Danois

Was it a registered breeder? Just that the puppy was under 8 weeks when you got it.

From the rules: Do not cross post ads from other web sites or post links to 'perceived' bad breeders / puppy farms. It can cause members from other sites to come here to cause problems (which we don't want) and it also helps to promote less than desirable sites (which no-one wants either)

Shaar - Greyhounds who are retired racers must be muzzled in public (talking nsw here)

How about - people should have control over their dogs and they should not be running up into the faces of other dogs? How about - he did not know if you have control over your dog and that it was reliable 100% of the time to recall to you and in his opinion it was not worth the risk of having your dog get in his dog's face. There is nothing to report - you simply got offended at how someone spoke to you - maybe he was pissed off that other dogs had raced up to them as their owners had no control and he saw your dog approaching and went - oh god not again.

I have a dane who comes and puts his bum on the couch beside me (front legs are on the ground) when he wants a pat. If I ignore I get a paw. If I continue to ignore, he repositions himself closer and then closer still until he is leaning against me.

Yeah height is fine - its the width which is also important. Nefie bitch is 26 inch Dane bitch is 28 inch (from ANKC breed standards) NFS also do a 42 inch crate for about $20 cheaper.

Best ones for giants are C Crates type ones - the dane people all use the 122cm x 122cm x 122xm ones (I think its 48 inches). Two places to get them - from NFS Pet Supplies who have a website (NSW based) - they are $160 or pick them up from Don Day's shop at Erskine Park when a show is on. Most normal pet shops do not stock large enough ones. NFS also do soft crates. I have the 2nd from largest size and have been very happy with it but am changing to the wire crate when I pick one up in a couple of weeks. ETA - just saw post above. I'd go 48 inch for a giant breed not 42 inch - the Vebo one (even in XXL) is quite narrow - you need to have enough room for them to stretch out and turn around.

http://www.snooza.com.au/products/snuggler.shtml (NB I don't have one but have seen these)

Personally I think too many in rescue have a 'god' complex and lose sight of what is in the best interests of the dog. I used to recommend rescue to people looking for a dog (second to a registered breeder) but I don't bother these days (other than breed specific) given things I have heard first hand from people trying to deal with rescue and also from seeing the antics and carry on in the rescue thread here - no quarantine, DA dogs, inadequate temp assessments, over the top criteria, melodramatics and the save at all costs mentality. IMO rescue is its own worst enemy at times.

Congrats! You'll have to come and join us in the dane thread. Where is your boy from (I also have a black boy). The main thing you are going to need to do in your yard is to create a separate run while the pup is young. You should not leave him to run with the other dogs as you need to be careful about the bones/ joints of dane puppies and knowing dane puppies they will happily play for ages if you don't intervene. I'd be keeping play time with adult dogs to a minimum for a good few months, allow for free exercise by itself and then a couple of short sessions training including leash training. I have a courtyard for my dane and that's enough as he only goes outside to lie on a bed and go to the toilet. Yes danes are low/ medium energy - generally :D - mine is high energy Danes are also not dogs which do well just left in a yard - they are a family dog who needs to be inside with their pack (preferably on the couch ).

Dogs tolerate yoghurt very well - its (cow's) milk that they do not tolerate. Pro-biotic yoghurt helps the gut flora. I always give a bottle of yakult a day when my dog is on anti-biotics. I know others who give inner health plus or use goat's milk. I agree with the advice from the pet shop - if you are feeding a super premium food which is a complete diet then I would supplement in moderation. What I did was give sardines in tomato sauce one night (mixed into kibble), an egg on another night, yoghurt another time and then a couple of tablespoons of mince mixed to a gravy with water and mixed with kibble another couple of nights. I was careful not to do it every night as I did not want a dog that would not eat its kibble plain. Some of the super premium foods do have a note on the bag as to how much you can add meat wise to the diet before you start throwing ratios out. You can also give chicken wings for their teeth. I was cautious about these if the dog was a gulper and once they were past about 20 weeks - then moving to a carcass instead.

