~*Shell*~

There isn’t a official club in QLD but there is an active group of owners and a couple of breeders up there. You might like to join this Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/268684699887604 They do regular meet ups so you might be able to get to one and meet the breed

I have 2 Finnish Lapphunds and I don't think they would be appropriate for your needs if you don't want a dog that barks a lot. Lappies can be problem barkers and many people have them in bark collars all the time when they're outside. Barking is like their go-to when they're excited and little things can excite them. They are good with kids for the most part, but may decide that your cat needs chasing. My younger girl is 2.5 and she still loves trying to herd the cat. Grooming is an issue for them too - some lappies have much bigger coats than others, and particularly when desexed. They do look like cute teddy bears but they are a working dog and you have to keep that in mind.

I think it's less about "how many" and more about what you do with them :) I do a lot of sports with my dogs and I know that if I had more than a couple in training at once, I wouldn't have time to do the number of sports I do :) If I just did basic pet obedience and not so many sports, I could have more. I like being able to have a lot of one on one time with my two though :) I would happily get a third dog now that Zero is getting older and is pretty much retired from sports but I waited 2.5 years for Veikko so I think I will wait at least that long for the next puppy to come along :)

Zero: Back to health after his snake bite. If he never competes in anything again, I don't care. I just want him healthy again. Squiggle: I'd just love her to be happy working in the ring. The titles are just icing on the cake. Dumbbell retrieve perfected - we're so close!!! CCD title FD & FDX titles (not massive achievements - but timing wise, this isn't realistic until the end of the year) Compete in agility - hopefully JD title and I'd like to get her up and running in AD. RN title and a leg towards her RA.

With Veikko, I kept her at home for 4 weeks from the first day she was bleeding. While she was out of season 3 weeks later, I left her an extra week just to be on the safe side. On that 4th weekend, I gave her a post-season bath. :)

I had a guy at our club who had the same problem with a neighbour "hearing" their dog bark - he put his dog into boarding for a week, informed the council he was doing so and asked the neighbour to record how many times the dog barked - neighbour still said the dog barked constantly. The council officer then went and told the neighbour that the dog hadn't even been in the suburb when they were supposedly hearing the barking. The complaint stopped right then and there.

I planned Veikko for about 2.5 years. I spent some time researching the breed, learnt which type I preferred and then went looking for lines in Australia that I thought would have the looks and drive I wanted, then I approached a breeder. That was all about 2 years before Veikko was born. I'm already looking at my next addition to the family. I know what I want and I'm prepared to wait for as long as it takes to get it :)

Here is my little rising star, Veikko, aka Armahani Diamond Dansut (AI) at 7 months old: And stacked (excuse the grooming!):

Don't worry so much about the registration papers - ask the breeder if they've been sent off and if they haven't, don't stress too much. A lot of breeders can't send them off until the puppies are 8 weeks old, especially if the families are having input into the registered name. You have to send off microchip numbers with the litter registration now so if the breeder hasn't chosen which puppy is going to which home and those new homes are helping choose registered names then they won't be able to send them off until the homes each puppy is going to have been finalised. Veikko's litter registration wasn't able to be sent off until they were 8 weeks old because Armahani was deciding which puppy would suit which home best and we all had input into registered names. It took weeks for the registration to come through and then more for her to be transferred into Armahani and my joint number with DogsNSW. Very worth it in the end though :D

You might want to take HW's advice and make sure your friend has some "help" - brandy and valium are a start ;) I was sooooooo lucky with Veikko. She's been pretty easy but I've heard many many horror stories of puppies screaming all night on the first night. One of these is brilliant if yo can get it to the breeder beforehand: http://www.k9pro.com.au/products/Snuggle-Puppy.html I sent mine down to the breeder a week before i picked her up and Veikko and the boys slept with it so when i got her home, she had something warm that smelt like her mum and brothers (and uncle louis, who would have happily stolen the toy if he could have!)

Pedigree papers might not have come through yet Luke - Veikko's didn't until she was 13 weeks old. Breeders can't submit them until the puppy has been microchipped and DogsVic had a bit of a backlog when I got V :) Veikko came with a massive folder of stuff - it included everything you mentioned above but her pedigree certificate. Things I would want to know are what the litter was being fed on and what wormer the breeder used.

Mine are both mine :) Zero had a choice of 3 of us, but he's definitely a "me" dog. Veikko didn't really have a choice and I thought she was happy to be everyone's friend but i've realised lately how bonded to me she is.

I have 2 at the moment and for now, that's my limit. When Veikko is a little older, I'll think about a third. When Z retires from sports (probably in the next 18 months or so), then I would be able to deal with a fourth but I don't think it will happen. I'm not really interested in a fourth and I would like their ages to be better spaced than having three dogs under 3 years. I'd love another sibe but again, with Veikko's training. I'd like an even split so if i was to ever have 4 dogs, i think it would be two rescue sibes and two lappies :)

Does he heal completely between flare ups? Or are you still jumping him etc? Would it help to pull him for a while to strengthen the entire area and build up some really solid core strength and then go back to it and see if the injury happens again?

Hi all, As some of you will have heard, the decision was made in december for the ANKC to stop the Australian Flyball Association's affiliation. This means that as of the 1st of july, new flyball titles are no longer recognised by the ANKC, all because of an issue with the insurance the AFA hold (which is the same as the insurance the ANKC hold, supplied by the same company). Quite frankly, the entire thing is ridiculous and the reasons given for the ANKC to stop the affiliation are moot points, as the AFA already has policies and work-arounds in place to deal with it. We'd love your support if you have a moment to sign the petition and tell your state canine control body that you support flyball as a recognised sport. http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/ankc-ltd-re-affiliate-with-the-the-australian-flyball-association Cheers!