Remarkabull

I was talking about kibble only. If I gave mine anything else to eat that day then it would be more like a quarter of a cup, maybe even no kibble at all depending on what else was given to them.

Eep. I have two dogs twice that weight who get less than that. Same here PF. My 2 little guys are both around 5-6kg and they only get 1/2 a cup of dry (on the odd occasion that they get dry food). ETA I personally think that the guides on the bags of dog food are always incorrect. I have always fed my dogs (both large and small breeds) a LOT less than what the guide says to.

It's a bit early for me to be in here but I am very excited to announce that I will be getting a pup in Feb next year! Bitch has not yet come into season so it is very early days yet but I'm so excited! We will be getting a bitch on Main papers so we can show her and possibly breed in the future. I can't wait :D

I have 3 and I spend about $200 a month for all of them. I feed mostly raw food so about $10 a week of minced chicken frames and then add the veggies, eggs, yoghurt etc. I also buy turkey legs and wings as they are cheaper per kilo than chicken and they are big enough for the Dobe, they also get pork or red meat bones once a week and whole fresh sardines. I would buy kibble maybe 2 times a year and I only worm them once a year (if they needed it more regularly I would do it) and flea treatment if they need it (I haven't used a flea treatment in over 3 years). They were all vaccinated this year so I probably won't get them done for a couple of years, however they do get the proheart injection yearly and while we are in NT they also get a vacc for Lepto. I buy a new toy for the Dobe and JRT once a fortnight and the 2 smaller dogs sleep in our bed so I only have to have a bed for the Dobe and I got him a innerspring cot mattress from Target for $90 and I predict that it will last for at least a year or more. All this may soon increase though as OH really wants to get a BB pup but I am trying to convince him that another Dobe would be a better option

Hi Collies, Off the top of my head I can think of Shaws, TNT, Northline, Pandion. I will have a look at work tomorrow and see what else I can come up with. I would really love to be able to feed it again as I can't get any dry food up here that I'm happy with. Thanks Dobes

I don't support the ban and I have not tried the collar on myself, however I do have one so maybe I'll give it a go tomorrow. I have used it on my Dobe many times and he still comes running to me to go for a walk when it is brought out for use and he certainly doesn't shut down or cower when I give it a pop while out walking.

Is there anyone in the NT supplying BH yet? I am really keen to start feeding it to my lot again but have no way (that won't cost the earth) to get it here.

From what I understood from my conversation with her (it was over the phone) was that it is just their policy in general to wait until 6 months to desex any animal. I don't think they wouldn't do it if I had pushed for it to be done sooner but I was happy enough to wait. My other 2 cats (1 male and 1 female) are both desexed anyway so no worries about any unwanted litters here. I was not concerned about health issues in regards to having him done sooner or later, I too didn't think there were the same kind of issues with early desexing of cats as there is with dogs. ETA - The thumbsup was more for the waiting longer to desex dogs.

The vet clinic I've started using up here won't de-sex before 6 months of age. I rang to book in our male kitten and he was about 4 months old at the time and they asked that I wait till at least 6 months. I was fine with that and waited (he was done yesterday at 6 months). She did ask if he was spraying or any other problem behaviours but when I said he wasn't she explained that it is their policy to leave them until at least 6 months unless there were good reasons to do it sooner.

I know this has been done before on other threads but I just wanted to inform Puddles that a 'proper' hunting or pigging dog is not "trained to kill' anything. They are required to hold the pig or bail it up until the hunter shoots it or stabs it. A good hunting dog is not usually dog aggressive as it works with other dogs regularly and should be used to mixing with dogs outside it usual pack. These dogs are taken onto farms and properties that also have valuable livestock and there is no way the farmers would alow that if these dogs were killing or maiming their stock. Unfortunately there are a lot of bogan idiots who get themselves a 'pig dog' or 2 and like to play at being 'hunters'. It is those people who create the misconception that you have brought into.

You'll find that most DOLer's have a poor opinion of this food (myself included). It's overpriced and over-rated for what you are actually getting.

