Sandra777

I would use Bonnie over Science Diet any day of the week. Yes Bonnie is much cheaper. I raw feed but for a while last year had no freezer (and no fridge for 6 weeks) so fed dry food and had no complaints out of any of mine when fed Bonnie, Coprice, Nutro and Uncle Albers. I've previously had boarding kennels and had a number of dogs which could "only eat SD" not for health reasons and frankly they all looked really bad on it. Google it for info, or visit virtually any produce store

No, they are playing together with the toy as the focus - "sharing" is a human concept. I too have had lots of dogs who will happily play together with a toy however I have never thought of it as sharing it out of the goodness of their hearts or because that would be "fair" - they are accepting each other as playmates and ignoring the pack dynamic between them for the moment. I don't have dogs with resource guarding issues which affect people because a) I don't have a breed prone to it and b) I raise my dogs to accept they do not guard things, not from me, not from any person They will have an argument with another dog about ownership of a toy on occasions, but I don't expect them to play nice and share and it would never occur to me to expect this to happen in all circumstances.

A bit on the furry side for a SBT x Ridgeback - I would have said some sort of kelpie/cattle dog type long before SBT or Ridgeback. As for temperament - being a crossbred means he could have any sort of basic temperament - friendly with people, aloof with people, prone to prey-drive behaviour, not prone to prey-drive behaviour, prone to dog aggression, not prone to dog aggression. All you can do is raise him well and if you see signs of him displaying specific traits you don't want (herding, guarding for example) then act on managing that behaviour - you won't change his basic nature but many things people see as being a "problem" can be managed if you understand the dog is hardwired to do certain things (depending on it's inborn temperament) and honestly cannot help itself, but can be trained to moderate the behaviour to a degree. ETA: if I can I'll add a photo of my 9 week old brindle Stafford puppy tonight for comparison with your boy.

Sorry, dogs aren't children, they don't do "share". From your description it sounds as though Dougall has resource guarding like issues which haven't gone over into "guarding" as in aggression but he is still guarding "his" stuff from everyone - you included by the sounds of it. IMO you need to combat his issues using a method which makes sense to you - giving the new dog things he can't have isn't going to solve the problem as long as he thinks "everything" is his to guard (hoard). There's lots of methods of reducing resource guarding, so you'll have to do some research thinking and planning before deciding on a method of attack

Can't offer any recommendations, but a normal, friendly older dog (assuming this describes yours ) is more use in teaching him dog manners than a bunch of unruly pups.

Hi Sandra we are actually allowed to use a coat spray in Tasmania - we are only not allowed to use anything that alters or changes the appearance. Justine So why would you apply something if it doesn't do anything?? the regulations are... 64B A dog may be disqualified from exhibition if found to have had the natural colour or shade of natural colour or the natural markings altered or changed. 64C A dog may be disqualified from exhibition if found to have had a substance, preparation, powder or fluid applied to and remaining on the dog during exhibition to such an extent as to deceive or to be likely to deceive a Judge Interesting about the likely to deceive a Judge test - wouldn't that depend on the eyesight of the judge

Yep, these would be the reasons behind the origin of the beliefs IMO. And the fact that village dogs were around and used to clean up rubbish, human waste etc so were the only dogs around the average person and probably were ''unclean". Any different to our cultural belief pigs are ''dirty'' ??

Remember to sign the cheque Yep - guilty

Personally I would choose neither, but that's just me. ANY dog can bite so you need to check just as carefully into the temperament traits of the relations of any Goldie litters you are considering just as much as GSD litters you may consider. Unfortunately because GRs have got the reputation for being "nice" dogs there are a lot of people breeding to cash in on this and not paying enough attention to temperament. GRs feature quite prominently in bite statistics in the USA especially but I'd put money on these mostly being puppy farmed Goldies - bred for money alone. The temperaments of the GSD and Golden Retriever are very different so perhaps you need to do some more thinking about what you actually want in a dog? Your personal experience with GSDs when growing up gives you an advantage because you know for yourself what the breed is really like, many people think they're "not nice" dogs because of their police/guard dog roles - you know better I don't have children and not all my pups are exposed to a lot of children before they go to their new homes (I try, but sometimes friends with kids just aren't available for puppy play as much as I'd like). I have never found this to make a difference.

Perhaps not reading correctly, but you are waiting for him to be quiet for a minute before praising? If so, I would be making the target quiet period much shorter - even a few seconds if that works - and build up to a longer period. For an excited puppy a minute is a very long time You can do the build up quite quickly, but if you have been waiting for a minute right from the start then he may not even really get what he's doing right or wrong.

