Tassie

Yes, the FB stories are very different. You'd have to think the true story lies somewhere in between. And the physical condition of at least some of the dogs photographed do not seem like 'typical' neglected puppy farm animals. At least the ones I've seen look generally clean, healthy weights (maybe a bit over), bright eyes .. and in some pics what struck me was clean feet and neatly trimmed nails. Again .. not typical of what is seen in most puppy farm photos. Like others, I've lost respect for the RSPCA over the years, so the whole things seems a bit suss. Hope not too many of these poor dogs suffer as a result of what looks as though it could have been handled a lot better. Microchip records could be a good start, you'd think.

Sounds ideal … and yes, if she's kept him this long, it sounds as though she really likes him .. just has to be realistic with the number of dogs she can keep -- good sign. To help convince your partner on price … add up .. as a minimum .. two lots of vaccinations/vet visits .. and 12 months of feeding, grooming etc, then add that to the puppy price. That might help convince him. Fingers crossed it all works out for you. Cavs are great little dogs.

It's always hard to say definitively what is having a particular effect, but my old BC girl was on it for several years from about age 11 or 12 until her death from lymphoma at 15.25, and I'm reasonably satisfied that it assisted her mobility and general wellbeing. It was a real bon for me, because she had underlying kidney disease, so some of the normal anti inflams were ruled out, but the RHCV is kidney safe according to our holistic vet. Thinking about it, she also had a herbal arthritis pain relief powder which he made up (and which one of his vet techs used for her rheumatoid arthritis pain.) I've been using it with my 10 year old agility boy for the same length of time, along with glucosamine/chondroitin which he's had prophylactically since he was about 4. Again, it's hard to tell which, if anything is keeping him (touch wood) fit and healthy and jumping well. Another dog friend of mine uses RHCV routinely with her dogs - working Labradors, GWP, Jack Russell - and she takes it herself and swears by it. And yet another friend with an ageing GSD with a number of problems has been using RHCV for several months now, along with the dog's other meds (not sure what they are) and he definitely looks a more comfortable and more sprightly dog than he was. Again .. who knows what is actually doing the helping .. but since the RHCV is unlikely to be harmful (and has undergone testing for that), it's probably worth using. Agree with Maddy about the unpalatability .. My guys have yoghurt with their meals, so I put the powder on that, and then sprinkle it with some sort of tasty topper .. that does the trick. I'd be inclined to buy it direct from the company .. their service is good, and they often have specials .. and I would think they might refund at least part of the price if you were unsatisfied, and returned it, though I'm only guessing about that.

I agree with Diva about the importance of youngsters getting out and about to different places and encountering different people and things and noises … all in a safe and comfortable way, so they are building confidence. It is important if a do startles, as they may at different times, to pay attention to that, and help them work through it at their pace (unless of course it's something they should startle to. As far as rude people and dogs go … I have a reactive dog I need to protect, so I'm proactive .. I change sides of the street or directions if I can, and also say well in advance .. something like .. I'm sorry, my dog is not friendly .. could you call your dog please. For my girl I have the reverse problem .. of constantly explaining to her that no, it is not necessary togreet every person and dog she catches sight of … so again, turn and go is helpful/ As far as beaches go .. depending where you live, the middle of the day is too hot. The back of the hand test applies to sand as well as pavement - if you're not comfortable holding the back of your hand on the surface, the dog's paws shouldn't be on it. Ice cream … in small doses occasionally is probably OK. The main issue is probably the fat content if it's proper ice cream, especially if you have a dog that has had pancreatitis. Ideally dogs will not be pulled back by the collar .. any collar. Leash length … if it's a mental stimulation walk, longer (say 2m or so is probably better so dog can mooch and sniff and investigate .. you may find there are council regs in your area. for streets. Rally O … is actually quite a precise sport, though many people start off thinking it's easy. Done properly, it is not only fun, but also provides lots of different training opportunities which are easy to do at home. My previous agility girl didn't believe in obedience, but she was prepared to humour me with Rally O -- got her RAE when that was the top title. My current agility boy loves formal obedience, and really loved Rally .. he got his Rally Ch the first year it was available., Word of warning though …. just because they can compete at 6 months, doesn't mean they should. Sure you can do preparatory training, but for the way I want to be with my dogs, 6 months isn't long enough to learn who they really are, and to build up the sort of solid relationship I want with them before we go near the serious stuff, and the mental pressure of competition. I like to think in terms of my dogs still competing well into their older age, rather than finishing everything off before age 3. But that's just me. I'll get off my soap box now …. sorry

No help as I'm not in Queensland … but please don't assume because you've met some less than great vets, that most vets are just out for the money. Do you have a relationship with any of the vet practices local to you? Has your dog had a full blood panel run recently? I would be wanting that done in your situation, if not, as it might influence the choice of pain relief available to you. The most important thing is to get the pain under control quickly for the sake of the dog's quality of life, as I'm sure you know. Then you could also look at using supplements which may help with mobility as well.

