alpha bet

There are many factors... certainly if the breeder can take the pup back for the 10 days would probably be the best option. Otherwise I would be discussing with the pet sitter to see how you feel. It is quite a bit to ask for a sitter to mind such a baby and it is also when you might find your older dog starting to put in some blocking behaviours when the pup is getting to full on. This is normal for the older dog to give some reprimands to the baby but it might be something that your pet sitter will be more stressed with as she might be over cautious on your behalf.

We have been using VAN for the last 4 years and have weaned and raised the last 7 litters with their puppy Complete Mix - have also encouraged new puppy families to stay with the product and about half are still using it with great results. The advantage of VAN is that it has the minerals added in a dry format so the benefit goes direct to the dog... also it is an Easy way for the average family to go raw. The Base Diet is : (Australian Shepherds) 1 cup of soaked VAN Complete Mix and 200gm Kangaroo or Beef chunks. (my local guy also adds some of the offal, heart, kidney etc) Extras : We then add yoghurt once a day, drizzle some olive oil a few times a week and an egg once a week. A can of salmon or tuna is included in the food at least once a week. Dogs also get bones or lamb flaps perhaps twice a week and any leftovers from our family meal. Perhaps once a month I cook up a vegi stew - silver beet, cabbage, pumpkin, apples, carrots I ran a cost comparison with using this diet with what I feed the dogs in the boarding kennels. The Base Diet cost about the same as using the average supermarket kibble with supermarket dog log. Advantages: Smaller poo that is short dark sausages instead of soft squishy pale brown blobs. Improvement in coat softness and better natural cleaning of the teeth.

Millions of years of evolution have developed a dog to be a carnivore and an opportunist (meaning they will also eat fruits, plant material, nuts, insects and dead things they find). One interesting fact... dogs on a full raw diet have a gut pH of around 2 (highly acidic) dogs on a commercial diet will have a gut pH of around 5 (neutral). Hence take each of these dogs and they eat a mouldy old dead bird (yummy) and the dog with the low pH has the acid to break down and destroy any bad bacteria before it gets into the system and causes longer term trouble. NO KIBBLE can recreate the food values of raw.... all the nutritional value that is written on the label is all PRIOR TO COOKING.... and anyone who watches any cooking show knows that we change the food when we cook.

I have my home insurance thru the Commonwealth Bank but the DAB is actually thru MRA insurance which costs approx $500 to $600 a year

Think perhaps the title of this topic is not actually accurate. This guy is actually a bit of a dick... he obviously thinks he is onto something new... which anyone involved in training in at least the last 10 years has already re-hashed this topic..... After all Dr Mech actually is debunking the use of the term 'alpha' - rather than just dismissing the term of pack - after all a pack is just a collective term for a group of canine. Sad to think that the future of dog training may well be left to guys like this..... who thinks that anything from the past is a lie.... (and that is quoting him)

Husband runs a fencing company... and I run a boarding kennel. We started out with chain mesh as it is cheaper and allowed us to have large paddocks at an affordable price... Initially everything was chain mesh, Pens of 10m x 2m and 4 paddocks 40m x 10m. However we have just revamped the kennel block and have replaced the chain mesh on the outside pens with welded panels. However I will say the chain mesh lasted 12 years with various sized and temperaments of dogs.... which is very different to housing your own dogs which will put much less stress onto the fencing. So you might want to consider the costing if you are just looking for your own dogs.

Personally I am disgusted with Vic Dogs lack of response when these Breeding Regulations were first discussed with the Dept Primary Industries back some 5 years ago. Vic Dogs seemed happy to accept the bill then which allowed for the 10 entire bitches as they felt this wouldnt affect most of their members - so they just rolled over and let the Government just push their bill thru... and then 2 years down the track more amendments made as well as control being handed over to the Department of Ag - who actually see having responsibility for dogs/cats as being a fly in their ointment as they are dealing with far more "important" farming welfare. When this was first raised back in 2010 Vic Dogs (ANKC as well) should have started working to push our cause... to fight against the politics as well as starting to implement systems to regulate their own breeding members. Welfare Groups / Individuals use social media to fuel outrage with the public for their cause. Just look at the often horrendous photos that are often posted of poor filthy puppies lost in dark sheds or livestock covered in blood and jammed into cages. Governments traditionally respond to welfare groups who can drum up enough media drama by introducing legislation. Usually by engaging some public servants with little if any experience in the field who probably sit around a table, drinking latte, chatting to the welfare groups and coming up with what they think are some 'good ideas' and then write their draft.... which gets hacked around for a time and then handed over for a rubber stamp. Well the rubber stamp has cometh..... Now ALL breeders have been lumped into the same basket as the puppy farmer and BYB.... Our biggest fear is that this legislation hands over the power for decisions to our local council bylaw officer... these public servants have no knowledge or understanding, all they do is tick the boxes without even having any opinions.... it doesn't matter what you think or say... if you don't tick their boxes they have the power to shut you down...... BEWARE THE PUBLIC SERVANT AT YOUR DOOR.....

