Danois

I doubt it is a rip off. Chemists get a cheaper price through buying much greater quantities and we get it cheaper because it is subsidised by Medicare! Vets don't get either of these factors so charge you not much more than they pay. There is very little money in vet meds.

Did not concern me at all. I also had the feeling that he was not actually being given one of his known commands.

I would not bother speaking to a vet about food choice. Most are not across growing giants, current food in market and will generally will push the food they stock - usually Hills. The Great Dane guide is built from years and years of experience in the breed. MUP - the maxi is the wrong food for Danes. You actually want the giant one in the purple bag.

Advise on the basis that you know people who have danes? As I said - Royal Canin is not one of the usual go to food for dane PUPPIES. Yes for adults.

Black Hawk is not ok for growing puppies unless you look at the Fish one as the phosphorus: calcium ratios are not right in the others. Due to the short length of time in the market, I would not be prepared to grow a giant puppy on the Fish one either (I know others disagree). I'd want to see more results first. Canidae is an excellent food and it would be my pick of the ones you listed. Then Euk then Royal Canin.

Royal Canin is not widely fed either. I would not be suspicious of where you got the food from. I have not heard of counterfeit or parallel import dog kibble here and the reps would keep an eye on it. I know Eukanuba just switched from sourcing from the US to Europe and maybe they have done something similar.

Advance is not widely fed for Dane puppies. There is some breeders who use it. You see a lot more on Eukanuba, Pro. Plan, Eagle Pack etc With the bag you have - Advance will have a palatibility guarantee so you can just return it to the place you got it and get a refund or new bag. However first, I would ring the phone number for customer service on the bag and discuss it with them. As for diet advice generally for Danes - I recommend you head to Great Dane Rescue and Rehoming website and download the user guide there for everything you need to know about Dane diets and now to grow them slowly and properly as you only get on chance at it!

Returning to the breeder is giving up when the going gets hard. The behaviour has to be addressed as it is just going to happen in a new home too and the dog does not deserve to be bounced around. Contact a GOOD behaviourist to work on the separation anxiety, speak to your neighbour about what you are doing and also the council, set up recording for each day so you can see whether a) it's working and b) to counter any further complaints.

Have a look at DogLogic and the classes they run. They do one in Alexandria and Surry Hills from memory.

Agree on the Inner West. Start looking early as competition is fierce and prices are high especially for a good place. Mind you - lower North Shore is not a lot easier.

I think that title belongs to make Danes! All kind of special there.

Their process of checking for green potatoes etc Good luck with that! I highly doubt a customer service rep would know the answer. It is a technical question that is dealt with at manufacturing level.

Asking them what?

How do they manage? The suppliers in AU cannot manage to provide guarantees re no green potatoes. The big food processors can't manage it hence why they don't use them. Only way to manage the process would be to physically inspect every single potato.

There is an issue with using potato in dry food. Green potatoes produce a toxin that the manufacturing process of dry food cannot deal with and which is not good for dogs. If you want to use potato then you need to have a supplier that can guarantee a maximum percentage of green potatoes in a batch. But of course, they cannot do this because the sorting etc is done by machine. I don't think any Australian manufacturers use potato these days. Black Hawk did but have recently switched to sweet potato - I would be curious as to how they managed the toxin level issue.

Actually Wreckit - perhaps my abandonment of him as a puppy was the reason he needed to pogo stick outside your kitchen window... Obviously a psychological issue festering there.

Current dog - he came home at 11 weeks and I took the following day off and then had the weekend and worked a half day on the Monday and then in the first week kept to 9-5 hours. Used the first few days to come and go and extend the away periods. Started as I meant to go on and I was lucky that my breeder had done a great job of raising a litter of pups who could cope with being alone for periods. I don't need to face up to a reality that I've done a bad job raising my dog. I'll stick to the reality that I see every day and which I get complimented for - I raised my dog pretty damn good.

Another who disagrees! Raised 2 dogs from a puppy alone with no special assistance and both have turned out pretty good dogs. So puppies are only for people who don't work?? And taking that further - how are these people that don't work supposed to pay for they vet bills, the food, obedience classes, the comfy bed, flea and tick treatment etc??

Why the issue for a dog being flown down? This is not uncommon nor a sign of a breeder that is not genuine or decent. I never met the breeder of my dog in person nor saw him in person before he arrived here in Sydney.

I disagree with this. In my experience, owners of big dogs actually put the work into training their dogs because they know that an out of control giant is a liability and can easily lift them off their feet. They are also cognisant of the fact that the dog's size means behaviours are more noticeable than in a small dog. They are also aware of the usual bias that if a big dog and a small dog go head to head then they will get the blame simply because their dog is the big one. I also find that it is a different type of person who owns big/ giant breeds than who owns small breeds and they are also less likely to mollycoddle or treat their dog like a baby/ child. If you live with a big/ giant breed (as in share the same physical space), there is a hell of a lot less tolerance for brattish behaviour.

Was this before or after the signs went up. In march at dog training I was asked what vet I went to and this person said..oh they don't like dogs on seats...I said I've never been told that...little did I know what was coming. Can't say I have ever paid attention as I waited outside. You missed my point though - it is pretty clear to a number of people which vets you are talking about and you're not being too kindly about some staff and you may be doing yourself a disservice if you intend on using them in the future.

I've only been there twice and even I recognise the seating.

Proplan sensitive - bag with the GSD on it.

Preventative pexys are not uncommon in Danes and there is nothing to be concerned about with a vet suggesting it. There is so many theories about what causes bloat but most people land in a position that if you have a dog that is going to bloat then it will bloat regardless of precautions with food and exercise. Lack of bloat in a bloodline does not mean it will not occur either. It is also thought that stress is a major factor in bloat. A pexy will not stop a dog bloating. It will hopefully stop the torsion happening as it is this torsion that kills them if not caught in time. Of course, the spleen could still torsion or the force of the torsion could tear the pexy tacks. For me it was something I did as a time buyer i.e. It will give me some precious extra time to get to a vets.

Really have we?? Scarey I have not heard of one in twenty years. Just an extra thing to add to my list :( Believe it was Leichhardt. Council wood chip/ mulch seems to be where they are.