koalathebear

We couldn't find Royal Canin from the pet store near us, they only had Royal Canin for cats or poodles but I have found an online supplier. The choices are a bit mind-boggling, see here. What would be suitable for an 8 month old kelpie x who is 15kg and a 3+ month old Kelpie who is 9kg? Maybe Royal Canin Medium Junior 32.... 15kg?

Kenobi is absolutely adorable. Love beagles ... We have quite a few carnage shots in the Elbie thread. It's very long now so hard to wade through.

Thank you! He is definitely a red and tan Kelpie. I'm aware that he looks brown/chocolate/liver etc, but his official classification is red and tan monster ...

Gorgeous photos, Clastic. Mars' ears are just so regal and aristocratic. He could take over the world with those ears. Pepper's expression is so cute in the play photos. In less happy news, OH and I were at Mama Koala's for lunch, I swear we weren't gone for over an hour and a half. When we returned, we found this. Question: What is this? (a) Empty grave site pre-dead guy (b) Huffalump trap © Beginnings of a swimming pool (d) Hoover digging his way to freedom Butter wouldn't melt in the little monster's mouth. Look how innocent the devil spawn appears! Never trust a puppy with a comb-over! The guys in The Great Escape could have used Little Hoover on their side! I'm not sure what Elbie was doing while all this was going on - probably watching in disapproval. Both dogs are now unconscious in their dog beds. Clearly wanton destruction is exhausting!

Thanks dear!!! I wasn't sure people read the bit where I said I didn't agree with the article, I own TWO clickers and just thought that the article was interesting - which I still maintain it is.

Salutations all! ravenau1: good luck with names! OH and I couldn't agree for Hoover's name so went with the breeder's original name so that resolved that issue quite well niques: James has the best owner he could possibly have! Who else would entrust their dog with responsibility for signing for parcels from Tiffanys! wuffles: Awesome video as always. Ava looks so obedient. Elbie's going to have to repeat silver a few times before getting to that level of proficiency. Oh well, he and Hoover can be classmates. Clastic: don't worry, as you know, we mess around with our dogs' food as well and they aren't precious about it at all ... we pick it up, check it, put it back, add things ... pat them .. As for flaming, my fur is already quite singed and I'm totally fine still 4kelpies: The story of Caleb and the Chair. + I'm so glad you didn't squash the poor pup. I wonder what it is about Kelpies! Hoover was sooooooo quiet and patient as he was extricated. I think you will need to share more scary stories of Missing Doggies and Where They Ended Up. I had horrible fears that Hoover had been stuck under the house or somehow got out of the yard ... In other news, it was a rather overcast and bleak morning after a night of sporadic rain. Fortunately it wasn't raining this morning. While OH and Elbie were in silver class, I enrolled Hoover in February's beginner classes and took him around for some meet and greets to get him socialised with Doggies and their owners. A little bit of video footage is . He was a little shy at first but he seemed to enjoy himself even when facing bigger doggies. He behaved a little inappropriately a few times. Sorry Clastic. Sorry Wuffles. He grew up on a farm and is a bit earthy. ;)

You haven't seen him in the sun! You'd swear the vain thing had put a henna rinse through his fur. Thanks for the input all - given that the red and tan Kelpie is a very popular colour among working lines, it's a bit weird that the database doesn't have the combo!

I thought it was interesting because it was so anti-clicker. All of the stuff I've been given/told has always been so pro-clicker so for me it was interesting to hear such strong opposition towards it. I don't agree because I actually like using the clicker but I always do like reading what The Other Side has to say even if I don't agree.

But aren't your doggies black and tan? Still two-tones! Although there is an option for black and tan.

