The Ark

What have you bought???????

The change in the UA is purely labelling - apparently they are now listing the actual protein levels instead of the minimum levels. Our dogs are going nuts over it. I've mixed it with a lower protein food for the pups, and I caught one of them picking out the UA first. I am going to try Great Barko for the younger dogs when this lot is gone, as it is lower in protein & fat.

Hmmm, I may contact the company. I'm just wondering if there was only a particular batch with higher ratios for some reason or another??? The sticker was on the outside of the bag, but obviously on the side that I didn't look at when it was lying flat on the shelf at the produce store. It was odd that they would print up a sticker and whack it on, rather than change the printing on the bags if it is a planned, permanent change.... I certainly don't want the protein to be that high either, so may feed this lot to my high-energy dogs (the greyhounds and Aussie Shepherds).

- "Here comes Ever, the world's first purple-brindle pembroke"...... :D

I have just opened our first bag of Uncle Alber's here, as we were feeding Eagle Pack but just can't afford to keep 10+ dogs on it. All of the dogs have happily eaten the Uncle Alber's this morning (mixed with their old food, of course). The only thing that concerns me is that when I checked the protein & fat content on the shelf the label showed Protein 24% and Fat 12%, which I thought was a reasonable figure - however once I went to cut the bag open I noticed a small yellow sticker that had been placed on the bag and it reads "new improved analysis - Protein 28% and Fat 14%" . That is a bit higher than I would like to be feeding to my young large dogs, so I am going to have to watch their quantities very carefully and perhaps keep mixing it with something lower in protein and fat.

Didn't see you there, Hunterhound?? We were told last night that it is starting at 6pm from now on, because it is getting too cold & dark. It will be on in 2 weeks' time, so hopefully we'll get to see you there. Might I just say that I am getting so much out of show training! It is quite a drive for me, and a bit tricky juggling kids, but Nicky & Sam have so many tips that it is well worth the drive! After having Aurea lunge around the ring last night (happily, though, which is great ) it was so nice to get Dragon out and have him motor around the ring like he does it every day. He's a good boy (when he's not pulling washing off the line, or ripping standard roses out of pots.... ). Got to love a puppy....

Any new min pins I get, we are going to have to make, I think!

Yep, OKS!! ;)

Santa's Little Helper from the Simpsons!

Lottie is beautiful! She has a gorgeous head, and her left eye is almost exactly the same as Dragon's with that blue at the bottom.

Thank you so much to SwaY, poocow, megz and everyone else who contributed to this thread - links, live results, photos.... what more could a doglover want! Awesome job guys! :p :p And congratulations to everyone who made it into the lineups for Specials day! All winners!

I think councils need to employ someone to investigate all of the puppy farm ads that appear week after week after week in the local trader newspapers/websites. If council only started enforcing the "puppies/kittens must be microchipped" law for one, these people would have to think twice because it would start costing them money to mass-produce pups. At the moment those breeders have no expenses, especially if they have obtained their breeding dogs through the "free to good home" section of the same papers - so they then advertise their litters, hand over their unchipped, undesexed pups and away they go again. Surely just following up on some of those ads (maybe even as a "mystery shopper") would bring in enough revenue in fines to pay for the employment of that person, and may nip some of the dog problems in the bud once these guys start having to pay to produce litters. I'd be happy to do that job for them!

Hi Hunterhound! We had our Aussie Shepherd girl x-rayed by Martin Strong at Motto Farm Vet Clinic (Heatherbrae, near Raymond Terrace). He suggested the Penn Hip test as well, and it was only an extra $100 so we went with that as well. We were very happy with her scores (having had her x-rayed elsewhere, laying crooked, causing awful scores!). From memory it was around the $400 mark for the whole thing (including the $150 for the x-rays to be interpreted in WA)?? Certainly WAY less than the $750 you've been quoted. I'd give Motto Farm a call. Can PM you the number if you like. Deb

Thank you for the pic, Bec! It is lovely! Hopefully he'll grow up just like his Daddy!

Here are the boys, wuffles! Dragon Tally Sorry about the crap stacking (causing hunchy backs) - it's dark and wet here, and we've actually had a few dramas with these boys today (as in they managed to claw their way into some rat bait and had a rushed trip to the vet!! ). They are both healthy and happy now though. Both their willies are hanging out too ;) - might be something to do with the morphine-derived drugs they had today at the vet!!

We couldn't be happier, Bec! Wuffles is the dream owner! Wuffles - your training videos are amazing!! I'm tempted to send some of our other dogs down to you for a while. You have done such a great job with your gorgeous girl. ;) Greg took some photos of Ava's brothers tonight, so we'll post some for you. Hey Aussielover, not sure your girl would have been a mismark as she has pigment around both eyes and white doesn't actually "predominate" on her head. Other opinions?? White on ears isn't desirable for breeding/showing purposes, but isn't actually a disqualification (our girl Vivi has white on both ears). Is that Clover?? She looks very sweet.

Hey Bec - feel free to put it up please! It will be quicker than me doing it!! We had a great day at the specialties yesterday, and it was great to see a "local" min pin get BIS at the morning show - go Ruby!! Chester was very naughty in the morning, but pulled himself together for the afternoon. It was great to see his breeder and his mum, dad and 2 of his sisters.

Well DAH...you better be, other wise a firm smack to the side of the head will be coming your way thank you very much! Stroud YES for you! LOL didnt happen to get pug results did you whinger? No touching the clouseau this weekend seeings you are sooo mean at the puglets!!! P.s. where was my invite? you horrible horrible people!!! Sorry Sammy - you would have had to cuddle a 6yo, a messy in-season min pin bitch and a gazebo to fit in the back seat, and you would have been deaf after having the 10yo maltie x yapping in your ear all the way! I am dreaming of a dog trailer.... (not to put you in, but the gear.)

No worries Bec - it was a pleasure having you along for the day! And I think the pugs may only have been outnumbered by the chihuahuas!!!! They were EVERYWHERE!

Did you teach Ava to wee inside??? I have just started using White King triple enzyme soaker in my mop bucket - hopefully that might work? If nothing else, my mop should be nice and white!

Aziah is obviously nicer then me. :D I'm sure it's her way of subtly telling me I have no hope of getting "Ever" ever and letting me down softly by giving me something else. Oh oh oh! Ever's name is so appropriate here - 'Break It To Me Gently' ;)

Kristy, I was so sorry to read this. Your poor baby pug. :cry: Hugs to you and your family. Deb

Steve Austin - pet shop dogs don't end up in pounds because they are microchipped - if they were coming back, we'd hear about it! How are the pet shops going to hear about it?? The details are changed over to the new owner - end of the problem for pet shops! They don't need to know anything about that dog ever again.

Yay! Come and say hi! I see you lurking there, Bec....