Tassie

Welcome back to DOL .. and biiig congratulations on finding a beautiful dog from an awesome breeder!!! It will be interesting to be able to follow Muse's training journey if you don't mind sharing.

I'll get a full panel done if my dog is having pre-surgery bloods ..just as a baseline for future reference. Some dogs can have slightly weird values but be in perfect health - that's worth knowing. (A BCxKelpie of mine had full bloods done one time and the vet was struck by the fact that the dog in front of him was bright and healthy and non vomiting .. when some of her values suggested pancreatitis. This dog was hypothyroid, and needed to be operating at the high end of normal thyroid values.) Not something I'd do annually though.

I used to use Polaramine .. but only for emergencies like bee sting or jackjumpar ant bite. I was setting up a travelling first aid kit for a trip nearly 10 years ago .. at that time, my vet recommended 10mg Phenergan for the Border Collies .. but again, I was asking about something for emergency use, not regular.

If it's an area where dogs really should be on leash, I tend to move away from the other dog/owner as far as I can, and if I can't completely avoid them, I will call out long before the other dog even looks like getting near my two … nicely .." Could you call dog please. Mine are not super friendly." Which is half a fib .. one is, the other isn't. Thoughtful owners will see you avoiding the meeting, and will have enough manners and training on their dog to call the dog back and either leash or keep it under control while we pass. My two will be on shorter leashes and the other side of me. I always thank the other owner … and if the dogs are settled and there is enough room, we might end up having a nice chat, as happened to me to me other day. If the other dog/owner does not respond well, then my best option is turn and go in a different direction. If you need to buy a bit of time as you turn and go, you can always throw a handful of treats in the path of the oncoming dog.

The good thing is he lets you know … although that certainly makes for broken sleep. My first thought when peeing habit changes and becomes more frequent, is possible urinary tract infection (UTI). If he were my dog I would be arranging a vet check up for him, if only to rule that out. If he's outside during the day, you probably won't know whether he's peeing more frequently during the day as well. If there is no medical reason, then I'd be doing things like withholding access to water too close to bedtime .. and no access to water during the night .. he doesn't need it.

Since it seems highly unlikely that the parents were tested prior to the mating, it would definitely be worth your while. One of the defects is likely to lead to puppies fading and eventually dying in the first 3 months (TNS Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome) Another is a defect in the back of the eye (CEA Collie Eye Anomaly) - mildly affected dogs have little to no problem .. my previous BC girl (born before the genetic test was available) was CEA affected - picked up by the eye tests that good breeders did then at 6 weeks - but went on to compete at the top level in Agility.) The real kicker for you and the one that is totally worth testing for is CL Ceroid Lipofuscinosis - because symptoms do not start manifesting till about 18 months, and affected dogs cannot recover - they have to be euthanised . usually before about 24 months.

The C7 (which includes leptospirosis) is apparently much more problematic .. as in a higher proportion of adverse reactions. Lepto is rat borne, so vets will sometimes give it if the dog lives in close proximity to a lot of rats, but as far as I know, it's very rarely given.

I nearly said something about the shorter life expectancy, although among the good BMD breeders, the average life expectancy has gone up .. into double figures now .. just .. but that's better than 8 or 9. It will be really important to choose your breeder carefully, and ask a lot of questions about the longevity of dogs they have bred.

Second what @persephone said. If you've chosen a specific breed then that suggests the second dog is for you not just for the first dog. Two dogs are definitely fun,., but also pretty uch twice the work . You need to find time to train each one separately, as well as doing things with them together. In terms of the size/weight thing .. the Bernese I've known are pretty gentle characters, although they can be clumsy/. A friend of mine .. an experienced Bernese owner .. now has a Bernese living happily with a Cairn terrier. They've grown up together, and she's had no problems over - they're 2 years old..

That's such good news, @Tully. Hopefully he's well on the right path now.

This! And thank the owner for her control over her dog. She would probably have been quite concerned about her dog's reaction to puppy rudeness from a Spitz breed (agree with the comments of other dogs difficulties in reading them … my BC just assumes they are looking for trouble because of the piercing eyes and the tail carriage.) And kudos for you for thinking this through and realising there are some solutions. (Having said that ..I'm another who avoids dog parks with random dogs like the plague. )

Yes .. that is the crap shoot, isn't it. :-( .

That question sent me on an interesting if somewhat scary little research adventure. The short answer, depending on the particular species of Campylobacter is .. no .. reduces the number of them. But another interesting piece of information is that most dogs cope with a small load of campylobacter .. which makes sense when you think about their evolution. So if that is the nasty as the UMelb study was suggesting, there may perhaps be an added susceptibility in dogs that develop the APRN.