Sounds like red is in the lead Thank you! After having a lot of chats to lots of people, we ended up getting him at 3 months old from a smaller breeder recommended by the WKC. We had it confirmed that there's no HD or ataxia in his 'family and in any case the breeder would take him back if there were any health problems or if he didn't get along with Elbie. He had a monumental journey from Kempsey to Sydney, then Sydney to Canberra and then the car trip home but was very sanguine and relaxed despite how traumatic that must have been. He has settled in well - almost completely house-trained now, very calm and zen and despite never having been in a car before he's a lot more relaxed in a car than Elbie is. We're hoping his zenness will rub off on Elbie. There are more photos and video clips of him here. My biggest worry was the socialisation element given that he was already 3 months, grew up on a farm and that sort of thing but he's very well-adjusted. Totally unphased by electric mixers, dryers, washing machines and all that sort of thing. Given that Elbie doesn't normally like playing with other dogs and the two are playing, he's doing very well. Elbie's a bit puzzled that the new puppy doesn't understand commands yet but we've been very happy with how well-behaved Elbie's been to try to compensate. You'll see from the link above that Elbie's definitely been very patient and long-suffering with our new monster. Now I just have to figure out what colour he is for the registration form.

It's very stupid Those are all the colours available for dogs overall, not just Kelpies and alas there's no red and tan. The breed thing is worse. At least Hoover's a purebred Kelpie, they don't have the option to say that your dog is a crossbreed (although they do have Labradoodle) and list the breed mixes so for Elbie who is a Kelpie x Border Collie, I had to register him as a Kelpie which isn't accurate. As mentioned though, if either dog was lost, we have lots of photos so it wouldn't matter that much, it's just that the database description isn't that correct. ETA screen cap:

Hmm, they might think he's a cav? OK ... so the choices are tri-colour or red and red sounds like it might be most accurate as he is mostly red.

ACT has online registration. The form is here and those are the only colour options available. I'm guessing it's for if the dog is ever lost or something but I'd definitely be relying on photos and an accurate description rather than the limited description available on the ACT government database

Thanks. I think tricolour works well because he does have a bit of white on him. I was hesitant to call him red because my image of a solid red Kelpie is a lot different from a red and tan. If he ever got lost we'd have photos etc but I was trying to make it as accurate as I could. Thanks for that! OH and I were going around in circles in our discussion.

I'm registering Hoover and the ACT Government form has Kelpie but doesn't have red and tan although they have other colour pairings. This is how he looks: I can only pick one of the following though. Any suggestions? Do you think "red" would be the most accurate? Thanks in advance! I'm sure it doesn't really matter at the end of the day but I'd like to get it close just in case it does matter one day.

I know. I suspect he already had something of the talent to start with and his owner decided to go with the flow and train him to climb more rather than deter him. He looks so chilled as he explores that somewhat bleak landscape ...

Maybe the sound of a clicker reminds him of a childhood trauma ...

Article is here. It's long, but it's quite interesting. Not endorsing it - we have clickers in this household Then again, I don't own a Fila Brasiliero.

Oh noes! I sympathise! We have a rotting doorstep and it collapsed the other day. We phoned the tradesman and said: "Please come soon - our puppy keeps gnawing on the wood and making it worse!" We have two dog beds, one for each dog but poor Elbie still keeps getting gatecrashed ... Elbie's Thought Bubble: "Geez ... every time get into this bed, this little red and tan monster keeps getting in, too". The Dog Bed of Wonky Ears Elbie gives up and just snoozes despite the presence of the little monster

Wow ... That's so impressive. We've found those Bon Fido dog beds pretty hardy so Hector must be very determined. For Elbie's crate because he likes to gnaw on things if we're not around, we bought him a bon fido mat - like those gym mats you had in school ... He scratches away at it and it's fairly tough so hasn't taken any damage on so far except Hoover poo and Hoover wee Maybe something like that will work for the bed? Lucky Erik though - he looks so serene. In other news, the tuffy tug toy has been an excellent purchase. Not only does it seem indestructible but the monsters love it. Their game isn't just to gain control of the tug - each dog's mission is to get the tug toy to a dog bed and stay there. The end result is that dog, tug toy and bed end up being towed along the ground sometimes. :D be monsters and Tuffy Tug Toy.

