Mystiqview

Nothing is better than teaching a dog to walk politely on a lead in the first place. Harnesses generally allow the dog to lean into them and pull more. Great for sledding dogs or where you want them to pull. They are good for better restraint in vehicles. I have the original Ezydog harness for car use only - especially when we are 4wding up and down hills. Otherwise mine are on flat collars unless in the show ring when they are on a slip collar of some description. I have read somewhere else the new Ezydog quickfit on some dogs has a reputation for coming off/dogs being able to get out of them. I have had one dog back out of the Ezydog harness here while in the car. The other harness I have is a Rogz one - sledding style harness.

My border collies if inside at night when let out in the morning find the deepest patch of frost at the moment and go and lie in it. I have two outside in kennels at night. My boy has a thick coat and seems to prefer outside. If clean the other two tend to sleep next to the bed. I have this deep hole dug by someone.... last night, I saw one particular dog sleeping in it.

Border Collie litter due 26th August - confirmed by ultasound

double post

I live on acerage and solely on tank water. 30 minutes from Brisbane CBD and we don't have town supply. Under the kitchen sink we have a carbon filter. The rest of the house, stables and milking shed is not filtered.We only recently replaced an original old rusty iron tank from the old milking days with a new poly one. One thing I find with most people with tanks, is they dont have a solid cover over the inlet screen to prevent light from entering the tank. Local current affairs recently did a story up here on suburban tanks and they had some pretty aawfu findings on the pollutants in suburban water tanks. They had banned suburban water tanks for awhile because of disease and also pollution build up in them. It was not until the near drought before the 2011 floods here that they allowed them to be reinstalled into suburban blocks - and then they can only be used to top of pools, gardens etc. Certainly NOT for drinking. We have leaf guards on all our downpipes and no trees overhanging the roof to encourage birds to go up there to decrease the amount of poop ending up in our water supply. We also have to regularly clean gutters etc and have first flush systems on the tanks. I can say, even buying water here when we have had to, you certainly know the difference. All you smell for a week or two is chlorine. We only have to buy water twice a year in very dry times and we eceed what most people on town supply pay in water rates. I have two troughs outside fed by the tank water, the dogs prefer to drink the (current smelly) dam water used in the clams that are permanently outside. The only time I buy bottled water for the dogs is if I am travelling and cannot take or run out of my own water. Only for upset stomachs and all that. We all get used to our "local bugs" in our water supply. When I did live in suburbia - we had a Brita on the bench top. worked well as we had horrible tasting town water. Probably from the old rusted pipes in the area. The inherrent problem though of selecting a too fine a filter is yes it removes all the yucky taste, and that can include the taste that the water is not quite right - even for us on tank water. It may not remove the bugs, but it removes the taste to alert you the water isn't clean and should not be drunk.

Following on from the above. Being male, hold off desexing him until he's at least 12 months of age. After 18 months. Boys need their testicles for more than just reproduction. Teach him good toilet training manners and he can be just as clean to live with as a female. Many unwanted behaviours are not necessarily because they are entire. But because they were not taught any better. Some here will disagree with later desexing, but at least look into it, especially if you are wanting to do agility. There is research showing males that were desexed before maturity, grew differently, changing the angles of their bones and some studies have shown an increase in hip displacia in males that were desexed early. You will be fine. There are a lot of things you can teach your pup from your armchair and won't harm his growth and give him mental stimulation. Grab Dr Katrina and the Wonderdog's "Tricks and Training". Some great little tricks and things you can teach him.

One of my border collies jumped out of my partner's car at about 60km/hr and dislocated her hip. Faith was 5 years old when it happened. They put it back in only to have it slide out again. They gave us really two options: 1. A toggle is inserted into the hip socket and the ball joint or head of the femur. This holds the hip in place. 2. They remove the femoral head and then muscle and scar tissue is used to hold the joint in place. 3. Hip replacement. We went with option one to fall back on option two. I know it sounds drastic - but they ended up having to remove the femoral head as the damage from the dislocation would not lend well with the toggle. But actually 12 months later you would never know Faith has no hip joint on one side. It takes awhile longer to heal as you have to wait for scar tissue to form and then build up the muscle. Pros - no arthritis in that joint. You need to ensure that the dog does not get excessively fat and remains relatively fit as it is the muscle that really works. The toggle - is essentially a rubber band and can break so it will need to be done again. The vet specialist told us it had about a 60% success rate Hip replacement - very expensive and you only get a few years before having to replace it again. Seren - if you want to talk to me more about Faith - PM me and I am happy to talk more off forum if you need. I can give you the name of the vet who did the surgery with Faith and the aftercare - I am in Brisbane.

