stonecutter

Wuffles - I probably wasn't clear - we spend 1-2 hours interacting with all of the pups to see who likes me, who likes hubby, who likes both of us - and has the temperament we're looking for (ability to train for obedience is a must because of our neighbourhood, independent and happy to keep himself occupied if I'm working in my office). The breeder gets all adopters to do this seperately then assesses which puppy goes to whom (plus we were also asked to provide shots of our yard area, puppy living space, details of our weekly activities/timetable). When you first meet him and interact with his dogs (as well as pups) - I had the feeling it was like an audition - he watched how we interacted with them very carefully. I'm glad - means he cares a great deal about the homes they go to :rolleyes:

Has anyone left it up to the puppy to choose you? That's our plan - we will spend an hour with all of them and see which one (boy or girl) likes us best. Our breeder doesn't do it any other way.

Jakemom - those pics are gorgeous!

My boss' dog is named Sam - but he calls him "boofhead". The dog gets really excited when my boss is chastising his son and calling him a boofhead - son is trying to look ashamed/upset/angry, dog is super excited because he thinks its playtime! :lol:

Ahhh - thanks!

Naomi they are just precious on a side note - what does "NBT" and "on hold" mean on the breeder's website?

Too gorgeous Jakemom! We saw the Kouzoku pups today and spent an hour with the dad (Ronin), 3 other boys and a 16 wk old puppy called Gizmo. Absolutely gorgeous and the great temperament. Had a great long chat and discussion about what we're after in a dog. We'll go back on the first week of March after the pups have had their 8wk check and first vaccinations to interact with the whole litter for about an hour and see which of the pups chooses us / suits us best. Then it's another 4 wk wait until they've gone for their 2nd set of checks. I should have taken some pics but I was too busy playing with the dogs and pups

I think if I did that, we'd never get any work done!

I should put us officially on the waiting list for a Japanese Spitz from Tim at Kouzoku in outer Sydney. We're going on Saturday to have a look at his current crop of boys (I think they're 6 wks) to see if any suit the temperament we're looking for. Can't wait Picked up a dog crate today too! ($30 on Gumtree) It will only be big enough for the puppy phase - but we plan to crate train so I figured I'd start with one second hand. Should I clean it to remove other dog scents? I was planning on cleaning it but I don't know how thorough (if I need to remove scents I will take it all apart and soak the individual pieces in sodium percarbonate)

Electromagnetic doggy door that will only allow an animal with the correct frequency collar through - otherwise it's locked.

I was wondering how hard it would be to train a pup to use a dog door - good to read it's doable. We'll be doing the same - crate and closed laundry and doggy door to the side of our yard which is mostly granite path but will include a 2m2 grass area and a bark section we'll try for toilet training.

We'll be buying 2 of these sorts of pens off ebay or a pet store and wiring them into a fence to make a dog run for use while we're at work (I've already got tin snips and wire). I'll use steel pegs to secure it to the ground. I like the chicken wire and star picket idea - but this has a swinging gate which we'll need. Plus we live in a rather snooty area and people walk by our backyard every day. There are certain rules we need to abide by in terms of fencing (I think our neighbourhood complainer guy would write a raft of complaints to estate mgmt about a chicken wire fence!) I'll also be checking with my BIL who does metal work to see if he comes up with a better solution for less than $100.

Hi all - thought I should join this thread! Hubs and I are on the waiting list for a Japanese Spitz from Tim at Kouzoku - I sent in my deposit but he's a little slow on the email so I have no idea if we made the March litter or the June one (and whether there is a pup with a temperament suitable for us) This will be my first dog and our first as a couple - hubby grew up with a blue cattle dog. Just slowly picking up dog items when I see a bargain on Gumtree or Ebay. Biggest issue for us will be the dog door! (it's going into a brick wall) Look forward to seeing lots of cute pics soon

We're on a waiting list for a pup so I've been looking around for a crate as well - cheapest I've found are here: http://shop.vebopet.com.au/store/medium-30...cage-crate.html They seemed to have reasonable prices on matching dog beds for inside the crate as well. Prices seem similar on Ebay here for a similar product http://stores.ebay.com.au/ozplaza-living/P...d=p4634.c0.m322

Ah - it's where I live :D I use the same name on a few forums so I don't confuse myself (which is easily done!!)

Hi all, We're on the waiting list for a Japanese Spitz pup from Tim at Kouzoku - while we're waiting, we're starting to get our house dog-ready including access to the yard for toileting while we are at work. For a number of reasons, we can't put a dog door in our laundry doors - the glass is toughened and cannot be cut, the screen door is Crimsafe and putting in a dog door voids the lifetime warranty. I've also looked at the Pigs in Mud door but our sliding door screens are Crimsafe and require a special custom locking system to lock in - and the sliding door isn't in an area that can be easily contained when we're not at home. So... we're looking at putting a dog door in the brick wall of our laundry. There is exactly the right space next to the door and the laundry will house the crate for resting, sleeping (we will be crate training) We're looking at 2 companies for supply of the dog door and tunnel between the brick wall, insulation and gyprock: Pet Door Company Pet Doors Aust Anyone used either of these companies? Happy with the result? We live in a new housing area and I've spoken to some brickies around who are happy to cut the whole in the brick wall for a case of beer Apparently it's a 5 minute job. Cut a hole in the insulation and then line the insulation with some anticon for extra protection. Then remove the grout and prise the tile off the wall where the door will go and it's pretty easy to use a plasterboard/gyprock saw to cut the hole in the wall. Then fit the dog door. Am I missing anything? Any tips or hints? Thanks in advance

Thanks MissB!

Hi folks! I'm hoping hubby and I will be ready for a JS puppy some time this year. Any suggestions on a good show we might go to so that we can chat to a few different people at the same time? I'm in Sydney - should I be looking for somewhere like the Castle Hill Show (biggest suburban Sydney show) or more like the Royal?