Jumabaar

If they are taught not to pull in a collar, they are very comfortable in one ;) I taught my pug to have a collar on, not even walk in one, just wear one, but she hated it and spent every second of her life trying to get it off, and whenever I walked her in it she would walk backwards out of it. The downside to having a dog whos neck is bigger than their head :laugh: I have seen plenty of dogs not to pull in their harness- taught pretty much the same way as you teach loose lead walking. I do flyball and my current pup walks around on a loose lead in her harness until I grab it and physically pull on it which cues her to pull back. Much the same way as sled dogs can relax in their harness while not being asked to pull. And I dont think its much more difficult than teaching a dog not to pull on a collar. The vast majority of dogs that I have met in harness are in them because they were choking themselves in a collar before they ended up in a harness......

Yeah, I don't even care about titles myself :laugh: I'm not competitive enough. I'm not saying I can classify anyones dogs but I don't think anyone here on dol is wasting their dogs because they are all dog lovers who give their dogs good lives. The intention of the topic was more what you said above - "Rather, there are do many dogs getting no mental stimulation because they were bought because it's the thing to do." Even if there is a dog who had the potential to be a professional or win titles but they were always "just a pet dog," if they are loved and having their needs met then they are by no means wasted :) I see dogs neglected and I guess wasted due to ignorance and because dog ownership is a right rather than a privilege. AKA my great aunt and her son who have two dogs 1) a cattle x who is AMAZING I trained him to do flyball in a couple of weeks, turn on the dime recalls perfect loose lead walking etc and who now sits in the back yard or gets to walk his owner around the streets 2) an oops litter kelpie from two kelpies who cant work stock- its afraid of its own shadow, bounces and is generally a bit of a pest due to lack of training. Her son is now asking to borrow my dog, who lives with my grandparents as a companion/therapy dog because he likes visiting the local nursing home and the SWF that he was borrowing has now moved. I am saying no because my girl has an amazing temperament (is a delta dog) but can get a little anxious about things (like people holding sticks in the air, which some oldies do occasionally- she is happy when they are leaning on them lol) and I dont think he can give her the support she needs. BUT my question is why didnt he get a dog that could go and visit nursing homes instead of having two dogs wasted in the back yard and trying to steal mine?? Had he told me he wanted a dog before he got the second one I could have arranged for them to get a relative of my girl (that I probably would have bought so I could show it). So yes there are dogs wasted but its not because 'its the thing to do' its because people dont put in the effort of groundwork with what they have so their dogs are too naughty to do anything with or they get something completely unsuitable.

I have high potential dogs who havent achieved as much as they could- a whole collection of 'almosts', most of whom I buggered up a bit of their training and never managed to unbugger it. But ultimately they all get fed, get to sleep on my bed, are next to me when I have to study and get walks and outings. They dont care if they cant run flyball or get their CCD or PT. I have been working on a few things with the 'broken' ones (all have the same bad habit at flyball) to try and not break the next one, AND somehow find the time to do the training with her once I have settled on a plan AND be observant enough to notice if the plan isnt working with her. I think there are many little pieces to getting your dog to achieve its 'potential' and until you go down that road you cant really plan for it. And ultimately dogs dont care about titles so who am I to say they havent reached their potential in the area that they chose- chasing birds, hogging the bed/lounge and doing extreme zoomies?

I would probably be inclined to ask the club if there is a system in place to identify dogs that are reactive- and gently suggest the create one if they don't. It will help everyone in the club and hopefully give you a more positive outlook next time you visit, rather than dwelling on the negative.

My girl vomited up an apricot seed after 5 days!! I had been going through her poop the entire time to try and find the darn thing and was getting a touch worried.

Perhaps you could get your veterinarian to ring up a dental specialist, particularly if they are not feeling confident about treatment. As I explained earlier that is a similar story to what I was told about my pup when I went to see the local vet- i had him ring up and talk to Christine http://www.sydneypetdentistry.com.au (her number is at the top of the page), but I know the guys at this practice are also wiling to give advice- http://www.animaldental.com.au/endodontics.html (I linked to a page with some diagrams that show what will happen). I know Christine is happy to talk to pet owners as well on the phone so that their dogs can have pain free mouths.

I am guessing veterinary dentistry has come a long way in 10yrs. I think human dentistry has too - thank god!!

Fundamentals of Endodontics Brook A. Niemiec, DVM Oral Pathology Brook A. Niemiec, DVM

I paid about $600 for a specialist to remove a baby canine from my pup- that was consult, anaesthesia, fluids, pre and post op X-rays and post op medication at a referral centre. My regular vet had told me to leave it and when pressured said it was because he didnt have the skills to do it on a pup even though all broken teeth need something done with them to prevent infection! (rant over). So I would have paid top dollar. That being said I wouldn't want an extraction done without Xrays so if my dogs need it done in the future will probably end up back in the referral centre anyway :laugh: Best of luck with Muddy- those are some clean teeth!!!! ETA- all open pulp cavities, even after the nerve has died, will have infection at the root of the tooth eventually. Because the body cant close the hole in the tooth- thus the need to either remove the tooth or fill the hole artificially. Bone infection is painful but the only time people 'see' the infection is when it has eaten right through the bone and created a draining tract! ETA again- http://www.sydneypetdentistry.com.au/faq-vet/what-to-do-if-you-see-a-broken-pet-tooth/

Unless pups have no maternal antibodies I cant think of a reason for doing a pup at 3weeks of age? And I wouldnt expect that to be a regular occurrence. I personally would be walking away from the whole situation. Why pay for an additional vaccination and possible medical costs from buying from a breeder who clearly doesnt know what they are doing when you can buy from an ethical breeder who vaccinates at 6 weeks and sells them at 8 weeks?