Pet shops may not sell a puppy under 8 weeks of age either. http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/pets/domestic-animal-businesses/breeding-and-rearing-businesses/breeding-and-rearing-code Also your puppy may need vaccination boosters - most puppy vaccinations require three shots - ie the main one and two boosters plus two weeks before full immunity is achieved. And after that will require annual vaccinations for some diseases like kennel cough and maybe 3 year vax for some other diseases. I always forget which is what and just get the C5, but have just found out about a local vet (goodwood road near Edward st) that does titre testing (woot). there are good reasons why a puppy should stay with its mum and litter mates until at least 8 weeks. just because you trust the breeder - doesn't make what they say true. That's how people get scammed. You can with the new vaccines only need to do two shots. One at 6 and 12 weeks. I do the three year vaccinations now. Some very good literature out there on the over vaccination of our pets. Some vets still like to stick to the old "tried and true" three boosters whereas other vets state the two are fine. Just need to tell the vet at the 12 week shot you want the 3 year vaccination as it is a different brand. The dog does should have the booster at 12 months, but does not need the 16 week booster any more.

8 weeks for any medium to large breed is quite fine and there is no issue with it. We cannot let them go before 8 weeks of age. 8 weeks is actually a good age. It is in between two fear periods and gives time for the pup to settle into a routine before the next fear period starts. Owners just have to be careful about taking their pups out in public until at least the second course of vaccinations at 12 weeks. Some small or toy breeds there may be a need to hold them longer due to size/weight. I guess if you're sure the person you're giving the pup to has half an idea about owning a dog/puppy then 8 weeks would be fine - but it's clear there's people out there that wouldn't have any idea about exposure before the 12 week shots, so it's safer for the breeder to hold onto them until that at least :) That is where as breeders we suss out the prospective buyers. Believe me, If I don't think someone is suitable at 8 weeks, they won't be getting a pup from me at 8 weeks or even 12 weeks for that matter. Some people I would not even give a flea to and that includes some other experienced dog owners/breeders. Lack of socialisation kills more dogs than parvo or kennel cough. Pups can go out at 8 weeks to controlled areas. Vets run puppy schools for pups 8 weeks on. My private obedience trainer runs a continual puppy school for pups 8 weeks on. Poor socialisation is one of the key factors to what leads dogs to bite or antagonise other animals resulting in them being dumped, surrendered and then destroyed.

8 weeks for any medium to large breed is quite fine and there is no issue with it. We cannot let them go before 8 weeks of age. 8 weeks is actually a good age. It is in between two fear periods and gives time for the pup to settle into a routine before the next fear period starts. Owners just have to be careful about taking their pups out in public until at least the second course of vaccinations at 12 weeks. Some small or toy breeds there may be a need to hold them longer due to size/weight.

Leaving mum and his litter mates at 6 weeks - and right before/during a fear period. I would be looking at getting him into a vet puppy school ASAP. At least for the socialisation and interaction with dogs his age. It is the period at the breeder during this time that they are taught how to behave properly with adults and their litter mates. So taking the pup this early, while seeming to cope well at home is no problem, can affect the overall social development of the puppy. Puppies and dogs in general have great coping mechanisms. At this age, sleep is a good one - They sleep a lot. Normal even when they are at the breeders. As for mental stimulation - chew things like pigs ears cut into half (at this age they don't need a full one) things to chew, tear and interact with. You can get puzzle toys for him ranging from easy to more complicated. The best one I saw was a stand with three 1.25L bottles suspended on a rod. they had kibble in them. the dog had to hit the bottle upside down to empty the kibble. Saw a video of it on facebook. cheap as chips to make and interactive for the dog. I would get him outside as soon as you can for at least short periods. Even if you have to get a couple of bunnings compost cages strung together to make a small puppy yard for him to enjoy outside. As for how much mental stimulation and exercise - the dog will tell you how much he needs. There are plenty of articles on the net and forums telling prospective border collie people they need to run their dog 10km a day. Sorry not strictly true. Some dogs yes need a job and are not happy unless they have a job to do, others are just as happy to lounge with you on the couch.

