Starkehre

I've found this not to be the case with Bow Wow Meow (Petsure) Insurance. My dog who was 5 1/2yo and had never had a sick day in his life, ruptured a disk in his spine for which he needed immediate surgery. There has been no lapse or any late policy payments but upon renewal this year an extra condition has been added. It states that in addition to the $250 excess I pay I will be responsible for 60% of any claim relating to any spinal condition for this dog. I might add to even get them to pay out for the surgery took 3 months of me arguing with them. Since then this dog has had pneumonia so I imagine when the policy is up for renewal there will be another condition that advises I'll have to pay 60% for any respiratory issues should they occur. That is disgusting cavNrott. What a shock that must have been. I hope this isn't the case with my insurance. I don't believe so, but I guess I would not know until I am in that situation. I feel I have asked them every question I can think of, and I still occasionally do call them up with more inquiries even though I have been with them for a couple of years now. I am with PIA. Am currently waiting on a claim now. How is Bronson's pneumonia now?

No, not exactly... pre-existing is not the correct term in that situation. Pre-existing is an illness etc which was existing or arose prior to the policy ever existed on that dog, so prior to the dog being covered by this insurance policy. If for example there are further ongoing complications with the same condition/illness (and your example of HD could fall into this category) in a following renewal period (let's say the next year) you will have to pay the excess fee again, if there is an excess fee with that particular policy. And as long as the policy holder did not allow the policy to lapse, the condition/illness will still be covered up to the agreed amount. So, basically what I mean (if I have not explained it clearly) is that the condition/illness is still covered into the next policy period provided there is no lapse in cover, but the excess fee may need to be paid again to get on going treatment for an already claimed condition/illness. For insurance companies that offer a percentage of the claim and do not charge an excess fee, I imagine they would be the same, as you are still basically paying an excess fee instead of receiving 100% reimbursement of the vet bill. Usually the insurance companies offer one or the other - excess fee and 100% cover or no excess fee and approx 85% cover. My advice for anyone that is intending on covering a new puppy, would be to take out the policy when the pup is 4-6 weeks of age, even before you bring it home. Sure there will be situations when this is not possible as the breeder may not know which pup is yours etc. But as soon as your puppy is decided, I would get it covered, as this way, even if a condition/illness shows up before you bring the pup home (and I mean something minor, like a yeasty ear, UTI or loose stools for example all of which are not rare in puppies) if this condition is treated when the breeder takes the pups in for a check up, this condition cannot be classified as pre-existing as the pup was covered. Even if a claim is not put in. As long as it is on the vet's record, it should be fine. Snap Rubystar

+1 And these wear marks correspond with the vertebrae in the tail.

What an awful shock KM. I hope Chase pulls through. He is a beautiful lad and clearly loved very much.

Stiff brush, gentle cleaning solution and a hose Shell, and sit it up on the line to dry out thoroughly afterwards. You can remove the skin and HAND wash it, but you really shouldn't have to and in my experience you will find it easier to do a better job cleaning it on the erected frame. Just ensure you leave it erected for a few days to really completely dry out and note that the skin may tighten temporarily again.

If the dog is only being let out for a wee and you know it is going to be for a short time or you are limited for time, do not let the dog out until you pop the lead on and take it out for the wee... praise then bring back inside. Do this until you can get a handle on instilling the training advise offered. Never chase a dog, they love it. Plan in advance and set yourself up for a win. Think before the dog is let out, set up your plan and do it that way. All other methods of coaxing will work, and they are definitely handy to know for emergencies etc, but these are patching up flawed attempts at a simple exercise to start with. It is all about planning before acting. Sure it takes more effort, but it is worth it in long run, and this is what dog ownership is all about. It is easier to love a well behaved dog.

Oh Isiss, I am so so sorry to hear about Jorja passing. I have no further advice to offer, but it must be awful for you seeing Billy so upset. I think your trip to Adelaide might help. Hugs to you.

I say no also. There is a good chance that both her dog and the pup could show her what she feels is a negative reaction towards one another, normal and common when they first meet. Is this then going to put her off? Introducing babies to adult dogs can take time and it is best done after the pup goes to it's new home. If this woman is not aware of this, then maybe she needs some more information and to do more research. Way too big a risk to show something that is not a true indication of how things will go.

