Sayly

Thanks! I have helped a couple of breeders out when whelping a bitch and they have both been so different, one is much more involved and hands on while the other is much more relaxed, it's been a great experience and I'm glad to have been so involved with different 'types' of breeder. Hoping I will get to see a couple more litters before our girl has her bubs.

Thankfully we have a spare room where what we already have is in. I've been thinking about ditching the gloves idea if I have the detol and am washing my hands fairly often. Paper towels basically for cleaning up/wiping up. Syringe incase I need to syringe calcium to mum. Bin bags for stuff like dirty newspapers! We only have a small bin inside and never use big bin bags so it's more on there to prompt my mind before a litter. This list is compiled of several lists I've found online, I want to be as prepared as possible. Trust me to go overboard. Still I'd rather have something I won't use than not having something I want/need at the time.

Thanks Leanne. I have down unwaxed dental floss instead of cotton for the cords. I'll do a search for the beef liver recipe now. Just gone and looked up Protexin - this will sound stupid but what type? http://www.protexin.com/vet/products.php?id=4 I was going with Wombaroo instead of evaporated milk because evaporated milk contains lactose? There seems to be such differing opinions on the best milk substitute, very confusing!

Thanks. Had calcium written down in my diary and I still forgot to put it on the list.

Thanks everyone. Anything from now on we would like to breed earlier. Ruby was purchased as a show bitch, and we had no intention of breeding, so we have left her longer than we would have liked. But things have changed and with her breeder's full support, we now want to breed her. It hasn't been a snap decision either, it's something we have been thinking about for a while now but haven't been sure. Mum has wanted to breed Irish for some time, but wasn't sure about doing it before she retired. Leaving a bitch to this age is not something I want to do again.

Thanks for the prompt reply, I think 2 litters at once would be asking for trouble but was worried with the age of the girls. Both Irish Terriers and Aussie Shepherds from my girl's line are easy, free whelpers and are great mums.

I have a list of things I have and still need to get for our whelping kit. Our bitch we plan on breeding is hopefully being mated during her next season (6 months away) but I want to know what I have forgotten from this "to get" list. I do have some things already on this list though. Whelping box 1g - 10kg Scales ID bands Digital Thermometer Whelping Health Records & Contracts Package (from whelpingsupplies.com) One pair of Stainless Steel Scissors One Hemostat Alcohol Swabs Dental Floss Unwaxed Lubricant Lots of newspapers Pen and note pad Heat pad Heat lamp spare heat lamp bulb. Back up torch Syringe Lots of towels Bin bags and kitchen rolls (clean up) Several vet beds to fit box (at least 4) A room thermometer attached to the inside of the whelping box at puppy level. Nutrigel Feding bottles and teats Wombaroo or evap milk Nutridrops or brandy. Gives flat puppies a boost Calcium for the bitch whilst whelping Nasal Aspirator Beef liver incase of fading puppies Protexin And of course camera, coffee and mentors and vet on speed dial! Mum will have the first couple of weeks off, and everything going right time-wise, I will then be home on exam study and only have to leave for a few hours for a couple of exams, then I'm on holidays so there will be someone around for most of the pups 8 weeks.

How old is too old for a healthy bitch to have her first litter? We are talking medium sized breed that lives anywhere from 12 to 16 years. Ruby turned three today, and has just come into season. We are looking at mating her during her next season, however I am also looking at mating my other bitch at this time (they come in together). Which ever litter is first will be our first litter. We don't know whether to do two litters at once or put my other girl off until next year. This will make Ruby 3 and a half for her first litter, and Holly just over three. If Ruby doesn't become pregnant on her next season, we may well have to wait a year before breeding her again because of timing of the litter with work and uni commitments of mum and I. Is 4 and a half too old to breed a healthy bitch for the first time?

3 purebred dogs (one unreg but from purebred reg breeder) 1 muttly dog 1 moggy from the AWL My own cats when I move out of home will be purebreds or rescued purebreds. You really have little idea about a moggy's temp when you get them as kittens. Plus there are some gorgeous purebreds out there! Dogs will be purebreds from now on, of course. Was thinking about getting a rabbit but have decided I don't have enough time for one, but was going to get one from an ethical responsible breeder.

Holly's in season so she won't be down. Would love to bring Maizie her little sis down but I'm not sure how busy we will be.