From her FB page - July next year, Sydney (Shannon Malmberg is the orgniser - I will find her details), Brisbane at Camp Tailwaggers and I think one other state still to be decided. Camp Tailwaggers has the info on their website. She says on her FB page that she will be doing private consults whilst here too. There must be other DOLer's who know more about her visit than me OOOOOh I wanna go! If you have any extra details this would be great.

I agree with pebbles. You just need to know what your dog normally does, what they normally feel like etc rather than being able to diagnose exactly what is going on. ie my girl climbs rather than jumps onto beds when her back is sore, my pup squatted 3 times instead of 2 when she had a urinary tract infection and by knowing normal, and noticing a change I was able to get them treated by someone who can put all the pieces together. I tend to put things that stand out to me on my calendar so I remember to keep an eye out on it and note any changes ie lumps and bumps. I also take photos anything unusual which means I can compare them over time etc. The thing to remember is that you dont have to go looking for things- most dogs are mostly healthy most of the time. Deal with things as they arise and enjoy your dog in the mean time.

I tend to chuck a sock on their foot with vet wrap for the first few days till it dries out- keeps it clean and stops them licking it but also allows it to air. I change the sock once it starts to look manky. Once its dry I let them run on it like normal. I find dogs that are irritated and want to lick it chew at the top of their sock rather than at the toe itself and I have been mean enough to put socks on all four feet as a distraction from the ouchie toe :laugh:

A Kelpie would probably suit- particularly if you do go down the rescue route and can chose a mature, slightly quieter version. Mine are very chilled at home (read couch hog/bed hog) and I call them a velcro breed! I have been studying for a week and have had constant company the entire time and my 18mth old pup already understands the concept of sleeping in :laugh: . When I take them out its a different matter- go go go go!! Great sports dogs, willing to please. I am not sure re taking them everywhere- it depends what you mean. Abby is a therapy dog, can be taken anywhere but I have to manage her ie take a crate, make sure she isnt bugging people to throw a ball etc. Vs Demi the Finnish Lapphund who goes everywhere and has a nap so no management required. I have met Kelpies that are more chilled but they tend to be ones that havent had their drive built up to do sports etc. Would an Aussie Shep work perhaps? The ones I have met are more chilled than a Kelpie but still do well in agility/obedience? I am pretty sure there are rescue adults or retired show dogs that pop up reasonably often. I think females of both breeds would be less than 20kg.

Cheers- I must admit my googling didn't even find the Chinese whisper.

Feeding whole eggs negates the biotin issue as the yolks contain so much of it that what is bound by the whites is irrelevant. So yes feeding just egg whites and no yolk eventually becomes a problem. Donna- just wondering where you found the info re blood dyscrasia and eggs? Just out of interest.

Dont feel bad at all!! These things happen and are the reason there are specialists And someone else will google this thread and get some really valuable information! Poppy is a lucky pup to have an owner who is getting her treatment.

Re evidence for acupuncture- I know there have been a few studies that have shown some positive results. This is a good starting place if you want to know a little more about it http://www.acuvet.com.au/index.php

Bathurst will be a great club- its new so I dont know the name either but know the person who is running it. Oh and your right about the human injuries- I have seen far far far far more injuries/stacks to the humans than I have to the dogs :laugh:

re injuries- it doesnt surprise me with the turns some dogs have and the weight people think its OK to compete them at. Also the lack of training outside training and general body conditioning.

Oooh where are you doing flyball? I cant help regarding supplements- I use Vets All Natural as extra calories but even then my two up and coming flyball monsters are still skinny weeds. I find that until they hit 2yrs of age they tend to work all the extra calories off regardless of how much I feed them!! I found this article interesting http://www.hilarywatson.com/athletes.pdf and now feed a slightly higher fat diet than I did prior, particularly during summer. ETA- another article although funded by a pet food company still some good info http://www.purinavets.eu/PDFs/ResearchReport_vol9-issue1.pdf

Oooh they look great- and like they would last with a 16kg kelpie climbing up them which most don't!!

Yes its about him but its about you too- make sure that you are looking after yourself while all this happens (I know when my dogs get sick I tend to forget about myself). So long as you know that in this case there is no wrong or easy decision and do what you feel comfortable with as his current owner and carer. And I really hope your breeder is supportive of whatever decision you make. Also know that you will have support on here during the roller coaster- having people that understand the human animal bond will be a big help in the coming weeks. Best wishes

Generally I just turn up gush over the dogs

Lots of cotton padding and vet wrap so you can do a Robert Jones Bandage http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/orthopod/csfr/terms/robertjonesbandagecipage.htm A print out of how to do the bandage Normal saline ETA Lectade Sachets- or another rehydration mixture And more print out/cheat sheets of what to do in different emergencies!!!! Not much point having a first aid kit unless people know how to use all the different bits in an emergency :)