Sandra777

Rural area, loose dog. That's never going to end well. The last line of the article sums it up - dogs should be ON LEASH! And as much as it is a horrible thing to have happened, the shooters IMO haven't done anything illegal so why should they be "punished". Yep they made a terrible mistake, but it's perfectly a understandable mistake and the family made a terrible mistake too letting their dog roam around unsupervised. If the little boy had been right beside the dog somehow I doubt they would have still shot the dog - I really don't believe there's that many nut-jobs out there.

UKC was established primarily as a register for the American Pit Bull Terrier back in the late 1800's so this is why some MODERN people may have decided it's "bad". UKC accepts AKC (& ANKC) pedigrees, the reverse does not apply. I don't believe the FCI accepts UKC pedigrees which basically means a UKC-only registered dog isn't recognised as "pedigree" by anyone else. Their shows are more relaxed than AKC shows, no professional handlers for a start. If I remember correctly they had all sorts of dog sports before the AKC (flyball, agility, rally style obedience come to mind). They register breeds not accepted by the AKC and have a lot more minority breeds and breeds-in-development registers than the AKC.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier?

Green leafy vege are good, cabbage & others of that family not so much. Broccoli, cauli, beans & peas would be more a moderation thing to me. Beans are often suggested for bulking up the meal for a dog on a weight loss program so might not suit what you want. Root/tuber vege such as carrots, parsnips, a little sweet potato are fine raw or cooked, I have fed the odd beetroot (raw, whizzed up) but not sure it's actually good for anything! Anything except onion would be fine but the cabbage family doesn't agree with a lot of dogs (just like people :laugh: ) and raw potato isn't meant to be very good for a lot of dogs, mine like peelings though - crazy sods! The odd bit of garlic is OK.

You should be able to EASILY feel her ribs - not see them. Consider how long has it taken her to get overweight, 2 kg in a month is pretty good going. They all lose weight differently (just like people) but yes I have found they do tend to hold on to the fat around their chest and brisket longest.

Stafford (adult) arrived from NZ last July in a plastic crate, on Qantas. This was about 8 weeks after Qantas refused to allow a 6 month old Stafford to fly Brisbane-Sydney in a plastic crate. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me!

Don't think the size of the dog is the issue - more the coat length & texture plus what you actually want the shampoo to do - help dry skin, help oily skin, make a short coat more shiny, make a short (wiry) coat harsher, make the coat less static, make the coat more static, fluff up, lay flat etc etc etc. A lot of this stuff is more conditioner, but the right shampoo helps. Deep cleaning a white fluffy dog is deep cleaning a white fluffy dog whether it's a Bichon or a Standard Poodle :)

If you can't simple put him inside for the short time you're out a kennel & run would be the quickest and easiest. Thing is, with Staffords especially - once they learn that fences can be breeched they will usually keep doing it so even if you stop him there he will probably turn his attention elsewhere if he has got in to the habit of knowing he can get out if he tries hard enough. They really need to learn very early on that "all" fences are escape-proof or you are in for a life time of issues - some can can jump/climb/scramble over 8 foot colourbond (yes I have seen it) so not something to encourage! Those invisible barriers might work, but remember that Staffords are very determined and he might decide a moment's pain is worth the benefit - and once he's through the barrier he has much less incentive to come back through.

A large raw salmon head mentally scarred one of mine for life :laugh:

OP says raw meat :) doesn't say what sort though

Sounds pretty much OK to me. You could add a little offal (liver & kidney is about all most people can easily access) perhaps whizz some up with the vege's a couple of times a week if the dogs aren't big fans. Egg is always good - mine get a whole egg including the shell once a week, some eat all the shell some eat only a little, but again you could whizz one or two (including the shell) up with the vege if yours aren't keen.

x2 Treating the environment is the key and DE is one of the simplest/least unfriendly ways of doing it. We have used Ripcord in kennels/cattery in the past and this works great. It's used in dairy sheds so is animal-safe - but the stuff you can buy over the counter in Australia isn't the same product - the one we used is the same as the one professional pest controllers use. That is another option - pay for a professional to treat the environment.

4 adults & a pup $45 per month on meat/chicken bodies/liver/heart/kidney/other stuff from the wholesale butcher so say $12 per week $50 for a bag of Bonnie Working which lasts about 5 weeks so say $10 per week (sometimes is only $40, averages about $48-$50) $30 per month for 4x2 biscuits so $7.50 per week $3 per week for a dog roll. The pup gets a really meaty bone each day - $3 per bag for a week's worth & is currently eating some puppy dry food his half sister won for him (usually about $45 per bag) but I wouldn't buy this normally, so if I didn't have this add another $25 for a small bag of some other dry to ramp up the Bonnie for the pup, which would last him the whole time he's getting 'extras' $3 for a dozen eggs which lasts 2 weeks $5 per week for a can of sardines each Say $40-$45 per week for them all.

