Starkehre

Keep in mind that Boxers and Bullmastiffs are brachy breeds and a little more attention should to be paid towards their welfare in hot conditions... acreage... QLD... sounds like a very warm environment. Yeh, it sort of depends a lot on what you mean by "will protect if need be" I can speak for my breed only and will say that a Rottweiler with a sound and correct temperament is not likely to attack an intruder. They may alert bark, they may growl, they may bail up an intruder, they may try to chase one out, they may even trap them in, but not usually attack. And one that would attack is one that I would not want to own... but that's just me. A good guard is usually more than enough of a deterrent. The sharp ones I see generally have weak nerve, confidence issues and are a nuisance to live with as they are hypervigilant, super reactive and untrustworthy, which is not what anyone wants. Depending upon the owner's style of leadership, a well bred Rottweiler with correct health and temperament could be an excellent suit. They are a very affectionate, fun, and loyal member of their family.

Would someone PM me the website please?

Drive, strength, endurance and stamina in dogs (particularly for fairly boring work such as gaiting for lengthy periods at a relatively consistent pace) takes a couple of years to full develop and development rates vary in different breeds. I would say around 2 years old for your dog would be roughly right. This does not mean you can't do some form of cardio work, but "going jogging" for any distance would not be recommend for any pup. I am sure your 8 month old WSS is quite fit, for it's age. You are quite correct in saying that fitness is not the issue. A dog of his age wouldn't and shouldn't be any fitter. He is simply not old enough to tolerate this sort of work, both physically and mentally and asking him to do is not good animal husbandry. I am sure you mean well and you just were not made aware of this. Steadiness on the path is also partly an age thing but primarily a training issue. I think you are pushing this pup way too much and are no doubt unaware of the possible detrimental consequences it could have on his body. I understand you are not dragging him, but remember dogs have an innate need to please and follow their master, so any on leash work is termed as "forced exercise" whether it appears as forced to you or not. I would think that no more than a 1-2km walk (not fast) and free playing/running, possibly on alternate days would be plenty for at least another few months. Swimming is also fantastic and is less likely to damage joints, but still remember not to expect adult fitness in an adolescent. I would be focusing more on developing his mind by teaching him home and social skills rather than pounding the pavement. Good luck with him :)

Love the Express Post satchel :laugh:

Well said... and another point to remember is to check the floor of wagons/hatches when they have been driving for a while. Often there is significant heat rising through the floor. I use insulation sheeting under their bedding to keep the heat out. Darkest legal window tinting and Puppy Bars or similar for when pulled over, even for short stops helps too. Non-spill water bowls :D

Thanks Will check it out!!

Yeh that's Treiball, Mita. Wish we had that too. Sort of Herding, without sheep :laugh: Yes, she is she love the water doesn't she SC. We are working on the surfing

I love this picky taken at Kepala of Seven diving in... photo courtesy of Silent Child's OH.

Wow, Dock diving in NSW also, that's awesome. I might have to go for a little drive mightn't I??!! :D Hey, I drove the dogs to WA this year, QLD, NSW 4 times, SA twice... I think another trip to NSW is just around the corner. Farmer Dave is his name I believe. Oh thanks Piper. Seven is a pretty clever all rounder, that's for sure. Just for you Piper, Seven playing in the pool on her own, she dives and does all by herself.

Mita, Great video, thank you for posting link. We have Dock diving here in Aus, but QLD only at this stage I believe. I have 3 that all love to dive into the water and would be excellent candidates to compete. One of mine can do around 15-16' from a standing start. Can't wait for it to be available here in Vic. so much fun

On your mark... get set... GO!!! A bit of silly fun :laugh:

I'm lucky, mine don't play bark at all. However if they tug with one another they might have a bit of a play growl, which sounds a bit like lions :laugh: They only do this if they are with us and we are outside at the time. We allow it for about 15 seconds, but if the growling gets loud we call it off even sooner cause we don't want to scare or upset the neighbours.

