Dante

My vet said it lasts forever! Mind you I wouldn't take that literally - but I think it would be ok.

Possibly pain after the C-section. The vet gave me Meloxicam after my bitch was uncomfortable after this surgery - she also wouldn't settle properly.

If you normally go to Applecross - book in and see Steve. He is excellent. Sounds suspiciously like luxating patella.

I was considering laying artificial turf in my backyard a few years ago. So glad I didn't. I got a landscaper in and asked him to recommend a lawn that was hardy enough to withstand the dogs (mind you I only have chihuahua's). He recommended Sir Walter Buffalo and I have been very happy with it. It self repairs very quickly (as they occasionally dig at it), is great in summer as it keeps the backyard cooler and after being weed and pood on constantly it does not develop brown patches.

I have used polar fleece - it washes and dries very quickly. But if it is a bit too warm for that, a towel works quite well. I will usually place some newspaper underneath whatever it is I am using. I found the polar fleece is the best though, and very cheap as well.

Thanks - i'm going to try the Wahl Trimmer Skruffy has recommended. Would love the Arcos one - but I don't think my Chi's have enough fluff to justify the purchase - lol

I am after a cordless trimmer to trim my dogs feet. Does anyone have a good one that they can recommend? Something that is quiet would be good. It is for long coat chihuahuas.

Mine grab my hand and drag it back to their chest! lol

I recently enquired with my vet about a teeth cleaning for one of my Chi girls - her teeth had quite a lot of tartar build up. The vet recommend a product called PlaqueOff as stated that I should use this instead. I have started to use it and can see a reduction in plaque. It takes a couple of months to see the full effect but I was glad to be given something that would avoid an anaesthetic. I would never had tried this unless the vet had recommended it. Costs a lot less than a dental as well!

Before - towel or other bedding and newspaper for the rest of the box During - newspaper base with towel / blankets that can be replaced when dirty After - I have a cardboard box with a blanket. I also have a board which i wrap the blanket around as both of the litters i have had the bitch always tries to bury the pups.

As a general rule, Chi's aren't really suitable in homes with children under the age of 12. This is for the safety of the dog and the kids. But of course there are always exceptions to the rule and some kids can be good with them, provided there is adequate supervision and understanding that they can be hurt easily if the are dropped, fallen on top of etc.

My dogs go nuts for duck poo - like BC Crazy said they love to roll in it too! This is why walk to the river are followed by baths at home! :laugh:

I don't see a problem with selling them. Personally, if I have won something that I don't want or need, I have a friend who regularly collects items for a local dog shelter so I donate them.

Also once you decide it is nail trimming time, make sure you trim all the nails required no matter how much squirming there is on her part. The big mistake I make with my first Chi was to stop as he was kicking up a fuss. Once he figured out that if he made a fuss - and then I stopped - he would squirm, growl and then nip to try and stop the nail trimming. This took a long time and a lot of patience to retrain him (we even had to use a small soft muzzle!). When my dog starts to squirm a give a low gruff no, and then continue. If he is good then I give him lots of praise and move on to the next nail. We can now trim his nails without much fuss but he still doesn't like it when you touch his paws (even though i do it all the time lol).

Well I don't use crates in the manner they describe (i.e. 18 hours a day)... my dogs love their crates as they usually end up at show! I have had 4 Chi's try to cram inside a PP20 (and they fit too! lol) they love it that much! I note that is article does not state a lot of hard facts or research / statistics though - I wonder if the book will be more of the same dribble! The only sad thing is some people will swallow it hole

Tibetian Spaniel - love to be lap dogs!!

I would recommend a Chi as well. If you already have one - they like nothing as much as their own company! lol They can be a bit clannish. They are extremely affectionate, and will happily sit on your lap all day. However they also are independent, and can entertain themselves if left alone. Get one with a good temperament - they should be friendly and outgoing. Have a look on the DOL breed page, there are adults advertised here. Good luck!

For the Chi litter I had, I used a cardboard box with a lip cut in the front. The size of the box was 60cm wide by 35-40 wide. It was about 25cm tall and I cut a lip in the front of the box (so mum could move in and out) which was about 10cm tall that was later removed completely to let the pups move in and out of the box.

A small one for Chi's - they are always way to big for them - without pig rails. Not heated.

I have used show stackers with success. I had a girl that would always put her back legs in the wrong positions and show stackers corrected this. Another thing to try is walking then stopping. When they stop in the correct position, say the command (i.e. stand) and then treat immediately. You will need to teach them to stand in the correct position first, then once you have this you then move on to getting them to hold it for longer periods of time. Go slowly though, like 2 second, 5 seconds, 10 seconds etc. Good luck! Another thing to note, I have never had any success teaching free stacking with manual stacking. So if I would place their legs correctly, then they would not learn to place the legs themselves.

I would head down to a local show and check out the dogs. Talk to the the people showing (but avoid talking to them when they are ringside as it can be a bit busy) about the breed and the fact that you are interested in showing as a hobby. I'm not too sure of the show schedule in Queensland (maybe a local can help you out with that). Then you can decide which breed suits you the best and you can go from there. The people you meet at the shows will be able to point you in the right direction to obtain a show dog. The only general advise I can give is that I found it much easier to purchase a boy when I started out. Good luck! It is a really fun hobby and you will meet a lot of great people!

Yep, sometimes there is no point telling people, it falls on deaf ears. Poor dogs

It it a smooth coat or long coat? When long coats drop their puppy coat it can be quite alarming and some can even look "smooth coated" for a while before the new adult coat comes in. On the breeding side of things, I am only new to breeding my Chi's and have found it difficult. Also agree with Moosepup, I would not breed with anything small.

Thanks for the replies. As the vet said it was quite common, it's strange that not many people have experienced it. She is in good health, bright and sparky. And the loose stools are easing now. Fingers crossed the rest of the pregnancy with be uneventful. I have kept her on plain cooked chicken which may or may not have helped. lol The worming injection, well I had never heard of it until the vet mentioned it. Apparently it is normally given in the last week of pregnancy and clears both the bitch and pups of worms. Vet said pups will now not have to start being wormed until 6 weeks of age. Have any other breeders used this injection?