dancinbcs

You should have copies of the parents DNA results for Ataxia and one of them must be "normal". If the other one is affected then the puppy is automatically a carrier and does not need testing. If the one of the parents is a carrier then your puppy has a 50/50 chance of being a carrier and will need to be DNA tested some time before you start looking for a suitable mate. If it turns out to be a carrier it can only be mated to a partner with a normal result. Hips and elbows can be done from 12-18 months. Most breeders do not breed from medium size dogs until at least 18months -2 years and it should be after they have proven themselves in the show ring. Unless you have serious plans to show and breed for the betterment of the breed, think very carefully before breeding Amstaffs. The pounds are full of them as well as SBTs so there is already a huge oversupply of pet quality puppies.

Three better words "toilet on command". Makes life so much easier.

Some of the most successful trainers started by training their own dog to the highest level in obedience and dog sports, volunteering to instruct with their local training club, and built up a reputation as a good trainer. From there you can start giving private lessons and go on to become a full time trainer. Most jobs just "working with dogs" are very badly paid so you really need to specialise in something, be it training, grooming or whatever. If you want to work as groomer start training now, otherwise get a job that will allow you to have the finances to buy, train and compete with a really good dog, and take it from there.

I used Phenergan on and off for several dogs over the years but have recently used Claratyne with good results and no drowsiness to worry about.

Hi many thanks for the info. Me & my wife only live in medium size house with small back yard. As we used to enjoy walking & cycling our previous dog. We intend to keep a dog again with the same type of activities. Also, we would want a small dog. What sort of of breed would you recommend? Cheers You do realise how tiny a properly bred pomeranian is? They aren't really a breed you can go cycling with. Yes, maximum weight for a full grown Pomeranian is only 2.5kgs, so they are really tiny dogs. A Japanese Spitz, at around 6-8kgs would probably be a much better choice for the activities you have in mind.

More healing thoughts coming your way. Those pressure suits are amazing the way they reduce scarring even if they are uncomfortable to wear. Hopefully you will be out of them before summer. I don't imagine they would be fun to wear in a Qld summer.

The classes run by Luci Ellem at Camarna are indoors in a purpose built building on her property that is only used for puppy school and doggy dancing. There are usually about 12-16 puppies in a class and the owners sit on chairs spaced out around the room with their puppies on lead. Luci demonstrates then gets the owners to do the exercises. If the exercise is one that involves standing or moving the puppies do it one at a time. Luci only works with a puppy herself if the owner is not able to follow the directions and get the puppy to make any progress. Most puppies are only handled by their owners and she encourages parents to bring their kids along to all learn how to handle the puppy. There are no play sessions but the owners can choose to let puppies meet and greet, on lead, before or after class if they want to.

I have no idea what rescue rules are, but Puppy Schools vary enormously in how they operate. The very best are a wonderful way to start a puppy off. Many run by vets seem to just be a free for all with puppies allowed to run together with the more dominant terrorising the the more submissive puppies. The one I use at Camarna at Austral teaches owners to train and control their puppies in an environment with other puppies present. They are never off lead and are not encouraged to play together. They are there to learn to behave in the presence of other dogs and ignore them if when the owner issues a command.

Martingale collars that are basically flat collars that cannot slip off. I frequently use retractable leads on well trained dogs when walking in areas that are not 'off lead" areas. One dog doesn't need a lead at all and the other one is fine unless he sees a swallow, when he becomes deaf to the rest of the world. If he is on the retractable lead he watches the swallows but doesn't chase them, but he can't resist if I take the lead off. Retractable leads give the dogs freedom to move around up to 5 metres while technically remaining on lead, but I never use them near traffic or other dogs. 2 metre soft webbing leads are for use when I need the dogs closer.

Unless a wound needs stitching I never bother with the vet for bite wounds on dogs or the doctor for bites on humans. Just wash the wound well and apply Icthalmol ointment from the chemist. It stops infection in any wound and is especially great for puncture wounds. It won't hurt the dog to lick it, just apply several times a day if they lick it off. Safe for cats too. My family have used it on humans and animals for longer than I have been alive and we have never had a wound that it is used on become infected. It will also remove infection that has started in a wound that wasn't treated straight away.

Agree with this. I can't believe that anyone pays a deposit for a puppy that hasn't even been born yet, let alone a non refundable one. Very unethical for a breeder to ask for this IMO. Things can and do go wrong with breeding and it is possible for a breeder to not have anything available for a couple of years. Hassle this breeder as much as you like. It is not normal practice to take non-refundable deposits let alone not offer the deposit back if the litter doesn't eventuate. Personally, I would try to get the deposit back and find another breeder.

