dancinbcs

I'm sorry your dog was hurt but the owner of the other dog wasn't semi-responsible, he was completely responsible walking along with his dog on a lead at the edge of the park, minding their own business. He wasn't at fault at all, I'm afraid you were for letting your dog run up to his without an invitation. Many otherwise friendly dogs will guard their owners from strange dogs and quite a few have no tolerance for strange dogs getting in their face. They don't go looking for trouble so they are not dog aggressive, they are just dogs being dogs. No off lead dog should ever be allowed to run up to a strange on lead dog, ever, no matter where you are. It is just asking for trouble and is completely unfair to expect all dogs to welcome the attention of strange dogs.

It depends on the breed. Some never have rear dew claws, some always have them, some like Briards have double ones that are a requirement of the breed standard and in other breeds like Borders Collies, some have them and others don't. In Border Collies they seem to be a dominant genetic trait and only occur in some of a litter where one of the parents was born with them. If present they should be removed at 2-3 days but occasionally a breeder forgets to check for them and they have to be removed later. All dogs are born with front dew claws and in some breeds they are routinely removed at a few days. The smooth coated breeds and those that are clipped like poodles, generally have them removed to avoid them catching on things. If the breed generally has dew claws that stick out, they tend to be removed but in coated breeds that have them neatly tucked in, removing them is not so common and most Border Collie breeders do not remove them. A few prefer removal if they have ever had issues with them but in Australia they are in the minority. There is also some recent research indicating that dogs that still have their front dew claws are less likely to damage their wrists when working in activities like agility. Apparently they help with the stability of the wrist when turning. I think there was a link on here somewhere to the research.

Will the results of this survey be put on DOL and what ever happened to the health survey results?

Well said

While I can see your side, I applaud those breeders who are putting time and effort into breeding litters of gorgeous purebred puppies for the pet market. Why shouldn't people have top notch, well bred pet dogs? These are the breeders who are truly doing something to stop the sale of one more puppy farm or BYB pup. For each pet puppy that comes from an ethical registered breeder, that's one less puppy that's sold by an unreputable, unreliable source. The problem is that those breeding purely for the pet market are not ethical breeders. There are so many breeders listed here on DOL that produce plenty of pet puppies that are health tested, etc but being an ethical breeder involves more than that. It is about producing the best puppies possible in every litter. You can pick those whose only interest is producing numbers of puppies because they usually have their own "stud dog" who sires ALL of their litters. No dog, no matter how good, is going to be the best match for every bitch you own and a sure sign of someone not doing the right thing by their breed is them using the same dog, that they own, for every litter. Many of these so called "stud dogs" are not what ethical breeders would consider "breeding quality anyway, let alone worthy of siring multiple litters. These comments are aimed at the more common breeds, not the rare breeds where breeders have limited breeding choices. There are always plenty of puppies available as pets from the very best breeders. In any given litter there is only one "best puppy". In some litters there may be a few outstanding ones and in other litters, nothing that you were aiming for. All the puppies that are not an improvement on their parents are generally sold as pets so there is no reason for anyone to just breed pets. Most of our puppies go as pets anyway, but the aim should always be to breed something better to go on with.

I try to space mine at about 3-4 year intervals or longer (4-6years) if you only intend to have a maximum of two. This decreases the risk of losing both close together and also spreads the vet bills when they get older. Having several oldies at the same time can be very expensive. If you want a puppy from a particular breeder, then contacting them about a year in advance is a good idea. It may take more or less than a year for you to get the puppy you want so be flexible with time.

It is a risky and expensive hobby but also a very rewarding one if you do it for the right reasons. The main reason is a love of your chosen breed and the desire to deliver into the future better examples of the breed than you started with. This is the main reason that truly dedicated breeders have. Another good reason is to produce the very best dogs you can, that prove themselves in your chosen area of competition. There is huge satisfaction in handling a dog to a Best in Show win, but that win means so much more if you bred the dog as well. If your passion is agility, obedience or herding, the same satisfaction is there when you win with dogs you have bred for a purpose. Most of us really only breed to get the next generation to go on with the quest to produce the closest to perfect dog possible. Aiming for perfection in conformation, soundness, health, temperament and performance. Many of the wealthier dog breeders just enjoy the satisfaction of producing winning dogs and spend vast amounts on their chosen hobby. In some countries breeding and showing dogs is only a pastime for the very wealthy but it is a bit more affordable here. Probably on a similar cost level to more expensive hobbies, like golf or tennis but within reach of the average wage earner. The world of pure bred dogs becomes a way of life when all your friends have the same goal and the longer you are "in dogs" the more you realise there is to learn. Studying pedigrees, looking for new lines, discussing the merits of various dogs is what you life revolves around. There is also the sataisfaction of making life long friends with puppy buyers who dote on the puppies you bred and then come back to you years later for their next dog. But this is a bonus, not the main reason to breed. I have no idea why anyone would put all the time, effort and expense into breeding puppies just to sell to others as pets. Selling desexed or limit register pets does absolutely nothing for the future of the breed and I am amazed at the number of breeders, now breeding this way. If you keep the best to breed with and sell the rest as pets, fair enough, but producing litters with no other purpose than producing pets is not contributing to the betterment of the breed in any way. In the days when dads went to work and mums stayed home with the kids (and a mortgage could be paid from one wage), it was reasonably common for families to breed and show dogs as a family interest. The puppy sales helped offset some of the cost of keeping and showing the dogs and time was not an issue because there was always someone at home. Life has now changed and for many breeders, having a litter means saving up two years holidays, to take them to raise a litter, or using up your long service for the same purpose. Far too much time and effort to put in just to produce pet puppies for someone else.

