poodlefan
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Everything posted by poodlefan
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Is It A Puppy Thing Or Is She Going To Remain Like This?
poodlefan replied to Bubitty's topic in General Dog Discussion
She's not a baby anymore. I'd say you're stuck with it. She may mellow out a bit as she matures but I'd say she's a cheerful dog. -
Webbing is easier to care for and cheaper. I'd be sticking to that until puppy is full grown. What matters more is the quality of the buckle or clip. Buy a decent brand like Lupine or Rogz and they should be fine. Once puppy is fully grown you can go to town on a nice leather collar with brasswork - many Staffords are shown in these and they look great. Pele's everday collar is an all cotton webbing martingale. I buy them through my dog obedience club for $6 so they are are really cheap and comfortable for her and I replace them every few months as they fade - hey a girl has to look good Pele swims at the beach everyday so I keep the Rogz martingale with the chain triangle piece for best because the chain rusts. I have been looking at some lovely leather collars with brass trim. If I get Pele one that would definately be for "Sunday Best" ;) I love torturing folk with nice collar websites. Here's some lovely Stafford collars from the UK
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I'm a Ccrate fan - wouldn't have anything else. It helps too that Great Rugs will make a cover to order for any Ccrate crate or pen.. makes them much warmer in winter.
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Webbing is easier to care for and cheaper. I'd be sticking to that until puppy is full grown. What matters more is the quality of the buckle or clip. Buy a decent brand like Lupine or Rogz and they should be fine. Once puppy is fully grown you can go to town on a nice leather collar with brasswork - many Staffords are shown in these and they look great.
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A friend of mine has one of the gold ones Sammy and its effing heavy.. far heavier than its Ccrate equivalent. Check the weight before you buy either one.
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Ok, that's a good point. He wouldn't be left alone with them. If they two eldest and two youngest weren't in separate yards, during the day, I'd more than likely keep the old man inside while we are at work, with the other 3 running each other ragged. I guess though that I haven't really thought about the stress that it may cause him just having 1 puppy around, let alone two. I won't be returning the LHW, so it would be the wait if we didn't go ahead. Picture a 13 year old GR with two 18 month old LHWs... I'd not do it to the old boy. He's likely to get knocked around a fair bit. ETA: Just noted new dog would not be a LHW. What breed are you considering?
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Wait or return the LHW. No way would I be trying to manage two puppies and a senior dog. Its the impact on the older dog that would stop me as much as the issues of raising two youngsters.
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier Colour Possibilities
poodlefan replied to Purple Diamond's topic in General Dog Discussion
It seems very likely. Owners of albino dogs report a range of health issues relating to the condition. No 1 and most obvious is skin issues arising from exposure to the sun. A dog with no melanin in its skin will be highly prone to sunburn and cancer. Many albino dogs also have eyes that don't cope well with full sunlight. Albino dogs are entirely unsuitable for a life outside. Less obvious can be problems such as deafness, skin rashes and an increased chance of neurological problems. Albinos are commonly regarded as having less healthy immune systems than pigmented dogs. I'd not be lining up to own one. -
Thoughts On Campaigning Show Dogs...
poodlefan replied to Missymoo's topic in General Dog Discussion
As I see it you're damned either way. Do it and you'll be told you're courting judges. Don't and you'll be told your dog has no profile. Believe in your dog, show it the the best of your ability and do what you think is best to promote it if that's what you want to do. The rest is in the lap of the Gods (or judges ) -
On a baby puppy? Flat collar only. If you train well enough, you'll probably never need anything else.
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I'd be starting with some blood tests. A thyroid panel would be a good idea. Then go for a premium kibble that contains none of the common food allergens. Also have a good look around your back yard. Constant washing removes body oils from the skin - often making the problem worse. And yep, a new vet sounds like a good plan too.
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Keshwar, print this off and see if it makes any difference. Link to Dr Bidstrup's article on the injury issues created by head halters Thanks to Aidan for letting me know this is now available online.