Kennel cough is the canine equivalent of the human flu so you or any person she's been in contact with could have passed it on to her on their clothing or hands, as well as your own dog or your parent's dog as you mentioned. NO vaccination is 100% effective in all animals (or people) all the time so the fact that she is vaccinated may help make this dose of KC less severe but it's not a guarantee she won't catch it in the first place - she could have caught a different variety which the vaccine doesn't cover anyway. Just like the human flu, KC mutates over time and from area to area. Yes, some dogs do develop the disease after being vaccinated and in some cases the only explanation may appear that they "caught" the disease from the vaccine. KC is not usually a major issue in a healthy dog, so don't be too stressed about it.

And it's more expensive than my vet was

Welcome! Come across to the Stafford thread here.... http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=50264 and you'll get lots of suggestions Don't worry about not knowing what to do. Enter the show and on the day, when the Staffords get called, tell the steward (the person with the clipboard by the ring entrance ) that it is your first show and you don't know what to do. If they're any good they will make sure you don't go away before you're finished. Does the breeder of your dog show? Can they help out? When you go to the show approach someone else with Staffords - most of us aren't likely to bite a newcomer Your dog will need to move calmly and sensibly beside you at a trot without sniffing pulling or jumping. Not much to ask for a first time Practice standing him up in front of a mirror or a reflective window so you can see what you're doing. Look at pictures of Staffords on the web and this will give you some idea of how they're meant to stand but basically, everything square, up and down and straight will do for a start. Make sure you can lift his lips to look at his teeth with his mouth closed. Don't panic - if you make a mess of it and he behaves like an idiot there's not someone waiting at the ring exit to shoot you. hmmm, well since you're not allowed to use any artifical substance on a dog's coat I'm sure you never saw this You can buy these things at the show caravans at the grounds, but to start with good food, a bath, a polish with a piece of soft cloth and a rub over with your hands will probably do. What colour is your dog? The whites and reds never look as shiny as the blacks and brindles.

Yes, I have had a dog die within 5 minutes of him being vaccinated. Insist that the vet report the reaction - not that it will do any good. I would also strongly advise you to think very carefully and research very carefully before giving your dog any more vaccinations, and if you feel it's essential then C5 may not be the way to go. Good luck with the new baby

I have had dogs for getting on for 35 years and not once ever expressed an anal gland. No doubt others have different experiences and certainly some dogs have a chronic problem - but don't assume that it is a regular maintenance issue. If the dog is scooting it's butt or constantly biting/licking at the base of it's tail/anus then you might have an issue and should take the dog to a vet OR if it's not too bad, give the dog (assuming no underlying medical issues) an edible bone suitable for it's size - when the roughage comes out the other end it may well solve the problem as nature intended.

If the bitch is cool and relaxed about being in a strange place & stands around 10-16 days I would send her when she's about a week in season and bring her back a day or two after she was mated. Some breeders will charge board and/or a fee to collect/drop off at the airport; some won't so this needs to be discussed up front. There are not hard and fast rules about this or about how much is "right". The stud fee itself is generally no different for an interstate bitch than for the bitch around the corner. If the bitch isn't pregnant then it depends on the stud agreement what happens - free return, fee not paid until the litter is born, refund etc

X2 I see no point in treating dogs for things they don't have. If you have a fecal test done you can find out if your dog even has worms; if you see flea dirt during grooming you can treat for fleas - if they dog rarely has them and only picks them up after a visit to the vet or something then capstar might be appropriate. Heartworm and ticks are the only biggies and do you even have these where you live? I would never give another dog the proheart injection (none of mine had problems, but just not for me)

They don't necessarily lose the milk tooth before getting the adult one, and with only the tips showing like they appear in the photo I wouldn't be concerned as yet. Give him some bones to munch on and help move those baby teeth along and just keep and eye on it.

Why watching him? I supervise my dogs' meal times but certainly don't "watch" as in spend 40 minutes staring at them. Put his food down somewhere you can see him but he's out of the way - laundry, outside the kitchen window, something along those lines. IGNORE him. If he doesn't finish the food in 10 minutes, pick it up and put it away. So what if he goes two or three days without eating? a healthy young dog with no on going health issues is not going to starve himself to death. In fact dogs are designed to gorge and fast so a day or two without food isn't anything particularly abnormal. Is he getting plenty of exercise and mental stimulation? - nothing like it to stimulate appetite. You can raw feed ANY breed - but you need to know a bit about it, there's several threads on here that will help. Canned food is a good way of feeding your dog flavoured water, not much use for anything except tempting a sick dog to eat IMO.

