VintageDiva

Hear, hear! A dog is a carnivore, with a carnivore's digestive system, a carnivore's teeth. You can't say your dog is an omnivore when it's scientifically proven that they're not. Yes, of course they will eat fruit, vegetables and grain if that's what we feed them - just as we can eat processed food and sugary junk, even though it is not good for our bodies and will likely cause issues in the future. My own dog will graze on the apples and plums that fall from my trees - he loves the sugary sweetness. His body uses none of it - it all comes out the other end, looking quite similar to when it went in.

As a Bendigo local myself, I would recommend Wag 'N' Tails Companion Dog Club. This is a relatively new club (they started in February) which is community based, has low one-payment-only membership fees, and is a really fun place to be. I've found the instructors to be friendly and they definitely know what they're talking about. The club uses positive reinforcement methods, which have worked wonders with my own dog . They have agility equipment for games and practice... a real community vibe... a quarterly newsletter filled with photos of members and their dogs, as well as informative articles about all things DOG... In short, it's great value and lots of fun for you and your dog! Plus the first class is free so you've got nothing to lose whatever you decide. They have a website - http://wagntailscdc.piczo.com - and all the details you'll need are there. They meet each Sunday at Long Gully Community Centre in Havilah Rd, Long Gully. Currently classes start at 1pm.

Just a couple more things I've noticed with my Stafford: He is really good at entertaining himself, and will happily spend several hours wandering the back yard, playing with leaves, sticks and toys by himself, doing zoomies etc. He doesn't need me or other dogs to make him do things. Yes, he can fart! But after trial and error I've worked out that he mainly does it after eating pork and when he's stressed. So by limiting those things, the house is virtually fart free. Of course, this means that when he actually does fart, it's even worse because I'd forgotten just how bad it was. He relaxes very quickly. On walks, if I stop and chat with someone, he is happy to stand next to me and look around or even lie by my side in the frog position until I'm ready to continue walking. No complaints from him, ever.

A great topic - I'm really enjoying reading each reply. My own thoughts on some of the issues brought up (I have a 3yo male Stafford). Separation Anxiety Bean is home alone in a secure outside pen for approximately 9 hours each week day while I'm at work. He has been doing this since he was 13 months old and he came to live with me. Apart from the first few weeks when he did some barking, I have had no problems. We follow a routine each work day, which he knows he can rely on. He knows that I'll come back at a certain time, he knows he'll get a walk when I come back. Thanks to the routine, the training sessions, the bond between us and the boredom busters I utilise (frozen Kongs, meaty bones), I have a content dog who rarely barks (I have a lovely next door neighbour who checks on him over the fence one or more times a day) and who is happy to sleep and lie around until I come home. I also go inside the house to change from my work clothes each afternoon before going to greet him, which he sees but he just sits or lies somewhere in his pen and is happy to wait. He never complains, never whines. From my own experience, separation anxiety is not a problem! Allergies Beef is one I've noticed - too much and Bean has tummy troubles, so we steer clear of it. Also some grasses and weeds can give him itchy rashes during certain times of the year, thanks to that super short coat and sensitive skin. This is eased by keeping the lawns mown. I also use a cream if things get too sore looking. Dog Aggression Bean is a typical Stafford - full on and overly friendly - and he does seem to ignore or not notice most other dog's signals to 'keep away' etc, and will charge right in to say hello. He requires proper, supervised introduction to most dogs, as he likes to be the dominant one and will do his best to make sure the other dog knows that. He has been rushed at in an aggressive way by off lead ( ) dogs on our walks a number of times now, and all times he has fought back (thankfully nothing has ever escalated to a dog fight extent). I cannot imagine him backing down from anything. That said, he has never exhibited aggression to any dog he has been properly introduced to. If a dog snaps etc at him during a meeting on a dog walk, he has never reacted (he just looks surprised). Lead Pulling Unfortunately Bean arrived in my life at the age of 13 months, with lead pulling already part of his bag of tricks. While he does still pull on the lead if given the opportunity, general obedience training and leadership have helped enormously, as has the use of a chest harness and a number of tricks picked up from my sister, a dog trainer. Basically, I follow the rule that you never walk in the direction a dog is pulling. Staffords are very headstrong, but with consistency, it will work. Fence Height etc I have never had a problem with my Stafford attempting to jump the fence. My fences are under 2m high, with the gates being a fair bit lower. He is kept in a secure pen when I'm at work etc, which has wire that hangs over inwards at the top, meaning he cannot gain purchase if he tries to jump. When I'm home, it's just a matter of supervising him when in the yard. He generally prefers to be with me (another nice Stafford trait), so keeping him close to me and aware of me is no problem. The Staffordshire Voice Bean's bark is always a shock to hear, because he does it so rarely. It's kind of like a cough, which deepens and becomes more 'normal' the longer he's barking. He also does some grumbling and deep throat noises when trying to sleep or during a cuddle session .