Did they do a full blood count? One of mine recently had discospondylitis. She had a fever and back pain but no other symptoms. The blood count showed a nasty infection but X-rays showed nothing because we caught it so early. She needed 6 weeks of antibiotics to clear it up and acupuncture for the pain. Pancreatitis could definitely cause enough abdominal pain to cause her to arch her back but I would keep looking for other causes in case it is something else.

Quite a few puppies get carsick when they are in a car harness. Try the passenger side footwell or use the backseat buddy to stop her getting in the front and try some short trips without the harness. If you must use the harness, put her at one side so she can lean against the side of the car. In the centre she will get thrown around a lot. Once they get used to the car they can travel anywhere in it with or without a harness. Lots of short trips, preferably every day are the best way to get her over this.

If your daughter is a gentle natured child you shouldn't have a problem. She hasn't hit the terrible twos yet but you know your child and whether this is likely to be problem. The one most important rule with a toddler and a puppy is that the toddler must not try to pick the puppy up, ever. If she wants to cuddle the puppy she needs to be taught that she must sit down to do it. With a Lab it is only going to be a problem for a couple of months and then the puppy will be too big for her to lift and will be a lot less breakable. Little kids do tend to drop and break puppies if the parents are not very vigilant about supervision. This is one of the reasons that you are probably off with a med-large dog rather than a small one. If you are happy for the dog to lick your daughter and occasionally knock her over then a Lab should be fine.

Forgot to mention books about Border Collies. The only ones with any relevance to Australian Border Collies are "Border Colllies" by Joan Bray, a very good guide to what it is like to live with a Border Collie and "The Border Collie in Australasia" by Peidje Vidler, that covers the history of the breed and has advice on keeping a Border. The second book is only available as a limited edition second printing from Ballyann Border Collies at the moment, but you may find it in a library or be able to borrow a copy from someone with Borders, to read.

Anything written by John Fisher, especially "Think Dog". I wish I had read this before confusing the hell out of my first obedience dog. It explains life from the dog's point of view and makes you "think dog" before getting your dog to do anything. I have read a lot of training and dog behaviour books but this one is the best I have come across.

Lots to chew, tug-a-war and wriggling them are about all you can do. If they're not out by six months, have them removed.

My vet, who is a repro specialist, gives the rattley ones an injection of something to clear the lungs. I can't remember what drug it is but it always clears them up straight away.

My approx 20kg dogs always get about 25gms of cooked liver a day to flavour their BARF veges. I have done this for years with no ill affects. A small amount regularly is very good for them. Just remember not to give liver treats on top of this amount, any more than about once a week.

My vet says when a dog's that big, getting weight off fast is a good thing. I'd give him what you consider to be a normal meal for a dog that size until you talk to the vet. But if he's THAT hungry, and at that size, I'd suggest you run a thyroid panel on him. Good advice. The vets sometimes fast very obese dogs for several days on water only to get weight loss started. Anyone who has read the James Heriot books will remember the story of Tricky Woo the overweight Peke that was fasted on water only for a week. I too would be feeding normal size meals for a the size he should be and giving him carrots or broccoli stems to chew to keep him occupied.

One of my friends eventually resorted to large chainwire yards because one of her dogs kept bouncing at the fence and finding himself on the other side. she has 7 Borders including 4 entire females but the only one that was getting out was the young desexed male.

The only guaranteed way to have proof it is an Amstaff is to have registration papers with a matching microchip. I cannot believe anyone breeding Amstaffs would sell puppies without papers, given the current situation.

I would try ordinary rural electric fencing. The dogs don't need to wear collars but they get zapped if they touch the fence. Run one tape around the base of the fence and one around the top, but make sure it is always turned on. Borders very quickly learn to listen for the faint hum the fence makes when turned on. So long as it is kept on electric fencing works well with Borders. You would still need to confine her to your runs when she is in season, unless you are watching her because if your dogs can get out, other dogs can get in and an electric fence on your side won't stop dogs coming from the other side. I doubt that having the bitch entire or not will make any difference. Entire bitches don't go looking for dogs unless they are ready to mate. Six month old puppies though, do often like to go exploring if they get the chance.

An ANKC registered pure bred dog.

The breed standard for male SBT has the weight as 13-17kgs, so at 18kgs he already bigger than most. How big do you think he should be