Maybe! The thing was, if it had been Elbie, he would have barking like an absolute maniac but when we got there, Hoover was as placid as a cow with his serene: "I knew my humans would find me" expression. He was very excited to be released from his accidental prison but seemed completely untraumatised.

Catching up! This thread moves fast sometimes. So he does exist :D I've known wuffles for much of this year and still haven't met the famous Satchmo! I've been pondering the grass thing, too because there are a few bare patches of dirt that I'd love to have grass on. Is the turf grass the one that's already grown and you transplant it to your backyard? That's something I'd like to do but we have monsters in our yard all the time I think whatever we do is going to make someone think that we are bad dog owners because we don't do it the same way that they do it. I would only be concerned if I thought that not feeding out of would mean that my dog would become aggressive/evil or something. If the only thing is that: 1. he will learn not to eat out of a bowl 2. he will learn to be a fussy eater Then I am not fussed at all because despite the fact that we only feed out of a bowl sometimes, both our dogs can eat out of a bowl just fine and they're not fussy eaters - Hoover's just very slow and he doesn't love the kibble but he eats it all in the end. I have also read the thing saying you should never interrupt your dog's eating or take things off it under any circumstances but like you, we always take his bones/lamb flaps away to make sure that they're still safe etc and it's always been fine. Of course. We always welcome new friends. Congratulations on finally getting your akita baby. Kyojin is beautiful!!! Such a shame you're in Queensland, I would love to cuddle a little akita because by the time I met Kuma, he was still cuddly but not very pickupable except by KumaAkita's OH. :D Reminds me of the Giant Cat at Pet Barn that is so huge that staff assure me that he is half dog. That's such great news! I know how worrying the car lunging can be. As for this: The thought has crossed my mind before that a more experienced trainer could bring out more of Elbie's potential but then I see all those unlucky dogs out there and think that at least we're able to offer Elbie a happy and safe home and that we try to keep him enriched ... Perhaps in the hands of another person he could be a Great Champion, but I think he's happy just to be a member of our little family ... That is such a cute sentiment! I, too am often bemused by how on earth I find these solo dog hairs in places they shouldn't be like this tupperware container or on the side of my plate ... Max's shy is very, very cute and the whiteness of his paws rival Ava's glowing luminescence. The two are positively Elven in their photogenic radiance like Liv Tyler as Arwen in LOTR. KumaAkita: Wow, awesome photos. Kuma looks so apologetic in that first photo ... a bit embarrassed like: "Dude, I swear that's not my fur ..." I wonder how much more fur he has to shed! I think you should be donating that fur to those unlucky dogs with Alopecia! MavericksMission: Gorgeous photos of your two boys. Both have such intense stares and Hector looks a little bit spethal there but not toooo spethal. Clastic: I loved the representations of RC kibble ... :D They actually look to be the same size as Evil Hills Science Diet, the food of Devil Spawn, Monsters and Koala's Mistreated Dogs. Hope all are well this rainy, rainy Saturday ...

Oops! :D

We came back from Elbie's Dog Behaviour Training this morning and looked for Hoover in the backyard where we had left him. He was nowhere to be found. :D I was freaking out because he hasn't been microchipped yet and we'd left his collar off so that he didn't accidentally strangle himself. We called his name and looked everywhere. Even chilled out OH was starting to look concerned. Until finally we got to this side of the yard. It's the side of the house that we sectioned off because it's muddy, the previous owners dumped crap there and while we have cleaned up most of it, it's not a very dog-friendly area of the yard. Elbie was never interested in going there so the temporary lattice fence served as a good barrier. We discovered a very silent Hoover on the other side, looking at us limpidly. He appears to have scrambled to the other side but was unable to come back. OH went and retrieved him and then covered the latticework so that Hoover couldn't 'scramble' his way over it anymore. Very scary.

