Faolmor

I'm glad she expressed her anger. And I don't think she was really writing to just that one "owner." I think she was writing to all the people who abandon their animals for less than genuine reasons. And for that, she should be angry. We should all be angry. I think it's a brilliant letter.

A friend... Just moved interstate and haven't been to any shows, because I know my usual group of friends won't be there, and showing on your own is just no fun.

Thanks, everyone! Animal Tuckerbox in Kingston has started stocking Royal Canin, and since I'm there every Monday anyway, I can just pick up bag. Yay!

As the title says... I'm having a lot of trouble sourcing decent dog food. I have tried Animal Tuckerbox and Pets Domain, but it's really hit and miss as to what's in stock at the time. I've had a litter of puppies here who were on the Royal Canin Starter and Mother, but I can't find anywhere that stocks it, and to order it in, I need to pay for 3 bags up-front (not possible for me!), and it will take 2 weeks to get here. Do most people just end up internet ordering in bulk? Or is there some hidden dog food mecca down here somewhere where only the people who know about it can find it?? :p

Fionn gets Choops, Choopa, Choopnchoopa and Finny McGee Aneira gets Baneira Sook-face, Prissy Princess Paws (because she hates walking on wet grass) and "daft besom" because she's mental Maia has always been Bitchy.

Hugs, RV xx

Fingers crossed here, RV. Plus a hug for you and a cuddle for Toby.

Ive lost a few. Can't remember which shows they were for, though. Oh well lol...

Hmmm - Duncraig Vets on Marri might. Or you could try Wanneroo Vets, which are a bit further north. I use them, and they're pretty progressive. Just forgot - you could also try Ocean Reef Veterinary clinic. They're quite good.

Whereabouts NOR, Aannie?

Tassie is where all the awesome people move. So I've heard :p

Looks like a French dog to me...and their breed club is run by people who do actually work their dogs, and who cull those who don't work. While this is NOT my idea of what an Irish Setter should look like (not even a working one!!!), I would have to argue that this dog probably functions extremely well in the field. ETA: Though, personally, if this type of dog dictated the future direction and conformation of the breed, I'd die crying... There are far better-made working Irish out there!!

Nooooooo! I didn't know they were coming!! Was it awesome?? (Must live vacariously through you now)

there is no more wrong in breeding for money than there is for breeding for a champ or a pet or a working dog as long as the other things which mean the benefit of the breed as well as the dogs are not compromised. There are some people who are doing worse things to breeds in the name of breeding for goals other than money. This is true. I guess I was trying to distinguish between ONLY breeding to make money (without caring which dogs you breed from), and breeding from well researched, healthy stock. The puppies are still sold, either way.

For me, it is the difference between breeding for money, and breeding with the future of the breed in mind. It's the difference between someone saying, "Hey, your dog and mine are the same breed (or not!) - let's bang em together and go halves on the puppies," and someone carefully researching bloodlines, health test results, conformation of generations of puppies from both parents and much more, then choosing the parents of the litter based on a knowledgeable assessment and detailed goal of what you want to achieve with the litter...then of course doing the best by those puppies, for life. Breeding for the breed means looking overseas to find the best match for your bitch, if you can't find one locally. It might mean forking out thousands of dollars to bring a dog into the country, or semen, or whatever. It means spending hours looking over the history of all the dogs in that bloodline - were they healthy? Could they work? What physical traits were passed on? What traits might you get that you don't want? I could go on and on. All that is breeding for the breed. Anything less is breeding for money, IMHO.