JRG

Get yourself a copy of Juliette de Baiircali Levy's book The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat. I used to feed as per her advice - it is a wonderful diet but quite an effort when you have as many dogs as I do (8) When it was too much after a day at work. So I now feed 99.9% dry(one extreme to the other!) I see this book is still available through <bookfinder.com> either new or secondhand for about $20

That still leaves them with a lot to spend!

I’m. gob smacked

I have looked for years for an insurance company who will cover medical bills for kennels — no interest I’m afraid they just laugh at you!!

RP I live quite close to you and have a vacant puppy pen if you are "stuck"

I had a bitch who survived a number of years with this condition. I wrote about her when she died (a couple of years ago) in the Rainbow Bridge section (sept 20th 2015 The End of an Era). Please feel free to PM me if you think I can give you any other help.

No.It might make sense to you but not to a dedicated breeder. Think about it - where does the "line of credit" stop? a few hundred here. the odd thousand there? Never free to make your own decisions because someone else has "bonded" with the dog.? It might sound harsh but I can assure you I am as dedicated to my dogs as anybody but if I hold the purse strings and am responsible for the pups'/dog's ultimate welfare, (directly or indirectly) then I take that responsibility seriously. Sorry if I offend anyone.

Just a minute - RAW is RAW ie not processed in any way. Confit is a cooking method and there are additives eg salt therefore no longer in its raw state. Dehydrated is also , by definition, NOT RAW ie the food is changed from it's original state

We use the Road Refresher - excellent! Not sure why you would use a different bowl instead of the plastic one as the whole thing is integrated ie it is a three piece set up and designed to fit tightly together - I don't think it would work properly any other way. Interestingly, although there is only a little bit of water available at any one time, the dogs all LOVE it and seek it out if available

News flash- Em's sister, Duffy, has 5 new babies(3 boys, 2 girls)

Love her dog "mat".

sorry. Didn't mean to swear at you!

Hell againi bella90 How are you getting on with those babies?

I have a similar set up to TSD either in my office or in the family room and I also cover the surrounding pen with dust sheets so it is like a den and so no one can see in or out. I like to position the pen so that the bitch has easy access to the outside without going through the whole house (they can have quite a messy discharge sometimes). I also always leave a night light on so that Mama can check on her babies during the night and I can peep in without disturbing her.

A boot with a suitable weight in it?

Not much spaniel in there!, but since the "spoodle" is not a breed as such therefore does not breed true to type, it would be impossible to say definitely that this is not a spaniel/poodle cross of some sort

I sometimes add kelp (seaweed powder) to the dogs' food, it is very high i minerals and things like iodine so I am sure it does them no harm. quote: Kelp is ideal for balancing glandular functioning in dogs. Iodine is essential for stimulating the thyroid gland. Kelp can help maintain a shiny and healthy skin and coat in dogs. ... Another benefit of iodine in kelp is that it helps to better manage dogs' weight by improving their metabolism.

well done! hand rearing pups is not easy. Thing you could try: 1. cut down the number of feeds - twice a day is probably enough and will let their tummies rest a bit between meals 2. give them the chicken with boiled (gluggy) rice for a couple of days + a "finger full" of plain yoghurt or yokult 3. change the kibble to a gluten free one

you obviously did not contact the "right" ones !! or you asked the wrong question!

Just a word of caution before you teach your working springer to walk at heel - there is nothing worse than a dog that is supposed to hunt ahead of its handler and thinks it can get rewarded for walking at heel! Over the years I have spent hours trying to teach a young dog to "get on" when someone (probably me) has inadvertently instilled in its mind that to be by my side is the best place!!

forget it! No pups should be " weaned by 3.5 weeks" - you should just be starting to wean them at that age.

Hi there Yes it is multiple choice so you have to choose an answer from the list that you think best fits the question. It is an OPEN BOOK exam so read, mark and study the book so that you know where to look for the answers if you don't know them already.

Please do not confuse the written "Standard" with a "pedigree" They might be linked together in the show ring (although the current fashion for squashed faces would suggest that this is not true), but they are certainly not linked in the working dog world.

Are the Best in Show winners recognised at a Field Trial because of their working ability? The Kennel Clubs run different events for dogs with different abilities. Please don't confuse the show ring with an agility trial or a retrieving trial or think that Kennel Clubs only support conformation events. A show is just that - a conformation event. It does not pretend to be a working event. Some members of the dog community might like to think it is an all round accolade but that is not the intension. It is the beauty pageant of the dog world, not the olympic games.

Not true. The Kennel Clubs recognise trials and sports of all sorts as well as Shows and members of the Kennel Club do not have to subscribe to the Show Circuit (or agree with what goes on in that arena) if they do not want to.