badboyz

What a gorgeous girl she is Norskgra. I went to a show in Brisbane on Monday (have not been for 6mths) and was thrilled to see a couple of Elkhounds entered. We have not seen too many up this way. I was too busy to go to meet them, but will keep an eye out in the future.

Congratulations! Wish I had known you were there, as I was also. Did you notice the pei's by any chance?

I most certainly would, and I would like to think most breeders would, if it would help further canine research. I'm a bit with Corvus and don't need ashes or a body to remember my dog. It is enough for me to hold them through life and as they leave it.

Agree with keeping him confined for the time being. You never know, it could be something else and may settle with rest.

Sadly my girl had to be put to sleep due to an accident. I did hold her thoughout, and assisted the vet when needed. Unfortunately due to her breed (thick skin) and lack of blood pressure (internal bleeding) the vet was unable to find a vein. So she had to be moved to another room and gassed first, then the needle was injected under the tongue. No reactions from her as she was too ill to fight, though I doubt she would have anyway. I have seen a few dogs pts over the years and none have fought it. The longer process was harder to take, but could not have been avoided. I would never criticise anyone for the way they handled it with their own pet. I do find it helps me though in the long run to be there to the end. I hope it helped her, but likely she was beyond caring. I just hope my being there didn't make her more stressed as she could have picked up on my sadness.

I think you have made a wise choice in returning the dog. I too had a rescue wei when my oldest was a baby, and while he was very sweet and would behave ever so gently with my son most of the time, at other times he would get into zoomie mode and bowl him over without a thought. He was mostly outdoors with another companion dog, so it was not too much of an issue, but it used to drive my OH nuts. I would recommend you look into the shar pei breed. They are smaller (medium size) and far less boisterous than a gundog. They are excellent guards, and do not tend to wander. They are capable of spending time on their own, without becoming destructo dogs. Mine have all been very consious and careful of my kids. I would recommend starting with a puppy, from a registered breeder, so that it will bond with the children. Pei puppies are rarely as boisterous as many other breeds, although individuals vary, with some being more laid back than others. Of course taking on any new dog requires time given to training and socializing, so if you are strapped for time, perhaps it is better to wait a little longer. I once trialled an adult dalmation from a breeder. I knew within a few days that she was not the right dog for us and returned her promptly. Sometimes you just know that it is not going to work, for whatever reason, and best to find out quickly before everyone is too attached. No harm done.

I realize you did not mention a caesar Whipit, but you do say she has had difficulty the last 2 times. You say it was not a pleasant experience for either of you. To me, that would be enough to not breed her again. Why put either of you through that stress a third time. And I still say that adding things like calcium and rasberry leaf into the equation does not an easy whelper make. The possibility of a burst uterus resulting from an overly long whelping, especially if it has happened more than once, would worry me. The atonic uterus does not sound like a healthy uterus to me. Obviously the choice is yours, and if you go ahead I hope all goes well. But you did ask for opinions, and having learnt the hard way, if it was me I would be unwilling to take the risk again, and I doubt I would keep any of her daughters either, even if she was the top winning bitch of all time.

Beagles can be obsessive about things like that. However I really don't like the diet you are currently feeding and doubt it is doing him any favours. I would definately work on changing his diet to include much more raw and ditch the vip totally, except maybe as a training treat.

For me personally, if a bitch is not a good whelper, I would not breed her again. I had years of ceasars when I started breeding, and kept thinking the next bitch would not have one, but she did. It only stopped when I bought a bitch from a free whelping line. I was once told by a long time breeder that you should never keep a bitch from a bitch that had a ceasar - and I have learnt she knew what she was talking about. I have only had one caesar since, and that was due to extreme external forces rather than a problem with the bitch, but I still desexed her afterwards. No herbs or additives in the world will, in my opinion and experience (yes I tried them all) will help a problem whelper, and a bitch who is a good whelper will need little assistance. All I will do now is maybe give a little calcium between births if I feel things are slowing down, but that is not necessary if the bitch eats some of the placentas.

Thanks guys! Most days I feel I am past grieving. I can even listen to that song now without crying every time. But then sometimes it comes over me again, when I least expect it, how much I miss her. Such a lovely soul she was.

I would suggest you research shar pei. I believe they would fit all your requirements to a tee. Whatever dog you choose, whether toy or giant, it is vitally important that you socialize it and learn to train it correctly. Good on you for learning from your mistakes and taking the time to research.

I've been to kippa ring vet clinic - very capable vet there - James Lindley.

Are you in a suburban area? Perhaps he can smell a bitch in season.

I got this email today also! Although it was titled: Another problem caused by deforestation. Stand in line boys...

Depends on the breed - some larger breeds can take 4 years to properly mature while other breeds, esp toys take around 12mths. It can also depend on the dog's bloodlines. With show dogs, 12mths is the cutoff for puppy classes. After that is Junior to 18mths, Intermediate to 36mths, then open.

I find that when a bitch has been mated, she is often more dominant in her behaviour around other bitches. Perhaps your non mated bitch is reacting in a playful, submissive way because she is picking up the "don't mess with me" vibes from the one that has been mated.

How gorgeous are they!

So sorry for your loss RB. RIP Kane

What a gorgeous little man and full of character. RIP Occy and sorry for your loss J.

So sorry for your loss Rozzie! How blessed you are to have had her for so long.

I usually start to offer a little human grade mince at 3wks, at first once a day, then twice. I agree that 9 is a big load for a small dog and I would be concerned about eclampsia, so would definately start to wean sooner rather than later.

I am so disappointed by this stupid archaic stand. Why are we always so backwards in Qld? I think Capanash may have hit the nail on the head. I am sure the introduction of Neuter Champ, especially if promoted, would be a real boost for the sport. Do you think we should all write in and complain, or start a petition or something?

I miss her so much. Every time I hear the song Hey Soul Sister, I want to cry. This is the wretched tree and my oh and sons helping with getting the fence repaired: I blame the rain really, for softening the soil and for making the grass grow so fast and long, that she couldn't get away in time. Poor love!

Thank you again, those who have posted. It helps and is much appreciated. I see you have been through a recent loss too aussielover. My thoughts are with you too, at this time.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts. It does help alot to share her story. I have a terrible case of the "if only's" today.