So, is what you are saying is that the dogs are not actually being crated at all. That there is a section of the house you are partitioning off and allowing them free roaming with one another in this area, which may/may not be an entire room or several rooms? 8 hrs per day only outside of a dog crate would only be acceptable under certain circumstances ie convalescing, short term emergencies etc. But if it is not a crate but a much larger area where the dogs can move around freely, then that is totally different. If these are tiny dogs ensure the partition is not something they can get their heads through as they may get stuck. For what it is worth, IMO if these dogs are not normally walked/exercised by their owners I would advised against doing so unless you have permission to. You are minding the dogs, not saving them. Regarding food, contact the owner and find out exactly what they have been doing and do the same.

... because the pup had to have both legs amputated at a young age owing to the severity of it's deformities. Convalescing post surgery would have been very painful and restrictive. My opinion would be that that is unnecessary suffering/ cruelty. I think you are speculating about degree of suffering and convalescence in this case. Nobody here knows the circumstances to which this pup was born. I don't understand the prevailing thought in this thread of euth at birth - regardless of quality of life. Surely a good carer can determine whether a reasonable quality of life is possible for a time and worth the effort? They seem to me to be giving the pup everything it needs to thrive given its limitations - daily hydrotherapy, socialisation time with other dogs, exercise, good food and love. Why is everybody so black and white about this pup? As long as they are thinking about life quality versus pain and suffering and making decisions accordingly. I only have the info from this thread, but I don't have any problems with giving a pup a fighting chance for as long as it is compassionate to do so. How is stating that convalescing from double rear leg amputation being painful and restrictive, speculation? Any amputation requires a lot of pain medication and there must be restriction to assist with healing. I believe this is fact, not speculation. What has the birth circumstances got to do with it? The clip explained the pup was so deformed at birth that it needed it's rear limbs amputated. You are absolutely entitled to your opinion. You not agreeing with my opinion is no different than me not agreeing with yours. My thoughts are that everyone has a different idea of what is ethical and what is quality of life. No right or wrong. There is nothing new with this concept.

... because the pup had to have both legs amputated at a young age owing to the severity of it's deformities. Convalescing post surgery would have been very painful and restrictive. My opinion would be that that is unnecessary suffering/ cruelty.

Sorry, but if I ever breed a dog like that, I would not be burdening welfare groups, rescues or owners with it. Would it be easy to euth at birth for me? Absolutely not! But IMHO it would be the right thing to do. Amputating at such a young age - Nasty wounds, so many drugs, very sore puppy ... and what sort of long term future I doubt any ethical breeder would keep this poor guy going. I agree with WW also. I just personally have an issue believing humans that take this sort of job on completely ego free. Would they do it anonymously? Bless his cotton sox. No dog deserves this. sure he seems happy... that's what dogs do.

Everything you describe could be perfectly legit and above board. Of course it may not be, but nothing you say rings alarm bells. Such breeds would always be marked either with colored collars, painted tails/nails or otherwise. It would be negligent not to know the puppies apart as everything of importance that happens with each pup from birth (weight, issues, feeding, temperament etc) is documented and breeders need to know this. It gets difficult to remember and pups that looks the same are sometimes almost impossible to tell apart, even for the breeder that lives with them. Some breeders choose to do more testing that is required either by their state kennel council or state breed club, but if they don't it does not make that breeder unethical. It might be different to what another individual breeder chooses to do, but that is not how we measure ethics. If a breeder follows a COE that they are governed by as a member, then they are a COE breeder. "Terms" agreements are whatever a breeder stipulates and an owner/co-owner agrees to. These terms can and do vary greatly. If the owner does not like it, they are not bound to accepting that dog or any dog from that breeder in the first place. As long as both parties are happy, then the arrangement is fine. I am wondering if this owner is going to go off half cocked now after you have explained to him that you see red flags in what he has told you?? I hope there are no issues created for nothing :D