Hey Trina, hope the bubbas are going well. How bout... Make n Love (as in Making Love, but in case it is not allowed) Love on the Rocks

Hi Sam, welcome to DOL. I have read right through this entire thread and I apologise if this was raised, but I don't remember seeing it... along with all the other fantastic advise you have received here, may I also add this - Let's say that your close family and friends do follow through with taking on your pups. Apart from most of us being aware that it is usually never a good idea selling/giving anything away to family or friends (for fear of a fall out) what sort of guarantees and/or contracts are these people going to expect from you as their puppy's breeder? If they were purchasing their puppies from an ethical, registered, reputable breeder that would always do minimum of the specified health tests involved in their given breed, there is every chance they would be receiving - * follow up support for the entire life of the pup * a promise to take back/rehome the dog if their life situation changes in any way at any time * refund the purchase price and/or financial assistance with vet bills if any genetic diseases issues arise in the dog * correct training and behavioural advice relating directly to traits of the breed You need to ask yourself if you are equipt mentally, emotionally, physically and financially to provide all of this and possibly more. Being an ethical breeder is a massive responsibility. Your job as a breeder does not end when the puppies go to their new homes. And if you opt to being a non-ethical breeder, it is ultimately your choice, but you will not receive the same warm welcome and years of experience and helpful advice from the knowledgable people here that would then classify you as a BYB. I know which I would choose. There is a magical feeling that you get when you do the "right thing" regarding life decisions.

I would imagine the chain ring would wear and scuff the fabric on the lace pretty quickly too, removing all prettiness. Cute for a special occasion if that is what you were aiming for, but possibly not very practical. Also, if it is not on a stainless steel chain, but a chrome plated nikel one, then you would find it would rust even quicker as the fabric will hold any dampness a lot longer than if there was no fabric there. I only ever use Sprenger stainless chains. Another thought, now of course everyone has their own personal opinion, but when I use a correction chain, I use small links as I find the "ping" and release is much smoother, quicker and hence more affective. You would never thread something like through a very small linked chain. so, it is likely that this chain has rather large links, which personally I don't like to use.

Good point fuzzy, but what we should keep in mind is that many bitches that are now being shown as neuters have already had a litter/litters and may have their progeny out there showing or breeding. Perhaps these bitches were required to be desexed for health reasons, but there still could be plenty of other breed enthusiasts that may wish to see how the great grand mother of their next pup fairs at an older age or similar reasons. Or she may be a sister, auntie of a line that a prospective puppy buyer is looking at venturing into. There are many valid reasons why people would show neutered bitches and similarly, dogs for that matter. Longevity is another good reason. Just because a dog or bitch is neutered he/she is likely not to be the end of that particular line. Having said the above, I also do not see anything wrong with showing enthusiasts still wishing to continue showing, but their dog has been desexed. Some of these dogs love showing too. I think it is lovely getting them out there still if that is what owners/breeders want to do. And added to a previous post that mentioned neuters and entires not being shown together as they not on equal playing field, yes that is absolutely correct. And as well as those reasons given such as coat etc giving an unfair advantage to neuters, in my opinion in many breeds including mine, the neuters are disadvantaged quite dramatically as they will have lost all their hormonal based muscle tone in all areas including their head and the presence that hormones give. A neutered Rottweiler will never look as good in the show ring as an entire, of equivalent quality. So there are advantages and disadvantages of showing neutered dogs. Neuters and entires are shown sepately and that is how it should be IMO.

Bones generally do the maintenance cleaning adequately for us. However, I always train my dogs from a young to accept me fiddling around in and inpecting their mouth. So from time to time if there is a small build up of plaque, I will scale them myself. I have never had to had a dog anaesthetised for a teeth scaling. They will lay there quietly whilst I do it. One of my bitches recently had to 3 upper molars removed from one side as they were broken beneath the gums, trauma. So now the opposing lower teeth get a bit of build up every few weeks as she doesn't chew much on that side. I scale them when need be. I inspect them all regular - every couple of days.

Whenever I have my dogs desexed I request that they are NOT tattooed. One of my dogs was tattooed when I distinctly requested that it not be done. They agreed, and when I picked her uo she had been tattooed. I was furious. They will never be in a shelter or pound and I am happy for them to be vetted at trials. I am not saying it is not a good idea for some situations, just not what I like for my dogs.

Thanks Niques, her name is Fame, and she is as cute as a button... but then I am biased. James is a huge spunk too. adza_baby, your little girl is just so gorgeous. It is a very cute position when they do it. We always run for the camera.

I have a froggie too. Very common and means nothing... though having said that, in my experience dogs that do lay that way often do it on the cooler surfaced floors, so there could be a link to a warmer pup/dog and trying to gain a larger cooling surface. Please excuse the muddy puppy floors. Added, dogs with bad hips do this too.

...and Faith was lucky to share those 4 years with you too Ann. Be kind to yourself today. Just treat yourself gently and take all the time you need. You are the one we are worried about.

