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Thanks for the link, Kavik, some great info there, I'm going to enjoy watching. Yes, RedFeather, thank you, I have started working through the list, we definately want the old-style shepherd with the square back, prepared to wait for the right pup to come along.

Hi everyone, Thanks again for all the great suggestions/words of advice, etc. Hubby is ADAMANT it is a GSD or nothing. So the search is now on for a good reputable breeder of old-style straight back solid shepherds. Looks like we'll (read: me!) have to get seriously involved in some sort of dog sport to keep him out of mischief. Imma gonna sneak in a mastiff puppy after he gets his shepherd puppy....

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, gratefully received and researching has begun! I had thought about a Rottweiler last night before I wrote the post... just thought... hmmm, wonder about a rottie. Should also have mentioned we want a short coat breed, it's a farm environment and we just don't have the time to put into a long haired breed, it really needs to have a "wash and go" type hairstyle :laugh: I'd love a long haired shepherd, but unfortunately really not practical. One of my dream breeds would be a malamute, but again, not practical for our lifestyle, sadly. The dogs all sleep inside with us at night, so the possum thing is not a make or break, we have a possum who lives in the roof of our laundry and clambers over the roof in his hobnail boots each night, our dogs just ignore it, but when they go outside for toilet breaks and spy a possum they're pretty interested. I just don't want a hunting dog who will chase for the kill obsessively. I don't mind them having a bit of a bark, used to that. My husband would dearly love another shepherd (our old boy passed a couple of years ago), but I am just worried about such an intelligent breed and the boredom factor? I only work mornings, so I'm generally home with the dogs in the afternoons, but not "entertaining" the dogs with sports, etc, they hang out with me and run around the house yard, they "help" with the chores in the afternoons, etc, but generally life here is just hanging out and playing with each other around the (very large) yard. It was enough for our old shepherd, "guarding" was his self-appointed job and he had spots in the yard and house where he could lay to survey. He was happy with that, but he was old with bad hips and happy just doing that. I guess the issue is; I would love a large, bulky mastiff type dog, hubby has agreed to a shepherd. I am worried about the boredom factor for an active working dog like a shepherd, hubby is worried about the "kill" factor for a mastiff type dog - I would really have my work cut out for me to push a mastiff type dog through instead of a shepherd. But not all mastiff type dogs were breed for hunting, more guarding I believe?

We are trying to decide on the best breed for a new pup to join our family, hopefully towards the end of this year. We are on 120 acres and have a menagerie of animals including other dogs (mostly small breed), cats, pigs, chooks, horses, etc. So it cannot be a hunting breed who may go against training to follow instinct and hurt our other pets. Also not to make a sport out of hunting the possums that run around the property every night. Having recently lost our large breed dog, I am feeling a bit insecure about the times when my husband goes away for work and I am left alone on a rural property, so a large breed "tough looking" dog is a must. We don't want an aggressive dog, but one that "looks the part" has a nice deep bark and would protect if push ever did come to shove. Something with looks to deter anyone who may be considering entering uninvited. Predominately we are looking for a family pet, one who will live inside with us and be part of the family. I love the heavy set mastiff type dogs (adore the look of the Cane Corso, but fear that would go for the pigs, chooks, cats, small dogs) and also like the "old style" German Shepherds. We don't do any dog sports such as obedience, agility, showing, our dogs are just pets who mostly hang out on the property with us, so I fear that a working dog like a shepherd may become bored and guess a lazier type couch potato dog is what we are looking for. A nice, big, heavyset couch potato who is a pussycat with the other animals. We do go for walks around the property with the dogs, they swim in the dam and the creek in the summer, however often we are just working around the yard and the dogs have to just "hang out" and run around the house yard (approx 3 acres) with us while we do our chores. So apart from "guarding" we don't need a dog who needs a job to do to be a happy and balanced individual. We will take the new dog to puppy school and then obedience training,for all the basics, but not as an ongoing "sport" for all the dog's life. We are experienced owners and I work in a dog boarding kennel, so this is not a first time big breed dog and we are both confident in handling dogs of all temperaments. Love some breed suggestions please...

It is wonderful. Must admit I shed happy tears when he left for his forever home. A bit bitter sweet for Boss though - he's going in for the big snip on Tuesday!

