-eeee he's nice!!). It's really nice - makes me feel like I have this extended family over there :D . Litter 2 - girl placed on terms with a new show / future breeder home. She's registered in joint names. All being well she will have one litter here (probably her second). If for whatever reason she can't have a second that's my loss and my risk. This owner and I developed a relationship over quite a long period before she went there, and are really good friends now. Of course, she's a terrible person and it likely to end up doing the wrong thing!!! (having a bit of fun because she is on this forum and likely to read this ;) ) Litter 3 - pick girl placed on terms with a pet home with agreement for two litters. This one is a totally different. The owner in this case was already a good friend. We'd known each other for years (through the breed). She's not interested in showing or breeding herself, but actually made me the offer for me to do so when she came to me to ask for a puppy. This girl is registered in my name. I show her (and most people around the show ring probably assume she lives with me - but she only does on show weekends ;) ). I've even been given a key to her owner's house if I need to pick her up / drop her home when she's out. She's like the bitch you keep when you don't keep a bitch ! Litter 3 - I ended up unexpectedly putting out another girl from that litter on terms for a number of reasons. She's co-owned with a new show home and shown by them. All being well she'll have a single litter here. Again, I had a really really good feeling about this owner and I'm really happy with the relationship we've built up. I've been really really really lucky!!!

I love Dobes Mon, but they are bigger than what I am after for my current situation. I will seriously consider a Dobie next time I am after a big dog though, they are probably my number one choice German Pinscher then?

See I'm just used to emailing non-dog breeders and exhibitors all the time . I, of course, meant "dog" in the colloquial term, not to signify gender

I'm not sure what they would do Esky. No doubt if one was born whoever the breeder was would try to argue the point with the KC. Or the FLCGB on their behalf. I'm not too sure how easy or hard it is to get colours added over there. If they weren't successfuly, I guess, yes, they'd have to use something else. Sometimes registered colours aren't always accurate. Either because the breeder isn't sure, or because the right colours aren't available under that registries listing.

Oh no no no - you completely misunderstood me They are most certainly accepted (both there and in Finland). Just in the UK at the moment they don't have the colour there on the list to register them with.