I grew up with Dobermann's but my first dog was a SBT x Corgi. We lived on property and a lady that used to keep her horse on the neighbours property found a young dog one day on her way out to feed her horse. He was just sitting under a tree on the side of the road in the morning and was still there that afternoon so she put him in the car and told me about it over the fence and I went and got him from the car and he was so scared and obviously quite young (we think about 5-6 months old) and I begged mum and dad to be allowed to keep him and to my surprise they allowed me to. I did have to promise that when I left home I would take him with me (I was 17 at the time) and that I would be his primary carer. I'm not sure what, if anything, happened to him in his life prior to us but he hated children and would even be aggressive towards me and my mum (and we were his favourite people) if we tried to make him do something he didn't want to. He was a very difficult dog and eventually, I had him PTS at the age of 6 as I had toddlers by then and he was getting very aggro with my other dogs, in particular my male Bull Terrier (who wouldn't start a fight but he sure would finish it). The last straw was when he attacked Khan (BT) and when we separated them I held Khan while my ex walked Harley back to the house (about 30 metres away) and when he let go to open the door Harley bolted back and latched straight back on to Khan's face despite being no match for a BT in a fight. It was a heartbreaking decision and despite the problems he had I still loved that dog and miss him to this day.

Funniest movie, showed it to my mum and sister when they visited recently and they had tearies running down their faces. For those of you that enjoy this kind of humor try 'Waiting for Guffman' and 'A Mighty Wind', both are by the same guy and have the same actors. 'Spinal Tap' is another good one. Also for those that have the need for a 'busy bee' I have seen them at Pet Barn!

I remember when I was a kid our dogs were given a bone every night when they were put out at bedtime. Because we had 3 large dogs my dad would buy a big bag of bones and after about 4 days in the fridge the last of the bones would be slimey and very stinky but the dogs loved them and never showed any ill effects for eating them, so yea I'd give mine some out of date meat.

Absolutely yes I have favorite colours Dobes - Black & Rust - to me a 'real' Dobermann must be Black & Rust. When I went to look at the litter I got Acheron from there were blues as well and I had the choice of any of the pups there (except for one male that was already gone to his new home at another breeder and the pick bitch that Acherons breeders were keeping) and I never even considered one of the blues. Bull Terriers - White, preferably with no markings but an eye or ear patch is ok in any colour. BBD - Red(tan) & white I also don't like bridle in any breed - I just don't like the look of it.

My OH often feels like his in competition with our dogs for my affection. Mostly it's Acheron that he seems to struggle the most with, he loves him but is also very jealous of him! I always say it's because they are both so in my face and always wanting my attention that they clash in that regard. I also talk about my dogs a LOT, everyone has just accepted it now.

I have a 4yr old desexed JRT bitch who has been peeing on the beds for a while now. It was always on my daughters bed and we were shocked by this behaviour as she has been toilet trained since she was a puppy and has never routinely pee'd inside ever. Last night she wee'd in my bed. Not just a little dribble, it was a big wee and I woke up with a soaking bed and a wet leg! Initially I was angry about it but then I realised that every single time she has done this she has been sleeping on the beds and so now I'm wondering if it is possible for her to lose control of her bladder in her sleep, but not so much at any other time? I will ask the vet about it next time I go but was just wondering if anyone here had some thoughts on this?

I was taking washing out to the line and tripped over one of the dogs. I ended up breaking the head off my elbow and had to have surgery. Was not fun at all. Just a couple of days ago I was walking in the front door and had a very excited Dobermann greeting me and I kicked him if the foot. My toe was purple and swollen immediately, it's still a little tender and a nice shade of pink atm.

