lappiemum

about the same as vaccination, but the point isn't the cost

hey Fran, its possible although not common! The ways to check are for swelling around the vulva and spotting - if you gently press on the vulva area you should have blood tinged liquid seep out. There will also be blood coloured droplets on the floor etc which you will no doubt spot fairly soon. I know its a long shot, but didn't you change over her diet recently? There could be a urinary reaction there, although I agree its just as unlikely! Give M a call and have a chat, or if you want call me

Beldoza, I know this is heartbreaking for you at the moment and ofcourse the expense will be considerable, but i think your puppy is very, very lucky to have gone to you. If she had stayed with the so-called breeder its likely she would be either pts or have died - when its about the $$, the welfare of the animals concerned just becomes a financial decision. I honestly believe things happen for a reason, and she has come to you because you are her best chance.

From the Kennel Club website (http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2947) : 'Woof, He's Fit' - The New Doggie Dating Website That Puts Health First 24-Feb-10 The Kennel Club is developing a revolutionary new database that will enable people to find a perfect mate for their dog which will help to improve the health of future generations within the breed. In a first of its kind, the Mate Select programme, which will be accessed via the Kennel Club website, will allow both occasional and regular breeders to assess the impact that a proposed mating will have on the genetic diversity within a breed. As new health screening tools are developed, these will also be incorporated into Mate Select so that, in future, breeders will be able to select mating pairs which will maximise the chances of producing healthy puppies whilst having the optimum impact on the breed’s genetic diversity. These IT developments will greatly expand the Kennel Club’s ability to collect and store health information on registered dogs - information that will allow the development of new health screening tools which will find their way into Mate Select and improve the health of pedigree dogs. The Kennel Club wants to ensure that these healthy puppies go on to loving homes and has launched a new Breed Information Centre on its website. This includes a Health Test Results Finder, which records the health test results for any Kennel Club registered dog; an Accredited Breeder application that gives potential owners a list of responsible breeders in their area; and a Find a Breed application to show which breed’s characteristics would best suit their lifestyle. Click here for more information. Kennel Club Communications Director, Caroline Kisko, said: “People do a lot of thinking about their perfect partner but dogs’ needs are relatively simple - to find a mate that will give them healthy puppies, which will then be matched with loving owners. “A lot of science is going into the Kennel Club’s new database, but the end result will be that the computer will help dog owners find a mate for their dog, which will give them the best possible chance of producing healthy puppies. “Not only can we help to match the right dogs with each other, but equally important is matching the right puppy buyers to the right puppy and our newly launched Breed Information Centre will help people to find the right breed and the right breeder.” Nick Blayney, former President of the British Veterinary Association, has spoken about the importance of the new database for dog health. He said: “The Kennel Club has helped develop many DNA tests and has a number of health screening schemes that are run with the British Veterinary Association and this knowledge should be central to any breeding decision. Sometimes though, there is so much information to compute that breeders often don’t know where to start. This database will do the complicated calculations for them, showing them clearly which dogs will make the most suitable match in order to produce healthy puppies.” Health test results and details of any surgery or operations that a dog has had will be inputted into the health database by dog owners and vets and will then be verified. Dogs will then enter the ‘dating pool’ and be matched with other dogs, of the same breed within the surrounding area, on the basis of their Estimated Breeding Value (the genetic value of the dog based upon health considerations). Work is already under way on the database which will be available by the end of the year, and the Mate Select programme within the following twelve months. Professor Jeff Sampson, Kennel Club Chief Scientific Advisor, said: “The Kennel Club has been working with scientists to develop Estimated Breeding Values for many years. These EBVs are based on very complicated calculations such as the prevalence of certain diseases in a particular breed or the size of the gene pool. The database is the first of its kind to be able to compute all of this information and to tell breeders not only which two dogs will produce the healthiest offspring, but which pairings will have the most positive effect on the overall health of that breed. “The programme will be available for pedigree dogs, because we know their heritage and therefore have more information available for them, but we hope that information about all other dogs will also be fed into this database. At the moment we have frighteningly little information about diseases within crossbred dogs, but this database will help to throw light on this grey area and help us, therefore, to improve the health of pedigrees and crossbreeds alike.”

even registered breeders can be puppy farmers.