She bought a pup interstate "spur of the moment" for her daughters 16th Birthday... which means she spent little time looking to see if there was any pups available locally. Paid for the dog and then pays for further costs .... I wonder whether she has ever given money to a bank in Nigeria ? obviously she would also believe the used car salesman when he says "it was only driven to church on Sundays, or pays good money to go to seminars about how to become a Millionaire without having to work..... No sympathy here.... Some people are just dumb... and will likely get ripped off because they don't do some basic research... There will always be stupid people who will get sucked in because they are lazy.

I am on a few Facebook sites for Breeding and often amazed at some of the questions raised.... Personally have to say I am very worried about the number of online experts who are spreading the wrong information to the public and potential breeders... Consider the following question recently raised..... Hi guys Call me over protective. But does anyone else Not walk their pregnant bitches in fear that they can pick up something?? Was so disappointed to see that most of the replies were agreeing with the poster that they would never allow their pregnant bitches to be out in public as there is such a risk of infection... Sheese what a load of CRAP.... we know that dogs need to get exercise we know that a pregnant bitch is just pregnant - not sick. What kind of information are we sending out to future breeders, many of those posting may have little if any real experience and yet places like Facebook allow the opportunity to spill their often limited ideas on correct or incorrect methods. We have had enough research now coming forward to tell us that with children we should be careful not to become to clinical in cleaning play spaces as this prevents kids developing a strong immune system - even one of the head doctors at the Children's Hospital even recommends families get a dog and get the kids out in the yard to play in the dirt... the same applies with our dogs be they pups, adult males or even pregnant bitches. Experience is usually gained by hanging out with more experienced breeders - not by seeking answers from whoever online.... thoughts!!!!

One issue that never seems to be examined, is the role of Vets in the issue of puppies and microchipping. Vets are the ones who potentially are cashing in on the pet trade so perhaps they should accept some of the responsibility for building an accurate data base. It would seem that one thing that could be required is that every vet practice should be responsible for checking dogs microchips during visits. After all most vets charge a minimum of $60-8 just for a 5 minute consult and then seem to add on $$$ for numerous activities. Every time a new puppy owner arrives with their pup the microchip number can be added to a file and sent thru to the data base this could also apply to dogs renewing vaccinations - hence a chance to update ownership and address. If a pup/dog doesn't have a microchip the vet has the opportunity to ask where they bought the pup... Most new owners would happily pass on the name and address where they purchased their pup (my experience with pups coming to training) often people have the contact still in their mobiles)... this would allow the chance for names and even addresses or phone numbers to be added to the data base which can then be 'flagged' for reports to councils to chase up the BYB or pet shops or even the registered breeders who don't follow the guidelines. Perhaps this could have the potential to flush out some of those who flaunt the regs. or at least to help educate the public that microchipping is the breeders responsbility (which includes BYB or pet shops).

Lhok, we can never stop the breeder who breeds one or two litters a year... however they are still required to follow the rules about having pups microchipped/vaccinated before rehoming as well as restricting their ability to advertise ... If they don't they can be reported to the local council and Dept of Ag. - If all breeders ensure we educate the public about these requirements then we can chip away at the small BYB.... however with the bigger BYB's we can now have the regulations to limit their activity and advertising. ANKC breeders can (and should) report people breeding without the required permits.

If the legislation goes country wide.... then we have a situation that any larger breeder (ANYONE with more than 10 fertile dogs) will have to have approval with their local council and meet the requirements for a Domestic Animal Business. No pet shops means that we reduce the spur of the moment buyers, especially those wanting pups for xmas or valentines day.... even people who want to go online to seek a pup will have to spend a bit more time and effort to source a pup. We will also be providing the councils with the opportunity to crack down on the BYB's as if they have more than 3 entire dogs they will be required to have their Permit and on illegal puppy farms. In truth any breeder who houses more than 10 fertile animals on their property is in fact then operating as a business. Even show people with more than 10 dogs are spending their entire spare time showing and breeding... So it is a business... even if non profit making... so they need to show they are operating in a professional manner. They would then be required to show that they have correct facilities to house the dogs and contain within their property and not be an annoyance to their neighbours. For the vast majority of breeders and show enthusiasts (ANKC members), they would have less than the 10 dogs and hence not affected by the rules. Don't have any problem with ensuring that people keep their dogs in an acceptable manner.... By the way I know exactly what is involved as I have a Domestic Animal Business registration for my own business for Boarding and running Training Classes. I could also apply for one as a Breeder except that I only house 4-6 entire dogs/bitches so I don't need one.