I've lived in the same place for over 30 years … acre +, with acre blocks around, but on the edge of suburbia. Has become much more suburban in the vicinity over the years. There are several acres of dry bush reserve behind me and up and over a ridge, then more suburbia. Suburb of Hobart, but separated from Hobart itself by hills and bush and acreages. I had 2 big snakes on my place in the early years .. probably copperhead .. both happened to get caught up in bird netting and it was in the days before reptile rescue. Also had a live whip snake left on the bathroom floor by a cat who used to collect lizards and keep them in the bathtub . She presumably had trouble getting this one into the tub. Oh yes, and another whip snake that she had killed and left in a back courtyard. Another cat was having a lovely time playing with what might have been a whippy or a baby tiger or copperhead. Now I think about it, that was quite a snakey time as new houses were being built on the snakes' territory. Touch wood, haven't seen one for many years, though one neighbour had one in their yard, almost certainly washed down the hill from the adjacent reserve by the big floods we had here in May. But yes, several dogs die in southern Tasmania from snake bite every year, and others are saved by prompt (and very expensive) treatment. A young dog in my foundation agility class at dog club was killed three weeks ago, and a bitch in the same family was bitten but survived after antivenene and ventilation. They do live rural though.

Glad you got the refund … but :formula was too rich" seems a bit odd .. still .. it could well explain Poppy's diarrhoea. Hopefull since you got onto it so quickly, her tummy won't have been more than temporarily upset.

All good, Margaret. Hope you can get set up for lots of fun outings with Ianto.

Hi there Margaret. I'm not in Canberra, but I just came across this site, which gives good information .. probably if you contact this authority, you would e able to get the answers to your questions on the regulations relating to mobility scooters and dogs. Link to official information about recreation with dogs in Canberra And I just want to say I'm officially jealous of the very dog friendly laws that Canberra seems to have.

It would have been good if there was a bit more detail on date of manufacture etc. My 10 year old boy does well on GF BH Salmon. He' about 3/4 or more through a big bag, and no problems, so I'll certainly finish that bag. I have one more smaller bag (think it came as a Petbarn freebie when I bought the big one, so hopefully that's OK too, but will watch him when I start that.

Agree .. with the emphasis on 'take her outside' .. so pup on a light leash .. person goes out with pup and wanders round a bit and waits till pup has toileted .. big party. You will discover if there are particular surfaces she likes to wee on, or particular parts of the yard.. I would just be treating her like a new little pup who knows nothing about appropriate toileting, and work from there. And as Diva said, please don't tell her off .. apart from anything else, she's not a bad dog if she doesn't really understand where she should be toileting. Just as an aside, an added benefit of the "take puppy outside on leash and stay with .." strategy, is that pups become comfortable toileting on lead wiith the human close by, and when you know which sirface and location they prefer, it makes it much more comfortable for everyone when you're out and about.

@LunaC Just wanted to say you've had great advice here .. and that I do hope your little one is feeling better now, and that your kids understand that pup is just feeling like they might feel if they have a bad cold or cough.

Another thumbs up for Virgin …. the guys in Hobart are just great. When my puppy was coming in last year, her plane doing the Melbourne Hobart leg was delayed, (which I actually knew from Flight Tracker ) but given the 9,30 pm arrival time had been pushed back to 10.20, they wanted to make sure I knew not to come to the airport too early, and to reassure me that the plane was now loading and the pup was safely on board .. that bit I totally appreciated. They are great with the dogs themselves too.

My current two came as pups from their breeders via Jet Pets .. 8 years apart .. different States, but really good service both times .. arranged by their breeders .. depends on distance etc as far as costs go. I also had great help organising my two to fly at short notice to the mainland a couple of years ago from Moorholme Park.

I'm not sure how long ago you called her, but be aware that it's a very busy time of the year for show people, so that she may not have time to respond to puppy enquiries -- particularly when on her website and her DOL breeder listing, she specifically mentions that she has no puppies available for 2018. An email giving the sort of detail about you and your situation that she mentions on her website would probably be a better idea. But again, she may not be in a position to answer very quickly.

True!!

She's adorable. So happy for you all …. but are you really sure about that name? You know the old "be careful whata you wish for" ….