My Stafford has been known to clear a room too! He's also on a raw diet (meat/bone/offal). I find it often happens when he's stressed (generally when his routine has changed or when people come over for dinner; anything that doesn't happen often). As soon as we're alone again and/or his routine is back to normal, the farting magically stops... He also tended to fart after eating pig trotters, so I've reduced the amount of pork he eats. He now gets pork once a month, if that. This has helped a lot. I keep an air freshener - specifically for pet odours - in the loungeroom and also the bedroom. This can sometimes make the farts smell worse, however .

TiffanyAmber ~ I got mixed up with the names! I meant the Country Fresh Meats in the Kangaroo Flat Market Centre. I've found a few goodies there, like trays of chicken hearts (so cute!), lamb brains and quail. I alternate between buying my beef chuck/neck bones from there and from the butcher inside Centro Lansell. It depends who has it on special. I got three for free from Country Fresh Meats a couple of weeks ago. I did my usual thing of asking them to cut each chuck bone across the middle (too big for Bean otherwise) and the butcher came out and said I could have them for free, as the meat looked a little old. Still smelled fine, and I freeze them anyway. So that was a nice surprise! I have also been to Mannings Greyhound complex - forgot to mention that one. They had some roo chunks last time I went which were good. No blue dye that I saw. I also love the supermarkets, and have found some great bargains in the human section of a local Safeway supermarket. I got six large chicken thighs for just $3.00 last week, and once found meaty lamb necks at a ridiculously low price. I also keep an eye on the lamb shanks, as they are often on special.

Try air dried pizzle sticks or other air dried meat products. Do a search on eBay - that's where I buy mine. They have roo, crocodile, emu, lamb, goat, venison etc. It takes my fully toothed Staffy up to 15 minutes to chew through a decent sized air dried pizzle stick, so hopefully it should last even longer for your own dog. Softer than rawhide on the gums as well.

Bean's weekly diet is never the same - it depends what I have in the freezer, what was on special, what I stocked up on etc. But an average week would be something like two days of meat with no bone, then one day of a meaty bone. This seems the best way of working out the 80% meat/10% bone/10% offal (incl 5% liver) ratio. Something like this: Monday: Section of ox tongue + one egg Tuesday: Lamb shank + one or two chicken livers Wednesday: Beef steak + one egg Thursday: Section of ox tongue + one kidney Friday: Half a rabbit Saturday: Fish head (usually salmon) + one egg Sunday: Boneless roo chunk For treats I like to use air dried (not cooked) offal or meat. During summer I freeze his Kong, stuffed with diced lamb or ox heart. I'm also sometimes able to source whole chicken (still with feathers, feet etc) and rabbit (still with head, fur, feet etc). Bean has also caught the odd bird in the backyard and I let him eat them (what a sad waste otherwise). I once returned home from work, let him out of his outdoor pen and noticed some recent earthmoving he'd done... I dug down a little bit and discovered a tiny bird heart! He was very excited to see it - I guess that little morsel got away from him.

I feed anywhere between two to four raw eggs in their shells every week.

I strive to follow the 80% meat, 10% bone, 10% offal formula each week. So, Bean generally gets two days of meat (no bone), followed by a day with a meaty bone. A common menu would be: Monday: Chunk of beef steak, one raw egg in shell Tuesday: Half an ox tongue, one chicken liver Wednesday: Lamb shank, one kidney Thursday: Roo chunks, one raw egg in shell Friday: Section of ox tongue, one lamb heart Saturday: Chicken frame, lamb brain Sunday: Salmon head, one raw egg in shell In a perfect world I would be able to source whole prey - like a rabbit, lamb or chicken - with all organs still inside. There'd be no worrying about the 80/10/10 ratio then, as it's already a perfectly balanced meal just as nature intended.

Bendigo, Central Victoria. Breen St Pet Supply Great service here - they have always happily chopped things smaller for me if needed. You can find roo tail sections, roo chunks, big beef steaks, chicken necks, skinned rabbits and different preservative free minces. Fresh Fish Shop, Bendigo Market Place I buy large, meaty salmon heads here for 50 cents each. The Meat Master, Kangaroo Flat Market Centre Beef chuck bones, chicken hearts, ox heart, shanks, chicken livers, brains. Not many other places (I'd love to hear from someone who lives in Bendigo and knows where more things are!), apart from a couple of local butchers and supermarkets that sell ox tongues, lamb hearts, ox hearts, lamb offcuts, goat, pig trotters and pork hocks. I'd be very interested to hear where I could source sheep heads and goat meat in Bendigo or nearby.

