Miranda

Oh yes I forgot about Advance, I've used that too and it's ok. I usually throw out all the fat at the bottom of the Natures Gift cans.

Keep training him to go outside, if you're able to go home at lunchtime it won't be long before he's able to hold on for four or five hours. I would never train a dog to soil inside unless there was absolutely no alternative. I assume that you're going to allow him access to the outside during the day when he's older otherwise he's going to get very bored locked inside all day.

I also use Seabreeze Oil as a leave in conditioner between baths. My dogs are bathed regularly and I don't use any supplements, but their coats are lovely.

I have very occasionally used Natures Gift, it's ok. All the other supermarket brands are crap IMO and Eagle Pack and Ziwipeak are too expensive.

Does the chicken mince contain the livers? Offal will often cause gas and sometimes loose poo as well. Personally I wouldn't feed any mince from a pet store. If you must feed mince buy it from Lenards where the chickens used are for human consumption and you know the mince is 100% chicken.

My my you do have a charming way with words. I note from your comment in Introductions that you are no longer going to contribute to this forum, probably just as well

If the pieces are too large to be digested the dog will normally vomit them up. Just keep an eye on him, no need to panic.

I'm from the U.K. and have the same view, 'dogs outside' is something I'd never experienced before I came to this country. I've lived my entire life with inside dogs and I currently have five. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Methinks you're a little sensitive, I thought it was witty

That was actually a very light answer I thought I thought the same gareth

Crisovar I notice that you live in Queensland where the weather is probably reasonable even in winter. Here in Melbourne you can go for two weeks without even seeing the sun, just day after day of cold, damp, drizzly weather, quite often it's foggy and doesn't clear until the afternoon and then it's dark by 5.30pm. I go out walking the dogs even when it's raining and most people think I'm crazy. Sometimes I think the majority of the population in Melbourne hibernate during winter

We spend lots of time outdoors too but the dogs are welcome in our home to spend time with the family inside and sleep in the house. Same here

Goodness me, it's lucky you're not married to someone like me I hope you have your outside cat in a cat enclosure and don't allow it to wander into your neighbours' gardens. We don't have a cat Oh do forgive me I assumed from your post that the cat wasn't allowed in the house. Obviously what you actually meant is that you wouldn't allow your wife to keep the cat at all. My apologies

Stop giving her agnus castus and pulsatilla, dogs have no need of this sort of stuff and they might even be doing her harm. Things that are quite suitable for use in humans are often harmful to dogs. Take her to the vet and make sure that she's not pregnant and not suffering from pyometra, as it's her first season it isn't very likely, but it can happen. If she gets a clean bill of health you will probably find that her appetite will return in due course once she's got over 'the birth'. Bitches often go off their food around the time their puppies are due.

Goodness me, it's lucky you're not married to someone like me I hope you have your outside cat in a cat enclosure and don't allow it to wander into your neighbours' gardens. I agree with the other posters, a Stafford is very much a family dog and not really suited to life outside excluded from his pack.

For an absolute newcomer to the show ring I would recommend Ashley Reid, Peter Frost is also very good, but he concentrates more on gaiting and ringcraft.

Very true, a lot of groomers only know how to do a 'one size fits all' cut and will clip off everything except a bit of fringing on the ears and tail. There are some good groomers out there who know how to groom the different dog breeds, but they are few and far between.

Once you've clipped the top of the head it will always need to be clipped because the hair grows back differently and it's much harder to control. You are actually better off hand stripping the head or using a stone or thinning scissors. You can also use a Mars Coat Stripper against the lay of the hair. ETA the same thing goes for the topcoat, don't clip it you'll ruin it. It's far better to strip out the top coat with a Mars or a stone than use clippers.

Yes get rid of the hair between his toes, but not because he'll get splayed toes, if you leave it he'll pick up grass seeds and balls of mud which will harden and may cause lameness. Some dogs will also develop a dermatitis because the area is constantly wet. The hair under the pads should also be trimmed. Take out the hair on the top of his head and remove excess hair from inside and underneath the ears otherwise he's likely to develop ear problems. There is actually a fair amount of grooming involved if he grows into a heavily coated dog.

Probably not what you want to hear, but there's no way I'd be taking any of my dogs to an area where there's even a remote chance that they'd pick up a bait, I wouldn't risk their lives and wouldn't rely on a muzzle to keep them safe. If your dog eats a bait it's dead, they have no chance and it's not a pleasant death. I would leave the dog at home.

I wouldn't use either, they're both cheap foods with lots of fillers. I once tried Supercoat and got heaps of sloppy poo. However some people are happy with them so you can only try them and see if they suit your dog.

Go to the cheaper vet.

Don't worry about letting her out. I had a 10 week old puppy come down from Sydney in a friend's trailer and she did the whole trip without a toilet break and didn't wee or poo in the trailer. Three hours isn't very long.

I think this would be classed as hemiplegia and unfortunately I don't think you're going to be able help the dog without further testing. It usually occurs when for some reason blood flow is interrupted to part of the brain. You could try sending a PM to Rappie or Charles Kuntz, both are veterinarians on this forum and they may be able to give you further information.

I agree. I have a dog here who has had bladder stones and that's what I do to encourage him to drink more.