One of the things you want to do is learn how to handle the situations where things go wrong. It is more about you and your dog learning to deal with fools.... We hold clinics each month which are set to build your skills in this... Dogs of varied ages and skills - fully enclosed arenas and an indoor school to help you.

We breed and run Training School and allow the pups LOADS of socialising opportunities. In fact we start with pups at 3 weeks taking (2-3 pups in the litter at a time) to visit friends - they can then wander out of the carry box at their leisure. They commence puppy school at approx 4-5 weeks old (again 2-3 pups from the litter and wander out of the carry box at their leisure). Once I have my own single pup (and what we recommend to families with their own pups) we encourage them out and about to visit everything at their leisure... Pups have different personalities and we allow them to explore when they feel ready to try, they can step back when they wish and even if they act worried we remain neutral and let them make their own decisions rather than trying to reassure them. Hence this helps to build self-confidence. Often with young pups, people worry that the dogs appear to enjoy the interaction too much and many will try to discourage this and will hence micro-manage their pups (just like we see with how parents are with their kids) - however we find that pups mature much quicker when they have the chance to explore more. So by the time the dogs are around 8 months they seem to enjoy some company of other dogs but CHOOSE to keep their eye out for their humans. They will interact with the outside world but as soon as you start to move away or call out for them they are happy to rush back to see what you are up to... They enjoy socialising but their focus is really about you. We certainly have no problem with dogs preferring the company of other dogs. Sounds like you are doing some great work, keep it up and have some faith that you will make good decisions about what works for her.

Agree with Rebanne's comments... why bother asking on a public forum ... obviously you are happy so go with your own choice. There are many here who may feel this is fine.... (but whether these responders actually have any knowledge about breeding and raising may be held in question) However there are others who don't agree and entitled to make their comment.... if you just want people to pat you on the back then don't post.... 25 pups from four litters is not an unusual size litter for border collies - As a trainer I believe this means that each puppy will receive limited social development as a breeder does not have the time to devote to this many puppies at the same time.... regardless of how long she keeps them... the crucial period is 3-12 weeks and she will be in overload.

Personally I disagree with most here.... I would place this in the commercial farm situation.... which is fine but is doing no justice to the pups or the new owners. If she knew that the dog had got to extra bitches she could have organised to have them stopped by having the injections. So I do have to wonder why she would go ahead with four litters at once. No matter how much experience a breeder has or how wonderful you might think her facilities... there is a lot of personal time and effort involved in developing one litter... let alone four.... As a breeder and trainer (30 years experience) I would not consider two litters at a time unless I was trying a bitch that had difficulties getting pregnant and I was taking a punt.... but even then two litters would take a huge amount of effort and commitment to ensure that all the pups are given the sort of introduction to life that I believe is needed. There is so much social development of a puppy between the ages of 3-12 weeks - and this is not about just placing enrichment toys in a pen and letting the pups play... it is about ensuring pups have outings in the car, visits to friends, individual times with humans and introductions to new dogs etc. There is NO WAY that any breeder can devote the time needed to 25 pups at the same time.... it is a numbers game and working with perhaps 9-10 pups is a full time commitment. The other factor is that she is trying to find 25 excellent homes at the same time... hence she will end up having to compromise for the homes.... whereas with 8-10 pups she would be able to choose the best options.