Yes.....sad lot aren't they ! What they fail to see is life itself , all animals and this beautiful planet are miracles. You don't need to believe in God or supernatural miracles to see the miracles of life, or to be happy. So what is your definition of "soul"? Is it related to consciousness, or personal identity? Snap A2. :D Consciousness, energy.

Well when you do have your first litter Dyzney, it will be a very exciting time for you. You will also find that for the first 10 days to 2 weeks they really won't be needing much "bombardment of socal interaction" as you put it, as they are both deaf and blind with both eyes and ears sealed. The only real interaction they will need at this stage is the physical stimulus of their mother. And she will need yours, as your approval of her litter, as "pack leader" is of the utmost importance to her. Yes, it's absolutely essential to socialise young puppies so as to avoid the risk of a fearful puppy, but any parading of friends you do in the first few weeks really won't rub off on them. In a pack situation they would only start interacting with the other pack members at 3-4 weeks, depending on how mobile they are. Hi LizT, thank you for your advice. Just to clarify, whilst I have not actually whelped a litter under my prefix to date, I have whelped several litters and have assisted raising many others, and of various breeds. The 2 initial senses puppies rely on for survival is their sense of smell and touch. To summarise, we all do what we believe is the best thing when raising puppies, and IMO regarding this sort of thing, there is not necessarily a right or wrong way.

I am with you FH. I get for some people that it probably depends somewhat on the breed. Fearful puppies are a nightmare, but in big guard type breeds, even worse. But as with everything, breeders need to do what they are comfortable with.

Just be very careful of how many people you allow in the first few weeks. Some bitches can seem to be coping with visitors when they aren't and the stress can cause them to lose their milk. I find that maidens especially make better mums if there is minimum interferance during the whelping and with the babies for the first couple of weeks. For the first week I weigh the puppies in or next to the box and never remove the puppies to where the bitch can't reach them. I keep visitors in the first two weeks to maybe one or two breeder friends known to the bitch but they never touch the puppies at this stage. The puppies should be handled by no more than 2 or 3 people at most in the first week or two. From two weeks the bitch is usually less stressed and more handling can begin and by three weeks lots of socialisation can be very good for the puppies, provided mum isn't still really protective. Thank you... taken on board

I have not had my first litter as yet, so this is just my plan of what I will do ;) Provided my bitch is comfortable with it, friends and family that I can trust will be invited as early as I feel that I can stay awake long enough to let them in the door . Puppies are born with an innate fear of humans, and in my opinion if they can get bombarded with as much safe outside stimulation as possible, all the better, particular in a breed such as mine. Now, by this I don't mean all day every day. Even under normal circumstances I am not a big fan of visitors but for me it is important to the on going social nature of my puppies and to assist my future puppy people. Of course this will be closely supervised and all my friends are serious dog people anyway. I will encourage as many different people (still friends) different ages and sexes so the puppies accept different people from a young age. We do not have kids, so we will have to hire some Puppy people, unless they turn out to be someone from already within my circle, will be invited from around 4-5 weeks.

the medical expenses involved with whelping. To be honest, if you are selling 2 or more pups for $3000-3500 each and are not making money due to high veterinary expenses then you seriously, SERIOUSLY need to look at the quality and health of the dogs you're breeding from. $3000-3500 for a PET? Thats CRAZY! I cant believe people are ignorant enough to pay that! Hi MSOM, IMO it is not ignorance that compels people to spend big dollars on a "pet". If is a choice that they are financially able to make, then that is fine. If it is a breed they want and they are happy with the breeder/lines, then I think good on them. IMO, in your situation I would charge the average going rate for your breed of puppies, taking into account a reasonabe comparison to quality of lines and what you are providing your puppy people in reference to guarantees, ongoing support, and extras etc. It is difficult for us Aussies to make suggestions of actual dollars with dollar conversion rates and different market, but I certainly would not be selling them at what you to believe to be "cheap". I would also include a bit extra for the desexing or alter to a rebate plan.

I just LOVE it when I hear people saying they have the "best dogs in the world", because it shows their undying love, committment and feelings of gratitude towards their dogs, which will always reflect on their ownership. I too have the "best dogs in the world". I wish everyone did

Kritta, I am so so sorry that it was Gypsy's time to say goodbye to you. It is clear just how much your beautiful girl means to you, and I know you must be having a really difficult time right now. :D Your special memories of all the wonderful times you spent together will shine a little brighter each day, as the pain slowly lessens. Fly free over the bridge Gypsy and know that your mum loves you deeply.... but Gypsy already knows that.