tdierikx

If you want a smaller sized kibble, try the Royal Canin range of puppy foods... I had a Dane cross rescue pup (sister to my horse puppy) at 3.5 weeks was 900g - she wasn't gaining weight with mum and littermates, so the vet advised separating her from them and making sure she got enough food. Brought her and another smaller pup from the same litter home and fed them raw chicken mince and Royal Canin Junior kibble. Didn't soak the kibble, and they ate it just fine. T.

I'm pretty sure that in all states of Australia it is illegal to rehome/sell pups under 8 weeks of age. I'm betting that the "breeder" has decided that feeding and raising a large litter of pups is too much work... between 4 and 8 weeks is pretty messy, and a lot of hard work... personally I find it the most rewarding stage. Take it from me - who has a large breed dog I didn't do all the right things with while she was still of a manageable size - you want to get things like lead training and general obedience happening while they are still small enough to handle! I was laid up with some intense back issues during my pup's early stages, and now it's all so much harder to do things with her that she might resist... errr! As for taking outside in your yard - unless you believe there may have been any parvo tracked there in the past couple of years, it should be fine. Just don't take her off your property until she's had some vaccinations... except to the vet - and carry her in there. T.

Same thing happened to a friend of ours... only when he got to town the morning schoolkids all had to see the dead hanging dog as we waited for the school bus. Never been a fan of dogs on utes since seeing that... T.

Important to note that you do NOT want to grow this puppy fast... large breeds need to be grown slowly to avoid issues with joints, etc. Get yourself a large breed (Dane or Mastiff type) specialised premium kibble - Royal Canin and the like will have large breed selections specifically designed to grow the dog at the correct rate. Make sure pup has fresh water available at all times - only give milk (puppy milk, not regular cow's milk) at meal times. She will drink the water if she's thirsty enough, and you really do want her weaned off milk sooner rather than later. Depending on how well her teeth have come through, you can warm the milk and soak the kibble in it a bit to soften it - don't make it too mushy, she has to learn to chew... *grin* A puppy playpen or cage type crate is a good investment too. I used to put a plastic bucket bed in mine with warm bedding and a teddy bear the same size as the pup to simulate a litter mate to snuggle up to... worked 99% of the time. You can also cover the crate to simulate a den type environment for added comforting. Don't decide to put pup to bed before you go to bed - they will scream the house down if they know everyone else is up and about. Best place for the night crate is in your bedroom and facing so she can see you sleeping on the bed. I found that night time snuggles on the couch was great - I'd be watching TV with a pup or two sleeping next to me (or spooning with me). They feel comforted and are getting their sleep, and learning to be settled with humans. Get a routine happening and stick to it... pup will settle faster that way. In a week or two I'd be offering her a chicken wing to chew on frequently (one daily or every second day) - great for helping those puppy teeth come through, and for keeping them clean. Socialisation is paramount also... have friends come over (without their own dogs) and have them interact calmly and gently with the new addition - cuddle time and gentle play with strangers is good for really young pups. No other dogs, or taking her out anywhere until she has had at least her 2nd vaccination... very young pups can get sick and die from nasty diseases very quickly. Take her to your vet for an introduction and general checkup - she'll need worming at the very least, and your vet will discuss a vaccination schedule for her. Make the vet visit as pleasant an experience as you can - remember that she's going to be a pretty big girl when she grows up, and you want her to love going to the vet, OK? Plenty of acceptable chew toys will be needed in the next few weeks... start buying them now... lol! Hope the above helps... T.

We all need a challenge pup, don't we Sheridan? *grin* T.

Good boy Roo!!! T.

Photobucket is an online gallery site for photos... good for using to share photos on forums... T.

I started with a point and shoot model... took some nice pics under the right conditions - dogs running with friends at the park and all that stuff. Moved up to the 450D and the kit lenses, and had pretty good success with that too... I LOVE my 60D and 100-400mm lens though... still going strong and giving me mostly what I want from it... lol! You are gong to love your new setup, as I'm of the opinion you really can't take a bad photo with the 70D... *grin* Start saving for your next lens... 'cos methinks you're gonna get addicted to photography PDQ! T.

Even the impressively experienced dog owner can have some hiccups with raising a pup... check this thread... http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/263169-raising-two-puppies-at-once/ I don't think that people are accusing you of being a bad or abusive puppy owner - maybe their wording could have been a bit better presented, yes? The general rule of advice threads like this is to take from all posts only that which is useful to you, and to ignore anything that may be perceived as personally negative. Seeking help from the breeder and from training experts is a good start... and a couple of those have made sensible replies here. T.

