poodlefan

Here's the full colour range of the Mountain leashes: http://www.prestigepetproducts.com.au/inde...sid=&uhash= They are 8mm or 13mm. Miss Lily has the hot pink one of course.

Haven: I was looking at the "Complete Mix" which lists its ingredients as: contains a combination of mixed cereal grains (rolled oats, cracked barley, soybean meal, flax seed meal, and whole oats), dried vegetables and fruit, dried garlic, dried parsley, dried barley grass, calcium powder, yeast powder, kelp granules, lecithin granules and vitamin C powder.

I found a pic of the lead type I'm talking about Alpha - the one on the right... its the thin size.

Haven: I saw it Haven but its full of cereal - which I don't feed. Problems with importing it - I believe some ingredients don't pass muster anymore...

K9Force's leads come in 4, 5 and 6 foot lengths Alpha - I'm getting the 13mm plaited black ones. The climbing rope type ones come in two thicknesses and a range of lengths. The lighter ones (I have small dogs) are about 8mm and the wider nones would be about double that. I think they are made by Prestige Pets but don't quote me on that. They come in a great range of colours!! They do fade a little but last well. I like having synthetic ones for the beach/water...

I currently use 5 foot "climbing rope" type leads - rounded synthetic ones. They are good in the hand. However, I'm going to get some leather ones from K9Force!!

Thanks Shona. Hopefully they might be at Erskine Park tomorrow.

Thanks Pixi - that looks like good stuff! I'm also checking out the Vets All Natural joint formula - its the only one of their products that isn't mostly cereal.. Still hunting Power Blend too. Why isn't there a dog healthfood shop near here.

Hi All, Now that Missing Link Canine is off the market indefinitely , what are people using to supplement their dog's diets? I've always used a general supplement to ensure there's no nutritional gaps in my dogs diets and am not sure what to use now. I can recall I used another powder before Missing Link but it's name escapes me - it was an Australian product based on natural ingredients. Does anyone have suggetions..? Edited to add - was it Power Blend?? does anyone use that anymore??

Kymbo: Yep, I had QH's. My taller one was 16.1 hh and came from running lines... confused a lot of people who seemed to think that all QH's looked like beef cattle. I also had a 17.1 hh Thoroughbred wiht bone at the time when Warmbloods were the rage - I used to have people rush up and gush 'oh what a lovely Warmblood, where'd you get him?" "Off the track" was the response. People just love to stereotype - that's what gave us BSL.

Where did you get your pup from? What do you feed him? Personally, I'd be taking a urine sample to the vet to make sure your pup's urine is 'normal'...

Erny: Yep! I have both white and black poodles.

I have to say that Paps, Poodles and Shelties and a few other breeds whilst not "real dogs" in many serious obedience types eyes, are grudgingly acknowledged as able to compete with the best of them. Those three breeds (and JRTs) are common agility dogs so once again have earned the respect of others. For any SWF (or non 'real dog') owner, the best revenge for such comments is success. Unfortunately our dogs are stereotyped by some of the people who own them - those who don't know them write them off. Their loss I say. Some obedience instructors with larger dogs have no comprehension of the difference in training a small dog. "Don't bend over to cue" you hear all the time. My response is usually along the lines of "well if your Golden Retriever gets his 'stand' cue in front of his muzzle, why shouldn't my toy poodle?" You get to watch the wheels turn. Like pit bull people, we SWF (and SBF) owners are judged by the worst of our ranks. Just ignore the comments - people making them do a fine job of displaying their ignorance and lack of training skill. They don't need our help to look stupid. :D

Dogsonly: If you havent' already done so, I'd suggest you enrol in formal obedience training. Exercises aside, a good school will also teach you about HOW to train. You can do two things: reward her for the loose lead and teach her that a tight lead doesn't profit her. Take her out on her own. When she goes to the end of the lead and it tightens, you stop. The moment she loosens the lead (she will) you mark the good behaviour (say "yes" or use your clicker) and continue on. You can also do this by changing direction when she tightens the lead, marking when it becomes loose again. However, if you ever let her walk on a tight lead, you'll undo all your work. It takes a bit of perseverence but its definitely achievable. As a two dog owner, you need to be able to walk them both together on loose leads.

Bikle: They are never too young to start Bikle. Sometimes we have to remember they are puppies so we need train in very short bursts and give lots of time out but they can start the day we get them. :D Dogsonly: Puppies can learn to play games with US! Learning how to play with your dog is a very important step in learning what motivates them and in building a relationship with them. Go to any visiting dogs sports professional's seminar and one of the most common things you hear is " you people don't play with your dogs enough". Nip it in the bud Dogsonly or 6 months from now that pup will be pulling your arms out. You need to take her out on her own and teach her that she does not go anywhere while that lead is tight. Have you clicker trained her - most clicker trained dogs get the idea of the loose lead in minutes.

Bikle: Don't worry - I am a total stress bunny too - I just found the better I got myself informed, the more confident I felt about my decisions. I still stress about some things - vaccs for example. No wonder I never had kids - the stress would have killed me! :D Incidentally, Corgi's can make great little agility dogs - something to think about.

Metacam is an anti-inflammatory liquid you give by syringe. :D Now you know why I need a vet - its NOT a general pain killer. I guess when ever my dogs have been in pain, its been inflammation related.

