Miranda

Don't let her sleep on the couch with you before she goes to bed, play with her, do a little training, wear her out and, as PF says, buy a metal crate. Soft crates are good because they're portable, but they're easily destroyed and/or soiled and can be hot in summer.

Yes definitely crate inside, all my dogs are confined overnight and I don't hear a peep out of them. One of them would dearly love to stay outside hunting possums and whinge and bark all night, however there's no way I'd put up with the noise and neither would I inflict in on my neighbours.

Have you checked his teeth? Have a look at his incisors.

Well I must say that I'm inclined to agree with oakway, keeping a puppy outside at night just because you don't want to get up to let it out doesn't sit well with me either. However I don't think that oakway was directing her post at the OP or anyone in particular, she was simply making a generalised statement. Personally I can't understand why anyone would allow a dog inside during the day, but shut it out at night, but each to their own I suppose. In my experience dogs confined inside at night are quieter and more settled than those allowed to roam the yard, but I know that this isn't always the case, all dogs are different.

Please research the breed before you rush out to buy a dog just because you like the look of it or because it's a particular colour. All breeds are different and have their own distinctive traits and a breed that suits one person may be a disaster for someone else. Colour is the last thing you should be concerned with when selecting a companion that will be living with you for the next 10 to 15 years.

Incorrect, a 10 week old puppy is quite capable of regulating its body temperature.

I couldn't agree more. I have a large breed and don't advocate early desexing at all, I recommend at least 1 year for a male and I like a bitch to have a season prior to speying. I am, of course, speaking as a breeder not a rescuer.

You can't train a puppy if you're not there to do it, if you leave him outside on his own he will toilet when he feels the urge to go, on or off the deck.

The dog should be back to normal the day after surgery. I have never had a dog or bitch stay overnight at the vets following a routine desexing. Try to keep him reasonably quiet for a couple of days and make sure that he doesn't chew at his stitches or lick them excessively, if he does use an elizabethan collar. It's a minor procedure in a male so don't stress.

I don't completely separate my dogs and bitches, I find that males are quieter and less agitated if they can always see the bitch. Of course they still whinge a bit, but barking and howling is kept to a minimum.

If I were you I'd go straight home and lock the gate, I'm sure your workplace will understand the urgency.

I've had entire dogs and bitches all my life and have never had one that marked inside, IMO this is largely a training issue. Treat the dog as if he's a baby puppy of 8 weeks and go right back to basics, take him outside immediately after sleeping, eating or playing and every couple of hours in between, wait until he goes and then give him lots of praise and a treat. If you can't supervise him crate him and when he's loose restrict his access in the house so that you can always keep an eye on him. Toy breeds can be harder to housetrain than the larger breeds, but it is certainly possible if you're vigilant and consistent. In conjunction with training you can also use a belly band, these are very effective in most dogs and certainly reduce the cleaning up. I don't think desexing him will offer an instant cure as at 1 year of age this behaviour has become a habit, however it may help a little.

I'm new to showing cats, but as far as I know there is the Governing Council of The Cat Fancy, The Feline Control Council Of Victoria and The Cat Association Of Victoria. Cat shows are much more confusing than dog shows :p

Well it certainly wouldn't work on my dogs You'll either have to fence off the garden beds or restrict her to the backyard.

I agree, personally I can't understand what you're getting worked up about, after all this is a public forum so you have to expect lots of different posting styles and some people are more direct than others. Anyway good luck with your dog.

Always feed them separately, remove the bowls as soon as they're finished, don't leave high value toys lying around, separate them when you're not there and supervise them carefully when you are. Bitch fights can be extremely serious and the potential for injury, both to the dogs and to yourself if you attempt to break it up, is great. I would never recommend that anyone keep two bitches of this breeding together, especially when they're so close in age, it may even come to a point where you have to separate them permanently or even rehome one of them. I don't think you'll find that desexing the younger bitch will make a great deal of difference. Having experienced a few fights involving bitches I feel for you

Get a Brake Fast bowl and push the food firmly down around the protuberances. My boy who used to eat his dinner in about 15 seconds now takes about 4 minutes.

Joint Guard, 1000mg fish oil capsules given 1 capsule per 10kg and cartrophen injections help some dogs.

I normally don't vaccinate for canine cough, some of my dogs have had it and some haven't, but those that have got over it in a few days and I have never needed antibiotics. With my last litter someone persuaded me to vaccinate with a C5 and both puppies came down with CC three months later and one was quite sick so that's the first and last time I'll be vaccinating with a C5. I wouldn't rush out to get antibiotics, most dogs don't need them unless they are one of the very few who develop a secondary infection and I am very much against giving antibiotics 'just in case'.

Large litters are common in our breed and I've had bitches successfully raise ten to twelve puppies without supplementation. You usually find that the more pups there are the more milk is produced, it's a matter of supply and demand. I never cull, but on the other hand I don't continue to try to keep weak pups alive if they're not thriving. I used to do it and a couple survived but had problems in adulthood so now I'll revive pups and give them extra attention for a while but if they don't respond I let them go.

Fleas in the ACT in winter? Fleas need warmth and humidity, if it's fleas they must be pretty damn tough.

Sensible post, a tiny scratch that hasn't affected the eye itself certainly doesn't require a vet's visit.

I had a dog bloat a few weeks ago, the dog was tubed and I had a gastropexy done the next day, the dog was desexed at the same time. Anyone who has a breed prone to bloat should learn how to tube their dog and have a measured tube for each dog they own, it only takes a few minutes. If you can't get the tube down the stomach has twisted and you have a life threatening emergency. My dog ate another dog's food in addition to his own (entirely my fault), but dogs can bloat for no reason at all. Dogs are more prone to bloat if they are older than 5 years, male, thin, have a nervous or fearful temperament or bolt their food, however plenty of dogs bloat that don't fit those criteria. Having a first degree relative who has bloated is a major risk factor. My personal opinion is that any dog who has suffered an episode of bloat should not be bred.

I agree with your vet. There is absolutely no reason to express anal glands unless they have a tendency to become blocked. The vast majority of dogs express their glands naturally when they defecate, if they become very excited or when they get a fright and certainly don't require human intervention. I never bother with anal glands unless there is an obvious problem and I've only ever owned one dog that suffered from blocked glands. Sure you'll get a whiff from time to time but that doesn't mean that there's anything wrong. Anal gland problems are generally more common in smaller breeds.

Hmm, no offence but I wouldn't have much confidence in a vet who thinks that dogs can't eat raw meat until they're twelve months. Your dog doesn't need three meals a day and I'd recommend that you drop the chicken fritz, most of those processed dog meats are rubbish, use some raw meat or some canned sardines or mackerel. Also offer him brisket bones, chicken frames and lamb flaps, something he can chew. Regarding the stone eating, most puppies grow out of it.