FionaC

my GSP pup climbed out of his puppy pen (compost cage version without a lid) the 3rd day we had him home (aged 8 weeks) .... we made him a temporary toilet inside as he was inside in the sunroom whilst we were at work during the day (approx 8hrs a day) .... use a piece of fake grass (added some extra holes to the base) over the top of a sheet of plastic and put it in the corner ... he took to that fine and we didn't have any issues - we removed the fake grass when we were home and only used it when we were at work ... by 7mths we removed it all together after he hadn't used it for 2 weeks ... now he holds for the day

We just got back from a holiday in QLD and I took a few photos of my second favourite subjects (favourite subject of course is dogs) - animals .... So here are a few for sharing ... Our new pet whale Walter :D one of about 12 we saw in a 3hr trip Our trip to Currumbin Sanctuary and a series of a beautiful huge Wedgetail eagle in the free flight show - she was stunning! Duck little girl! Now I know just how a rabbit feels! :D

Bump for a Flat Coat owner/breeder?

I have a couple of questions (I met my first flat coat a few weeks ago and fell in love - they are now on the top of my "next puppy after the next GSP list" * So are they a breed that takes longer to mature (like some of the other Gundogs - eg GSP's?- and I can say that cause I have one ) * Coat management - how much is involved? are they clipped at all (for a non-show dog I'm thinking) - given I'm used to wash and wear with the GSP, what else is involved? * I have seen a Flat Coat do Agility and he looked amazing - are there certain bloodlines of Flat Coats that might be more suitable for this type of activity rather than Confirmation (ie, are there Working Lines as well as Confirmation lines?) Thanks!

Beautiful brave boy .....

Run Free Memphis ... I am so sorry ILDD ....

Woo Hoo Go Trim, Shine, Sparkle & Starr for the Agility & Go Sparkle, Tech, Piper, Doc, Dash & Trim in the Jumping (phew! think I got everyone) woops forgot Delta & Charlie too

oh goodness - I am so so sorry to read this :D .... I have often admired your beautiful Bella & Boss on your signature ...... run free Bella .... chase those butterflies and enjoy the sun!

Just let us know on the GSP thread where you're looking and someone can give you some advice ...... Yes it is ideal to see the pup before you buy but if you're going with a reputable, ethical, registered breeder then it should be fine - depending on which breeder you go with they may be selecting the pup for you rather than you having the choice - but you can also do that via photos etc ... and if they are breeders who show their dogs as well then someone from the thread will know their other dogs and be able to help there too ....

In humans there is something called a Filiform Wart that looks like that - and on googling it it looks like you can also get them in dogs ... maybe thats what it is?

that was brilliant!

Morty gets maybe 2 a week as a treat (generally on Sunday after Obedience class is when he gets one) - the other maybe mid week sometime.... Glad Heidi likes them - I've found another source for them up here where I can buy them loose rather than in packaged lots of 10 - I think we bought 30 the last time we were there so we have a few in "storage"

Polo you handsome devil you! :mad

Photos I can do ...... & a couple on the GSP thread have Black and Whites (GSPx3, Tambaqui & BJ just off the top of my head have B&W ones) This is my boy - Fenrik Chequer Board - liver & white in colour and almost 13mths old In obedience class In his winter coat Morty & his litter sister Fyx (owned by a DOL'er)

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) First time owner and now completely under the GSP spell .... We have Mort who is almost 13mths old and we are on the waiting list to add another boy to the family 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? FHRP did the breed background bit 3. How common is it in Australia? Well in our local area they are not very common - but in the last 11mths since we've had Mort at home we have seen and met maybe 10 other GSP's in the Newcastle area.... 4. What is the average lifespan? Not long enough! - 12-14yrs but they live 100 years worth of enthusiasm and energy and love for life during that time 5. What is the general temperament/personality? I can only go off my boy but he is a kind, sweet and loving animal .... he is also a complete boofhead and a sookie-la-la (but thats what I like) .... he is boisterous and doesn't know his own strength at times and can sometimes play too rough but on other occasions I have seen him be as gentle as a lamb with people, puppies and children... they are smart animals (smart enough to hide their intelligence behind a veneer of goofiness) and are amazing to see learn... it can be frustrating to train to begin with cause everything is a game and it has to be worth it for them but when they hit that point where it just works for them - nothing is too much bother! I prefer males to females but its a personal thing ... I like having a big dog with a big deep bark for those nights I'm at home or walking him alone but I also love that he snuggles on the lounge and is happiest wherever we are no matter what we are doing (he just went to Jindabyne for a weekend and travelled down and back in the car with no fuss, whinging or whimpering)... 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? ahhhhhh yes the exercise .... a lot - for example in a week we will try to get in a walk each evening after work, about 10 minutes of Obedience training at home each evening as well. On Wed and Sunday we do Obedience class (1hr on Wed evening and 1.5hrs on a Sunday morning) and we are also doing Pre-Agility training Sunday mornings ... Saturday its usually a run at the beach with a swim .... in summer we hit the off lead beach 3-4 times a week after work (about 10minute away from home) plus the Obedience classes and this year it will also be plus Agility .... however if it is raining and miserable outside he copes well with a short walk or a run around with some tug toy games under cover ..... but thats cause we are working towards trialing in both Obedience and Agility - we could get away with less if we wanted to 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? Yes - well I have to say that since I am a first time dog owner but I researched the breed and the breeder we got him from quite thoroughly before we contacted them about him .... I knew what we were getting ourselves into and the GSP on paper seemed to best match what we wanted in an dog and what our lives worked best with - and thankfully we were rewarded with a perfect match of a dog 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? Mort does - he is inside in the sunroom from about 8am - 5/6pm in the evenings and has been on that routine since he was little ... he has toys, kongs and sunshine .... however as he has gotten older we do notice how much he would enjoy the company of another dog and we always wanted 2 so we will be getting another pup in the next 6-12mths (hopefully if the right pup comes along) 9. How much grooming is required? Practically nil .... he gets bath occasionally and he dries off quickly ... just regular ear care and nail clipping and that it .... 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? Can be most definitely - Morty doesn't know his own strength sometimes however he's never knocked anyone over before and I have a 4yr old niece that he sees a lot.... but they are full of beans and can be jumpy and they are a big dog .... so training is a definite must! 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? FHRP covered this the best 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) I'd be telling the breeder of your situation and then asking them if they have a pup that matches for you - Mort's sister is Fyx who's owner is also a DOL member and several of the GSP's on the GSP thread are related to him so you can see the different personalities of the GSP's as they have been growing up and getting older - none are the same and all have their little quirks which is great .... we asked our breeder for a dog that would fit with us, that matched what we had to offer and that was going to be a family member - Mort was that choice and he is perfect for us .... Health Tests etc - what FHRP said I love my GSP!

