poodlefan

One issue I'd like to see clamped down on is registered breeders sending whole litters overseas to puppy agents. There are a few notable examples of that. Personally I don't think you should be able to sell a a pup overseas unless its to a private buyer.

Good on you for doing your homework. My thoughts would be to check out Ridgebacks and add Rottweilers to the list - a well bred Rottie is a delightful dog and you've got some very good dogs in WA.

Because they don't care. I'm happy for them to be scared into it.

My Darcy did something similar some years ago. Turned out to be a misaligned facet joint in his spine and he recovered well with rest and some drugs. He gets regular chiro anyway. Hope its nothing serious. One other possibility is IVDD but I don't think its much of an issue in Vizslas thank heaven.

Emmy's right hind kneecap is always out.. it won't go back to where it's suppose to be. In which case the op cannot be delayed. What a bummer

The Chris Christensen White on White is very good. I've not used Isle of Dogs.

CW, I got my Toy Poodle Lily aged 8 months. She had a luxating patella. My vet advised me to wait until she was 12 months old before making any decision about operating. She said the knees can tighten as muscles develop. We waited and the hoped for result occured. Grade 3 might be a bit serious for this to happen but I'd suggest you ask about whether maturity and increased muscle might help.

Bugger! How old is Emmy?

Get professional help. That may involve some drug therapy initially. I'd consider moving too.

Why not get samples of Nutro and Artemis and see if your dog likes them. No point in deciding what the best food is if your dog doesn't like it. ALL of these brands are good quality - but what your dog does best on might differ.

If you don't want deliveries to your house, get a PO box. If you have utilities like gas and electricity your contract of service provides that people may enter your property to read meters. If you have an issue with that, fence your meters off from your dogs. Personally, in this day and age, anyone who allows their dog access to their front fenceline is begging for trouble IMO. Too many folk happy to taunt, harm or let a dog out.

That sums it up for me. Well said. For one person it might be tens of thousands of dollars. For another it might be a few hundred. As long as the animal gets seen to by a vet rather than - I cant afford/dont want to spend the money so I just wont take Fluffy to the vet at all - that is something I dont understand. I'd rather see a dog euth'd rather than not be taken to the vet at all due to cost. x 3 Too personal to make a call on. However the moment someone raises the "it would be cheaper to get a new pet" argument, my blood boils.

Grass clippings can definitely be fatal to horses. Reason is that they can rapidly ferment, producing huge amounts of mould. They'll also radically alter the gut flora. Any chemicals used on the lawn could also produce problems. I'd imagine the same result is possible with dogs.

Don't forget RSG!!

Nanny state? I don't think so. If people don't pick up after their dogs then they deserve to be fined. Dog poo issues have seen a heap of places closed off to responsible dog owners

A dog kept on an 8 sq m titled floor doesn't have access to sunlight, or much scope to develop its musculature. Outside would be better provided she has access to suitable shelter. There's also the option of having a dog door.

Get a Whippet! Hmm. Not sure about a whippet (as they still lose hair), but I seriously was looking at breeds that don't shed (for the future), but it seems that every dog that doesn't shed you need to pluck the ear hair, and I hate doing that! (Sister has a poodle.) There's always hairless dogs. :D

She told him to leave her alone and most of her behaviour is saying the same thing. No need to be horrified - it was a perfectly appropriate response. Many bitches do not appreciate strange dogs sniffing them and as her owner I suggest you stop it from happening. Lots of adult dogs show little interest in meeting new dogs. Keep other dogs away from her. She's clearly not interested in being sniffed by dogs that are probably a hell of a lot bigger than she is. Many "friendly" dogs are actually quite rude in dog terms. The fact that some dog wants to greet yours doesn' mean you have to let it happen. I would recommend you read the article "he just wants to say hi". here

I found Whippet hair in my bra the other day! I suppose I can say that at in one way I do bring my dogs to work with me. :D

Get a Whippet!

I don't see this as a phobia. I see it as perfectly balanced response to the neighbours behaviour. Get a dog door. Protect your dog from this person. Or move.

I think there's heaps that can be done to communicate to the public why buying a carefully bred pup that you can be reasonably confident about in terms of its adult attributes is a fine idea. Frankly I think most folk would get that idea pretty easily. The big issues for me are: * convincing dyed in the wool show folk that "pet" is NOT a dirty word. Most dogs are pets. Even show dogs are pets most of the time. Breeding "pets" that just happen to be well put together, good examples of their breed shouldn't be sneered at. The trick is to convince all involved that showing and pets aren't incompatible experiences. Imagine the impact of a Best in Show story from a royal that actually shows that the dog has a pet name, a character and lives a good life. Most seem to focus on the day - more could be done to show the dog as a balanced individual. * dealing with the misinformation from the likes of the gardener and the puppy farm advocates. Facts will do that. * helping breeders and buyers find the middle ground and educating each side about the expectations of the other. "how to buy a dog" is one thing. "how to responsibly sell pups" can be taught too. * educating both sides about what it means to be a responsible breeder and why you'd want to buy from one. The dogs are still the best advertisements for their breeds we've got but events like Pet Expos seem to have dropped off. Maybe some shows need to be held at locations were its convenient for the public to see them. If you have a working group for this one Steve, I'd love to volunteer.

If you don't want her to do it as an adult you are setting yourself up for problems down the line. You're already seeing her refuse to sleep elsewhere. A 25kg dog who wont' get off your lap won't be fun for you. I'd suggest you teach her where her bed is and a comfy bed in a crate would be the way to go.

The grooming powder must be particularly annoying for owners of black dogs.

Tell him he'll kill your boy with kindness. Every extra kilo is wear and tear on his joints.