Diva

I'd still add some big meaty bones.

I agree, it's fascinating how that kind of discrimination can be inate.

I'd find to hard to pick a breed because of the different ways prey drive is expressed and the variety between individuals in a given breed. Not sure if anyone has mentioned sibes yet, but I have met a few that were pretty driven around furry critters. Not sure if they were typical though. And sometimes it seems to take very specifc circumstances to trigger prey drive, while other dogs are 'on' for anything that moves. I have had a little Borzoi bitch who was safe with almost everything - including free ranging chickens - but if she spotted or scented fox she was transfomed into a driven lunatic. Not sure if it is considered high drive when it's that specific, but she was manic for that one prey.

What oakway said, plus you need more variety in the meat source. Chicken alone is not sufficient, you need to add at least one sort of red meat. Aim for variety. Offal should be around 10%, of which half is liver (eg 5% of the total diet is liver). Don't overdo the liver, it's the one thing you must have some of but shouldn't have too much of. Other good offal includes kidneys, brains, sweet breads - heart is great food but counts as a muscle meat, not as offal. Not every meal needs to be balanced, you are aiming for balance over time. Not counting vegies, you are aiming for roughly 10% of the diet as edible bone, 10% offal, 80% meat. The cleaned white tripe is nutritionally pretty useless, but if you can get 'green' tripe, snap it up. You'll be lucky to find it in Australia though, unless you get it direct from the person who slaughters the animal. Also for dogs the size of yours I'd be aiming for chunks of food more challenging than mince and chicken necks - you want to exercise those jaws and necks with bigger pieces of food.

What a fantastic achievement. A real credit to your training and your dogs' true breed type. :D

I agree totally with the 'without predjudice' bit. An instructor judging someone by the way their dog reacts really annoys me. But I am not sure it's likely we will get back to a situation where community based clubs will generally have the skills or inclination to deal with the very reactive dogs. The nature of clubs has changed over the years I have been a part of them to be much more focussed on the 80% of people who just want to learn how to get their dog to walk on a loose leash so they can be walked with pleasure, be calm inside so they don't get left outside by themselves and get bored, and maybe join a sport like agility for some extra stimulation and fun. The more 'behavioural' stuff, often along with the more competitive hard-core obedience, seems to have been 'out-sourced' to the private sector, for all the reasons pf mentions. Often the commercial trainers/behaviouralists aren't much more qualified themsleves, so the trick is finding the good ones. And affording it. And then getting to wherever the good ones are based. The very pet-based cirricula of the community clubs doesn't really suit me, but I think it's here to stay. I wish there were more accessible and affordable options to fill the gaps though. Maybe they will come. Or maybe it's just the Canberra scene, I do see only a narrow slice of what's going on.

I'm so sorry Elfin, sending my best wishes for a full recovery.

Ah OK. I was just thinking about the blockage thing - I have known a couple of dogs (not mine) that could only deal with bone when it was accompanied by a good bit of meat. I hope you are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for his health issues.

If he's not used to any bone you might want to start with something with a bit more meat on it than a wing, or add some meat. But still...yah!

They do, but you pay a premium - there's a footnote to that effect. Glad my dogs don't read DoL, they'd be expecting that level of service here

Thanks. I was kind of hoping it might have been uv exposure - it's hard not knowing if anything you did or didn't do could have been the cause. Although I know that, as with people, sometimes these things just happen.

Sorry to go :D Stormie, is visceral hemangeosarcoma associated with uv exposure do you know, or just the other types? I've only heard of the visceral type, which the bit you quoted says is the most common. I had a dog die of it, only diagnosed on necropsy, the tumour was on his heart. I'd be interested to know if sun exposure could have caused it. He was long coated and black, and didn't really sun bake much, but none of the research I did back then even raised the possibility of uv exposure as a cause. (His vet was useless, didn't even know what it was until he was dead)

Huh? Hemangiosarcomas are most often found on the spleen, the pericardium and the heart itself. I've never heard of sunbaking as a cause for them?

I do believe that is Irish Lassy's boy, so ... :D Well done!!

Thanks!

It was Arwen. Especially nice as the judge was a breed specialist, she judged the UK Borzoi Club Champ Show last year

Saturday Ganmain Show Society (I think these are correct) BIS Dobermann R/BIS Std Poodle Toy BIG Bichon Terrier Cairn Gundog Lagotto Hound Borzoi Working Border Collie Utility as for BIS Non-Sporting R/BIS

The ANKC is an associate member, as someone else previously posted.

Used a money order No wonder you love Ozentries!! LOL, it's temporary, changed bank accounts and haven't organised a cheque book yet. But all is fine - the kennel club called back and we're in the catalogue. Ganmain here we come!

Used a money order

Of course you are Hope I'm not doing a 3 1/2 hour drive for nothing. Rang to check I'm in the catalogue but didn't get hold of anyone.

Same here. And I doubt tomorrow's mail will arrive before I leave. I guess the office is going to be busy writing out numbers on Friday.

It's woodfired *drool* Hey, you better clean up that drool if we are sharing a gazebo! I'm hanging out for my numbers to arrive, I'm never reassured they've received my entries until they do. (I'm an on-line entries fan)

Happy to try a bit of the Life Stages but you can have the bag of lamb. Even my old, retired and not so fussy now diva (think Oprah in a bad phase) won't have a bar of it. So far the only kibble they find palatable is the giant breed RC and the EP performance. I'm happy with that if needs be but always checking out the options, LOL.

Well it WAS his birthday yesterday! Expensive present for a dog that I don't even own I bought a small bag of the Lamb variety to try on my guys. I don't feed a lot of kibble but I like to have a good one on hand for travelling and backup. They ate a couple of pieces each then wouldn't touch it. I guess Howie's getting another late birthday present pf.