LizT

Awesome! This is why they make such sterling police dogs. "mental vision of GSD scaling high fence while slightly unfit overweight (my apologies to any boys/girls in blue out there) clumsily scrambling over said wall!" :laugh:

It is also illegal to back out of your driveway. It is also illegal to change a light bulb if you are not a qualified electrician. There are probably 100's more. Must say I always think it looks like an accident about to happen when I see a combination of dog, lead and bycycle. ;)

I can get there early....can you! :D ;) As long as BBJ gets up easily. Has that ever happened???? :laugh:

Very pleased and taking all the credit of course!

when I made them bigger to get a better look they went blue. You might need a new monitor BB, the pictures are clear when enlarged on mine. They are gorgeous! :D

Yeah well now I believe that if they want to advertise any dogs or cats on say, "Gumtree" or the like they HAVE to microchip first AND quote the number in the ad.

Yes, this is true but what are the chances of a dog remaining entire for 5/6 years and even having a clue about mating sucessfully at that one effort at that late stage?? This is what would happen if he wasn't to be used by the orginal breeder and just kept "to sire one litter" for the OP. I thought your objection was leaving a family pet undesexed but it's actually that you're concerned the dog won't know how to have sex? I know it sounds silly but if he isn't used for 5/6 years he could have "issues". Some young studs need "help and guidence" until they become experienced. Or, he could be "a natural'. ;) But it also leaves him open to health issues like testicular cancer. Isn't this what studmasters are for? And on the cancer front, it isn't just family pets who get it, so I'm not sure what the difference is between a breeder's stud dog and a family dog. Both undesexed, both open to testicular cancer, no? Wouldn't most Studmaster prefer to start the Male well before 5/6 years? Isn't this what the breeder had in mind when making her offer to 'use' the dog for stud purposes? But the OP only wanted the dog used for the one litter didn't she and wasn't comforable with the other offer? Isn't the risk of testicular cancer increased if the dog isn't being used? Could be an Old Wives tale, maybe? Anyway, I just didn't think it was worth keeping a dog entire for 5/6 years on the off chance he might be mated for a litter of which one pup would go to the dogs owner? But then perhaps the OP had not intended to desex her male dog in the first place so the option would always be available to her. Who knows.

Can I just say that 30+ years ago I had a SWF entire bitch I had adopted. I purchased a SWF male puppy from a market. I now had two lovely little dog. I decided that if the market could sell these (quickly becoming popular) XYZ cross breeds for $XXX why couldn't I? I was about 19 years old and knew NOTHING (but didn't know enough to know that! ) Fortunately, the fates never allowed these two to breed. Sometimes, nature doesn't take it course. Today I am an ANKC Registered breeder, with a little more knowlege than the young girl back then.

Does sound steep 8 months not weeks?? Chocolate isn't 'rare' persae, is it? Age shouldn't matter, $3500 for a Lab is ridiculous! $1000-$1200 I would think Chocolate is about as rare as blue staffords, they're not popular in the show ring, so they don't tend to get bred for that reason, but then they became the craze I wouldn't sell an 8 months old Cavalier for the same price as an 8 week old puppy. Chocolate labs still seem to be popular as pets, I see heaps. How many blue staffords do you see? ;) Would you triple the price on an 8 month old pup? Actually I don't think I've seen many at all. Brindle/white seems to be the colour of choice around here (although they and JRT seems to be the breed of choice in the smaller breed range! No, I'd reduce it! They have missed out on all the fun. ;)

Yes, this is true but what are the chances of a dog remaining entire for 5/6 years and even having a clue about mating sucessfully at that one effort at that late stage?? This is what would happen if he wasn't to be used by the orginal breeder and just kept "to sire one litter" for the OP. I thought your objection was leaving a family pet undesexed but it's actually that you're concerned the dog won't know how to have sex? I know it sounds silly but if he isn't used for 5/6 years he could have "issues". Some young studs need "help and guidence" until they become experienced. Or, he could be "a natural'. ;) But it also leaves him open to health issues like testicular cancer.

In Victoria (and I believe S.A.)the microchip number must be quoted in any advertisement, as of January 1st 2012. I don't know about giving away. But all registered dogs must be microchopped before being sold. I have my pups done at 6 weeks as I can't have them health tested by the Veterinary Opthalmologist without them being 'chipped' first, and this is done at 6 weeks(litter screening).

