merijigs

My wish for 2010 would be to see our State and National canine authorities disallow personal membership and puppy registrations to people who export puppies to commercial agents in overseas countries.

The only 'generalisation' in my original post was a generalised concern I've felt for a long time about the enormous variation in the conditions under which working dogs are housed and maintained.

I can't take responsibility for your feelings, only the words of my post. The specific cases I mentioned are all derived from my personal observations and experience. The experiences of a single person are naturally limited and that is why I remain open to the receipt of further information before coming to any distinct conclusion about the care and maintenance of most working dogs. If you wish to discuss my words further I am perfectly willing to respond to your PM.

I have often felt a vague concern about the enormous variation in the conditions under which working dogs are housed and maintained. I have yet to fully check out the Landline story and all of the topics addressed in the current research project but I hope that it will produce minimum guidelines for the care of working dogs. Anecdotes from personal knowledge include: - farmers who house their working dogs in the exactly same way as their fathers and grandfathers did in hollow logs, disused iron water tanks and 44 gallon drums without bedding - sometimes the same drums; in all climates from tropical to alpine - dogs tethered and fed together in groups where the surrounding ground is never cleaned up - dogs tethered at properties where a non-resident farmer leaves them with food for several days at a time - dogs fed entirely on undressed kangaroo or other feral meat - dogs housed in purpose built above ground slat floored runs - all dogs owned by one person always called the same name i.e. "B#st#rd", so it was easy to yell "get in there you B#st#rd! push em up you B#st#rd! come here you B#st#rd etc. Also, working dogs are not required to be microchipped in States where chipping is mandatory for all other dogs I don't know enough to be too judgemental about all this but hope that the present research will include gathering facts and devising a set of minimum guidelines in keeping with currently legislated benchmarks for canine health and welfare in the wider community.

hey, not bad! Not bad at all

I never knew how to oil my blades properly until shown just how to do it by a shearer. Before you start to use the blade, run the clipper and let one or two drops of clipper oil or any light machine oil fall onto the centre of the top side of the clipper blade. Continue to allow the clipper to run for a few moments (30secs.) to disperse the oil along the full width of the blade and there you have it. The advantages of oiling the blade are to keep the cutting blade sharp and to allow the clipper to run cooler for much longer. Before receiving this advice I used to practically drown the blade with oil and consequently get oil on the dogs coat with the first stroke plus I would get hot blades especially with the finer #30 and #40. Hope this helps.

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) I have exhibited Kerry Blue Terriers for the past eleven years and bred my first litter under the Merijigs prefix in December 2008. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? The Kerry Blue Terrier originated as an all-rounder farm dog in Ireland in the 19th century. They were used by small landholders to keep the house and farm buildings clear of rats, mice and foxes; they were used to herd livestock and as a guardian of the home and family. They were also used in the field for retrieving badger from their underground dens. A single badger ‘set’ could honeycomb up to an acre of ground and so was quite damaging to the farmers' small fields. 3. How common is it in Australia? Quite uncommon. Only between 26 and 88 Kerries have been registered in any one year since 1986. 4. What is the average lifespan? Generally between 12 and 15 years. 5. What is the general temperament/personality? They are smart but independent thinkers. They love a play and are devoted and affectionate with family members. They are trustworthy with children as much as any dog can be. They are friendly and outgoing towards strangers. BUT...Kerry Blues are 100% terrier i.e. they have a strong prey drive and can be aggressive towards other dogs, cats, chickens, guinea pigs etc unless very well socialised with them. They are unsuitable for off-leash dog parks. They have a hair-trigger temper which can be mollified using a carefully planned combination of training and socialisation. Generally, intact males are intolerant of other males and intact females are intolerant of other females, especially if unsupervised. Should they make a mistake, Kerry Blues respond well to "time-out" for misdemeanours. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? Kerry Blues are very adaptable and can adjust to a wide range of living circumstances. A brisk walk or a vigorous play session plus some basic obedience once a day will maintain physical and mental health. They love to be with their people and will shadow you around the house and yard. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? Yes as long as they know about their strong prey drive and can make a commitment to training and maintaining the dog securely. They would also need to be prepared for the high grooming requirement. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? I have always owned more than one however I think that a solo Kerry would be as able as any other breed to entertain themselves with enough bones, chew toys etc. 9. How much grooming is required? The Kerry Blue Terriers’ beautiful wavy blue coat is a hallmark of the breed and will grow long and matted if neglected. For general maintenance the Kerry owner needs to be able to use a slicker brush to lift the coat away from the skin and a steel toothed comb to gently work tangles and mats out of the coat plus a bath using shampoo and conditioner about once a month. The coat needs to be periodically trimmed using scissors on the body and legs and clippers on the head, ears, throat, belly and behind. Most groomers can give a maintenance trim but the highly stylised clip of a show dog takes years of dedication to master. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? No, a Kerry Blue is a lively, energetic dog and does best with an active owner however they are also agile and careful of people and unlikely to blunder into a person. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? In general, Kerry Blue Terriers enjoy robust good health and do not experience common hereditary health problems. They are prone to benign skin conditions such as sebaceous cysts and “hot spots”. 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) Good advice is freely available on what general questions to ask the breeder. The personalities and health of the parent dogs, the everyday environment and vaccination schedule of the puppies can all be checked. More breeders are routinely screening for hip dysplasia although that does not seem to be a major issue for the breed.

I also regularly give sardines in oil to my dogs more as a condiment to go with their kibble. I crack open the can and then drizzle 2-3 teaspoons of oil over the kibble before draining the rest of the oil and then adding the sardine meat to the bowl. So they get a little bit of the oil to moisten and add flavour to the kibble but it is not drowned in it. Hope this helps.

It's a bit of both. There are some lumps i'm having cut out just to be sure, though the vet did say in her opinion they aren't cancer. Also having a few external things cut out. The vet did assure me she wouldn't put her under if she wasn't in great shape otherwise. I dropped her off at 8am with the vet nurse, but went back at 9am to have a another chat to the vet. Who are you ? Shaking your head at me. You don't know jack shit about me and what i do for my dogs. I only know what you tell me in a public forum and I am staggered by your post. Th th th that's All!

OMG!!! You're having your dog undergo GA for a cosmetic procedure for your benefit???

Hi Sheridan, If he's sleeping that's a good sign that he's recovering and healing. It does seem as though the drug given to him was the cause of his extreme behaviour. But don't blame the emergency vet.s too much. Imagine all the animals they must see at all hours and each with a different medical history and temperament. Ok they said it was mild and it wasn't. Just let them know about the outcome for yourself and Grumpy last night. For your boy it wasn't helpful at all. I feel hopeful that he will be back to his normal self by this evening. His advancing age is always a factor. Love to Miss Minnie and you.

I can so relate to this. I am too terrified to clip nails either! So instead, I use an electric Dremal handtool which has a sandpaper wheel on the end to sand the nails back. It works quite well except that I don't do it nearly often enough and I really need to be filing them about once a week. As I recall the Dremel grinder was about $100 and it was bought from a hardware store online.

Hi, You would be referring to 'luxating patella' which is when the kneecap moves out of its normal position. It is a painful and disabling condition which may only be corrected by very expensive surgery. It is a result of greedy back yard breeders who dont bother to withholding affected animals from breeding. After all, it's not the BYB who will be in pain or out of pocket. Poor little Missy.

Awesome results matey Can I ask which dog this was? ETA: Sorry, off topic Can someone please tell me what system Dr. Wyburn uses to score the images. Is it PennHip, OFA ???