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Peta Planning To Open An Office In Australia
poodlefan replied to gundoglover's topic in In The News
FD26: Whoever coined the phrase "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions" must have had PETA in mind when they did so. Fanatics are those who double their efforts having lost sight of their aim.. that's this mob. -
The only "easy care" dogs are well trained and appropriately housed, exercised and groomed - regardless of coat length.
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Query Re Dogs Vic Membership
poodlefan replied to Sue & Waldo's topic in Training / Obedience / Dog Sports
You need to join as a member and register Cindy as an Associate (she must be desexed) -
I pray for your sake that no loved one of yours ever suffers from insulin dependent diabetes. The issue for me is not the use of animals but how humanely they are treated. Funny how the RSPCA hasn't tackled live sheep exports head on - now THERE is an animal welfare issue that requires addressing.
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Sounds more like the vet was fined for not being registered in WA. :D
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Given that their current "standard" allows a vast array of heights and coat types, I'd defy any judge to be able to award against "breed type". A standard that allows anything and everything is one in name only.
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This issue saw a letter sent from one of Australia's leading chiropractic vets to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, outlining the dangers and advocating the use of body harnesses like the sporn harness instead of head halters. The dangers are real. Keshwar: I think that its presence may be suppressing his dog's drives. I'll bet his dog "behaves better" with it on - used or not. What many dog handlers fail to comprehend is that a lot of dogs find head halters uncomfortable and unpleasant to wear. That aversive effect is constant and exists whether the dog is pulling or not. This drive suppressing effect is what stops the pulling in some dogs - that hardly aligns with the positive training philosophies of many dog trainers who advocate them. To be told "he'll get used to it" as your dog claws his face trying to get it off maes a joke of such philosophies. They have their uses - but I shudder to see them fitted to small dogs for whom physical control is not an issue and to see the head angles adopted by many dogs to cope with them is really quite sad. To see one fitted to a flexi lead or in the hands of a rough handler is abuse IMO.
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Any club that espouses a "one size fits all" narrow training and equipment philosophy is going to fail a proportion of its members. Not only will they fail to help some handlers but even more sadly they will fail some DOGS. The key to successfully training dogs is to have a range of tools in your toolbox. Any club that restricts its instructors and members to one tool only sets handlers up for failure. There are a range of methods and equipment that fit within any training philosphy. There's a hell of a difference between a dog training organisation adhering to a set of training principles and that group becoming zealots that fail to meet the needs of the community they service. The challenge of course is to know where the line between the two lies. I can think of a few examples where IMO the line has been crossed.
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To the best of my knowledge, there are no Stabyhouns in Australia. Not Dutch, but a Large Munsterlander seems to tick the other boxes.
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Chiropractically speaking, any sort of head halter has the potential to do serious damage to a dog. Many body harnesses restrict shoulder movement and are entirely unsuitable for regular use. Car restraint ones are some of the worst. I've seen a dog with quite severe muscle wastage caused by being kept in flyball harness. From an agility perspective (as you know) both are safety hazards. No agility club I know permits any training onlead so the collar serves as a restraint only when the dog is not working. Most competitors I know run their dogs with no collar at all. If people are worried about collars coming off, a martingale is the logical choice. You'll rarely see a sighthound in anything else for onlead walking. I've seen dogs get out of head halters and harnesses. In an offlead play situation, a harness represents a risk to other dogs. If you've never seen a dog catch it's jaw in one, count yourself lucky. I would not permit my dog to play with a dog wearing one.
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I would not recommend agility for a Newf under ANKC rules. It's a big ask for such a heavy dog to jump so high. If you only wanted to train for fun, you'd be welcomed at our club and could jump a lower height but quite a few of the obstacles would be a challenge for a Newf to fit on/through.
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Oops I thought it was a brown Newf!
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You can use that to your advantage Bear. An appeal to ego rarely goes wrong. Now that they've demonstrated that they have decent training skills, they don't need to rely on such contraptions (it is a great word ) and can use their ability to get focus and work from their dogs instead. :D Most of these "training aids" are substitutes for training, not aids at all.