NIce find, @persephone. My Border Collies are crate trained from the day they come home (and if you're lucky it has been started by the breeder, particularly if the puppy is going to have a long journey to the new home. I like to have a bedtime crate beside my bed, so that I can hear puppy when/if he/she needs to go toilet at night. light collar and lead on, out we go to an appropriate toilet spot, then back inside and straight back to bed, with a little treat. Puppy is put in there initially at family bedtime, when pup is tired, after a toilet trip outside (on lead) and with a treat, and maybe a heatpad in cold weather, I use plastic airline crates for this. My 10 year old boy still chooses to sleep in his crate beside my bed, though there has been no door on it for 4 years, and it was open for a few years before that. My puppy - now 19 months old . has a wire crate in the family room, covered with a polar fleece blankets .. she sleeps in there after breakfast and after dinner, to let her calm down a bit and let he meals digest. (She is a very hyper puppy, so she really needs calm time. If I wasn't home, she'd be in an Xpen similar to the set up described in that video link.) When we're travelling, or at shows or competitions, the dogs also use crates .. in the car, and at dog friendly accommodation when I can't supervise them. The older boy has a soft crate, because he can be trusted not to break out .. the youngster a folding wire crate with a cover. In terms of training .. it's a matter of making the crate a comfortable, den space to be in. Some people leave the door open at first, but either way, I always use treats for going into the crate, and practise teaching the dog to stay in the crate even if the door is open, by playing games giving permission to leave the crate (with a release word .. which we can also use in other situations, also helps the dog to understand they need to wait for permission to go out doors, and particularly to leave the car. It's a great safety net. Congratulations for crate training .. it really is such a beneficial thing to do for your pup.

Not sure if you're talking about the breed clubs, or the ANKC here. But even if you're talking about the breed clubs, please be aware that many of them are involved in many more activities than showing, and for some clubs, probably the majority of members are not involved in breeding. Many clubs run activities pertinent to their breed … Gundog Clubs may run retrieving trials, gundog ability tests, and may also run tracking, obedience, rally and agility trials. Other breed clubs may run herding trials, as well as obedience, agility,, rally and tracking. Hound clubs may run lure coursing, Bernese Mountain Dog Clubs may run Drafting competitions, Terrier clubs may run Earth Dog competitions …. and so it goes on. These are activities which many cases are open to entries from non pedigreed dogs, through the Associate Register program of the ANKC. So it's not all about breeding or the "arcane" world of conformation showing. These are "real dog owners' spending their time training and competing with their pet dogs, because other dog owners, including Breed Club committees have given up their time to organize the competitions. Sorry that was a bit of a rant … but I think sometimes forget the work of the ANKC and its affiliates in providing a wide range of activities for all dog owners .. and almost all of that is done by volunteers. Just saying ….

@juice You might be a great go to person for advice here.

All of the above … and be aware that some particularly careful breeders will have a trial period … often about 3 months,.... to see if the bitch has settled in the new home and all is going well, and that it's been a good fit. So if you encounter that .. it's not personal … just a breeder who wants the absolute best for their mature dogs as well as their puppies.

I don't know how easy it is for you to get to a show or two, but that's often a way of getting a look at some different dogs, and seeing if there are dogs that take your fancy. Depending on how busy people are, you can often get chatting about the dogs, the breed in general, health., temperament etc. without being in specific "[puppy buyer mode". Also several of the people you see may be just owners, rather than breeders.

Thanks for the heads up Perse. I thought it was all parts of the cycad. (Fortunately for us they're not commonly grown down here .. there are advantages in being in the deep south.

Can never have too much beautiful puppy cuteness. They look lovely.

Great advice here, and kudos for seeking and considering fixes which should keep everyone happy; Just a few extra thoughts. The partl filling and then adding his poo could well work .. did for a couple of my early dogs. (I did leave them with one giant hole on a raised bed just outside the family room … it was shaded by a bush, and a lovely cool spot to lie. My long time neighbour and I were just reminiscing about that hole just the other day.) The difference in the quality of the dirt between this place and the others might be contributing. If there are little tiny grubs or a particular soil mix. My two Border Collies tend to dig little holes and then nibble on something in there. (Adds to the aeration done by the bandicoots.) And finally, it's worth considering that he doesn't actually 'know' he's done something wrong .. but he does make a connection between your reaction and the evidence .. we just don't know quite what connection he's making. But by giving him his own largish digging area, with all sorts of buried treasure .. toys, treats etc. and having a lot of fun in the early days helping him to discover the goodies and having a play with him, theoretically that digging pit should be a special place for him and associated with you having a good time with him.