I know there can be some alarming side effects for female dogs that come into contact with hormone creams and patches so would imagine the pills might do the same thing. Saw something on it recently, especially with owners using the creams and the dog coming into contact with the owners skin. I can't remember all the side effects but a hugely enlarged vulva was the main indicator to the problem.

It needs to be removed now. We usually wait until 6 months, then any retained baby teeth we haven't been able to pull out ourselves, are removed by the vet. If you leave it there it will affect his bite and cause the adult tooth to decay because it traps plaque between them.

NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMATANCES and after nearly 30 years in the dog world, none of my many breeder friends would sell to a pet shop either. When you decide to breed a litter it is done with the knowledge that you will have the puppies with you until you find the right homes for them. Hopefully this is by the time they are 8 weeks but sometimes it takes longer. Also the need to know that they are in the right home is a must and not something any reputable breeder would trust to a pet shop. Only the breeder can answer all the questions a sensible buyer should be asking. Selling to a pet shop also means drastically cutting corners with how the puppies are raised. The shop will only pay 50% of the price they charge and raising puppies for that small amount of money is often not possible unless you just feed the cheapest food and reduce costs like worming, health testing, etc. Finally it is absolute cruelty to confine active puppies at a critical time of development to those little glass cages. How anyone manages to a toilet train a puppy that is traumatised by being kept in it's own mess is a mystery to me. My babies leave at 8 weeks almost toilet trained because they have been given the opportunity to toilet well away from their sleeping area from about 4 weeks and they practially train themselves.

Why do you need to use a transport company if you are flying with the dog? Just take it excess baggage and drop the dog and crate off at the freight terminal before you check in. They will tell you how far before the flight the dog needs to be there. If I fly with a dog I also watch them load it from the tarmac before actually getting on the plane and watch it beign unloaded at the other end.

A small Border Collie bitch would be fine with a 10 year old and they are the ultimate agility dogs. Maybe a failed/undersized showdog or a bitch retired after one litter would be suitable. The standard for bitches starts at just 18 inches and there are plenty even smaller than that. Small bitches only weigh 14-16kgs so are nowhere near the size of a male Aussie. The size dog depends on how tall your daughter is, and how tall you think she might grow. By the time she trains the dog for a couple of years she will be 12. When I was 12 I was already 5'4 and that is taller than a lot of adult women, including my Mum. Your daughter will probably still be competing with the dog in 5 or 6 years time so take that into consideration.

Many years before I knew they were supposed to be harmful, my first Border Collie, as a puppy, used to eat heaps of them. The house we were living in had sour wine grapes growing and the puppy would eat all the grapes, then he pruned the vine back to ground level He also loved the passionfruit that grew along the fences at that house. He would play ball with them, then split them and lick out the inside. We were in that house until he was 3 and never seemed to have any ill affects from any of it.

A business is defined by the tax department, so if you are not making enough profit to defined as a business for tax purposes then you are not a business by the companion animal act either. Many breeders have tried to register as a business to claim their expenses but I don't know any show breeder who has succeeded. The Tax department require you to make a profit in the first three years to declare anything a business. When you take out all the deductions involved in keeping, showing and breeding dogs , the average hobby breeder that only has 1-3 litters a year cannot even get close to making a profit over three years.

Not sure what state you are in but from the Dogs NSW code of ethics - "A bitch shall not be bred from unless it is in good health and has reached adequate maturity (no matings before 9 months for Toys and Brachycephalic Breeds, 12 months for others except Giant Breeds where a minimum of 18 months is to apply for matings). Any litter resulting from the mating of a bitch under the minimum specified age at the time of mating is eligible to be registered on the Limited Register only and flagged “not to be upgraded to the Main Register”. 11/08" There has never been a minimum age for males. The breeds that need hip scoring should not be bred until after that is done at a minimum of 12 months but other than that males can usually be bred from whenever they are physically mature enough. The old experienced breeders of the 30-50 years ago used to commonly use males between 8-10 months for a first mating.

I'd say at least 75% of Border Collies are hose chasers if given the chance. Unfortunately they are also mower and whipper snipper chasers as well. A pastime that can be deadly. Always lock them up if doing anyhting potentially dangerous in the garden.

