tdierikx

When my Lab girl had 9 pups we fed her lots of chicken wings and puppy milk formula (Biolac or Di-Vetelact can be bought in big tins from pet supply places like Petbarn). Keep an eye on the smaller or weaker pups and try to make sure they get as much mum's milk as possible - if you can convince the larger and stronger ones to have some formula once or twice a day, that will make them less pushy with the littler ones and will take some of the pressure off mum dog's milk supply. Also feel up mum dog's teats daily to make sure she doesn't develop any hard or hot spots, those can be signs of mastitis, and you definitely don't want that... hand feeding 11 pups is no walk in the park... A vet check of mum and pups in the next few days will also put your mind at rest as far as everyone's health is concerned. Congratulations on your new arrivals... and don't be shy to yell if you need any help, OK? T.

Sounds quite normal to me... ... but I'm a crazy dog lady... *grin* T.

My Lab is crated during the day while I'm at work, and the other 2 dogs are loose in the kitchen. The Rottie X girl is segregated in a spare room at night and the Lab is loose with the other dog. The Rottie X will happily go in a crate, but she is fine in the spare room also. Both older dogs had never been crated until they were 5 and 11 respectively. Pickles the foster failure does NOT do crates - she has actually destroyed one by chewing the steel bars enough to get herself half out of it! All of my fosters are crate trained. T.

My girls don't fancy other adult dogs as fosters, but are fine with pups up to about 12 months old... so that's what I tend to foster... *grin* T.

My Zeddy will carry on like a great big vicious dog when anyone comes to the front door, but as soon as I say hello and let the person in, she is the biggest tart demanding cuddles... Recently I was very sick and had to call an ambulance to take me to hospital... I actually dragged myself around to get the dogs contained before they arrived... *sigh* T.

The last line of the Eulogy link posted in the OP sums it up... “Marley, you are a great dog.” Anyone who has had a slightly incorrigible dog can identify with the book... I laughed so hard in parts I nearly peed myself, and then a few pages later I would be in tears. John Grogan truly loved Marley and that shines through in his writing. Probably one of the best books I've read ever. The movie really didn't do it for me the same way as the book did in that sense... Oh - and Marley ain't the only dog that has been expelled from group training... I've had 2 of those myself... but both settled as they got older and learned the basics perfectly. T.

Looks like there are no courses available right now - TAFE website says not, but you could ring and ask if there may be one coming up... The AWL sometimes runs them too - could check with them... T.

Oh JulesP! Big hugs from me and mine to you and yours... T.

No insights... just eye candy... *grin* T.

Was there ever any real doubt that he'd worm his way into the hearts of your pack Ruthless? T.

Anyone here remember the Chesty Bond adverts? Hehe!! T.

Do Atlas's jammies come in a larger size for Madam Zeddy? Miss Pickles says that if Mummy doesn't mow the lawn short enough, she'll get surprises in the house... Pickles doesn't like long wet grass tickling her tummy BEFORE she squats! Or Miss Pickles will just dump on the steps at the back door... errr! T.

I can only think of one use for the vet in this show... and it's not treating my dogs... *grin* T.

My neighbour put me onto this place when she also "recruited" me to foster a rescue dog... now you are stuck with me... *grin* T.

The key word here is "asymptomatic" methinks... unless tested, you ain't going to know it's there until it's too late... Without knowing the breeding background of the tested dogs in the study, it's a little hard to draw absolute conclusions as to the prevalence of this disease in the breed. How many of the dogs were sourced from ethical registered breeders who screen their breeding stock regularly, for example... ?? Add to the above the fact that research is usually undergone to prove or disprove a particular theory... well... T.

Another vote for Annandale vet here... excellent service and wonderful vets and staff... worth the extra few minutes to get to... T.

It's good to hear that you have had some expert advice for helping Missy learn new nicer habits. It's going to be a fair bit of hard work, but you sound like you are willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen. Don't forget that the trainers are only as far away as a phone call if you hit any stumbling blocks, OK? T.

My 5yo Labrahoover is around 32kgs... and I'd like her to be 28kgs (ideal weight for her build IMO). She looks "slim" - compared to most Labs - at 32kgs, but she looks divine (to me and my vets) at 28kgs. She is on a specific amount of food daily to make sure she doesn't get fat. when she puts on the "soulful eyes" trick, all she gets is a cuddle... *grin* Same goes for my Rotti/Pittie cross girl - she is a little taller than my Lab girl, but looks perfect at 28kgs... and she's 12yo with a little bit of arthritis in her back legs, so she's not allowed to get fat or she has issue with movement in winter. My camp dog pup (9 months old) has mobility issues due to a brain injury sustained as a very young pup - she is kept lean (but healthy) to make her mobility issues easier to deal with (for her - not me). as she gets older, she is becoming much more agile/stable as she keeps learning to walk better. In the 7 months I've had her, her walking and running have come along really well - even though she will never be "normal", she can run and play with other dogs just fine. T.

Cocker Spaniel? Staffordshire Bull Terrier? From a reputable breeder of course - you want one with an even temperament from the start. Standard Poodle? Mini Poodle? Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? T.

Dogmovers is definitely a legitimate animal transport company... T.

Awesome save Jo!!! a brilliant outcome for little Rennie and her new loving family... T.

She certainly is a stunning little lady... please give her a cuddle from me... T.

I fostered a cheeky female Cavalier pup a while ago... we named her Willow... T.

Hahaha! Love the Salukis... T.

Not many vets would like to think that a dog could pick up anything infectious from their premises... but unless they sterilise the waiting area after every other dog has been there, then there is always going to be a small possibility that it can happen. It is not an indictment on their practices - although some vets will be a lot less likely to admit it than others. IF Ella has KC, and she hasn't had any contact with other dogs in the 2 weeks leading up to her surgery, then the chances are that she picked it up at the vet's... but it's not necessarily the fault of the clinic's sterility procedures - it's just the nature of the beast... I wouldn't worry too much about it - or the vet's reaction to your asking - as long as Ella is otherwise happy and healthy, this will pass just like when a child catches a bad cold, OK? T.