maxnkids: you've got a lot of very useful advice in this post and I hope that it's helpful to you and that you continue to ask for advice when you need it and aren't deterred ... This is a a rather sweeping blanket statement ... also somewhat unhelpful given the OP's original request for advice ... 1. DOL is set up as a forum for owners of pure bred dogs (as recognised by the ANKC), but discussion of non-ANKC recognised dogs is permitted so long as posters do not breach forum rules. I note that in your comment you've referred to a forum for cross-breed owners and then you've said that decent advice wasn't forthcoming because pure breed breeders are the ones putting in the hard yards. While a lot of valuable information here comes from conscientious and reputable breeders - a lot of good advice on this forum also comes from conscientious and responsible owners and in those circumstances, the dog's pedigree (or lack thereof) shouldn't really be a factor. 2. I'd agree that cross bred dogs raised in puppy farms in appalling conditions can be health-compromised (but that goes for any dog raised in a puppy farm). I'd also agree that indiscriminate backyard breeding can also lead to sub-optimal health in dogs but I don't think it's necessarily the case that cross-bred dogs are always or even mostly less healthy than their pedigree counterparts. A conversation with the various people working at my local veterinary office (all of whom are very experienced) has confirmed that while there is no 100% rule - there are many healthy cross breeds out there. I'm not going to talk about statistics comparing pure to non-pure, I just want to say that there are a lot of healthy cross breeds out there who are functional, fit and healthy. When I was having a discussion with the Working Kelpie Council, they mentioned that the border collie/Kelpie cross was a relatively popular cross that was quite successful for the function for which it was crossbred. I'm not endorsing the crossbreeding, I'm just disputing that crossbreeds are necessarily not as fit, healthy and "functional". 3. A "purebred" label alone does not equal quality of dog. You've just referred to a "pure bred breeder" and all this means is that the breeder breeds pure breeds purebred dogs, not that they are an ethical and conscientious and carry out basic testing. I'm not even going to say 'registered' because in my view, registration doesn't mean anything except that the breeder satisfied registration requirements. A purebred breeder could be a puppy farmer or a BYB so long as they're breeding purebred dogs. Nonetheless, I'm assuming by the context of your remark that you are referring to a reputable and ethical breeder. Even in those cases, while the likelihood of the dog being "fit, healthy and functional" should be higher, there can be no guarantees. Just look at this forum - the majority of dogs here will be pure bred dogs but there are the full range of health/temperament issues. Some of these can be chalked up to environment or owner, but some of these come down to the dogs themselves. At the end of the day, dogs are animals and not robots or clones so there is still an element of chance even though the odds should be slightly better if the breeder is ethical and conscientious. I'm not trying to push cross breeds or bash purebreds. I own one of each and both are lovely, healthy, have beautiful temperaments and I love them dearly. I owned my cross breed first and I think I put as much time, love, effort, money and thought into looking after my crossbreed as many purebred owners. I guess just think it's a bit unhelpful to be spouting messages that imply that it serves someone right because they got a cross breed after they've already got the dog. There are many, many people who only start learning about dogs after they get their dog - I'm one of these people. What was helpful to me was people who were willing to give me advice since I already had the mutt ... Yes, for my second dog we opted to go for a pure bred dog whose breeder was recommended by the appropriate registration authority because there was a lot of sense in getting a dog that had a more predictable temperament but that was because there were enough owners of pure bred dogs here who were kind, helpful and instructive ... Also, I know that this is the internet, this is a public form and I'm not the DOL police and that people can say whatever they like and people can be as rude as they like (given the faux-bravery given by Net Anonymity) and that people should consider themselves fair game when they post here BUT as this is an internet forum and I'm also entitled to express my view, I will say that I just wish (and yes this is just a vain wish with no mandatory force behind it) that people could be nicer and kinder when people are genuinely looking for advice ... Some threads are fair game for debate but other threads are a genuine plea for help. If you're not feeling helpful and you think that the person is unworthy of your time and knowledge because of the sort of dog they own, then it's just as easy to skip the thread and spend your time elsewhere rather than getting a kick in... Leave others to at least try to be helpful.