RuralPug

Er no, I think I would get lynched if I asked another one! You go, K&P!!

(Did the spoiler the hard way...) Can't have you weeping with frustration, now can we?? I may be evil, but I am not cruel! Here is the answer - don't look unless you have completely given up! Mwah hah hah hah hah!!

I can't get the spoiler to work or I would tell those who are too frustrated...now I am frustrated...who can tell me the HTML code for spoiler?

Hmmmm I am evil, I guess. This feature distinguishes it from every other breed in the context of the clue. Try asking a non-doggy person - maybe they'll see what you are all missing. ETF typo

Flirt poles and tugs are really great but if he likes things that are moving, also try skimming a ball along the ground. He will probably chase it to start with then ignore it when it stops - you need to get really really exicted when he sniffs at it touches it etc and chase after it yourself at first. He may not "get it" straight away. The first time he picks it up you have to get really really excited (maybe warn the neighbours first so they don't call the men in white coats!! ) Once he really gets into it and starts fetching it back for you to throw again you can fit a huge amount of his exercise into just a short time and a few throws for you. You can buy the mini tennis balls at most pet suppliers if his mouth isn't big enough for the regular size.

No winners so far but you're learning a lot about this African breed aren't you?

Reduced to quoting myself! Not hairlessness or ears K&P - both breed traits though, well done! Come on you don't have to be Einstein...I gave an important clue!

While you wait???? Does that mean my question on page 15 is too hard??

Geez this thread moves fast! Okay I am entitled to ask - yay! I got the Coolie/Kelpie one right! Here we go - not sure if google will help you with this - am looking at a plate in old dog book right now. Clue - it is a British book, published 1950. My question: What is the most distinguishing feature of an Abyssinian Sand Terrier? (picture tomorrow I promise!)

;) She had a Deerhound and a Greyhound ;) And a toy spaniel and a parrot?

I don't know enormous amounts about working dogs, but I'll take a stab. My great-grandparents were breeding what they called "German Coolies" in the 1860's. I don't think (will get howled down if I'm wrong!!! ) that Kelpies were really established as a breed until the 1890's. I do know the breed took its name from a foundation bitch called Kelpie, so I guess that's the answer to your second question?

Since this thread has been resurrected I'll embarass myself too. This was in back in the '80's. I was in the ring with minor at her first show. Dopey partner of the time had my older bitch, Rosie, ready just outside the assembly area. "Triangle please", says the judge and I am concentrating very hard on little miss, as it's her first show. On the final leg, I glance up and the steward is bearing down on me at speed, with a frown - I look at the judge, she is giggling and then I realise that most of ringside are giggling too. I stop in front of the judge, the steward dives past me and surfaces with my Rosie. Huh??? ;) Apparently, she had slipped her lead, and trotted into the ring, neatly following behind as we did the triangle. The judge cracked jokes about "reverse double handling" and my dopey partner had been yakkity-yakking away the whole time completely oblivious to the fact that the lead he was holding no longer had a dog on the other end!

Hope this is okay to post here. All proceeds go to The Wishbone Foundation. Rebecca McLean photography will take your dog's pic with Santa for just $25. Be one of the first 50 people to bring their pet for a photo and get a free doggy sample bag full of product samples, discounts and yummy treats. Place: BVP, 1410 Sturt St, Ballarat. Time: Saturday, 18 December 2010 between 1pm and 4pm. Website for The Wishbone Foundation is here.

I will quite agree that although I prefer purebreds myself, there is nothing inherently wrong with crossbreeds (provided that health testing of the parents has been done and decent husbandry has occurred) but there is a hell of a lot wrong with selling puppies 4 or 5 weeks old. Is it then true that there is a minimum enforceable age before you can sell puppies/kittens if you are (a) a shelter (b) a pet shop or other business (including large scale breeder) or ( c) an ANKC or other ethical body member BUT if you are an unregistered, unaffiliated BYB you can legally SELL puppies and kittens at any age without penalty? If so, is this true only in QLD or is it true in other states also? :D If it's not true, then has the facebook posts re the puppies offered for sale been reported to the relevant authorities? Poor little puppies. ETF stupid autocorrect of ( c ) to ©

Try looking at some of the Asian import houses - I am thinking something like a cane cupboard - take off the doors, hang a curtain part-way and voila - cane canine cubby!! Google "cane furniture" and it's amazing - maybe time to haunt the second hand shops and garage sales?

;) ;) ;) That one just cracks me up!!!

Congratulations! He is a little stunner isn't he? Oooh all the drool to look forward to LOL!! :p

I recently heard of a vet who was doing tubal ligations (irreversible) in female puppies and vasectomies (irreversible) in male puppies. Hormone production not affected, females still come on heat, they still need desexing when their growth is finished to lessen hormonal drives (although I would imagine some habits would be ingrained by then...). But - they cannot produce puppies, accidentally or on purpose. Putting aside the Big Brother aspect (which I will admit bothers me) would this be a possible answer to the hormone problem while still ensuring a huge drop in accidental/unplanned litters? One of the reasons that I haven't bred a litter in decades now is the problem of ensuring absolutely that nothing I breed will end up in the hands of BYB's or pf's. (who knows why my breed is a target for them - it is a hard breed to whelp). The tubal severance is something I intend to research further and it may be an option that I would personally choose for non-breeding quality puppies. I don't want a law that says I have to desex young if this surgery is a better option. Has anyone used this method?

I have a girl with chronic pancreatitis and she gets mainly roo in her mix and does brilliantly on it. The others get a mixture of roo and whatever - chicken mince has the highest amount of fat so I only give that to puppies, mostly lamb or beef mince is added to the roo. A couple times a week they will get roo with their dinner also. Roo tail is awesome as well. I haven't noticed flatulence with the roo - mine get it with eggs or with too much poultry mince though. Eeewwwwww! Recently my supplier had rabbit mince - just long enough for my lot to get addicted to it, then he couldn't get it any more!

Well I can put both hands up if you like... Bumping ... I've seen quite a few strong opinions on DOL re this topic ... come on let's see what we can do together

It sounds like she has had a trust betrayed at some stage (or thinks she has which has the same effect) and yes I think it worth getting the services of a good positive trainer to give you advice and show you ways to help her through it. I wouldn't be getting another dog, no matter how confident, until she has a little more confidence herself. If she is fairly comfortable inside with you of an evening, try getting a light leash on her then and letting her wander the house with it on. You could try to desensitise her to the leash with a light slip leash or light leash clipped to a flat collar left on her when she is indoors with you in the evening. Don't tense up or get nervous putting it on, and don't let her loose outside with it on, just in the house and act as though it's no big deal and don't take any notice of it except for the putting on and taking off before she goes outside. If she likes being inside she will come to accept the leash in a few days. I usually find harnesses very very difficult to put on dogs that are wary of collars/leashes although they can be wonderful for dogs who don't walk well on lead but don't have problems with the lead itself.

This one interests me too...can I put my hand up again?

Hand up.

Carried away?? Nah, now this is carried away...last year's effort: Or even worse (hangs head in shame) - this year I had a helper (a very grouchy grumbling one, but stilll he did help!!) so I got even more carried away... here's to confuddlement christmassy pics...

I have NFI how to remove a glass reflection like that, so I just painted over it... Is this the sort of thing you wanted?