Sandra777

I want to see a pup start to wriggle/stretch within 5 or so seconds of it hitting the ground. If mum doesn't break the sack in the same time frame I'll generally just puncture the sack and pull it off the head without moving the puppy (sneaky rip and tear ). If the bitch doesn't get the puppy really moving within 1/2 a minute I'll do the job. I realise the pup won't suffocate and die in 5 seconds, but wheezie pups totally freak me out (had problems with fading puppy in the past) so I try to avoid even a "normal" amount of inhalation. I've had a number of bitches sneak a final pup out after clean up, but not 3!, what sized dog are you talking about?

Repo vets will often quote the figure of around 30%-40% of natural matings "fail", when of course trying to sell the services of AI which some will claim are up to 85%-95% successful. Assuming repo vets have got their numbers right, then a mating is only successful a little over 1/2 the time. Personally this isn't my experience, but over all breeders, who knows?

Yes you can smell when a dog has peed on your car wheels. Yes you do touch your car wheels - if you're one of those odd people who likes to actually check the air pressure on a regular basis and do you have ANY idea what dog pee does to alloy rims? Just bloody rude IMO - take your dog to YOUR car and let it pee on YOUR car if it doesn't bother you, why let it pee on someone else's property? To the longest piece of grass - my dogs have always peed when they've been asked to.

I seem to collect other people's older dogs and have started the show career of two bitches, one nearly 5 one just gone 4. The older bitch we titled in three weekends, the younger bitch never managed to win a CC, but did get a ResCC at a specialist show under one of the most respected breeders and judges in the world, so that was good enough!

What are you specifically looking for - are you after a certain colour? (obviously not a blue though ) or bloodline? or are you only wanting to buy from a breeder you can actually meet? There certainly are plenty of puppies out there!

So long as the breeder is GIVING you this bitch and is prepared to cover all the costs involved in health testing her and showing/trialling her to establish her suitability as a brood bitch then it's really up to you. What happens if your pet dies giving birth, will the breeder give you another puppy as a 'replacement'? What happens if she turns out to be the greatest broodbitch ever in the history of the world and the breeder wants yet another litter from her? What happens if the bitch turns out to be unsuitable for breeding (not "good enough", fails health tests) Written contract, everything down to the finest detail and don't let yourself be bullied or conned by those cute little puppy eyes.

Or the judge ;) Yep, saw that one too! To say the judge was a little less than happy would be a slight understatement.

And I'm always especially thrilled by the people who think it's OK to let their dogs pee all over your crates/guy ropes/car wheels/trailer wheels/chairs/babies (yep, saw that one!). Don't people have any respect for other people's property?

Because a small minority of people in any sport think they're too important to obey the rules or make things pleasant for others. Name and shame! I remember staying at a school camp type place once which was away from the show site but allowed us dog people to invade as a trial. We could walk our dogs on the grounds but were under threat of shooting from the organiser to pick up or we'd never be allowed back. On the second morning a dog trailer pulled up, owners opened all the doors and released about a dozen large smooth coated gundogs which originated in the UK and allowed them to rampage all over the place, molest other people's dogs (all on leads) crap everywhere, then after ten minutes of yelling managed to capture the last one, loaded them all in the trailer and were intending to drive away. Yes they were reported.

Frankly if you have to ask then IMO you don't have the knowledge or experience to pull it off. Concentrate on one then get another.

:D you can have both of mine for that and I'll include postage :D Problem is of course they're not main reg or blue

There's only about a cupful or so in a bag, they got four or five bits each last night as treats (I raw feed, my silly girls think it's a treat :D ) so no illeffects this morning. Just didn't smell very appealing to me, but I suppose rotten stuff is yum-oh for dogs

sorry this is just wrong IMO

I'm going to whisper this really really really quietly........ in NZ where there are more possums than there are sheep (yes I know that's hard to believe), everyone swears by possum to put a shine on any dog's coat. Try fish oil or fatty mutton or canned fish

Don't. If you want two dogs, get one train it and when it's older (maybe 12-18 months for a Lab) get another. Most breeders won't sell two to the same home unless the new owner is VERY experienced, which I'm guessing you're not or you wouldn't be asking? Two pups = 20 x the destruction They bond with each other instead of with you You have to find twice the amount of time in your day to train them, walk them, just hang out with them SEPARATELY

x2. It's not the method of advertising that counts but the care in home selection

Just been given a sample of Sentinel? Yoghurt Plus dry food, the one the guy on the TV with all the Foxhounds created. Got it home and opened the bag and it smells like potatos which are starting to go rotten. Anyone know if this is normal, 'cause it sure doesn't seem right

Very acceptable, not very closely related at all in the terms of dog and cat breeding. Don't get too hung up on how many relations they have in common - bad parents with genetic problems will produce bad puppies with genetic problems even if they have no ancestors in common for many many generations. Concentrate on the health temperament and soundness of the parents and their parents to begin with.

and the Maltese Terrier :rofl: ETA: in the USA the Mini Schnauzer is/was in the Terrier group (or has it been moved again?)

Why defiantly :rofl:

Thats a perfectly normal place for a Stafford to sit By 6 months I would not be putting up with this IMO it's disrespectful of your space. If he is generally fairly outgoing and boisterous then I would be stepping into his space and deliberately lightly stepping on his feet with the command to get back or get out or get away in a growly voice. (All mine understand "outtatheway" and stand aside) If he's more timid then use your legs to push him out of the way but don't use a growly voice, but not many timid pups will get quite so up close and personal with feet which can stand on them Yes, his happy greeting is perfectly natural, his family has come back and this is a cause for celebration (even if you've just been gone 10 seconds ) but IMO he needs to learn to greet you in a more appropriate way, even though the way he is greeting you his a natural way to do it.

I would give you a big and put you at the top of the list - someone who cares about how the dog IS rather than how it looks!

I pick puppies for buyers usually. Unless there's a couple of very similar (temperament) pups and a couple of very similar types of families, then I let the first-approved people have first pick of those puppies. The breeder knows the temperament of the pups best.

Raw diet For the first two weeks, definitely - unless it's a hopeless diet like weetbix and milk The breeder should give you a diet sheet, stick to it to begin with.