Purdie, shall answer from my experience.... 40+ years of dog ownership, 30+ years as a breeder, and with the last 25 years as a Professional Trainer running classes a few days a week, Owner of a Farm Style Boarding Kennel and specialising in working with Families and their Dogs and building Off leash Skills. 1, breeds? As with most things.... size doesn't really matter.... it is more about the breeds adapability to different environments that is important. I always tell clients that a good family dog is one that a sensible 12yo kid can walk down the street with comfort. Hence if the dog has great manners he would not pull a kid over and drag off down the road chasing anyone or anything. However there are many breeds that are not easy to adapt to this... hence I believe there are many out there that are not ideal (in general) to family homes... the first of these would be the American Staffy... and to some extent many of the bull breeds....which are too strong minded mentally for most kids and these are a breed that although generally quite good with people are unpredictable with other dogs... hence makes them a poor choice for the average family. Another I would often cross of the list is the Husky/Malmute... in particular the males.... these again are a fairly dominant dog who are very pushy and arrogant with other dogs and unreliable with small dogs and small animals. There is a reason these dogs have such a high dump rate and that is because they have an extremely high independence and quite difficult to train. I suspect that they are the breed that causes the most problems in dog parks because owners usually have a lousy recall hence they feel it is only safe to let them off in an enclosed park where generally they hassle other dogs and intimidate owners. In the 80's I was heavily involved with the German Shepherd... back then the club worked hard to improve the status of the breed to show how good these dogs were as they had always been considered a guard dog and the club made big steps with temperament testing to show them as good family dogs. However now I feel these dogs are no longer good in families. Many are prone to health issues with poor back ends and hocks, but more so is the hyperactive temperaments that make these dogs unstable for families. Most families do not have the time nor experience to deal with this breed and there are so many breeders out there just breeding for high drive and yet selling these pups into homes that will never provide the activity to suit. The size of a dog is really determined by the family... how much room they have in the car..... how would a dog fit into their home.... is there room on the floor for the dog without falling over him.... The problem is that families think they need a big backyard for a bigger dog but in truth this is not the case... an active dog can live in a small space provided the family live an active lifestyle and include their dog into the program. I now breed Australian Shepherds... these are a breed that are very adaptable to different lifestyles... they can easily fit into small yards inner city if the family are into walking in the park or driving down the beach for a good stretch... they also are great for hanging out in the street cafes with their families soaking up the ambience of the city life. They are equally happy jumping in the car and heading out with the retired couple who want to travel around in a caravan... or a busy mum who wants a dog to take to watch the kids soccer matches... As long as a family consider the activity for the dog at least three times a week and are prepared to put in the time to socialiise/train in the first 12 months the rest of the time the dog will happily fit into their program. Other medium to larger breeds who also qualify and generally easy care coats .... Nova Scotia Duck Toller, Springer Spaniel, Logotto, Greyhounds, Airedale, Schnauzer, Curly coat retriever.

Some breeds (and individuals) are difficult to get weight off. However it is worth thinking of easing your dog onto a raw diet... So perhaps if you have not tried, then consider the following. if you check : www.vetsallnatural.com.au - they have a diet complete mix product which you can use instead of dry food and then it you can get hold of roo meat which is very lean. We have had a few dogs (Australian Shepherds) where we have been able to get from around 36 kilos down to 26-28 kilos by using the Weight Loss VAN. This is a much better weight for long term... you should be able to get some of the weight of her and as she looses weight she should become more active. Best of luck and it is worth trying.

KLB - As a Trainer and Breeder... I would NEVER sell a family two puppies at the same time. This is fraught with potential problems... I wish breeders would consider this when they sell pups as it is important to send pups to families with the best chance of a great relationship developing. The pups will bond too much to each other to the detriment of the relationship with the human. The pups also go thru the horrid teenager stage at the same time which is double trouble. Ideally there should be 2-3 years between dogs, hence the older dog is settled and mature and helps to settle a new pup into the home and the family have a chance to enjoy a new pup without any detriment to the older dog.

Had many of my own dogs over the years... generally entire... have to say I have never had issues with having my own dog's entire... As a Professional Trainer it can make a difference at times working with dogs who are entire. Desexing doesn't change the dogs temperament but with some individuals and particularly some breeds, can become harder for families to work with if left entire. In the boarding kennel the advantage of de-sexed is that we can be more relaxed about having dogs/bitches placed in pens near each other. The other thing we have noted with entire boys is that they often have a stronger scent. If dogs don't wander the streets then there is no danger of unwanted pregnancies... Hence really not much of an argument for mandatory desexing.

You have to wonder tho, why do they need to do the implant ?.... the dogs are desexed so hence no risk of re-populating - surely the animals will die naturally in 2-3 years anyway if they haven't been able to shot them.... just wondering what is the justification for the poison... are there other issues they haven't mentioned... if it was due to the fact that they could pose a threat to native wildlife, surely they would pose a threat even while the goats are still there?

check out Dr Jean Dodds website... she is the guru for vaccinations. There are approx 8 varieties of KC - of which our vaccine only covers 2 strains. Hence not uncommon for 'vaccinated' dogs to get KC.... The KC vaccination has an effective life of about 6 months or so. Hence an annual is not much benefit. We don't vaccinate for KC - no point really - After all KC is not life threatening... we have had dogs for 40 years only ever had one bout of Kennel Cough....