Yep Good luck and enjoy her. They grow up so quickly. Her enthusiasm for food will increase as she matures, unless you turn it into a big stigma and swear word. All puppies have different level of food drive, plenty are like yours. Just relax, breathe and try not to worry. :)

We all make mistakes. The good thing is that you recognise it. Don't hate yourself or waste any further time and emotion punishing yourself. This does not make you a bad person. Be proactive, send the pup back, wear the costs and chalk it up as a learning experience... that is my opinion anyway :) Best wishes

This happens a lot with puppies. From what you describe she is not actually ever getting a chance to get hungry. She will have a good brekky, then graze and get topped up with training treats during the day, so is not fussed about eating her meals. It takes very little to keep a pup topped up and feeling full when they ingest any small amounts of food fairly constantly. My guess is that you may be expecting her to eat more than she needs. If she is not an overly food orientated pup and she is enjoying taking treats from you, she is probably preferring that experience with her food. Have you ever actually added up everything that she is eating each day, including milk, treats and grazing times ... absolutely everything, and seen exactly how much this is? My other guess is that if you are like many people, you may be getting concerned and offering her even more treats and yummy delights because you are worried she is not getting enough. My opinion is that it is less about what you are feeding and more about how you are feeding that is creating the fussiness. Puppies are very good at training their owners. Personally what I would do is this - once you have ascertained that she is completely healthy and well, if she is on 4 meals per day, cut it back to 3 and stop training with treats for a couple of days. Training is important but you could use play as a reward instead... just for a little while. Allow her to feel that hunger, then at meals time she will eat what you put down. If she doesn't, take it away til next meal. And keep the meals small. What can happen is people put more in the bowl hoping that puppy will eat more. If puppy is not food orientated or overly hungry, they are likely to see more food than they want as too much and less likely to even give it a go. You can always add a little bit if she finishes it quickly. Puppies that aren't big eaters can be stressful for owners... most of us have no doubt been there. If she is the type to go back and graze at her leisure, perhaps she likes her bowl to be put down somewhere away from foot traffic and a little more private. Try to avoid staring at her eating as it may be stressful for her. Take the pressure off by putting down the bowl and walking away. Or feed her in a crate. If she starts eating meals better, you can always put her back onto 4 meals a day for a short time if you want to. I have always found that non food orientated puppies eat better on 3 meals, but it is a balancing act of working out what is best for your own puppy. Always a good idea to have a chat with the breeder, but if she advises keeping bowls of food down, for a pup in a single pup home that is not overly food orientated I think this will only give you more of what you already have. Best wishes with your puppy :)

I am so sorry to hear you lost Lizzie Andisa. Best wishes with your Pug litter next year.

With hard poos in oldies I often feel it is a combo of feeding bones and dehydration. I have found many of the oldies drink less. Along with what you are trying I would closely monitor her drinking and try to encourage her to drink more by adding small amounts of yummy things to the water. What we do here with our low water intake oldie is add a tiny amount of goats milk to a cup or so of water for her once a day when it is too cool for her to bother drinking. It is such a small amount that it wouldn't be enough to alter her diet or digestion, (but mine all have goats milk anyway) but as soon as she sees the water turn white, she thinks it is all milk and goes for it til it is all finished. I wish you all the best with her, love the oldies :)

This is how I pronounce it and people always look at me like I am stupid ! Thank you ! Same :laugh: You see their brain ticking over for a few seconds, then it sinks in what I have said and they just move on. I know it actually is vy-ler but is why-ler forgivable? They already think I'm weird just for that!! Yep, both are perfectly acceptable. Not many outside the breed would say "vy" :)

Agreed. I rarely offer my breed as a suggested one in breed query threads, but can absolutely say that well bred, carefully selected, well trained Rottis make excellent assistance dogs. They have an innate need to work with people, yet make brilliant couch potatoes or snuggle bunnies when they are not required.

This is how I pronounce it and people always look at me like I am stupid ! Thank you ! Same :laugh: You see their brain ticking over for a few seconds, then it sinks in what I have said and they just move on.