ElectraWoman

I was wondering why someone was talking about me in the "puppy" section Anyways, more seriously: dogs also have a more acidic digestive tract than humans. Which means they can cope better with the bacteria present in raw food. There's been quite a few threads in the Health forum regarding raw feeding. Have a search for them, they're quite interesting.

Occasionally I have fed my dog kangaroo steak, but I only buy from supermarkets [human-grade, and therefore less likely to contain worms]. I remember from a previous thread that a greater problem regarding kangaroo meat is its lean quality. It is a very lean meat and dogs do require some animal fat in their diet.

Thank you for the link, CM. I might check the club first.

Speaking of which... Does anyone know of an obedience club around the Joondalup area? I recall hearing about a club in Mullaloo, but I never received the address. Apologies to those who like the Carine obedience club, but I'm not a huge fan of some of the instructors!

It is such a shame that Innova seems to be only available in PP shops...it's a great kibble, IMO

An interesting article and views, although I agree with fifi regarding the average owner. It's not so much political correctness that desexing is encouraged - it seems most people are not interested, or are not capable of keeping an uncastrated dog. Personally, it seems that health risks befall dogs regardless of castration. I would only be concerned if a high percentage of castrated dogs develop illnesses due to the process - yet I have not yet seen research that has stated such a view [if there is, I'd gladly read]. My personal view is if I do not intend to breed from my dog, then I might as well have him castrated. I tend to take a moderate view, in that I believe it is ultimately a person's choice. A person shouldn't be attacked because they decide not to castrate a dog, as long as they take the necessary precautions and are responsible owners. Also, regarding the article itself, I noticed this: Yet in her quoted research, she quotes from one of her research articles: That statement only states a castrated dog is at a higher risk of developing the cancer than uncastrated dogs - hence implying that both castrated and uncastrated dogs can both fall victim - yet her initial statement implies that all dogs that have the cancer are castrated. Perhaps I am misreading? Or perhaps the author is guilty of wilful misinterpretation?

Bear in mind I am not an expert, but to my understanding... Vegetables are not important in a dog's diet. In fact, you can actually do without them. It is far more important that a dog is fed the correct ratio of RMBs per day - at least 60% of a dog's diet should consist of RMBs. Cooked is not bad, but the cooking process can destroy some of the nutrients. Therefore it is better if you feed raw vegetables. However, if you want to feed the raw vegetables, you should either mash them thoroughly or pureé them using a blender, so the dog can digest properly. Raw eggs are the best - again, the cooking process can destroy nutrients. You should feed the eggs whole.

Speaking of eggs...apparently the maximum amount of eggs you should feed is 3-4 eggs a week? @TB: OT but...apparently brushing olive oil through your hair once a week can make your hair glow. I haven't tried that yet. Or washing with honey. Haven't tried that yet either!

Yes, you can crack the shell beforehand initially. Eventually you can just give your dog the egg uncracked - your dog will figure out what to do. Dogs eat the shell as well.

Sorry, another hijack but... purplepulse, do you want a protection dog? Or do you want your dog to be aggressive?

I'm not an expert on nutritional matters but here's my 2c... I think a lack of taurine for cats can lead to blindness and other complications. As for dogs...I think there is still some debate as to whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores. Personally I view dogs as a carnivore because, firstly, a dog's teeth is mainly made for eating meat. Secondly, dogs can't absorb cellulose without help - hence why if we want to feed a dog vegetables, we have to grind them to a pulp. It seems that much of the research on dogs is based on wolves. There is conjecture regarding whether wolves - who are very similar to dogs - are also omnivores. I think part of the claim that wolves are omnivores originate from the idea that wolves eat the intestinal contents of their prey - usually herbivores. However, some claim that wolves don't actually eat the intestinal contents, or, if they do, it is an occasional occurance. Compare the biology and physiology between a human and a dog - humans IMO are true omnivores because we are both biologically built to absorb both vegetables and meats, and our teeth are designed to eat both. Same with rats and mice. After all that long-windedness...personally I'm not sure about vegetarian diets on dogs. However, I don't begrudge others from feeding such a diet to their dogs - but only if they do it correctly.