I just wanted to let everyone know that Boss has now been in his new home for just over two weeks. He is loving having a home of his own, and a lovely big 1 acre yard to explore and chill in. He has his very own comfy bed in the new owner's bedroom and is just loving his new life (and they just adore him too). Thank you so much for everyone's offers of help and advice, it was greatly appreciated. A very sad story with a wonderful ending.

Thanks for this HazyWal, I have ordered some. With seven dogs and four of them large beasties, finding cheapies like this is a real bonus.

Thanks for the links and suggestions, everyone, really appreciate it, off to check them all out now. May have to be a request to Santa Paws for the more expensive ones!

:D Okay, not for me personally (I'm a girl and they'd make me walk funny), but I'd like to get a couple of giant balls for the dogs. They love, love, love, those giant pilates exercise balls, but they pop them in about 45 seconds flat. Are there any large balls that are made to withstand dog teeth and nails?

I got mine from Norco Coffs Harbour. They told me that they had only just got it in, so maybe if you annoy your Norco store, they will get some in for you. I got a 20 kg bag for $37. Petstock has it too as does our other Produce store but they only sell it by the kilo & it works out expensive. Thanks Sheena. We are good regular customers of Norco, so I will certainly pester them - Coffs Harbour isn't so terribly far from Toowoomba that they couldn't get it in too! Especially being that we are going to need bags and bags of the stuff.

Does anyone have any idea where I might be able to find DE in bulk around Toowoomba(ish) way? Rang Norco up here and they don't have it, phoned another stock food store and they didn't even know what it was We have a house yard that's something like four acres, so need HEAPS of it. Have an uncontrollable flea problem and need to treat the whole yard, driving the dogs insane and absolutely nothing works (on the dogs) to keep the fleas off for more than a day or two. Comfortis works, but only for max two weeks (not the advertised month) and with seven dogs, it's bloody expensive. So hoping to treat at the source with DE.

There is a solution in between the two and neither the dog/s nor the chook/s have to go. We have chookies and dogs who are chookie hunters. The dogs are okay under supervision, but left unsupervised they will kill. During the day our chookies live in a very large fenced run (we're on acreage, so their run is a good 1/4 acre in size by itself, but I reckon this would work even on a standard house block, just fence of a portion of your yard). Around 3pm we close the dogs inside the house with a meaty bone or kong, etc, and then let the chookies out to free range. The chooks put themselves to bed at dusk, we go and lock all their houses up and then let the dogs back outside for a good run around. It's a system that works really well and both dogs and chooks are well used to it - chookies all start lining up at the gate at about 5 to 3, ready to start their afternoon's foraging. The dog's are knackered by the day's escapades and are happy to chew or snooze the late afternoon away until their evening romp.

Yes, it is imperative that it is FOOD GRADE ONLY. The pool grade DE is the toxic one, it is mixed with something else that makes it toxic to breathe. Apparently the food grade is safe and many people eat it themselves and give it to their pets/livestock to eat to control internal parasites.

It's not totally waterproof as in the cracks aren't sealed, so you don't want to keep it wet all the time, but it is okay with getting splashed/wet from time to time. The laminate won't be the issue, it would be the floorboards underneath that would become a problem if it was always wet. And I guess if it was getting piddled on constantly it would start to smell because you would not be able to clean up the piddle underneath - in that case I think you would be better off with something like lino that the wee couldn't soak through to underneath. Fortunately we don't get piddles on the laminate, we have one of those doggie loos down for our old girl and she will use that.

We have commercial laminate flooring - it was from Bunnings and was the type that had a rubber backing, so doesn't need an underlay. It just clicks together. It is also waterproof, so can also be used in wet areas. It hasn't marked at all, it is as tough as tough. Haven't noticed an issue with dogs/traction.

Thanks Jackie. I do my induction at RSPCA on Tuesday morning for volunteering, yay! Plan on starting studies in January.

Thanks again, everyone. Unfortunately we just don't have the funds for me to invest in a six-year uni course, much as I'd love to (on my list for future lotto winning spending!!) The Animal Tech course looks great, will look into that further and it may just be the answer, thanks for the suggestion!