Bikle: Breathe deep Bikle - I don't see anyone trying to make you feel guilty or suggesting you are silly and negligent. You've had your dog for about three weeks now? He's not going to have suffered any long term damage yet. I totally understand you don't want to ignore your breeder's advice but suggest that you do a bit of your own homework rather than accept it in blind faith. BTW - does your breeder exercise her dogs by walking them round the block? If she does, I'll be surprised - most breeders tend to have a few dogs and free run them together in groups. Here's some things to consider: * Unless your breeder is a vet, or a canine sports health practitioner consider their advice as that of a knowledgeable "lay" person. I'd put DOL in that context too. * Most canine health professionals will tell you that the best exercise a puppy (or a dog) can get is free play - because it works all the muscle groups, not just the ones needed to walk. Free play involves much turning, bounding etc - quite different exercise to walking. * There is a wide school of belief (you've been exposed to it here) that says repetitious exercise on hard surfaces can lead to skeletal issues in developing pups. Pups tire easily - but will often continue to push on to please us. The fact that they do, doesn't mean they should. * Your breeder is breeding primarily for the show ring and for family homes - if you have any ambitions to compete in dog sports, you will place physical pressure on your dogs's anatomy far greater than your average pet or show dog endures - that means that you have to be SUPER careful to keep your dog in optimum health. Sports dogs can break - and that's why dog sports people tend to be very big on husbandry for their dogs - we have care regimes for our dogs that many dogs would never experience. As the owner of a breed with a long back and short legs, you have additional challenges to face in terms of keeping your dog sound. From a training point of view, consider the following: Leash training (I dislike the word "breaking" as much for a dog as for horses) generally has an aim. That aim is to keep your dog focussed on you while walking without tension on the lead. A leash is primarily a method of control. Where the dog is if it is "free walking" is less important than when you have your dog under close control such as in the "heel" position - many handlers teach these as different exercises. However, when I have my dog on lead, I want it paying at least partial attention to me. I don''t want it wandering all over the place, sniffing here and there, with me following. As leader, I decide where we go and what pace we go. Sniffing etc happens off lead for my dogs or when I take them to spots, they don't take me. As we start with puppies, so we continue - decide NOW who controls pace and direction when walking on lead or expect your dog to haul you all over the place as it gets stronger. When I see people letting their pups tow them from one point of interest to another I just know that 6 months down the track, there will be issues with loose lead walking. Think now about how you want your pup to consider what being on lead means. Flexi leads seem like a great idea - a wider range for the dog while still attached to you. The big problem for many trainers is that in order for the dog to extend the lead it HAS to pull - most of us are putting a lot of effort in to keeping that lead without tension all the time. Can I politely suggest that a breeder, regardless of their record in the litter box, is not automatically an expert in canine health or dog training. If you want to make a decision about what exercise and training methods you use on your puppy, I'd recommend you do a bit more homework. There is a wealth of information on this forum,, on the internet and in books. By asking questions as the OP in this thread did, you are going to get a range of responses - some of them with opposing views. Its not a matter of who is right and who is wrong but of deciding for yourself, based on the best informaiton you can get, what is best for your dog. There will always be differing views - most of them quite passionate! Oh, and for the record... my dogs got two vaccs as pups and are vaccinated annually. :D Right now, based on the information I've gathered, that is the best decision for me. Many of my friends disagree. Vive la difference! Base your decisions on your own research and take comfort in the fact that you are doing the best you know how for your dog - we all are.

God knows why more vets don't offer pain relief after procedures. I always ask about it and will give it if the dog looks uncomfortable. I think the logic is that by removing the pain, we may encourage dogs to do too much and set back their healing. Nothing a crate can't fix IHMO. Metacam would always be my first choice - but you need to get it from your vet. NEVER feed paracetamol or ibuprofen - fast way to kill your dog. I have heard children's asprin used before. The key issue with any drug is dosage - without veterinary advice as to dosage you are gambling with your dog's health.

What a sweet old girl - and what an angel you are Rozzie for caring for her so well in her senior years. I hope and pray that my dogs pass over like that - in their sleep at a fine old age. Rest easy Miss Jenny. :D

Rottiadora: I have often pondered whether it is the dogs, or their handlers that struggle with the cross over to agility..

Perhaps you need to reread my post more carefully. "No onlead EXERCISE" doesn't mean that: * The pup never leaves the yard * The pup is not socialised or trained * The pup spends no time on lead It means that the pup is not EXERCISED by being walked on lead. Am I making myself clear? If you are not doing it for exercise then you are doing it the right way IMHO. Before the age of six months, Darcy went to regularly to shows, dog club, friends houses, the river, the beach, on holidays and a bunch of other places. He was shown and he attended obedience training. However he was not exercised by being walked around the block on lead.

Anyone who follows Dr Ian Billinghurst's advice for puppy raising does. Where do we find Dr Ian Billinghurst's advice for puppy raising??? In his book "Grow Your Pups With Bones" - its the raw feeder's puppy raising bible.

wow! Any Northern breed like my samoyed going without a walk for 6 months would go nuts. Surely its ok to take them for a walk around the block after about 12-14 weeks? There are other ways to exercise a pup - offlead being the obvious one. "No onlead walking" doesn't mean no walking, and no time on the lead, and no time out of the backyard - you just don't use pavement pounding as the primary method of exercise. The problem with "a walk around the block" is all those growing bones and ligaments on concrete. Do you know what an appropriate pace for a pup is? Do you know how far is enough? Can you tell when the pup is tired? Most people can't, hence the rule. Short walks would be fine but your primary method of exercise should be offlead play. It may require you to be a bit more creative with your exercise regime but it can certainly be done. Some people simply don't know when enough is enough and you can end up with pups with serious bone and joint issues from over exercise. That's why "no onlead" is the rule of thumb for growing pups. Breeders of giant breeds generally have even stricter recommendatons to make. Anyone who follows Dr Ian Billinghurst's advice for puppy raising does.

General rule of thumb is no onlead exercise until the pup is at least 6 months old. Very rough play, particularly with larger adults, should also be discouraged. The size and breed of dog can also influence growth rate and development - smaller dogs mature faster and tend to have less bone development issues.