The Spotted Devil

Ziggy had surgery for exactly this yesterday. At 13 it’s his first anaesthetic. They are very painful and unlikely to heal on their own - at least not without complications. Our vet visits are contactless too but he did much better than I expected.

I breed working Springers - conformation (moderate not extreme), health, working ability and temperament is critical but coat is not, except that I would rather it was short. Markings don’t matter in the long run but I do have my personal preferences. My girls compete in agility and retrieving trials and are worked on game. Stud dogs are often pets but you can get a sense of their work ethic a mile away. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. All the pups I’ve bred have very consistent work ethics although physically they vary quite a bit. In the end it’s a balance - I am very honest about my girls’ strengths and weaknesses and I look for moderate stud dogs who complement them.

I’ve got plenty of CDs but thanks! I’ll have a look!

Thank you! Perfect for socialising my new litter

The working lines of both breeds differ significantly - similar to my working ESS vs show type. Less coat, a bit smaller, less exaggerated features and lovely work ethic. I’d have a working English Pointer from a particular breeder in an instant if I had the time. Soft, sweet temperaments. He offered me one for nothing because he wanted to see me train it but having just had a litter I’ve got a Springer keeper on my hands Good luck!

I had a pup from my last litter with megaoesophagus. I knew as soon as I started weaning him. It was awful. He also had other issues (including a stricture and overshot jaw) and clearly just didn’t develop quite right in utero. Hardest but kindest thing I did was to give him his wings at 5 weeks. Thank goodness my repro vets were 100% supportive as it was heartbreaking. I wish you all the best.

I honestly don’t know. But I don’t feed them. On the advice of a US dog sports vet I supplement with a probiotic, joint guard and Omega 3s.

I am wondering what you want to hunt? And do you want a companion or a dog that will work? So many people want a working dog because they want an intelligent dog. You’ll get that. In spades. But you’ll need to channel that drive and intensity into good not evil If you want an intense, persistent, joyful hunting dog then a working Cocker or Springer could suit. I have two ESS snuggled up with the cats and me right now so don’t doubt they have an off switch. But they are not a dog you can leave outside all day - they are bred to WORK and are extremely persistent. So they can get obsessed with lights and shadows if left to their own devices. My girls are very full on but are an absolute delight to live with. I work long hours but train/exercise everyone when I get home. They spend their days on the lounge or the bed. They have two speeds. Flat out running or flat out sleeping. Otherwise you can look at show lines or breeds where there is no split between work and show. Don’t ever doubt there is a difference between them though. I know folk will say their show dogs retrieve but a good working dog will not give up. Ever. Mine have delivered to hand with teeth literally chattering and then gone back in the water for more.

100% agree. To insure 3 dogs and 2 cats would cost me the same as it does to insure my house. And don’t get me started on the exclusions. I have continually squirrelled away savings so I can just pay up front. And yes, I’ve had some thumping bills but I wouldn’t change a thing.

A baby puppy used to sleeping with litter mates. Simple. We have genetically focussed on breeding COMPANION DOGS. And then we wonder why they cry when we lock them away from us. My pups are in a crate next to my bed until they demonstrate impulse control. Playing with the cat on the bed (or another dog) at night and they are straight back into the crate. Penalty yards. When I am home they can access me any time - unless they are in season. If they have pups I have a lounge chair in the whelping pen. When I leave for the day they’re very much “Meh”. Relaxed, chilled and time to catch up on sleep.

So I’m going to throw something out there. My Dally is 12, entire, agility champion and oh my does he love sniffing. Anything female. And you know what? Normal. Desexed or not. Your dog does NOT understand “leave it”. If he did he would. What actually happens is that you cause an association between the “command” and the behaviour. Thus making the behaviour STRONGER. So think about an alternative behaviour that is incompatible with sniffing. Drop? Lie on a bed? And reinforce the living daylights out of it.

As someone intimately involved in world first virtual fencing for livestock, the numbers/description in the POCTA Regs don’t tell the whole story. It’s much more complex and is about energy delivered to the skin. Those regs, I suspect, are sourced from manufacturers rather than being defined by the department.

For anyone in Victoria I cannot recommend Dr Maureen at http://maccvet.com.au/ more highly. She is extraordinarily professional, knowledgeable and empathetic. You do require a referral from your vet. The initial consultation is not expensive in my opinion and is so worth the peace of mind.

Sorry to hear this. Can I ask where you are based and which specialist you’ve seen? There is absolutely nothing wrong with opting for palliative care so please don’t beat yourself up about it. Cancer diagnosis and treatment in our pets is bloody expensive (remembering it’s not subsidised like human treatment is) and not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford it. Quality of life is more important than anything. Things I consider when facing end of life decisions is appetite, activity, pain and enjoyment. You can have one hour of awake time that is enjoyable and relatively pain free for an old dog for example and that is ok. My final decision always rests with: better a week too soon than a day too late. Take care.

I do like the Snooza D1000 BUT whenever my dogs shred beds I see it as a response to needing more mental stimulation....boxes to shred, food enrichment, more training etc.

I feed frames twice a week - one, two whatever works and depends on the size. My dogs are working fit so very trim. I change their meal quantities nightly so I have no "rule".

I had Ginny's x-rays done yesterday and yes, they will be going to Roger Lavelle. He did her Mama's and were exactly in line with my vet's prediction. I have spoken to a specialist at Monash Vets and Penn Hip is good for some breeds. USA Field Bred Labs, for example. However I don't know of any Field Bred ESS breeders who test so it's not very useful. If anything Penn Hip would compare my girls with show lines. So I will be sticking with ANKC for the time being. When I can justify the expense I will do both so I can get a handle on Penn Hip.

I’m not big on plastic chews. I give them goat horns instead. My Springers adore them.

Anal glands sound like a possibility. If you aren’t confident in diagnosis I suggest popping in to see your vet.

If he's LUA I pretty much can guess who bred him lol - great to see more LUA pups out there. Congratulations! At 14 weeks - pups are teething, growing, eating more, less, getting more confident or going through a fear period. All these things can disrupt the regular routine. Certainly my Dalmatian has always felt the cold terribly. He is now 12.5 years old, has got his best winter coat on (from the USA of course!) and is about 30cm from a roaring fire Also my pups always sleep in a crate until they can relax for an entire night - way too many distractions for a pup lying on my bed or their own. And as soon as they wake up they need to toilet. So it may be that your pup is waking up and then needing to toilet rather than the other way around. Once they demonstrate they can be responsible pups they can sleep where they like. But try to play with the cats at 2am? Back to the crate for the night. They quickly get the message!

Hahahahaha Springer pup on leash Been there. Got the t-shirt Crazy bloody things! I always say to my puppy people that walks are about training and socialisation. Ball and frisbee chasing is prohibited. Controlled retrieves are a different matter. Free play and off leash training is the best exercise. And as someone with working Springers I have a REALLY good chiro they visit regularly.

I had a Catahoula pup in one of my classes. Gorgeous but a LOT of dog. Way too much for his inexperienced owner.

Agree with Anne. Contracts are not legally binding. My approach is to spend a long time getting to know the puppy buyer and developing a relationship. Then it’s about ongoing support and education. If I included my expertise and time in the price of a puppy I shudder to think how high that would be

The issue with the poodle crosses are that the coat can be unpredictable. Will it be low shedding? Maybe, maybe not. It’s luck of the draw. Are you prepared for the high amount of grooming required?

Stress is stress. Physiologically speaking. So excitement and over arousal can produce similar responses to fear! It’s just that the former is - mostly - good stress!