S&G have done a fair bit of union work - I think they were involved in Bernies case (Asbestos). I guarantee you - they wouldn't take it on if it didn;t have legs, and they certainly would be looking at setting a precedent. RSPCA should be concerned this time around. S&G do have teeth.

Hey Evolving- I've had what I think is a backyarder sniffing around... wouldn't give me a last name, was vague about where he lived, didn't have a contact number, email was different to the name he gave me, and guess what? Wanted a female and avoided all of my questions re desexing.....(alarm bells, anyone??) To be fair, I arranged to meet him (at a show) and he didn't turn up, gave me an excuse and I haven't heard from him since.....! However, regardless of this situation, these bybers they are out there, and def wanting to get into our breed. I just hope that if my alarm bells are correct that he hasn't gotten what he wants from elsewhere!

What a rollercoaster ride for this little girl (and you!)! I think her name is def suited to her! Hopefully everything will be fine from here on in!

All good advice. Sorry to hear your baby has gone over, I had two of mine go over within a few months of each other, was very tough. We are a multi dog household too, and when you are ready, I recommend considering another dog for your boy - it actually helps with the grieving process in the long term. But don't dwell on it too much either, as your boy will pick up on the sadness you are projecting, and that will cause him extra stress.

Got the same error, and I tried a few times For what its worth, 3 dogs inner suburb (8km from the city centre!) - hoping for number 4 this year, but will probably have to draw the line there for a while......

Hey SP - I'm pretty sure they need to be pending main register or already on the main. Sohvi was registered in QLD, got her number just after I sent off for her first show, rang the sec to give it to them a few days later but was told not to worry about it. So we're going to have baby puppies in the rings at the same time! pity we're in different rings! LOL

Actually, a lot of potential show dogs do go to pet homes - either because the breeder can't keep on everything they like from the litter, or because sometimes your pick doesn't turn out as well as its sibling 12 months later.

Thanks for that BB, will check them out on Sat.

Can you please bring one over when you visit?? I want to see what they look like :rolleyes: I think I want the smaller (old) one, I don't like big chunky bags when walking the dogs. Will do so

How interesting - thanks for the post I have to say when I first started reading it, I thought 'crazy americans' (sorry to any US DOLers! LOL) but then I read further and started thinking, while the $ pool is far smaller and the professional handler thing isn't anywhere near the US situation, I do some freelance graphic work for a dog related publication and the comments re campaigning and advertising is not too disimilar to what happens here - again, just on a smaller scale.

my understanding is that a neuture class has been around for a while, but I think I have only ever seen it once in a specialty show. If this one is to allow the accumulation of points, however, it may be in the interests of clubs to incorporate it and even promote it in the schedual. I'm sure you will get the enteries - showies just love a new competition!

At the pet expo at Caulfield on the weekend the Houndbag people were there selling their bags directly. They had the new ones at 2 for $60 and the old ones at 2 for $30. I bought two of the old ones, funky colours are cool but the old ones look good, price is really good, and the OH would rather have the plain version (otherwise he'll get embarressed). We still got them with the cool reflector strap that doubles as a lead, and the quality looks good. Will let you know how they go, but we're happy

I cheat - I have a chart

I agree the rings were small - didn't get much of a chance to stretch my boy out. Grass was not the best, and the baby puppy kangaroo hopped around the ring...! Was very, very cramped too - esp when the people we were next to on Sat decided to stick a huge tent peg in our spot on Sunday, preventing us from setting up there again and we ended up having to set up quite a bit away...don't you just love those "nice" show people??

I'm just showing - will have the OH and Miss 10yr old to assist, so I'm sure we shall be taking turns in doing the rounds....! Just hope there will be room for the compact gazebo!

The gazebo it is then....will have to get there early!