Oh yeah, she knows it. Her nicknames are "Princess Ruby" and "Goober-Guts". :D She's a clown. Not as smart as our old Irish but oh so sweet. She's a pretty special girl to our family. :D

I agree as we also have 2 griffons as well as the kerrys, and they all get on well together, but you have to be able to understand each of your dogs and read them as well. If you see a puppy annoying one of the oldies, then you just have to redirect their play, but in general, everyone is great together. When we are not home, the kerrys are paired off in separate yards - but this is something that we have always done with any breed that we have had. Better safe than sorry. And Monah, you are very welcome to meet the Kerry Kids! They love visitors. I would just like to say that the Kerry that most show people see at the show, is not the real personality of a Kerry. They appear to be "All Terrier", but in actual fact, if you took out the word Irish Terrier in Lindsay's quote - you would be describing one of my Kerrys. We used to take our Kerry boy to the off leash park and he was always 100% reliable. Having said that, in the showring, people would move out of our way as he was coming to the ring - and not because he did anything wrong, just because Kerrys have that reputation and he always looked on his toes at all times when at the show. There aren't any Kerries here being shown, I have had very little to do with them but they seem like the terrier-est of the terriers! I'd love to meet some more Kerries. It's funny walking the Irish by the working dog ring, you can see the exhibitors keep their distance. Poor Ruby! She loves to play and flirt with most other dogs.

If maintained correctly no. I would gather your sisters Irish sheds either because there not working enough on the coat & the dead stuff is starting to self shed Ruby really sheds very very little. Literally a couple of hairs in her bed. But her coat is worked regulary. If she was worked less often and perhaps say only with a Mars coat king, she would shed a little more I think but no where near as much as our short coat dog or the Aussie Shepherds. :p no clipping, no no no no! I would never advocate clipping a healthy Border Terrier- all that does is shorten the coat, not allowing the new coat to come through and can potentially lead to skin issues and ingrown hairs etc. Stripping is so easy to learn (and there are a variety of tools such as Mars Coat Kings that help with this, especially for pet maintenance) that IMO if you can't be bothered to do it twice a year then the BT is not for you (of course, if you are physically unable to strip that is a different story!). They do shed, too, but if you comb them every couple of days with a narrow toothed comb (I use a steel flea comb) the shedding is very minimal. Otherwise, yes I think a Border could be a suitable breed temperament wise (and size wise- I went from Dobe and Newfie to these guys :p ) I'd never recommend clipping any Terrier. But here, in Wellington, few groomers can and will strip. And many clients aren't prepared to pay to get them stripped. So they get clipped. No problems that I'm aware of. But I personally always stripped. It's really not that difficult to learn and requires little financial outlay to do so. I just don't understand why someone would want a particular breed if they weren't prepared to take basic steps to maintain it's health and character It's an hour twice a year, geeze :D Gracie is a pet BT and she's maintained with the Coat King, and Mum strips her right out before summer. That's all she usually gets, she doesn't knot so doesn't get brushed/combed, just the coat king over her occasionlly keeps it at a nice level. She doesn't drop much hair, but isn't completely shed-free either. I understand the attraction to Kerries, they are wonderful, impressive looking dogs. But even coming from a terrier household (grown up with Irish Terriers and terrierXs, now have a BT and a Bull TerrierX) I don't personally feel like I would make a good home for a Kerry. I think they are TOO much terrier for me. :D I admire them though, and love the look! An Irish Terrier may suit the original poster, they are full terriers and like the Kerriers CAN be dog aggressive IF not well socialised. I have just found a newsletter from a few years ago sent out by the Irish Terrier Club of Aust and in it are several photos of several Irish Terrier meets. I went to the SA one, and there was one squabble between the two oldest bitches there, thankfully it was all noise. They are a breed that may not start an arguament but they will definately finish one. We can take Ruby to dog parks/DOL meets as she has been well socialised. Our old Irish, there would be NO way we could do that. Similar lines but different upbringing. Irish can be trained, there's a team in WA doing agility with them. They aren't the easiest breed to train, and are real terriers, but not as full on as a Kerry. They are clows, LOVE kids and are fantastic pets if they have the right owner. An Irish Terrier MAY suit you IF you are happy to do alot of positive dog socialisation as a pup, have a secure back yard, don't want a dog that wants to please you, wants a clown of a pet and can set boundaries and stick with them. Irish do shed a little, but if kept groomed, they shed very very little. Bit smaller than a Kerry or Std Poodle but a bit bigger than a Lakeland. Their look isn't for everyone though. She's a clown!

Thank you Pappy!

My bitch got her title! ;) Only her 2nd show for the year and she took BCC and RuBOB under an International judge who has judged Aussies at Crufts. Pretty happy with my girl. ;) Only the 2nd dog I titled, and the first Aussie.

Just because I can: Red merle Aussie bitch, she's out of coat in this picture. ETA: BCs and Aussies also work differently.

Oh it's just terrible too, those poor dogs born without tails (natural bob tail Aussies)! Oh and how terrible, you can't tell when they are happy! Anyone who has ever met an Aussie knows you know exactly when an Aussie is happy, the whole body tells you!

We really confused the general public... we had a Lakeland right next to us, and had her out on a lead or sitting on my lap while I sat next to my Irish Terrier... Everyone was SURE she was a baby one of "those". The Aussie Shepherds were Coolies all day. Everyone knows what a Coolie is, but no one seemed to know what an Aussie was? Really confused them when we told them the breed actually originated in the US!

