Sandra777

So happy to read the update. Definitely sounds weird that he eats so much grass, only one I had that did that was very very old so not surprising nothing on her worked very well! No ideas here sorry, just glad he's OK :)

Yes some dogs are definitely born with a temperament which makes them unsuitable for urban living. Put these dogs in the right hands and environment and they can be amazing, once-in-a-lifetime dogs. Some dogs are definitely born with a far higher propensity to see biting as the solution to their problems, some see avoidance or placating behaviours as the answer. A lot of this can be managed by training but if push comes to shove a dog which feels threatened or endangered is always going to revert to it's basic nature (temperament). The vast majority of dogs that live in our suburbs still have the instinct to chase and "attack", but only a very few of them would see humans as the thing they should "attack". A lot of people who think their little darling doesn't have this instinct are probably wasting a lot of their money on squeaky toys and tug ropes :)

Bull Terriers were never bred as fighting dogs - they were possibly the original designer-puppy - bred for appearance and fashion to fulfill the desire for young men-around-town to have a jaunty flashy looking dog. The breed originated about the same time as dog shows really took off and are likely the first breed specifically created for the show ring. THe breed originated in with the crossing actual fighting dogs with a couple of other breeds - Pointers & Dalmatians usually get the nod - to create smooth lines and a white coat.

First question to ask would be - do all these people telling you Bonnie is bad & you "need" to change know anything about rearing fit and healthy Labrador puppies? If yes - then ask them for their recommendations and reasoning behind them. Generic advice is not useful - what is great food for a 7 year old Chihuahua is not necessarily great food for a young Labrador or elderly Great Dane.

If this is what the breeder recommended personally I would be sticking with it. You obviously did a lot of research to find a pup bred by people who did the hard yards - I doubt they wouldn't have done the hard yards in deciding on which food to recommend for their pups. I use Bonnie (Working) and prefer it over a whole range of "premium" foods - if you like how the pup is growing why change? First port of call to me would be a phone call to the breeders.

It is my understanding that the dogs have been identified by the council as American Bulldogs.

We 'borrowed' a bitch once who was 4, first time as a show dog. She went on to win res CC at a speciality show. Would depend a lot on the breed I would think - a 6 year old Great Dane isn't quite the same prospect as a 6 year old Chihuahua :)

x2

Not so much a breed thing but an individual dog thing. Oldest I have used was almost 13, and I have bought a dog out of a litter sired by a 13.5 year old - his last litter. Wanted to use a 13 year old many many years ago but unfortunately his owners wanted to use him too and both bitches came in season at the same time so I missed out. 6 months down the track he really was past it :laugh:

Dogpower - based in Auckland & Christchurch. Is the person at the other end willing/able to do the running around for the vet checks/taking to airport/looking after dog until the last moment - if so you can save $ that way by not having to pay someone to do this. You'll have to google for a contact number :)

White Rose at Walloon (2 minutes off the highway before you get to Ipswich) always gets a big thumbs up, so would this suit? Fido's Lodge also at Walloon is very nice too.

Um - yes, they are! Definitely not enough food if that's all it's getting - my sawn-off Stafford pups would get twice as much as that!

If both of her parents were part Staffordshire Bull Terrier it is possible that she could have inherited L2-HGA from them both without being pure bred - cross bred dogs get lots of genetic issues just that way despite what idiots want us all to believe about how healthy they are :) L2 can manifest in many forms and there is a DNA test for it if you think it's a possibility ($60 AFAIK), but you'd have to research it a fair bit and knowing why won't help stop it so perhaps not really a useful path to follow.

You say the dog is a "staffy". If you are talking Staffordshire Bull Terrier, has she been DNA tested for L2-HGA? Fitting under stress is one of the key symptoms of that condition - but usually the fits are much worse than you are describing.

Is there not a blood test that could tell you if the chemical is in the dog's bloodstream? Could be complicated by whatever other heartworm medication you have used but I would ask the vet and for me it would be up to the vet to pay for it if such a thing is possible and their records are inaccurate.

Any Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeder/shower who has done this would be able to show you so ask in the Stafford thread - same ears for both breeds. How old is the pup? If the ears weren't up at 9-10 weeks chances are you have missed your window of opportunity. Teething does horrible things to nice ears. I don't bother myself - if the ears are rubbish you're only fooling yourself :)

Your fault for letting your dog rush at another dog and not being able to stop (recall) him. The other owner's fault for not being able to stop (recall) their dog any better than you could stop (recall) yours. Hate off leash parks with a passion.

Like everyone else has mentioned - it'll be quite expensive. Coming back not so much but going over factor in the blood test ($250). Can't see the point really - if you want to have a holiday you can't take a dog to most tourist spots. If visiting family then that's not really an issue of course (assuming they're set up for a dog/can have a dog where they live)

Just be aware of the slope of the rear window/hatch/door in the Holden. I don't know what year they started the "sport" look but it cuts down the vertical rear space a LOT. Go Ford :laugh:

$70. C3 is $30. This is per dog.

Have used BH and don't like what it does to my dogs, but it's not a bad quality food and is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY higher on the foodchain than supercoat. I feed Bonnie which is on par with Supercoat for ingredients so I'm not a food snob. Use what's best for the dog, but for a growing large breed pup I'd be doing what the breeder said and if the pup has issues with that food I'd be going back to the breeder (or other breeders with the same breed) and seeking advice. I'd be taking my vet budget elsewhere.

IMO you shouldn't be able to easily feel a pup's ribs at this age, but yes you should be able to feel them under a light layer of fat. Don't know the breed's requirements but mine are about this weight when they're 2-3 weeks older than yours and they would usually get three meals a day including bones (edible ones) for lunch & breakfast and dinner of a cup of food and an amount of meat about the size of a baseball, no idea of the weight sorry.

$1500 from Ipswich to Canberra - did he have a private jet?

Cheese is fine and I wouldn't worry about low fat either. All my pups get cheese as part of their diet as well as for treats. Yes, the occasional dog is lactose intolerant but the vast majority of the time a dog which has never had lactose has issues because it's gut flora is not used to it - if they keep getting dairy right through puppyhood most of the time they retain the required 'bugs' to digest it.

You can buy human ones in a wide variety of lengths and widths (belt) so if you can figure out what you need you may well find one - probably not for trotting a GSD on, but for temporary/part time use of a BC, probably. We have one that's nearly 1m wide and just under 2.5m long so they're out there....