Does sound steep 8 months not weeks?? Chocolate isn't 'rare' persae, is it? Age shouldn't matter, $3500 for a Lab is ridiculous! $1000-$1200 I would think Chocolate is about as rare as blue staffords, they're not popular in the show ring, so they don't tend to get bred for that reason, but then they became the craze I wouldn't sell an 8 months old Cavalier for the same price as an 8 week old puppy. Chocolate labs still seem to be popular as pets, I see heaps.

Does sound steep 8 months not weeks?? Chocolate isn't 'rare' persae, is it?

I can get there early....can you! :D ;)

Oh Congratulations and well done!

If he is healthy and pure bred than he only looks about 4 weeks old, not 8 weeks. Have been following and reading with interest. Looking forward to hearing of little Oscars weight gains. :) Do you think it possible that the bitch was running with the male during her entire heat cycle and conceived at the beginning of her cycle AND at the end and little Oscar is really a quite a bit behind his siblings? Not much chance of that. A bitch ovulates and releases the eggs all at once. The eggs can survive for about 4 days so can be fertilised over those 4 days but no longer. If they mate before ovulation the sperm may survive a few days until they ovulate so puppies can be conceived from matings as far apart as 8 days but the actual embryos all form within 4 days and the bitch whelps 63 days from ovulation, regardless of when they are mated. Being 4 days behind wouldn't make that much difference in size. Ah, yes. Small window of opportunity with the egg release. So he is not likely to be prem either or the whole litter would have been. Unlikely also given they all survived and no doubt appeared normal and fur covered. Hope the poor little guy has no inderlying probelm. I'd be watching how he develops and his appearance. A DNA swab might be called for if he looks dramatically unlike a purebred GR as he matures.

Yes, it would be possible to lease your MR dog back to the breeder to use for a litter, without becoming a registered Breeder yourself. Co-ownership not being necessary. However, I don't think co-ownership was in question in this scenario, was it? I don't know about other states but in NSW the stud dog owner just needs to be a financial member but doesn't have to have a breeders prefix. ETA I no longer have a breeders prefix but my dog, who is in my name, has sired registered litters. It could well be the same situation with males here too, I only own bitches so am governed by the "breeders rules". Not sure how much of it applies to the Stud Dog.

You beat me to it. There are some appalling comments on this thread. :mad Yes, sadly some kneejerk reactions to raw nerves. Understandable....but not to a newb poster.

Yes, it would be possible to lease your MR dog back to the breeder to use for a litter, without becoming a registered Breeder yourself. Co-ownership not being necessary. However, I don't think co-ownership was in question in this scenario, was it?

Gosh I hope that wasn't the plan. That is not a good enough reason to leave a family dog entire??!! I'm confused now. Did you mean you wanted a puppy from the dog (litter he has sired) that you are buying when he was 5/6 years old OR Did you mean you wanted to buy another puppy from the breeder, related to your dog, as a second pet, when he was 5/6 years old? Perhaps the breeder is confused too. I realise there's a certain divide between pro and anti desexing proponents but unless there are laws in place that say otherwise, it's really up to individual owners if their dog is entire or not. Yes, this is true but what are the chances of a dog remaining entire for 5/6 years and even having a clue about mating sucessfully at that one effort at that late stage?? This is what would happen if he wasn't to be used by the orginal breeder and just kept "to sire one litter" for the OP.

Gosh, he could so easily get over that fence. Are'nt you concerned he might find the motivation to one day? We raised all our yard fencing because our Shepherd jumped it when he was younger.

If you have only been brushing the outer hair then the soft under hair will build up in clumps and then find it way to teh surface as a clump and become visible to be either pulled out or fall out. I would recommend getting a rake type brush to remove her undercoat when she's moulting.

What a great dog. Your Dad was pretty cool too as way back when not many men would put up with being growled at by their own dog. Nah, Dad knew it was my dog and not his. :laugh: We used to get bread delivered and the Baker Boy was a 'target' of this dog. Poor kid, always asked me "where my dog was" before he left the bread with me. Wasn't allowed too close to me.

If he is healthy and pure bred than he only looks about 4 weeks old, not 8 weeks. Have been following and reading with interest. Looking forward to hearing of little Oscars weight gains. :) Do you think it possible that the bitch was running with the male during her entire heat cycle and conceived at the beginning of her cycle AND at the end and little Oscar is really a quite a bit behind his siblings?

Ha, the show rings are full of 'Blonde" golden Retrievers! I prefer Golden Goldies. :)