Google maps suggests the following route to avoid highways and tolls Mill Park VIC 1. Head north-east on Betula Ave towards Childs Rd 10 m 2. Turn right at Childs Rd 1.0 km 3. Turn right at Plenty Rd 3.3 km 4. Turn left at Bent St 0.5 km 5. Turn left at Grimshaw St 1.9 km 6. Turn right at Watsonia Rd Go through 2 roundabouts 1.4 km 7. Turn right at Greensborough Hwy 2.3 km 8. Continue onto Lower Plenty Rd 0.3 km 9. Slight left at Rosanna Rd 2.3 km 10. Continue onto Lower Heidelberg Rd 1.7 km 11. Turn left at Burke Rd Nth 1.3 km 12. Continue onto Burke Rd 7.3 km 13. Turn right at Burwood Hwy 0.8 km 14. Take the 3rd left on to Tooronga Rd 3.2 km 15. Turn left at Princes Hwy 0.2 km 16. Slight right at Railway Ave 51 m 17. Take the 2nd right on to Sir John Monash Dr 18 m 18. Slight left at Railway Ave 44 m 19. Turn left at Smith St 0.2 km 20. Turn right at Station St 82 m I suggest a Melways to help with the route!

To the best of my knowledge, microchipping isn't compulsory in Victoria yet. That said, my Whippet was bred in Victoria and was microchipped before he left his breeder. From a VCA info sheet on microchipping- When does compulsory microchipping apply? All cats and dogs being registered with a Victorian local council for the first time must be microchipped prior to registration. You can be fined if you do not comply. In addition, councils will have the power to require compulsory microchipping of all cats and dogs housed in their municipality. If your pet is already registered with your local council, you do not have to microchip it unless your council introduces additional requirements. All cats and dogs aged three months and over must be registered with the local council. Laws are already in place requiring microchipping of restricted breed dogs, and declared menacing or dangerous dogs. It is also a requirement to microchip all cats and dogs when they are sold or given away from pet shops, commercial breeders and pounds or shelters. In the unusual event that the implantation of a microchip is likely to significantly prejudice the health of an animal, a supporting letter from a vet will exempt the owner from microchipping requirements. Essentially, the loophole for non commercial breeders is that legally, they can sell a puppy that is not microchipped. However, the law states that it must be microchipped prior to being registered, and given that all puppies are legally trequired to be registered by 3 months (12 weeks) either the breeder does it prior to sale, or the buyer has around2 weeks to do it themselves (assuming they get their pup at 8 weeks, I do know some toy breeders hold on to pups until 12 weeks). I'll have to check the code for inheritable diseases to double check that there is nothing there on chipping (I had heard there was, but haven't found anything yet). However, I do agree that there are too many registered breeders who ignore the guidelines and codes, on all sorts of things, and microchipping is just one of a few. I always cringe when I see the word 'should' as I know there will be many would consider that word to give them license to ignore whatever comes after it! For what its worth, any litters we'll have will be microchipped. The needle is big, but the bit that goes in is very, very tiny. Edit to add - the VCA Code of Practice has this - 20.1.17 A member shall not, within Australia, sell or otherwise transfer from that member’s care any puppy under eight [8] weeks of age without the approval of the Victorian Canine Association Inc. So *if* you are buying from a registered breeder here in Vic, they are required to wait until 8 weeks unless they have VCA approval to do otherwish. Mind you, bybers can do as they please...

I think we should be on after 10am - given that we have to get up to L in the alphabet, there are usually cattle dogs, Australian kelpies, collies (smooth and rough) and a variety of other breeds before we get in - which is great, since I'm always running late for these things! We're on both Sat and Sunday - no show on the Friday though. And Boof will love cuddles (so will Sohvi, but she may just want to puppy wrestle)!

A dog related site on the subject is http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/nervous%...0abiotrophy.htm It lists breeds that are affected by cerebellar abiotrophy, also talks about postnatal cerebellar abiotrophy. It does have labs down as one of the breeds, but hopefully its not CA as there isn't much you can do for the pup affected. If its CA there may also be consequences for that line, as the paper states that for most CA they suspect an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance.