noisymina

At those prices, I'm sure they don't sell much. It won't be on the shelf long at that rate. To be fair to the retailer, I did not see expired stuff on the shelf - just stuff with dates very close to it. For a small dog or if feeding small amounts to a larger dog, one needs a few months leeway.

My local supplier charges approx $18.50 for a small bag of Nutro - think that is 2kg, but not sure as I have thrown it out. The use by dates are pretty slack, so I have to buy whatever variety has the longest life left. At that price, I only give her a 1/3 cup at breakfast with odds and ends added - when I have run out of Barf mix or want to extend the life of the Barf I have in the freezer. She always gets her meaty bones at night. We have only just started this on any regular basis, so I don't know yet exactly how good it is, but no problems thus far.

:p Yep - definitely has to be a horse. Another dog is not quite the same. :rolleyes:

Well, as you know, Shoey, I'm no expert. But you would not believe how much more focused my dog became when I got the horse. Particularly on carrots. :p But on me as well. ;)

You can do either. His stocks can vary a bit, depending on supplies. Have a chat and work out what will suit you best. Then it will run OK.

Cool

Gary - pleas note - I am now due for another discount.

Talk to Gary at Canine Country. 07 3208 2849 Maybe he can help. http://www.caninecountry.com.au/

I am so sorry, Dave. Your decision to give her some friends was a good one. She was not alone. Thinking of you.

@ Erny. Waste of good vinegar. Water will do the trick - specially if it is cold.

Gald to have you back, Erny. I've been missing your wise posts. Not joking - I learn a lot from the people here - certainly more so since there are no clubs or training thingys that I can easily access around here .

Me too.

I think "B" would be preferable if it was going to be a major part of the dog's diet. In my case, I would still feed meaty bones as well, so I would go for the cheaper one and try it first. If I was going to go down that path.

Nutro is terribly expensive here. No way would it be a realistic proposition, even tho it would make things easier. For now, I'm sticking with the BARF diet.

No need to be brutal! Perhaps, once a week, you could replace the pets mince with a piece of roo tail. It is low fat, has a heap of meat on it, and takes them a while to eat it - which means they feel "fuller" - and it's great for the teeth. The ones I get come three to a one kilo pack for $2.50. So one per meal is about right. :cool:

No, thet don't need a "diet". I'm always a bit put out by the thinness of many greys I see - too thin. We have a greyhound trainer over the road from us (although I don't know the guy there now as the one I knew sold the property a while ago) . I think that greys in training are thin - but they also have a lot more muscle because of the work they do. Just look at athletes who "retire" - they do put on weight, but have less muscle. I think the lighter coloured dog you show is OK, but can't see too well when it comes to the darker one. IMY - maybe your OH would like to take on the responsibilty of being their "personal trainer" and do some "training" with them? Alternatively, perhaps you could just cut back the amount of food they get - say by 10% - for a few weeks and see what results that gives? :cool:

Sometimes I wish ............................. Maybe we need a beginners camp if this stuff takes off? My dog seems better trained than I am.

Thanks BellasPerson and Erny. We had the hoop inside the house for ages. No matter where it was, she'd avoid it. It sort of became a bit of a joke. Any way, since we don't seem to have a decent club nearby and since i'm not dead set keen on pushing the competitive bit - and since DH has since donated the hoop to St Vinnies ;) and thay loved it .............. dog is learning other things. :D At least the principles are the same should she develop future fears that we really do need to work on. Erny - you are soooooooooo right - as you probably know One reason we did not continue the formal stuff involved a "trainer" who thought pushing her into the tunnel was a good idea - not. Apparently it had more to do with the Dobe temperament than the methods used. :D Even tho I am a complete amateur, it was not hard to sense that that was a bit off beam. That has been the only time that Dobe has even looked like biting. BP - the clam shell thing - yep - same here! We started with a puddle in the bottom - and the cat was more interested in it! Now she will jump in and even lie down with a bit of encouragement! Dobes are tough dogs - pity she doesn't know that.

Try the book - "Getting in T Touch with Your Dog" by Linda Tellington-Jones.

Kaisie the Dobe gets about 2/3 cup of veg/fruit mix and about 350-400g meaty bones each day Plus her obligatory piece of Vegemite toast and any leftovers/scavenging stuff around (lately that has been Mulberries). I use a bit of Nutro for treats and occasionally that replaces the Barf mix for breakfast.

My dog will do anything for carrot. :cool: Almost.

Carrot sticks?

To replace the mince, you could use some meaty bones - chicken or turkey necks, lamb flap, roo tail etc. I agree Nutro is very expensive, so you could probably reduce the amount you need to feed if you use some of those to help replace the mince. :D

And put a lead on "it" before you open any gates or doors to go out. Read the sections here on puppy problems/training and the thread on TOT (Triangle of temptation). That will give you something to think about.