Nelson @ the Canine Therapy Centre - near Durack.

Hard to know from what you've written but are all these communications via email or phone? Breeds are all different but with my pups it's quite normal for them to go to their new homes at 8 weeks and if someone wanted me to keep a pup until it was 12 weeks then it's possible I would expect them to pay extra for the 2nd vaccination (ie on top of the original price). We have no issues driving pups to the airport and don't even wait for it to be suggested - we're only 40 minutes by highway/motorway from the airport, if we were further away it could be a different story - but if someone asked if we would take the pup to the airport to save money this would definitely get my back up. Take the pup to the airport because I care about what happens to the pup between my home & yours, take the pup to the airport because you care what happens to the pup between my home & yours - fine, but because of the cost, that would make me grumpy and suspecious. Phone the breeder and have a conversation - it's very difficult to get the shades of meaning in an email.

Not forgetting the Chatham Island Black Robin - all living examples of this species are descendants of a single female. They were probably pretty inbred to start with!

My understanding is that line breeding is when you produce a pup with a COI equal to or greater than the breed average COI, outcrossing is when you produce a pup with a COI less than the breed average - so basically it depends on what breed you are talking about. LIne breeding and in breeding are the same thing, it's the degree that varies and also the opinion and view of the person you're talking to - as well as the breed and species you are talking about. In most breeds of dog a half brother - sister mating is usually considered line breeding, in horses this is usually considered in breeding. To me, brother-sister, mother-son & father-daughter are inbreeding, if you have common ancestors on a four generation pedigree it's line breeding and anything else would be an outcross. As someone already said - inbreeding in and of itself won't produce anything, it's a tool and nothing more.

Yes I have used them and the dogs have been fine. But they have been adult medium sized dogs - I personally wouldn't send a baby pup on a road trip with ANYONE other than the owner but I know others do. Honestly - 2 hours drive there + two hours back, is that really such a long way to drive to ensure the pup gets the best introduction to it's new home? Could you suggest that she needs to pay you the same amount that dogmovers will charge for the same delivery?

A sighting - that's positive. Everything crossed for a safe reunion.

Wait until your Stafford grows up kima, before assuming he'd going to behave in any specific way....

One of my dogs seems to think most staffords (and mixes thereof) are rude dogs. He tells them very politely to please not chew on his face or shoulder him around and they hardly ever notice, so he escalates and tells them more forcefully. As far as they are concerned, the first they knew about it was this dog they were having a good time with suddenly exploded in their face. So both dogs were 'rude' if you ask the other dog. Absolutely Corvus - but in the situation you describe the Stafford is being rude - with well socialised Staffords who get the same attention from a rude dog they don't say please go away, they tend to do some avoidance moves then go straight to the 'rack off'. I think of it as a language barrier :laugh:

Staffords don't do well with rude dogs (ie the majority of random dog-park dogs) because they simply don't tend to say 'excuse you' they say 'rack off'. I never have mine off lead around random loose dogs for this reason However in a group of dogs owned by people who know what they're doing I have no problems or concerns. Unfortunately there's far too many Staffords out there in the ownership of people who simply don't know the breed's breaking points and think they're all gorgeous little babies that would never hurt a fly. No different to the multitude of Siberian Huskies in totally unsuitable homes, or Dalmatians or Border Collies whatever other breed suddenly becomes popular. All breeds have different traits which we have bred in to them, it only becomes an issue when they're owned by people who don't understand this.

:laugh: :laugh: Moth eaten dog. That sounds like a really difficult one... how long will it take for the desenitising shots to work? Coming in to winter could make life easier. Have an image of the poor girl walking around with a raid 24 hour insect spray thing on it's head.

Sandra777 Since we are now passing judgement well here is mine of you " You think you are a know it all that thinks you know everything about everything well lets get one thing straight you dont know a thing about me or my life experience so before you judge me on being childish maybe you should re-read your comment because you seem to be the one being childish I did say quote Im sorry if I sound hasty but I feel like Im being judge with my choices I didnt say once you all are judging me there is a difference between fact and how I felt as for livin in the real world like I said you know nothing about me and my life experience and yes not everyone argee's so let me be the BIGGER person to say lets agree to disargee What do you want to agree to disagree about? I thought you were looking for advice from a variety of people with experience in the problems you are having so you could make some decisions about what you could do to solve them. I seem to have been wrong and you only want to hear from people who agree with you. Good luck with that.

I don't see why you think you are being judged. You are being given advice by a variety of very experienced people on two subjects that many people have dealt with - demodex and same-sex aggression. If the advice you receive doesn't match what you want to hear, take it or leave it as you like. One of the basic rules of living in the real world is you don't ask for the benefit of other people's experience then decide that everyone who doesn't agree with you is wrong/being mean/judging you - that's the behaviour of a child. Yes, that one IS a judgement.