My comments will not be popular with many here, however.... Many breeders like to think that they choose the puppy by personality to suit the family. However after having more than 25 years involved with breeding, training and teaching classes I know that there is no real guarantee that most breeder really knows what the personality of the pup is when only 8 weeks old... I agree that a pup is born with a DNA that will help set their temperament however there is still a great deal of initial development and learning that is done from 3weeks thru to 12 weeks (and beyond) that will allow the temperament to be enhanced or suppressed. Most breeders don't create (for their pups) a varied environment and provide travel to new locations or increase their contact with varied dogs and people. All of these activities will build a pups ability to deal with the stress that will impact them when they go to a new home. To cover these aspects takes a great deal of time, experience and varied facilities, which most breeders (especially those who work full time and/or show every weekend) just don't have. Hence it is impossible for us to really know which pup is best for which home just by our early assessment of their temperament. Instead.... consider the breed that you have.... the activity levels of your breed .... the space, health requirements of your breed and then choose a family that is already living the lifestyle that your dog should easily fit into. We have long conversations with prospective homes before we have pups born, and this also involves them visiting us ... (even if interstate) ... we talk about how they live and what their expectations are... we have them hang out with perhaps half a dozen really active Aussie Shepherds to see how they cope with being jumped on or getting dirty... This gives a really good feel for how they will let a dog fit into their life. We also ensure that the parents are the instigators to getting a dog, even if the dog is for the one of the kids we want to feel the parents have really considered the work needed. We are also careful not to judge people whether they are single, married, have kids, or a big yard... instead we look at the whole package.... and have had many go to live in small backyards in the city but these are people who include their dog into their 'latte lifestyle' where they go to the parks, beaches and cafes... We have at times talked people out of getting an Aussie as they might have unreal expectations or perhaps they think getting a dog might be good for the kids, or they will start walking more and help them get fit... these are often the ones where things don't work out in the long run. Over the years we have got really good at choosing homes for our pups... We are very proud that with over 90 pups out there now we still have contact with a large percentage and have re-homed 4 dogs when circumstances have changed.

As someone who has been involved with breeding since the early 80's I have learnt much over the years..... I also have concerns for the long term availability of good sound pedigree dogs for future generations. DNA testing is a great tool... however it is not the "be all and end all" for the future of breeding. Just as Show Titles or Competition Titles are considerations when it comes to breeding, we should not assume that these Titles will ensure success in the breeding world. One of the traps to relying on the DNA (or any other single factor) is that we can end up discarding dogs from the breeding pool because of a perceived problem... which hence reduces the breeding pool for a breed. As I have learnt from breeders over the years, we must remember that there can always be serious health/confirmation issues that are not always obvious at the current time. It is possible that future DNA tests can be discovered for serious issues like epilepsy or such - which may prove to even further reduce the gene pool especially for some breeds. Hence it is important that breeders remember to be diverse in their breeding and to share the gene pool to keep diversity alive for the future. Perhaps a big issue is that now we have many breeders who closely guard their 'perceived lines' and hence information about breeding issues and the use of varied genetics are not shared. Until breeders and the associations can work together in a more flexible way it seems that we will have difficulty every convincing the public that ANKC breeders are necessary.

Today its the greyhound industry under attack by governments - forced into this by the fanatic welfare groups.... Tomorrow will be the horse racing industry... first the jumps racing and then the flats...... again governments forced into this by the fanatic welfare groups...... Once this is achieved the fanatic welfare lobby will start to target the Dog Shows and Dog Sports.... After all, in the view of the fanatic these are just activities just using an animal for the human needs and wants...... We have already been targeted due to the numerous breeds who have physical defects do you really want to give them more to focus on......do you really want to see a world without pets...... Legislation is available to local governments to policy the housing of animals, particularly with kennels and breeders. They have the authority under local law to inspect kennels under reasonable notice and this could easily be conducted annually in the case of Commercial Breeders or Greyhound Breeders. The big issue is that Govt groups create rules without any thought or funding to how local authorities are going to police these rules. It would be easy for the Greyhound Association to partly fund this service and increase the registration cost of each litter by $100 to cover this. And for all those here who wish to berate the trainers because they will put down excess pups to their needs, remember this is an industry that does create employment for many people - in the racing, veterinary field, pet feed industry, chiropractors, dog trailer production... Most of these dogs are generally not pets but more a commodity... if there is an oversupply or doesn't make the grade what is so bad about the dog being put down in a humane manner. It is no different in the racing industry where horses are sold off for dog food, or the cattle industry where they are sold off to McDonalds for your drive thru dinning. What is important is that animals, and I mean ALL animals..... should be respected, thus have a good life and ..... a good death.