It's amazing what butchers would otherwise throw out! I scored three large turkey frames - one of which Bean ate this morning as his Christmas dinner. Below is a photo of Bean's 2007 Christmas turkey frame... he was waiting for me to give him the 'Okay' to eat it.

Hi, While I can't comment on the working dog side of things, I do know that my Stafford does a similar thing on walks when he sees a dog walking towards us. He will stop, look at the dog and then drop onto the ground, where he'd stay if I let him. Like your dog, he gets up and is happy to meet the other dog when it comes up to us. My theory has always been that my dog does this to ensure he DOES get to meet the other dog. It's simply like he's waiting, and trying to get me to stop and wait too. He tends to be a bit too full-on for many dogs we meet, so maybe the dropping is his attempt to try something different in order to get what he wants (which is meeting another dog). I rarely allow him to do this anymore, especially as most of the time the dog was on the other side of the road and there's was no point to his waiting! Sometimes I simply keep walking quickly along, saying "Quick, quick!" which he understands. I now know what he'll do when he sees another dog, so I don't let him get to the dropping stage at all if I can help it. Not sure if this was any help at all, as our breeds are so different and they're probably both doing what they're doing for different reasons, but I just thought I'd share my story. And as for the sheep, I know that the Koolie Club meet regularly in country Victoria for sheep herding (beginners and other working dog breeds welcome). Check out this link: http://www.australian-koolies.info/meetings.html They have a herding weekend in Elmore (two hours drive from Melbourne) coming up in early April.

Have you tried fasting your dog for 24 hours or so? A dog that is sick and is continuing to eat won't be able to use all its energy fighting the sickness - the body will still be working on digesting food all day. Also, food continually going down will just irritate the stomach and cause nausea all over again. I find that if my dog has nausea or stomach pain, no food for 24 hours (remember, a dog could survive for days at a time with no food, just water) has always helped 100%. Of course, he is still provided with fresh water at all times. All the best .

I've always fed Bean a raw diet, for a number of reasons. I had watched my sister feed her two dogs a raw diet for years, and was impressed with their shiny coats, good health and fresh breath. I did a lot of research - a year later I'm still researching and learning new things - and it made complete sense to feed a dog (a domesticated wolf) raw meat, as that's what its digestive system is set up for. Also, why would I feed a processed, packaged diet with additives/colourings etc etc, plus a bunch of things a dog just doesn't need - when I can rely on a raw diet to provide everything my dog needs? I always wanted to feed my dog what was best for it - not what was easiest for me, or pleasanter for me to look at and touch. As it turned out, I've found raw feeding extremely cost effective and one of the most interesting parts of having a dog in my life!

I fast my Stafford occasionally. I do this either the day after a big meal (say a large rabbit or a turkey frame) or on the rare occasions when he's eaten something that didn't agree with him, and he's had diarrhoea or obvious stomach pain. Then, the fasting is simply a way to keep any further irritants out of his system. 'The Complete Herbal Book for the Dog' by Juliette De Baïracli Levy has a fair bit to say about the benefits of fasting, so if you're interested in finding out more mocha, maybe that would be worth a read. She encourages fasting for sick dogs, simply because: "It is the natural instinct for all animals to fast when sick or wounded, because immediately all food is withheld, all the forces of the body are concentrated on fighting the disease or healing the wound, for the strength of the body is no longer being used up in the normal and continuous daily activity of food digestion, absorption and elimination. Actually, when an animal is ill with fever, nature discourages the intake of food by removing a desire for it and suspending senses of smell and taste; during acute fever, food digestion is checked almost totally." While I don't fast Bean weekly, I don't see anything wrong with doing so. I use fasting when I know it will benefit my dog, as mentioned above.

Hi mini_dachie, Not sure if this will be completely relevant, as Bean was 13 months old when I brought him home and then had to start leaving him alone while I was at work. But hopefully you can get some ideas! Bean is now alone for approx 9 hours each weekday while I'm at work, and according to my nextdoor neighbour he doesn't make a sound. For the first few months he would have a short cry lasting a couple of minutes halfway through the afternoon. Now, he doesn't even do that. The BIG thing is routine. Always try to leave at the same time each morning, and return at the same time each night. Do the same things each morning before you go to work (e.g. get up/walk the dog/shower/eat breakfast & dress/leave). Once your dog knows what to expect, he should hopefully be calmer - especially when the routine kicks in and he KNOWS you always return at the expected time. Then, when you do get home, remember to not make a huge fuss about it. Say hello only when he's quiet and calm. Bean is given a Kong every weekday morning stuffed with frozen mince or chicken necks. This supposedly keeps him occupied for half an hour or so. Luckily I have a dog who is happy to sleep in his kennel or on his hessian bed and simply wait quietly for me to return (when he knows the fun stuff starts!). Two other big things to create a calm dog who is okay with being left alone: obedience training and leadership. I took Bean through Beginners, Class 1 and Class 2 at the local club, and that really helped. Also, make sure you're applying all the usual leadership techniques. If your dog truly knows you're the boss, he won't be so upset at being left alone. After all, if the boss is putting him in the pen each day and leaving for how ever many hours, then it must be alright! Just remember - keep to a routine. That's the big thing; your dog has to be able to rely on you, or he won't settle. (Edited for grammar... )