Barkley always sleeps with me in our bed, sometimes Flash will too but more often sleeps with the kids cause they don't take up as much room as OH and I do! Acheron would love to sleep with me but he has his own mattress on the floor next to my side of the bed. I let him up for cuddles but he really is too big to stay the night up there when there are 2 humans in the bed as well. We also have a cat or 2 or 3 hopping up at some point through the night for a sleep too. :D

It's really hard to bite your tongue sometimes. I just had to bite mine so hard it's bleeding! I just walked up to the local Pet Barn to get a air pump for the fish tank and took Acheron (Doberman) for a walk with me. While I was at the counter a lady came in with a Pug X. It was hugely overweight and was snorting it's little head off. Anyway another lady started cooing over it saying how beautiful it was and asked what breed it was. Owner replied "Pug x JRT". Ahh said cooing lady, do they do that alot now, it's very nice I'd have one of those. Then the lady serving me piped up that 'yes, they're crossing alot of breeds now so that they can eliminate some of the problems with dogs'. At this I said 'what was that?' (I was in shock and was curious as to what other gems of mis-information she would spout off). She then said she new off 'breeders' crossing JRT and Dacshund to eliminate the long backs. I then said 'what about the pups that will no doubt still be born with the dacshund body?' She then went on saying how it's all about the 'genetics' and if it's done properly you eliminate all of the genetic problems. I quickly paid and left at this point mumbling something about how I prefer to know what I'm getting when I buy a dog and I'll stick with registered purebreds from now on. It made me a bit sad that these women had a beautiful example of a healthy, beautiful and well behaved dog from a registered breeder right in front of them and they were all to busy cooing over this ugly, fat dog and talking up the virtues of cross breeding. People make me want to cry sometimes

Thanks guys. Just to make myself clear, I didn't want to have a go at this girl or anything like that, I was just thinking what, if anything, I could/should of said to make her aware that she may not have gotten a great deal here and to be aware of the issues that can arise from getting a dog you know nothing about from a person you don't know at all and all because it was free and 'purebred Cocker Spaniel'. I really do hope it works out for the best. At least the dog is getting some love and attention, didn't sound like it got much from it's previous owners

I'm so sorry for your loss. I too know what it's like to have a young dog taken suddenly without warning, it just rips your heart out. My thoughts are with you and your other dogs.

Danois - I didn't say anything to her really, just kind of smiled and made all the appropriate noises, and honestly I really wouldn't say anything to someone (unless they had done something cruel or really stupid). I was just wondering what others would/have done in a similar situation. I really don't know this girl very well as she has only recently started at my work (about 6 weeks) and as she is the receptionist I don't have much to do with her. I guess I'm just worried about this dog and I really hope that it all works out well for them both.

Although I have strong opinions on all things doggy I rarely voice them to people, especially if I don't know them well. Today at work a colleague came to me and asked had I seen a picture of her new puppy. I said no and asked what kind of puppy she had ans she proudly told me it was a Cocker Spaniel. I was pleasantly surprised and assumed that she had purchased it from a breeder...... then she showed me a picture of a 10 month old CS cross that was matted and it's coat had been hacked at (she said groomed) by it's previous owner before she picked it up. Another colleague asked when she got it and how much she paid for it. Apparently it was a give away in the paper and she only saw the ad yesterday and went and got the dog immediately. In her words "you don't pass on a free Cocker Spaniel". The lady was giving it away because it was her daughters dog and she wasn't looking after it properly (the daughter is in high school). She was really happy and pleased about having this dog and I really struggled not to say anything negative to her about it (I did point out that CS need regular grooming and can have ear and skin problems) and I'm hoping that the poor little dog will at least get more attention that she was but I have a feeling that as this was an impulse acquisition on my colleagues behalf and she is fairly young (early 20's) that she too will tire of having to look after this dog and then it will be passed on to another clueless person. Would any of you have said anything more to her about this? I mean what's done is done, and who knows, she might be a great and responsible owner but maybe there was something I should've said to make her really think about this and if it was really the best thing for her or the dog.

No, would never do it. It took me 3 years to get another dog of the same breed after my last boy died (Doberman) and there is no way I would've called the new puppy the same name as Sarge. He was the best dog ever (everyone that ever met him said so) and when he died I had 'The Best Boy' engraved on his urn. I think thats more than enough for another male Doberman to have to live up to let alone having the same name to remind me every day how different they are. Sarge was irreplaceable, there will never be another dog like him and it would only upset me to call his name and not have him come to me.