wow so that's what she looks like I'm just so used to a blue and white blurrrrrrr

Yes my real name is Fiona but we won't be there the weekend you will be joining up - but we'll be there the week after .... Parking is usually fine - plenty of room for everyone ... just rock up to the club house and go to the middle window (the one at the end is the food/shop) and you'll find the enrollment forms there .. just remember your vaccination certificate and all will be fine - it will be busy but its fun ... there are so many dogs, such a range of shapes and sizes and in general most get along just fine - its amazing but in general most are really well behaved - its noisy but as I said, I find it a lot of fun.... My boy looks a lot different to the siggie these days - he just turned 1yr old and is now about 67cm at the shoulder and 32kg in weight .... and depending on how well he is doing in class that day you might not need to coax him home - we may just hand him over (only joking of course )

oh my goodness - hullooo!!!!! ... please give the divine Miss Paxy a big cuddle from us and hopefully we'll see you Wed night (or Sunday) .... I can't believe we're in the same class Ok Bec - you've no excuse now, you'll have to come and say hi now! we'll be the ones in class trying to stop our dogs from playing with each other instead of doing what they are being told to do

Hey Bec ..... Jigsaw pretty much covered it all in her post above - I did the beginners class with multiple trainers when we enrolled Mort in February .... it was fine - our class was never much bigger than 20 people and they split the larger group into 3 groups (so 3 x 20 approx) - looking at the yellow class this month there is only 2 classes of about 10-15 in them) ..... Enrollment is the 1st Sunday of the month as you already know - I'd get there around 9.30am as it gets really busy on enrollment week ... you can take it as slow as you want - you will progress automatically for the first 3 months but then any progression is based on assessment so if you're not ready to do it you can stay at that level for another month... It can be really busy, there are at least 6 grades of classes plus the motivational class running at the same time (plus multiple yellow and often lower green classes too) ... it takes up the whole of the upper obedience area behind the showgrounds and its amazing to see all the different dogs .... We have found the trainers great, obviously there are those that you click with more than others and I remember thinking at the time when we were in the beginners group that we never seemed to have the same trainer twice but now we're in the higher grade it seems to be more consistent and the trainers get to really know your dogs./.... There are a few DOLers that go to Hillsborough so look us up .... we've got the large energetic GSP and we're in red on the other side of the field you'll be starting on ..... he's the only GSP there at the moment so we're pretty easy to spot - come over and say hi ... I'd love to meet your puppy!

What a cutie .... have you spoken to his breeder? they should be able to give you some idea of regular growth patterns for his lines .....

Oh no DA .... poor Ellie ..... Thinking of you all

Ok ..... off the top of my head and remember it really does depend on the specific allergen that you are reacting to and your current health/medical status as to what you should be taking and dosages but here are some herbs that have an antihistamine action .... Nettles Chamomile Basil St Marys's Thistle Feverfew Echinacea Euphrasia (eyebright) Lemon Balm Golden Rod Hawthorn Elderflowers Ginger Thyme Fennel As for specific brands or pre-made remedies ... sorry I can't recommend any specifically but I can recommend seeing a Herbalist or Naturopath to get something specific to your needs...

This may relate to the question about the 2 different lines that Willow posted about but I've seen some old photos of Pugs and some tend to be a lot "leggier" than the current Pugs I see around - is this something that has deliberately been bred (the shorter legs) or just differences between bloodlines? (oh wanted to add, I love Pugs! - they are little kegs of dynamite and my GSP loves the little boy in his Obedience class - and I love the snuffling/snorting noise he makes when he's really excited about something)

Any of mine are fine as well http://www.flickr.com/photos/33082180@N04/

So sorry Carey ..... But I'm sure he is watching little Floyd and loving seeing you guys so happy again ;)