Thanks for that reminder @persephone. Silly old woman that I am, I'd forgotten to refer to that. I still wilsh there'd been some follow up work on the UMelb study .. maybe there has been - I haven't come across it.

@Ray & Wilson Ditto what the others have said. And if pup is crying after surgery, it can be the effects of the anaesthetic working its way out of the system rather than pain from the surgery itself. Different dogs react differently to anesthetic. Hope your pup recovers really well.

@sheena Two particular concerns .. one arising from a Melbourne Uni study reported February 2018. Can't quickly find any follow up studies. More general concerns about chicken necks and puppies are covered in this article from a Vet hospital.

Just checked by Big Dog box .. yep 13%protein. But I'd say if you're feeding a high protein % kibble for other meals, that's not a problem. FWIW, ROry's breeder, years ago, had them on Advance Large Breed puppy until 14 weeks .. and then transitioned to a lower % protein as she felt her BCs were a bit too hyper on the higher protein foods. Pippa was fed raw right from the start, which is why I kept her on raw .. just not with me buying in stuff I couldn't fit in my freezer.

Totally agree about not allowing running round for a little time before and after her meals. I am a worry wort, but I'm always conscious of the risk of bloat. So my hyper BC girl has to have a calming time before meals .. then is fed in her crate and stays there for a nap for an hour or so after the meal. She does have an antler or hoof chew in there to keep her amused, but more often, she actually naps. 30 minutes running round in one go, especially directed running round with a flirt pole or something like that, is IMHO way too much 'forced' exercise for a young puppy... highly likely to cause damage at some point. Yes, they may go crazy zoomies on their own .. but that's more usually for a shorter period of time, and although it can be a bit scary, is being done at the puppy's own pace. I tend to stop that after about 10 or 15 minutes max, and have an enforced break. Totally agree with @tdierikx about the importance and beneficial effect of mental exercise through training and/or problem solving. There are plenty of resources on the web for positive training with youngsters … have a look for the Wonderdogs on FB .. and Kikopup and Donna Hill on YouTube for a start. The more you teach pups the more they can learn .. and it certainly tires them out more than physical exercise.i Something else to consider and research .. the role of elevated cortisol levels in overstimulated pups .. it takes many hours for the cortisol levels (which can rise because of stress or over arousal of any kind) to come back down to normal. So to teach your pup to relax and be calm and thoughtful is beneficial for everyone.

My first thought would be management. So changing the environment so the annoying behaviour can't occur … so depending on the set up .. that would likely involve babygating and/or crating and/or xpen. If the behaviour annoys you, you can imagine it would annoy the heck out of the small dog, and as you probably figure, it's probably not doing the intact male any good either. You could combine the physical separation (and more than just a door) with some enrichment/displacement activity for the entire male .. something lie a snuffle mat with smelly treats, stuffed frozen kong etc. This would likely only be effective if the entire male was physically quite separated from the small breed male.

Have went you a PM with a suggestion. Hope it helps.

It does seem to depend quite a bit on the individual dog. I'm using it prophylactically primarily along with a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM chew … have done for years .. and (touch wood) my 10,5 year old Agility BC seems to be in good shape. Not a fussy eater though. I was talking with a friend yesterday who has been using RHCV for a year or more for her multi problem GSD who must be coming up towards 12 or maybe is 12. She is absolutely happy with it, and how well her dog is doing on it compared with before .. his other food and meds regime is the same.

Have a look at their FAQs on their website. They say 100% human grade ingredients … and given the sources t=of additional information they reference, I'd say you're probably safe. And since it's raw and minced, there'd be a limit to what they could conceal.

Some people do BARF for one meal a day and kibble for the other. I haven't done that, so I really don't know. I'd think it was probably better not to feed both types at the same m3eal .. but I don't know for sure.

Big Dog are available in our animal feed supplier, so you could check if you've got some fairly local. Not sure about other brands .. think we're a bit limited down here .. but Big Dog do have quite a range of varieties. Just checked BigDog website … shows Coffs (PetStock) and Grafton as within 35 km of you (think my memory is right ;-)). So other brands might be availabler too.

@sheena Lots of fun ahead! It will all come back to you. … 8 year gap for me too. FWIW one of my dogs came on large breed puppy .. but only till about 14 weeks .. then transition to a lower %protein and fat .. I think along the lines of 'grow em slow and steady' and not too hyped. My current youngster had been raised raw fed, so at 10 weeks I just continued that - although I cheat and use Big Dog BARF patties. At Christmas this year I actually transitioned Rory over to the BARF patties too … not because I was at all unhappy with his Black Hawk kibble. but so that he could enjoy the Turdukken too (Christmas special). I felt that his coat was looking even nicer on the raw, and he was still doing well in all other respects, so I've kept him on that now too.