Thanks all - been away, not been ignoring your suggestions.

Assuming a normal litter, mum managing well, I offer solids at around 3 weeks & 4 to 6 days. First meals, scraped beef - moderate quality steak scraped with a serrated knife so you only get the meat, no sinew or fat as you find in mince. 3 meals of this (golf ball sized each) 12 hours apart Then finest human grade minced lamb/beef/chicken in similar quantity 3 x day, including each species at least once bringing them to a touch over 4 weeks. Then they get mince for one meal every day, alternate types including minced chicken frames, roo, anything I can get. Other meals:- Chicken nibbles, rip the skin and remove the lumpy bits of skin & fat the first few times. Graduate to wings, timing depending on the size and enthusiasm Lamb neck chops make sure mum doesn't get hold of them Ox tail, make sure mum doesn't get hold of them 1/2 chicken carcases chicken drumstick small chicken thigh with some of the meat cut off & kept for another meal If I can get them on special, whole chooks cut into big lumps mutton flaps beef ribs (smaller ones) roo, rabbit, hare, anything else I can get is included in lumps lamb ribs brisket bones I have a hatred of but will give them to small puppies, always paranoid about mum getting them. Pork or mutton offcuts sold in the supermarket are always interesting shapes and have varying degrees of gristle, cartilege and hard (inedible for puppy) bones Pig trotter if you can find them - usually bash them a fair bit with a cleaver. liver & kidney in small amounts - any species including chicken or duck (never seen a chook kidney or I'd do it LOL) 1/2 a sheep's heart in a single lump any sort of tripe I can get - a mission in Australia, not so much in NZ. chicken giblets included Canned oily fish, usually they hate it so go figure Egg including the shell - generally 2 between 3 pups 3 or 4 times a week Frankly - anything in the meat section at the supermarket/asian store/pet food place is fair game IMO. One litter lived happily on lumps of whole beef rump (not their whole diet!), they were rejects from a store next to OH's work after some freezer malfunction. Yep - they were yummy on the BBQ too And our dogs liked us more when we kept sheep and a cattle beast for our own freezer The pups at Christmas time this year even got a little nibble at some prawn casings and tails. Were big prizes but not so much worth eating was their opinion. Cheese when they're a bit older (6 or more weeks) Over 6 weeks they'll get some sort of dry food, generally whatever has arrived from a show recently. Not fussed about it being puppy food. Will add some ordinary milk, no lactose free rice milk sourced only from yaks in the Andes here 2x4 biscuits keep them amused for hours, but again only for the slightly older ones. Some dog roll and canned food after 6 weeks, but not for a complete meal. Older pups & adults get table scraps here - could range to a small amount of bread (stale crusts etc) to cooked & raw vege of any sort, gravy, left over casarole, soup, burned bits not uncommon! I include commercial food because you've got to be realistic and the pups will get this food in their new homes, so need to be introduced to it early IMO.

I have raised pups on totally raw and (depending on circumstances) on a mixture for 30 years. It's really NOT that hard with medium sized puppies - I would hesitate to recommend it to someone without a lot of support raising giant breed or heavily boned pups (thinking Bassets for example). Variety and thought and the rest takes care of itself. IMO you have to have access to a much wider variety than you can get a way with with adults. Feet/pasterns can be a nightmare for commercial-food raised pups so not a starter IMO. If you see them getting sloppy increase the bone % and decrease the meat % accordingly. Don't feed generous quantities of liver thinking it's great - it's not, it's bad for calcium absorption. ETA: regardless of whether I can do totally raw for that litter, all my pups are weaned on to raw, commercial food is never introduced until they're 6 or 7 weeks old.

OK - so who has a dremmel for dogs' nails? Or something similar? What recommendations please and any good tips about where to buy? Cordless or not? What gauge (grade?) head is best - Stafford feet we're talking about here. Any suggestions welcomed! (Yes they are walked on the road )

:) ;) FOUR WEEKS! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You are both going to collect her? Put her on a couple of towels in the passenger foot well and the passenger can control her. Or if you are intending to crate train her and it will fit in the car, bringing her home in her crate is a safer option. IMO sticking a puppy in a harness is something you need to introduce much more slowly and carefully if you intend to use this method for the rest of her life.