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated. Yes, I'm aware that the pay is not great, but hopefully the job satisfaction may make up for that. Also it would be a great course for my own personal interest, we have a hobby farm with all range of animals, so working at a vet would be invaluable. I would love to be a vet rather than a vet nurse, but too much $$, and too late at this time of my life to go to Uni for six years to start a new career. I will phone TAFE and make some enquiries - did look at Open Uni online, but all seemed a bit dodgy, and very hard sell.

So, I've decided I'd like to become a vet nurse. Took a look online at the vet nurse courses and find that you have to already be in paid employment as a vet nurse for xx number of hours a week to sit your Cert IV. But take a look at the jobs vacant for vet nurses and they all require you to ALREADY have your Cert IV..... ROCK/ME/HARDPLACE Anyone done this as a mature student, and how? Did you just apply for vet nursing positions and let them know that you were intending to study, did you volunteer, did you go and grovel to your own vet (I spend enough there with all our critters - he OWES me a job! :laugh: ) Would love some advice about how to go about this. Complete change of career for me, my previous working life was in an office, for the last 10 years I've run my own small business from home, so this is a total career change for me (although I've always been an animal nut!) Thanks in advance for any advice, personal experiences, etc.

Yup, we leave them on here for the dogs too, actually we went out and bought three units two weeks ago just so we could leave the dogs comfortable inside if we had to go out. I love the heat, it can't get too hot for me, but watching the dogs struggle in it was not fun at all. So picked up three cheapie window units off ebay which are now placed strategically around the house, so they manage to cool the whole house down. I'll deal with the bill when it comes in, worth every penny to know that my dogs are not heat stressed when I'm out.

We have what I believe to be a Cane Corso. I say believe to be, because he is ex-rescue, so I'll never be 100% sure, but he most certainly looks as though he is and he fits the breed profile. Apparently they do pop up in rescue from time to time, so not outside the realms of possibility. He's still only young (just over a year old), but he is the calmest, most placid dog we have ever owned. Absolutely nothing phases him, he's good around people, other dogs, and our cats and/or livestock/poultry. He is a great guard dog in that he has a lovely deep rumbling bark, not at all aggressive, just lets you know there is something you should be aware of. He is headstrong, and does need a firm hand to manage, but only in terms of enforcing that, yes, you DO actually want him to do what you've just asked, you're not just asking him to have a think about it and get back to you. This is especially the case when asking him to move his big hairy backside and COME HERE PLEASE! If I could be sure that all other Cane Corso were the same, the would be my forever breed, he's one of the best dogs we've ever had. But unfortunately despite breeding, as all dogs are individuals, we may have just got pretty lucky.

You are to be commended for raising this girl to such a grand old age. Our GSD had arthritis and was on monthly cartrophen injections for the last couple of years of his life, they helped enormously and were not too expensive. He was also on fish oil and glucosamine. Mobic daily and tramadol on ocassion, usually cold days. He was kept lean to keep the weight off his joints. In warmer weather swimming is excellent exercise for arthritic dogs as there is no pressure on their joints. As far as knowing when the right time is, it is so very difficult. But a great vet once told me "better a day too early than a day too late" If she is still mobile, eating well and not in constant pain or distress, IMO it's not yet a day too late. she looks very contented in that photo.

This would be a wonderful business opportunity for someone - I remember seeing an episode of Canadian Dragon's Den, where the business was tracker dogs to find missing pets. Sorry, I don't know of anyone in Australia who does it, but I would have used it in a heartbeat when our dog went missing. I hope your dog comes home soon, it really is one of the most horrible situations.

I've heard of this, that farm dogs are often immune. I discussed with my vet and he said that it appears animals who are constantly in contact with them (paralysis ticks) do develop an immunity. I asked why they couldn't develop a vaccine based around this and he said that it only lasts for a few days, the dogs/animals that are immune are getting constantly bitten which keeps up their immunity.

We have a Cane Corso or pretty damn close mix (looks 100% Cane Corso, but came from a rescue, so can't be 100% sure he is pure). He is the most placid boy I have ever known, very laid back, easy going. His name is Rhino, with the nickname of Slobber Chops. We absolutely adore him.