freundhund

Stumpy Tailed Cattle Dog.

First of all the puppy owner does need a second opinion. Preferably a new vet as it is not recommended to de-sex GSD puppies so early. Unfortunately, X-rays taken as early as 5 months are not conclusive as GSD hips and elbows are still loose at this stage. Meaning that X-rays show a greater degree of subluxation than will show after 12 months of age. As I understand from attending lectures the vast subluxation at an early age is what a lot of vets misunderstand. I would recommend it you are in Sydney to see either Dr Karen Hedburg - North Richmond Vet practice or Dr Robert Zammit - Vinyard Vet Clinic. Both these vets specialise in GSD's.

Anyone with a catalogue that could scan and post the German Shepherd both varieties please.

I have no problems with what pounds/shelters/rescue groups charge for dogs, purebred or mixed breed. To be honest quite often the charges from these pounds etc only covers the cost of desexing, immunising and relevant vet work. People that buy these priced up to $650 are IMHO getting an exceptional bargain. If the purchaser of a new puppy got their puppy desexed, its annual injections and 3 months worth of heartworm treatment and that would cost them $650. I am a breeder of purebred, pedigreed GSD's, I charge at the top end of the market and am very, very selective of my buyers. I discuss with them long term and short term costs, insurance and obedience. The other issue I don't allow impulse purchasing I won't allow a puppy to go home with their new family, even if the puppy is 8 weeks and hasn't been chosen or presold the new owner has to wait a week. This allows the new owner/family to read the information that I have given them and think about what I have discussed with them. But even though I go to a lot of effort I have over 30 years had 3 dogs come back, 2 due to divorce and one death. I rehomed one and kept the other 2 for various reasons. Additional I had one 11 year old girl end up at the RSCPA due to the neighbour knocking the fence over, her family and I both arrived at the pound at the same time. No matter how much as a responsible breeder I and other breeders are, there are some reasons that some owners/families have to surrender their dogs, these currently appear to be the results of divorce, inability to obtain suitable rental property(often as a result of divorce) and change in economic circumstances such as loss of job. Until such times as it is made harder for pet shops to sell puppies to impulse buyers and websites like Gumtree offering very inexpensive puppies due to "accidental matings" dogs that however will make good pig dogs, or my dog is good with children and so is my friends dog and we thought that the children should see puppies being born!!!! We will have an excess of puppies, I sometimes wonder if we need to encourage some form of cheaper desexation.

Apparently the accused appealed against his sentence and the DPP cross appealed and the DPP won. The accused cannot appeal again against his sentence. When he now gets out will be up to the parole board. I am just so glad that the sentence was increased, Bob Knight was just the most wonderful man and a great friend to all dogs.

I can recommend Border Collie rescue. I contacted them for a dog for someone I knew, the dog had to meet very specific requirements, these requirements were not easy to find, however, Border Collie rescue went above and beyond to help locate the right border collie for my friend. My friend has now had his 3rd Border Collie from Border Collie rescue and each time the people have just been amazing.

Hi Bel Could you please advise which state you are in as the laws can differ between states. Personally and ethically, I never let a puppy go home the first day I meet a new puppy buyer, they have to leave a deposit and come back the following week, that is if the puppy is 8 weeks or older. Younger puppies the new owners need to leave a deposit and visit the puppy at least once before they can take the puppy home. I always diarise when the puppy owners come to visit. I do advise the puppy can be return within 48 hours with a vets certificate stating what their vet believes is an issue with the puppy. I have never had a puppy returned under those conditions. Cheers FH

Anyone wanting to do an ET the Canberra ET has spaces available it is on 23 June, 2013. Just contact ACTDogs or ACTGSDClub they can both put you in touch with the organiser.

I happily feed Pro-Plan to my dogs. I show as well as train for obedience my GSD's. On Pro-Plan Performance my GSD girl gets 1 cup a night mixed with 50grams of mince or a tin of sardines this is a girl that does 8 kilometres a day walk or bike training, my old male GSD gets 2 cups plus meat or fish. Please note the cups are the 250mil size not bigger. I honestly believe it works out very similar price wise feeding the better quality foods, as the dogs don't need as much. With the added bonus of less poop to pick up.