Good. At least that's one thing you can clear from the list of possabilities.

I have a bitch that passed her puppy eye checks for CEA but has been found to be affected through DNA. Were the parents DNA tested for CEA?

It's not easy and it takes quite a while to learn, plus it can be tough on your hands/wrists, and takes quite a bit of time to get the dog's coat looking good. If you time it wrong you can go to big shows either too hairy or too bald! Not an easy breed coat/grooming wise to show.

Thanks for the replies.

If I have a dog who has been DNA tested before, but I now want to test for a different genetic disease with GT Pets, how do I go about it? I read on their website that they store the DNA so you don't need to send it in again, but what do I need to send them? Microchip number? Reg number? And how do I go about it? Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, I have looked on their website but can't find anything on what they need.

RSPCA botches SA cruelty case January 24, 2010 12:01am ..THE RSPCA has apologised to the public and sacked a staff member after a bungle led to the acquittal of five suspects in SA's biggest alleged animal cruelty case. Thomas and Patricia Brinkworth - two of the state's most prominent graziers - were accused of allowing about 800 cattle to suffer by being "gradually starved to death" during the drought in 2007. However, key evidence was ruled inadmissible in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday. The Brinkworths and three employees were subsequently found not guilty of all 113 charges. The RSPCA has vowed to do everything in its power to prevent "something like this happening again". RSPCA president Sheree Sellick said the outcome was "beyond words for us". "I'm almost speechless with the shock of it and the implications," she said . "We consulted with barristers about what our position was, and we were quite sick when we couldn't proceed with the case." An employee who prepared the paperwork had been sacked for misconduct, Ms Sellick said. In March last year, RSPCA operations manager Ben Johns described the prosecution as one of the biggest cases of alleged animal cruelty in South Australian history. Mr Johns alleged cattle were too sick to stand up and were left on the ground to suffer. He also alleged that the RSPCA had found "approximately 800 carcasses or animals that had to be destroyed". The charges against the Brinkworths - who own 68 properties - related to 10 properties between Keith and Kingston in the state's South-East. Guilty verdicts could have resulted in jail terms and fines exceeding $1 million. Ms Sellick, who declined to give details about the misconduct, described the outcome as "horrendous". "(It's) not because we didn't have evidence, but because of this problem with a senior employee doing the wrong thing in preparing the paperwork for the case," she said. "It rendered the evidence inadmissible." The Brinkworths were found not guilty of 61 counts of ill treatment of an animal and nine counts of breaching a national code of practice on the welfare of cattle. A station manager, a livestock manager and another employee were also cleared of 43 counts of ill treatment of an animal. RSPCA SA chief executive Steve Lawrie said it was not possible to bring further charges. "We're absolutely devastated by this, it was such a big case," he said. "We tendered no evidence and the courts allowed acquittal and the defendants entered a not guilty plea." In a statement, Mr Lawrie apologised to the court and the community. "It is critical that we do everything we possibly can to minimise the risk of something like this happening again," he wrote. Mr Brinkworth's barrister, Michael Abbott, QC, stressed that a finding of not guilty had been made. "There wasn't a question of the charges being withdrawn, as reported," he said. An application to recover "substantial" court costs from the RSPCA had been made and it would be heard in April. The Sunday Mail has been unable to contact the Brinkworths for comment. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0...5006301,00.html

I work in kennels - mostly holidays as I am a full time uni student with a full 5 days at uni, occasionally I do weekends. I love it, but a huge part of that is my boss. She shows and breeds purebred dogs and is a wonderful, caring person. She is simply the nicest person I have ever had anything to do with. Because she shows and breeds we have a bit in common and she's always happy to talk about why she's done a certain breeding, why she's feeding this bitch this food, what is to be expected during the whelping/pup rearing. We help look after her breeding/show dogs too, which I love. I don't mind the poo! :D You get used to it. The dogs with hotspots or infections or something like that I don't particularly like but that doesn't tend to happen much. I love that it is manual work, but you also need to keep your eyes open, and keep thinking about things. I love seeing and getting to interact with so many different breeds. I think the thing I like the least is the naughty kids! Grrr! Don't deal with feral children well normally, but when they are running around the kennels we love and look after, and stir the dogs up, it shits me no end! Difficult customers the boss tends to deal with, thankfully, so I haven't had much of that. It's crap pay, but I didn't expect great pay. It was actually about 60 cents an hour better than my old job (retail award) which I was surprised and pretty stoked about! You will be expected to work weekends, don't expect many holidays during the peak times and often are asked to work public holidays. That doesn't bother me but I don't have kids or anything to worry about. ETA: I don't think I could run/own a boarding kennels but I love working in one!