Miranda

I would prefer that they use the members' funds to upgrade their website and offer an efficient service rather than putting money into another dog centre at Bulla :D , but that's just my opinion and going off topic :D

Perhaps she's implying that the cat becomes distressed and anxious if kept inside at night and needs a drug such as Clomicalm? She could be trying to make you feel guilty and hoping that you'll say it's ok for the cat to be outside at night. Whatever the reason it's her problem not yours.

In this shire if a cat is trespassing on your property you can obtain a trap from council and the ranger will then come and pick it up. I fail to see why cat owners think that it's ok to allow their pets to roam, I love cats, but they need to be contained. These days it is relatively easy to provide a secure outside space for your cat, there are many innovative ways of doing this and heaps of advice is readily available on the net and the various cat forums.

It might be the kibble, I once tried Bonnie (for a VERY short time) and it didn't agree with my dogs at all.

The oldest sire I know of was 13.

Oh what a bummer Oh well it worked well back in 2006 :D That was the last time I tried to access the members section. It makes you wonder doesn't it, if it worked four years ago why doesn't it work now and why on earth can't they fix it? Two years is ridiculous!

I registered a litter with Dogs Vic in 2006 using their online facilities, I didn't have any problems at all and the registration papers arrived within three weeks.

IMO this isn't a good diet. I would scrap the Natures Gift treats (only use them for training), the VIP sausage and the liver sprinkles. Also why do you feel it necessary to feed bbq chicken? If the carrot is raw it won't be processed and will come out the same way it went in, but if they enjoy crunching it up that's fine. Fish oil should be given 1x 1000mg capsule per 10kg bodyweight, 4 capsules is far too much. I'm assuming that the vinegar is apple cider vinegar and not ordinary vinegar? I'm also not a great fan of Science Diet. The bones are good They would be far better off with a quality dry food (Eagle Pack, Artemis, maybe Royal Canin) and raw meat and bones (chicken wings, a piece of chicken carcass, necks, small beef brisket bones), you can add a small amount of cooked liver a couple of times a week and some canned oily fish such as mackerel or sardines. An occasional raw egg and some yoghurt will be beneficial. if you want to feed vegetables (not necessary, but won't do any harm) lightly steam them or if you want to feed them raw put them through a juicer as dogs cannot break down cellulose. ETA only feed tiny portions, you are feeding your dogs way too much food!

Are you crate training him? The easiest way is to put him in a crate and put it next to your bed, then you can put your hand down to reassure him and you will also hear him if he needs to go to the toilet. Over the next few weeks gradually move the crate to where you want the puppy to sleep. You will also find a crate very helpful with toilet training.

Bloat Study This is a very interesting study on bloat conducted in the U.S.A.

I get my puppies out two weeks after their first vaccination. Bunnings is a good place to take puppies, I stand out the front near the sausage sizzle where people walk in and out. Schools are also good, stand near the gates in the morning or afternoon. I also walk my puppies at the local shops. Just avoid parks and ovals or anywhere else where lots of dogs are exercised.

I've done a mating at the showgrounds in a quiet corner of the pavilion. We were both going to the show, I had the dog and the bitch was coming down from the country and was right in on that particular day so it was the easiest place to do it. We did wait until general specials so there weren't so many people around, but no one seemed bothered.

Be very careful, this may not be a good idea, if the BC is unsocialised and inclined to be DA a lab bouncing around trying to make friends could be perceived as a threat and cause the BC to snap or even attack. My dogs are all well socialised and certainly not DA, but even they don't like over friendly dogs who get in their face. Also look at it from the young lab's point of view, the last thing he needs is to be attacked by another dog. Contact a behaviourist like Steve at K9 Force and get the dog evaluated before you do anything, when you're dealing with DA you really need someone who knows what they're doing because it's very easy to make things worse. Also I note that the dog is 4 years old, his behaviour will be well ingrained by now so it isn't going to be easy to change. You may get to a stage where the aggression can be managed, but don't expect the dog to become a social butterfly, chances are that he will never be friendly towards strange dogs although he may learn not to react to them providing they're not right in his face.

No probably not, in my experience once they begin sniffing, lifting their legs and marking it continues for the life of the dog. Even if you get him desexed at 12 to 14 months the behaviour is likely to continue.

I haven't tried the canned food, but the Nutro lamb and rice suits my dogs very well. When we couldn't get it here anymore I switched them to Orijen and when that was withdrawn I tried Artemis, but it didn't work for my dogs. As far as canned foods go I think Natures Gift is the only brand worth buying apart from Ziwipeak which I find way too expensive.

It could be canine cough or it could be reverse sneezing. If it's reverse sneezing cover his nostrils so he has to breathe through his mouth and that should stop it, it's not serious, I think all my dogs have done it occasionally. If it's canine cough he should get over it in a few days to a week without veterinary intervention. Benadryl can help to ease the cough. If he gets really lethargic, goes off his food or has a nasal discharge he has probably developed a secondary infection and antibiotics will be necessary.

If you want to breed you will have to purchase a dog on main register who is a good example of the breed and that will cost money, as someone else has already pointed out you get what you pay for. If you buy a puppy on limited register (pet papers) you will not be able to show or breed from it.

It's hard to say, you'll have to see how it goes, but be vigilant. If you're going to have problems they will probably begin when the younger bitch approaches sexual maturity. Bear in mind that some bull terriers can be pretty intolerant of their own sex and that male/female is usually the best combination.

It's a bit late to 'nip it in the bud', at nine months of age the dog is rapidly outgrowing puppyhood, I gently discourage my puppies from mouthing as soon as they start at around 5 or 6 weeks of age, putting teeth on human skin isn't tolerated around here at any time. Airedales have strong characters, they are not usually soft dogs and a little aversion therapy may be in order. Wait and see what the trainer says, but I'd be giving her jaw a not so gentle squeeze or physically removing her by the back of her neck with a strong 'uh-uh'. Then walk away and completely ignore her.

Excuse me but my dogs do not have issues. And yes they get to be dogs so please keep your nasty comments to yourself. No offence but I don't see showdog's comments as nasty at all and she certainly didn't imply that your dogs have issues, what she said is that spoiling and humanising dogs CAN CREATE issues. These are dogs not children and they'll be fine, you worry too much

Yes this is what I do, I've found that it's generally ok in a week or so and I've never had one get infected.

If the breeder is offering to groom the dog take him there this time and ask her if she can recommend a groomer near you who is experienced with schnauzers. The vast majority of mobile groomers wouldn't have a clue about how to groom individual breeds, most of them do a 'one size fits all' clip, they don't have the knowledge to do anything else.

She probably needs to go to the toilet.

It will be hard if the dog is to be kept permanently outside as he's going to wee and poo a lot as a small puppy and you won't be there to show him where you want him to go. It's a lot easier to teach this sort of behaviour if your dog's an inside dog as you simply take him to the designated area and give lots of praise when he uses it. There may be products that encourage him to use a certain place, but if you're not around to reinforce the behaviour I don't know how effective they'll be. Some dogs naturally tend to use the same area and if you're lucky he may be one of them, otherwise he'll probably use the whole yard.

Ringwood Vet Centre, Mitcham Pet Hospital and Maroondah Vet Clinic all run puppy schools.