About 30 min from the Hills district down the M7 is the puppy school I recommend. Camarna Dog Training at Austral teaches the puppies in a controlled indoor environment at a private property, not a vets. Luci Ellem that runs the classes is one of the most experienced dog trainers in the state.

Great instructions except you normally never put the water actually in the bath for the dog to stand in. Most dogs hate standing in a bathtub full of water but are fine with a hand shower arrangement. For white legged/footed dogs it is essential that they don't stand in water as the dirty water from the coat can stain the legs. The water should go in a separate tank and is recycled by the pump. I have seen a homemade setup that used square plastic drums for the soapy water. It is always best to rinse with straight clean water, not recycled or you will never get all the soap out.

With matted coats, I find combing through with a wide toothed comb useful when the conditioner is on in the bath. Start at the ends of the hair and work your way up towards the skin a little at a time. Diluted conditioner or a specific detangler, sprayed on a dry coat is also useful for grooming out tangles. Never try to detangle a completely dry coat. Always dampen with some sort of conditioner. Never rub a long coated dog with a towel to dry. Use the towel to squeeze the water out of the coat, or better still invest in a force dryer. A mat splitting rake will groom out most Collies no matter how neglected the coat is but for future reference always brush from the back of the dog to the front in layers down to the skin. Lift the coat and brush a layer in the direction it grows, let a little more coat settle and brush that, gradually working in layers towards the front. It sounds like you have just been brushing the topcoat and not getting down to the skin. Collies have a lot of coat but are usually pretty easy to groom.

The bolded bit above is totally wrong. All dogs can suffer from hereditary problems and registered purebreds as a whole are no more likely than mutts to have problems. The purebreds that are far more likely to suffer genetic problems are the ones from backyard breeders that breed for profit with no regard for health issues and unfortunately these are highly represented in the veterinary statistics of "purebred dogs". The reason we health test registered purebreds is because we can. The dedicated breeders work very hard to trace problems in their breed and have genetic tests developed to manage these problems. The tests can only be developed when there are are good pedigree records for the geneticists to work with and breeders willing to work with them. We collected blood samples from 600 Border Collies when we started the research into CL. This is simply not possible with crossbred dogs and most people producing them are only in it for profit. They have no interest in improving what they breed in any way. Purebred dogs are the perfect research candidates for genetic disorders because the generations are short and the pedigree records are extensive. Line breeding and inbreeding actually makes it easier to track and eliminate problems. Having said that, some breeders do take inbreeding way too far and in some breeds, tight inbreeding is so common, it absolutely astounds me. Inbreeding does not actually create defective genes but it does concentrate them in a breed, leading to a sudden increase in dogs affected by those defective genes. This is when dedicated breeders work to get tests developed to counteract the problem thay now know exists.

Unfortunately the general public that know as little about dogs as the Gardener, do take him very seriously. He is the main reason we now have all these DD puppy farms in Australia. He promoted the whole idea after back stabbing the purebred breeders, who had supported his show by providing dogs for the roadtests, for so many years. He seems to believe that dogs are better bred as livestock for profit, rather than in the loving homes of dedicated breeders, who devote their lives to the betterment of their breeds.

I imagine she will need to be rested completely as happens after cruciate surgery. The only way to do this properly with an energetic dog is to crate them. The dog needs to be confined so she cannot run, jump or twist suddenly and be toileted on lead. No other exercise. She wont be happy about it but will get used to being confined. Provide lots of things to chew to keep her amused. The vets are usually no help at all unless they live with very active breeds. They usually just give you a funny little smile and wish you luck after telling you the dog needs complete rest.

Rocky Ridge have not taken over, they have always been there, since before Frozen Puppies started. Their facility is in the same building at Calga, but you need to arrange to have the semen shifted from the Frozen Puppies tank to the Rocky Ridge one, with the appropriate paper work, if you want to change to Rocky Ridge for storage. They are two different companies that just happen to share the same building.

Just duck out to Renbury Farm/Transpet at Austral and fix up any changes with them. They are agents and pounds for several councils, including Liverpool. they send all the microchip details straight to the State Government and know far more about the microchip laws and rules than anyone at the council. I always register my puppies directly at Transpet, rather than going to the council anyway. I wouldn't suggest posting anything to the council at the moment. They have moved the customer service staff to the Library but I'm sure they must all be in turmoil with what is going on. You can post a form with changes directly to the State Government register because the dogs are registered with them, not with the council. NSW councils are advised which dogs are registered in their area, but they really have nothing else to do with the registration any more.

As a general rule for medium size, medium price ($1000) pure bred dogs, you need to sell 3 puppies to pay back the outgoing costs if all goes well. That is for a natural whelping, natural mating, sire close by, health testing already done and already set up with whelping box and supplies. If you own the sire, then you might cover the costs by selling 2. If you are keeping a puppy then you generally need 4 puppies to break even on costs. If it is a first litter then set up costs and health testing needs to be done and you need to work out how you are going to advertise the litter and what that will cost. If the weather is severe you need to add in heating or cooling costs as well and they can add up quickly. Then of course there are all the things mentioned that can go wrong.