Belljari

I think contracts can work as long as it very clear and both parties are happy. Maybe buy her as a pet and do not sign the contract and run her on for 12 months to see if she is going to turn out.(for the showring) Did you want to desex her early on or can you wait 12 months which could mean 2 seasons or only 1 if she doesn't come in until she 12 months. Then assess what you would like to do. If you would like to show maybe get the breeder to enter a couple of shows and go along to see if you like it or not. Just have a talk to the breeder and keep your options open it doesn't sound like the breeder is pressuring you to sign a breeders contract and they would still be happy for you to have her as a pet.

I agree with what the others have said, I would be definately ringing the breeder and seeing if they can take him back. You don't have one baby but two as the puppy is only a bub too. No wonder you are nearly going crazy! I have twins and there is now way i could have coped with a puppy as well ( we have older dogs) I waited till they turned 3 years and we have our puppy now and it has been great as they can help they love him and he loves them. Good luck which ever you decide to do :D

Hi, Love the picture! Lots of puppy's go through this stage and survive! And their owners too, I would get in touch with the breeder as they will maybe be able to give you some advise of how to handle it. Also there is Central Coast Obedience Training Club 02)43697433 give them a ring and find out where and when they have their training and go and talk to some people there you don't have to take the puppy as she is too young but Iam sure you get some advise. Good Luck with her

Hi gilbertgrape. We had a shepard many years ago that had terrible hips similar to your pups there was no socket for for the ball of the hip and she had surgery and Iam sure it was the femoral excision surgery she had done, is it when they cut some part of the muscle on the inside leg sorry it was many years ago but anyway she went on to live many years of no limping or pain until she she was approx 12years old. She loved her walks and swimming it was never really a problem again. Good luck ;)

I had a girl that was the same but she had an infection which I think was making her feel like not eating. But she was so thin I couldn't stand the thought of her not eating so I started her on small meals then when she started to eat again went to three meals a day. One of the the things that make her eat was roast chicken the smell I think helps then I would do some boiled rice or pasta with a broth of vegemite or beef stock to make it warm and mix it all together then gradually add more and more. Its light but it might wake up her taste buds to start her off.

I saw some dog booties in the Pet Barn today I didn't pick them up and look at them though. I you live near a Pet Barn maybe give them a ring.

The poor doggy Iam glad she got rescued. When I worked as a hairdresser in Syd we once had this idiot come in and ask us if we would pierce his puppies ears for him.

Hi, Your puppy is gorgeous! I think she is too young to start with only 2 meals especially if you don't give her dinner to late thats she would be very hungry by then. I would feed her a small meal when you get home from work and then give her extra later that night. You shouldn't have to worry about bloat at this stage as she shouldn't having heaps of exercise anyway. Bloat can be caused by giving your dog heaps of exercise or running around before or after they eat a large meal. It is better to feed them up off the ground as well. For the first 12 months of your dogs life she needs controlled walks not long exhausting walks as it is better for her hips and joints as she will be growing at a rapid rate. Try not let her jump down off things it hard because they are just big puppies but can easily hurt themselves. I read in another thread about someone who puts food hidden all over the garden while they are at work as well as in kongs etc to keep her doggies active I thought it was great idea. You would have to have a seach for the thread sorry Good Luck

Hi, I hope your puppy is ok and is settling down. The advise from Puggles and Staffy-Lover has been great I have lived with a dog for 12 years and for 10 years he suffered from epilepsy. I don't know how old your dog is but usually epi starts around 18m to 2 years. Just asking because if he is younger make sure it is not something else. Maybe ring Dr Childs and get some advise over the phone and maybe there is a specialist in Qld to go to or she could help your vet with controling it. It is also better for them not to be under stress I found if he was stressing about something he would fit. I kept a routine for him and he knew it, feed in the morning and night at the same times every day with his meds. It is really important to do this as it will control it. I kept him on a routine with everything! I moved not long after he first started fitting and the stress of this caused him to have cluster fits this would happen off and on for a while. When I say cluster fit he would fit get up and fit again and again and again. And every time he fitted I had to give him a dose of phenobarbitone I felt like I was going to overdose him. I too use to ring the vet in tears, it was heart breaking to watch but it does get better he needs the bromide to build up in his system. For his whole life from the age of 2yrs he was on the pheno and bromide just as he got older and from the build up in his system I did lower the dose slowly and also he would fit less sometimes we would go a year or two with no fits and towards the end of his life hardly ever! But he was on meditcation his whole life. I also gave heartworm tablets and he was vaccinated with no ill affects. Just give the medication a chance to work. Good Luck.

I thought i would just add this also as read somewhere on this thread the importance of giving the medication 12 hrs apart and at the same time time every day. I did this religously his dose originally was 4 tabs and 4ml o f potasim bromide morning and night evenually it ended up being 1 tab and 1 ml morning and night. He also reacted to stress so I kept his life reasonably stress free and he also loved routine!Feed at the same time walked at the same time etc. I know it sound pedantic but it worked.

No problem I know how hard it is and I think every bit of information helps. Its probably a little old since it was the early 90's when I went. Zues passsed away in 2002 not from anything related to the fits! Just PM your address and I will photocopy it on the weekend and send it on Monday. Bel

Hi, My dog had epilepsy and he lived to the ripe old age of 12. Zues had his first fit around the age 2 to 3 yrs.I thought he was dying when I first heard and saw him I also rushed him to my vet and by the time we got there he was fine! Unfortunately his epilepsy was bad and I took him to Dr Richard LeCouteur to see what could be done. He did test etc and put him on phenobarbital and also potassium bromide. Some days in the begining he would have fit after fit and every time he had a fit I had to give him PB so Iam talking about 24 tablets! I would ring Dr Le Coutour in tears thinking Iam going to kill my dog with all these tablets but it didn't and when the potassium bromide and the PB built up in his system he was ok. He still had fits but as he got older I lowered the dose and as he got older he hardly ever had a fit. They gave me a booklet on The Clinical Management of Epilepsy of Dogs & Cats. Richard Le Couteur and Georgina Child. If you are interested I can photocopy and sent it to you. Bel