Tilly

We also wash our dogs weekly (when they are working) in the hydrobath with Fido's Itch Free rinse - never had a problem with dry skin. We originally had a problem with red welts on our youngest GSD - adding Omega 3 to his diet (and later on just sardines) cleared that up within days. Never had a problem since.

We pay 95c per kg for chicken frames - compared to $2.50- $3 for chicken necks. Much cheaper... We get ours from a local butcher.

My boys get their chicken frames whole and frozen - it takes them an extra 1/2 second to eat them when they are frozen.

I have attended a obedience class were they encourage the dogs attending the class to be passed around to other handlers. They also have the other handlers feeding treats to your dog - but this is not something they practice themselves. Their dogs are not allowed to be touched or have any form of affection shown to them by anyone else. I made the mistake of patting one of the trainers dogs only to have the dog called back and crated for 30 minutes - I was told in no uncertain terms not to touch the dog again and to ignore it if it approached again. They teach the class one way but train their own dogs using another method - I normally don't allow or encourage people to handle or feed my dog so I found it to be very uncomfortable.

Our dogs are "washed" weekly but we just use Fido's Itch Free rinse in the hydrobath - they are clean and it doesn't seem to dry the skin out. But on the other hand we also give them omega 3 or sardines a few times a week. When we do shampoo we use Fido's Puppy and Kitten (because I think it smells nice).

We use them from time to time in Brisbane. The chicken necks come in a 2kg pack which is fine for use but can be too many for some people. The chicken necks are of good quality without all that fatty skin. I don't like the buckets of meat, pasta & vege that they sell - it all looks the same and my dogs are not impressed with it either.

My boys get a C5 every year. There has been parvo in our area and I don't take the risk.

Yes - I do. I use enough Malaseb to get a good lather and then rinse in a container of warm water when finished.

I pay $10 for my GSD for brush, shampoo, flea rinse & condition. He is towel dried (I don't like driers as they dry out the skin and coat - as I walk him home afterwards and he dries on the way home). We used to pay $6 per dog to use a hydrobath but they stopped people washing their own dogs and went up to $10 per dog but their staff had to wash the dog. Because only one of our dogs can be washed by other people - we had to go out and buy our own hydrobath.

I found it impossible to get my GSD to soak his feet in a Malaseb solution for 5 seconds let along 10 minutes. The easier way for him was to wet his feet, roll him on his back and squirt a little Malaseb on his feet and massage it around (he will lay on his back and have his feet massaged for hours ) - I then just rinsed his feet off. Dry the feet well (hairdryer set on low works for my boys) and then rub in some papaw ointment (red tube or tub from chemist).

I love the Fido's puppy and kitten shampoo. My boys are always washed in Fido's and they smell beautiful (but I may be a little bias). We also spray them with the Fido coat conditioner. Definately my favourite.

My GSD has an allergy to "something" when we first got him (He had big red welts on his tummy and groin area). By adding "Omerga 3" to his diet it cleared up really quickly. We now just add sardines to his diet and he has had no further problems. I brought the Omega 3 from our local pet shop - the dosage was 1 pump for every 7kg. Initially we double dosed for the first 2 or 3 days and then normal dose after that. After a few months we just reduced the dose and included sardines in its place. It is definately worth a try - Omega 3

I will search for the link. I don't show dogs so I can't comment on that. Our dogs work security so they are all fairly heavy solid dogs. They all are in a good healthy condition (shiny coat etc) but we call still see the slight indentations outlining the ribs etc. We do allow them a bit more condition in winter (particularly the older ones) otherwise they just get too cold. I think there is a big difference between lean and looking half starved. A lean dog still has a look of "health" about them. The half starved dog (like the "perfect working condition" rottie) had a dull coat, lifeless, glazed eyes etc - definately not a sign of good health.

Roquen - the good old rib feel and the overall look of the dog is the best way of checking weight. I have a rottie who is in excellent condition. Recently a person from a dog club saw him and asked how much he weighed - they then said he had to lose 5-10kg. Because he is outside the "normal weight" he is considered fat - regardless of his body condition. This person then showed me their "perfect working condition" rottie who was just skin and bone. You could see the bones of the back and ribs sticking out and this person told me the dog was "out of condition" and had a kg or so to lose. To me that was just far too thin. The coat was dull, the dog was lifeless and totally miserable. They work their dog on 1 cup of PAL dry dog food a day. On the other hand my boy has a beautiful glossy coat, clear bright eyes and face and in perfect health.

I brought a wonderful book called FUN NOSEWORK FOR DOGS (2nd Edition) from DogWise Book Store. It covers scent discrimination and other fun things. At about US$16 - it isn't overly expensive.

Activated charcoal tablets (available from chemist) helps take the stinky away. We have a rottie who lets it rip (they bring tears to the eyes) when he was over indulged in fresh bones. Now all we get is a little puff of wind without the smell.

We wash our dog "weekly" in a hydrobath with a flea and tick rinse or Fido Itch-Free Rinse. This is mainly because our dogs get really dirty rolling on roads and concrete while working. By the end of the week when you pat/scratch them your hands are black - they don't smell. They love having a bath and the water is always filthy. We only use shampoo on very special occassions - Fido Puppy and Kitten Shampoo only because it smells nice. Edited: Because I can't spell or my fingers have stopped working.

Our GSD grazes almost constantly and never throws up. If he is laying on the back lawn while I am gardening (or should I just say weeding) he will just pick at the lawn until there is a hole down to the dirt. He is in perfect health with a well balanced diet. I think it is more of a habit thing for him.

Our GSD has all his big boy teeth by 6 months. Definately worth getting it checked out by the vet. I took my boy in at 6 months just to make sure this teeth alignment etc were correct

We give our boys sardines, eggs and olive oil. Omega 3 and Missing link is also added to some of their meals.

They are legal in Queensland. Where are you located? A petshop in Browns Plains sell them still (or at least then did a few months ago). Buying from OS is not recommended unless you are buying it in pieces. Customs will not allow a full collar to come in - but if you buy it is parts then they will allow the parts in.

My boy loves the hotdog sausage and the little cheerios. I usually cook them first as it removes some of the fat and then chop them up really fine. They seem to have a stronger smell to them which helps.

I give our boys Heartgard Chews - they just love them and seem to think they are getting a special treat. I did consider giving them the yearly needle but after hearing of a few dogs who had died following the injection - I decided against taking the risk.

Tracking sounds like something I would like to try with one of my boys. Is there some were that has a information session or basic training sessions for someone who knows nothing about it? (I have lots of dumb blonde days!!!) I am not sure how my dog would go but it might be fun to do!!! My boy might be more interested in everything else rather then what he should be "tracking".

We now use Bayer Clean Ear Solution. We used to use Epi-Otic but I found the dogs seem to be getting frequent ear infections and we thought it might be the ear cleaner.