I'm a mean dog mummy... I just open their mouths and jam the pills down the back of the throat... luckily I don't have a dog that requires daily medication - or then I reckon I'd have to be a little more creative with the dispensing method, yes? T.

You and Jolie are doing an awesome job... look at those little fatties! T.

Zeddy was 25kg - her dose was between 1ml and 1.5ml... a 100ml bottle lasts a while. T.

As someone who fostered around 200 puppies for ONE rescue over a 6 year period, I can attest to the fact that puppies are indeed plenty available through rescue... but once their adoption advertisements go online, they do tend to have a lot of applications and rehome pretty quickly. *Your Name/ State: Tracey - NSW *Dogs Name/Age/Breed: Pickles - 5 - Camp Dog *Your adoption story: Pickles came to me at the age or about 9 weeks as a foster puppy. She was born in an Aboriginal camp somewhere in the middle of the Northern Territory. A lovely community worker had noticed that Pickles could not walk properly, and approached the elders to take her away and give her a better chance at life. Permission was granted, and Pickles made her way all the way to Sydney to the rescue I worked for. It turned out that Pickles has a scar in her brain (cause unknown - and we don't speculate) that means that she can't feel very much in all 4 limbs. She goose-steps with her front legs, and splay walks with the back ones... it's an interesting sight to say the least. Pickles was given the highest quality puppy food, and a course of medications to help make her stronger. Her physiotherapy involved playing with 4 other young foster pups I had in care at the time, a little bit of swimming (she hates water), and lots of love and attention. Now, Pickles doesn't know that she's different, and she certainly doesn't let her funny walk stand in the way of enjoying life and all it has to offer to the fullest extent. She loves people, and other animals... even to the point of being a great help with all the other foster puppies that came after her. Pickles was my 45th foster puppy, and my first "foster failure" - her joy for life is completely infectious, and I love her to death. She has taught me that life can throw us obstacles, but we can live with those and still have a great time. I couldn't think of my life being complete without her in it. She is naughty to the extreme, cheeky as a monkey, and stubborn as a mule... and I wouldn't change any part of her for the world. T.

Absolutely spot on... and it made my eyes leak... T.

Seriously... you are making me clucky for puppies! T.

We all have different "eyes" when it comes to photos/art... what one person may like, someone else won't - it's all subjective really. ... and sometimes a bit of soft focus or blur just helps tell that photo's story better than if it had all been in crisp focus. I'm my own worst critic with my photos, but sometimes when I'm going through old ones, I realise that some of them really aren't all that bad... *grin* T.

Zeddy only had Meloxicam if the weather conditions started to affect her... if she was moving freely or the weather was warmer, she was actually quite spritely for a nearly 16 year old dog. She'd also had a suspect knee since the day I got her at about 5 weeks of age... somethimes that would act up, and she'd get Meloxicam to ease that in her earlier and more active years. T.

I've had litters from my own dogs in years past... and you are right, it's a bit different from rescue dogs... but the concepts are all the same, yes? I think it's the whole feeling like your own dog is your "baby", and the rescues don't always stay long enough to have the same bond with them. Not to say that we don't tend to treat fosters like they are our own dogs while they are in care, but we also have that thing in the back of our minds that they are only temporary residents... T.

My vet sold me my 100ml bottle for $70... shop around. Also, you don't have to use too much per dose, and if it's arthritis, you really only need to use it when it's bothering her. I wouldn't use it every day for years... T.

So precious... and in 6 weeks time, you'll have mayhem... but LOTS of puppy breath kisses! I'm getting a bit clucky actually... been a while since I had any babies around here... T.

Sounds like a great day was had by all... and for such a sweet old man to boot! T.

I'd be watching them all day too... they are just so perfect... T.

I'll agree the Tamron 18-270 isn't as fast as a Canon L lens... which is why my Canon 100-400 L is almost a permanent fixture on my camera - but compared to the Canon kit lenses, it's definitely faster than them, and perfectly fine in reasonable light conditions... add to that the upgraded Digic processing of the 70D and I reckon that it will serve just fine until Sail_Away has saved up and gotten enough experience to try the more upmarket lenses. T.

You must be completely over the moon... Congrats - they are all simply stunning! T.

Wow! they are a good size! Jolie and you have done really well there! Please give Jolie a little cuddle from me and tell her I said she's a star! T.