It sounds like a good concept and at a reasonable price. Although, I think the service would be great for long-haired dogs, or dogs with extra maintenance requirements. For short-coated dogs, there's nothing wrong with two buckets of warm water, a sponge and some shampoo! We had a similar - although nowhere near as advanced - service where we used to live. The service involved a plastic bath tub, a small showerhead and you had to supply your own shampoo. Drying was extra and it cost $3.

Good to hear!

To reiterate, six weeks is too young for any dog, let alone tiny Chis. They should stay with their Mum for longer than that! In light of the advice given here, please re-consider your decision. Aside from the risks to the puppies' lives, another issue is potential behavioural problems. Puppies who have left too early can be quite mouthy. I adopted my boy at six weeks before I knew any better - and I learnt about the mouthiness the hard way. If you are adamant on collecting them on the weekend, they'll probably need around three-four meals a day. No free-feeding. Lots of water. Lots of newspaper or puppy pads [up to you] in a confined area like the laundry.

Thanks for the link, PP. Quite informative and I like k9force's use of an e-collar. @haven: I admit that my initial phrasing about negative reinforce was poorly-worded. I was meaning the use of the e-collar in this specific context. Negative reinforce is not bad per se, although we'll be moving into territories not specific to this thread [and I believe it has already been covered extensively in the past]. @purplepulse: Apologies, I wasn't meaning that you were using fear on your puppy right now. In fact, "fear" is the wrong term here - the appropriate term is "positive punishment" [see, I did read the link!].

@haven: Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the operation of e-collars, but it seems like overkill for this situation? I always thought such devices were used as a last resort...it doesn't quite sound like the case here. Using e-collars when it sounds like a handler issue [not dog] doesn't sit right for me. It sounds like demanding compliance using fear of consequences. @purplepulse: 18 weeks is quite young as well, so don't expect too much. There will be days when your dog will do well, and days when they'll look at you as though you've grown two heads. The actual process of giving food - or toys - itself is not bribing. It's how you actually give food that matters.

Again, I don't know how you've actually been training your puppy. I did pose the question earlier but either you missed it or assumed I would read your previous posts? Why do you want to use negative methods to train basic obedience? :rolleyes:

It depends on how you've trained your puppy previously. If you use treats as bait, you might have taught your puppy that you are actually bribing them to follow your order. Have you tried spacing your treats out? For instance, giving treats to your puppy every second "sit", then every third "sit"? I've found that randomizing the treats means the dog will comply more often, because they are never sure when the treats are coming. If you really don't want to use food, you can always use toys. Although with anything, the above principle still applies.

Corn cobs are bad! My Abel spent two days being fed on paraffin oil and muck after being fed one [i told my family [b]not[/b] to feed him just anything]. Luckily it came out or he would have needed surgery. I thought Weet-bix and other cereals are okay as a treat, but not as a main meal. Dogs can't digest cereals well - it's like their version of junk food. It fills the dog but offers little nutritional value in comparison. If you look at most cheap, supermarket-brand dog food, cereal is a prominent ingredient.

If, aside from the lack of poo, she is okay - I would concur with the castor oil and PAL.

Wow, this thread has been very interesting reading! Personally I leave toys around the yard. I don't plan to do any serious training with my dog in the near future so is that still okay? I've found that if I don't leave toys for my dog, he finds his own - and unsuitable - entertainment. Also, thank you for the link to the Orkas. I have the gripper and the jack looks like great fun.

Erny, thank you for the explanation. Makes things clearer now :rolleyes:

Quick question...the idea of having to heel on the left side only seems rather outdated in formal obedience. Most people who participate in obedience don't also take their dogs hunting! Why is the rule still there? I've tried to teach Abel to heel to my left, but I personally feel very awkward. I am very right-handed so doing things on my left makes me feel odd. Plus when I'm walking, isn't it better for my dog to be away from the road, rather than close to the curb?

In my somewhat limited opinion, Innova is a very good food. It uses actual meat in its ingredients [no "by-products"] and is generally quite a complete food. Only concern is that Innova can be too rich for some dogs, and can cause diarrhea.

I have a Goldie x Kelpie who is quite active, and weighs 26kg. I feed human-grade meat so I might cost more than others: 2kg lamb off-cuts: $3 1kg turkey necks: $3-$3.50 1kg chicken frames: $1-$2.50 1kg chicken wings: $2 Pig hocks: $2 Organ meat [lamb heart, beef tripe, etc]: $3 Yogurt: ~$3 1 can of fish: $0.50