Hope you found something good! When I was still feeding vegies/fruit to Bean in his patties, I found it easy to blend them in my Ronson by starting with the wet stuff and then slowly adding small portions of chopped vegies/fruit until it was all done. I always ended up with a puree that looked and smelt like grass!

Good luck with your shopping expedition! I just use a simple blender (Ronson pro400) to mix up my patties. It cost me $60 or $70 at least five/six years ago, so a similar model should be much cheaper now. Using a blender means your patties will be finely pureed. Start with a few moist ingredients first (eggs, meat etc), or the blender will freeze up. Once frozen, the patties are solid.

[\quote] QUOTE(Cazablanca @ 20th Jan 2008 - 12:55 PM) My dogs (Staffy and a mixed muttley ) are currently fed raw meaty bones, dry food and occasional egg/sardines. I feed a handful of dry in the morning, and the rmb etc at night. Im not happy with their coats, and general look of health, so want to switch over to Barf. I need a basic easy recipe to make a Barf mix, and also how much of this to feed, and do I still feed RMB as well? Thanks in advance, and I only have a basic food processor. My Stafford is fed the Prey Model diet. He gets a large fish head (50 cents from the local fresh fish shop) each week, and his coat is always shiny/healthy/soft. The fish oils no doubt help. He also gets four to five raw eggs each week. If you're looking for a basic recipe to make patties (and if you're on the prey model diet you no doubt don't wish to feed vegies), here's the simplest one you'll ever hear: chop raw liver into small chunks and mix it with some roo mince or whatever's on hand/on special. This is then frozen in large ice cube trays, and depending on how much liver I've added to the mix, Bean would get a defrosted pattie for tea every second night or so. Throughout the week he'll also eat a couple of lamb hearts (actually organ meat, not offal - but he loves 'em!), some chicken giblets and his usual meat/bone portions from a variety of animals.

I'd say that unless you notice your dog acting/looking lacklustre, don't add unnecessary supplements. If you're feeding a prey model/raw food diet, your dog is getting all it needs and nothing it doesn't.

Mince IS ground meat (human grade) or ground RMB (pet grade). And once you've minced something, you can't really call it a raw meaty bone. It's mince.

Hi CountingSheep! Feeding the Prey Model diet is pretty exciting - I've been doing it roughly since Bean came into my life last March, and I still really enjoy searching out different meats at the best price, and watching him eat them! Just some tips/hints. The 'sardines in oil' you're feeding sound like they're coming out of a tin. Just remember these are cooked, not raw, which is what the diet is all about. Visit a fresh fish shop and have a look what they've got - I buy large, raw salmon heads for just 50c each, and also small whitings or even fresh sardines. Also, one of the big things about the Prey Model diet is feeding the dog meat/bones/organs as he would actually eat them. He needs to be able to rip/tear/shred the meat - too much mince as opposed to actual cuts of meat should be avoided. The chicken frames & necks are good. I'd recommend fish heads, lamb necks, shanks, kangaroo steaks or tail pieces, turkey pieces, goat, rabbit, chicken giblets, lamb hearts etc. I do use mince (mainly chicken or kangaroo) - as a treat in Bean's Kong in the mornings. I pack it in there as tight as I can the night before, and then freeze it. It's a great boredom buster (for an hour tops, anyway!). You asked about supplements... I don't use any. If you're on a Prey Model diet, you shouldn't need supplements, as the dog is getting everything it needs and nothing it doesn't. I just have to look at my dog's shining coat and healthy teeth to know everything's fine. All the best for the diet change! The big thing about Prey Model/Raw diets is the research - you find out new things every week! It feels really good to know you're giving your dog the best life and diet you possibly can, and as nature intended.

Diet plays a large part in bad breath. Feeding a raw/prey model diet - no processed foods - has left my dog with odour-free breath and perfect, clean, white teeth. Regular eating/chewing of bones and fresh, raw meat will clean the teeth and gums, eliminating the plaque and bacteria which can cause bad breath.

Just keep searching through supermarkets - it's amazing what you can find! I came across a supermarket in my local area recently that stocks quail, goat (at just $3.99 a kilo!) and rabbit. Butchers are also good, as they may throw out exactly what you're looking for (turkey pieces etc). It's worthwhile speaking to your local butcher and seeing what they can do for you.