Pennant Hills Vet Clinic is great for the Giants and they own a Newfy themselves. I take my Danes there. http://www.pennanthillsvet.com.au/ I second this recommendation. I take my dane there too and Ian (the vet) has a great knowledge of giants and Shannon (vet nurse and a member here) has a terrific knowledge of diet. Otherwise I'd have to say avoid vets on the issue of diet. Many will promote Science Diet and you'll still get some saying to use calcium supplements.

I'd put my dog behind me and body block the other dog and tell it to get away. If necessary it would get the end of my shoe. I would not pick a smaller dog up - that can cause a whole number of other issues - risk of you being bitten if the other dog tries to get at it as well as the fact it puts your dog in a dominant position (being higher).

This is what my thoughts were - can't deny that the dogs are what we made them but it came across as though he was saying all pedigress have health issues and are inbred - it could have been more balanced. How about breeders who have bred out the problems?

Shame he is now rubbishing pedigree/ purebred dogs...

Re use of calcium ascorbate powder - this is also a source of caclium and I would never give a calcium supplement to a growing giant breed and I know dane breeders certainly don't recommend it. You can give Vit C to dogs - the Ester C is the best option. Dogs excrete out (through urine) any excess. Vit C does not need to be given regularly but is good when the dog goes down in the pasterns when growing.

If you are new to giant breeds then for the first 12 months I would be just feeding her a kibble diet specifically for giant breeds - Proplan, Eagle Pack, Royal Canin or Euk. I would supplement the puppies with a small amount of chicken mince and would use yoghurt only a couple of times a week. You do not want to be throwing out the protein/ fat and phosphorous/ calcium ratios as I am sure your breeder has stressed the importance of slow and steady growth to ensure that the dog is set up well for the rest of its life. There is lots of time after the critical growth phase to feed a raw/ natural diet.

Oh what a devine thread

Kibble with a little bit of parmesan on it. Also got my left over pasta with ragu. His fav is Maccas - quarter pounder pattie, a few hot chips and some soft serve - typical teenager ;)

Does the dog have food, water and shelter? Not giving a dog affection is not cruelty under the legislation.

WP - I use Priceless Pets.

Gorgeous! I'm glad I am not going crazy too - I initially thought it was a great coincidence 2 DOLers were getting pups from the same litter.

A check chain is not only for training I walk my dog on a check chain as I know that if something unexpected happen that I have more control than if he was on a flat collar especially given he is 60kg. I am also able to slip it up his head to control the head more (noting he was trained on a high collar for the show ring). I would never let a dog run around the park without a collar of any sort - what happens if you need to grab the dog in hurry - especially for its own safety?

Sorry but I would be running! The dog is on breeder's terms so she can use it as a stud. Its on limited register now - for $1800 You have to pay for the hip and elbow xrays and scoring which is not cheap. If the scores are good then the papers will be upgraded to main - which costs YOU another $800 BUT... On main papers it means the breeder can now use the dog at stud and charge stud fees to the owner of the bitch (can't breed with the dog unless on main papers) You're left dealing with an entire giant breed male who, once used at stud, may change his 'personality' (i.e. more difficult around other males, marking indoors, seeking out bitches) - may not either but its a gamble. Breeder gets you to pay full price for the dog + xray costs and she gets all the benefits and you see nothing. Your dog may even be taken interstate for a mating and if something goes wrong with the tie - your dog could end up injured - who pays those vet bills?? Other thing to realise is that simply because a dog has clear/ good score does not mean they should be on main register - might be other conformation/ health issues.

I would not be moving him on to a raw diet until critical growth has finished - around 12-18 months. You can't afford to screw up the growth of giant breeds as you otherwise set them up for a lifetime of issues. Under General Discussion there are breed subforums and there will be one somewhere there for your breed - they are a great resource and usually include a mix of owners, breeders and show people so a great range of experience.