I am concerned about the amount of dry you are feeding, please, whatever you do a GSD should never eat more than 4 cups of a good quality dry food like Advance, Royal Canin GSD formula, Pro Plan Working Formula or Eukanubra GSD formula. More than 4 cups of dry is too heavy for a GSD stomach and can lead to stomach stretching and bloat. Double coated breeds like GSD's Siberian Huskey's and Alaskan Malamute's <excuse spelling> all need higher fat levels in their food than single coated breeds, as well as higher protein content 25%. (I think from memory, but if you have Dr Karen Hedberg's book available at your local library she actually states the percentage.) I have currently a showline bitch 58cm who weighs 25 kilos, she runs 8 kilometres a day, she gets a chicken wing of a morning and of an evening she is on a cup and a half of dry, 100 grams mince/egg/can sardines depending she is perfect weight for height. You possibly have quite healthy dogs that don't need any more weight put on them.

The German Shepherd Council of Australia publishes their Breed Survey Books which list all GSD's that have passed hip and elow X-rays and also haemophillia results. As yet DM is not a required test but I and a couple of other breeder's test for it, I have asked the GSDCA to publish the results of DM testing, but am awaiting a reply.

I am another one who hates their Fisher and Paykel toploader that is supposed to wash up to 10 kilos. I hate it, hate it, hate it. It tangles the washing, it tears clothe,s it catches clothes in the agitator. It doesn't empty properly, if I could afford a decent new washing machine I would be rid of this one like a shot. DO NOt buy an F & P!!!!! In fact I would never ever recommend F & P products to anyone. I have their Fridge - it is a nightmare, and have worked in a place that had 4 of their dishwashers that didn't wash or dry even the basics like cups and mugs.

I would just like to announce that my beautiful Durnstein Divine Miss M ET HIC AZ BSCl 1 has now been tested free of Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). Additional I have tested all 7 puppies in her litter sired by Yester vom Feuermelder and all 7 have tested clear. For those of you that don't know Degenerative Myelopathy is the insidious disease which starts with dogs sometimes as young as 4-5 years dragging their hind feet and being unable to walk by the time these dogs are 6 -7 years of age. I am hopeful that other breeders will start testing their breeding stock for this disease. At only $85.00 to test a dog, we can eradicate this disease in only 3 - 4 generations, as long as you mate clear to unclear and continue breeding clear to unclear.

I actually meant the comment as a joke, possibly when I wrote it late at night after being woken up, by what I perceived as a very strange call my remarks didn't come across as as humerous as I meant. What I was trying to express was that trying to be an ethical breeder and help and assist the wonderful families that choose to buy a puppy, in which I have invested a lot of time, effort, energy and money into I am happy to help. The person that rang and had the conversation last night was actually quite rude and belligerant, when I didn't have a puppy the colour he wanted and basically named an unacceptable to me company!!!

I am now thinking of putting the price up on my puppies to the following scenario that has just happened, accept I told the person I wasn't prepared to sell them a puppy. This is how the conversation on my mobile went. Phone rings 10:30pm I was in bed trying to sleep. (Not going to happen now until I unwind again) Caller: "Black" Me: "Pardon" Caller: "Black" Me: "Pardon" (gathering thoughts as I try to wake up) Caller: "I want a black one" Me: "Oh, umm you want to buy a GSD puppy?". Caller: "I want a black one" Me: "Okay, so you want to buy a black GSD puppy? Caller: " Yes, I want a black one" (talk about a one track mind) Me: "I have black and gold" Caller: "I want a black one" Me: "Sorry, you need to talk to someone that breeds working line GSDs" The call eventually end with the caller telling me that a well know place that sells guard dogs has lots of blacks and I don't know what I am talking about!!! So now to unwind and get back to sleep. And people want to know why our puppies are so expensive, I did forget to mention that whether I like it or not some prospective buyers expect to be able to contact me 24/7. I am not expected to sleep.