It is against the ANKC COE.. does not stop BYB and depending on which state (as in State legislation).. not necessarily illegal. Although it is law I think in all states now that they must be microchipped PRIOR to sale and also vaccinated. That part concerned me as well when I read it. But that is when most BYB dogs leave and many have not had their vaccinations or been microchipped. Some have not even been wormed when you read the free ads.

The only good thing a harness is for is strapping them into a vehicle or going sledding. Body harnesses allow the dog to put their full weight into the chest pad and pull. Head halters are only a band-aid for pulling - you still need to teach your dog correct behaviour. Yes they will stop pulling, but unless you teach your dog to walk properly on a lead - you will always need them. The Ezy-Dog collars which are Neoprene are good for furry dogs - have found they don't rub anywhere near as much as normal leather or even the Rogz brand. If I used a check chain, I tend to use snake ones. Remember though: Thinner the chain the more the bite and less you have pull to check them. (so lighter hand is needed) They also don't tug the fur anywhere as much as a normal check chain. Fur saver check chains are bulky, don't release as quickly, but also don't catch the fur as much. One method for teaching polite walking is done firstly at home in a hallway no lead. I say this as it stops the temptation for you to jerk, pull or tug on the lead when you say "heel" or any other command you choose. Use heaps of treats in the first instance - treat every step at the side of your leg if needs be. you use the hallway wall to keep the dog close to you. Add a distraction or three. EG another person, favourite toy, a dropped piece of food....Once you have this, move outside. Do the same as above outside up against a wall. Do it in the back yard where there are lesser distractions. Again once he is comfortable there. Add a few distractions. Once you have his attention here - move to the front yard and repeat. Once you have moved to the front yard, put a lead on him and move to the footpath. Tie the lead around your middle to reduce the temptation to pull on it when you start. I am sure you can see what I am doing. I had a fully obedience trained husky years ago that I used to compete with. They do take more work to train for obedience and we used to do obedience demos back in the main oval of the Brisbane Ekka with the combined clubs. So it can be done. Off lead with HEAPS of distractions and she did not bolt away and remained at heel. I live on acerage, so while she was around in the paddock, she used to have a 20m horse lunging rope connected to her collar that she dragged everywhere. It used to catch on things, snag on other things, and if she got too far away from me, I could step on it to stop her.

I have had more problems with desexed males than entire males. Of course there are some exceptions. Go and check out the dog park without your dog. Don't forget you are taking your dog into a pack situation - with the same dogs every afternoon meeting and playing - they form their own "pack". If your dog plays differently to them, they may not like his play or he may not be comfortable with theirs. Be wary of anyone with a ball, frisbee etc and those dogs can be very protective of their toy and will snap or snarl at a dog they think may be there to take it. (even my dogs who love to chase the dog chasing the ball - they are not interested in the ball. just the chase). Also don't leave your dog on lead any longer than necessary. If your dog park has an "airlock" system IE - a little fenced bit just inside the main gate, I tend to take my lead off here before opening the internal gate, or loop the lead through the collar so it can slip through if the dog needs to get away. Remember, when a new person arrives, a good section of the dogs already in the park will come up to check the new comer out. This can be very daunting for the new comer, and can cause tension - so allowing him a quick escape from the pack is good. Don't forget a dog will do two things, Flight or Fight. Some people take their dogs to the dog park and any consideration for anyone else ends. They won't pick up after their dog, or intervene when their dog is being an ass or harassing another dog. Some people think there are no rules in an off leash area. Your boy has blue eyes and a white dish around his face - this kind of face can make reading expressions harder for other dogs and even people. You know your dogs mannerisms and traits - so watch for them and intervene if necessary. Personally I don't like dog parks as a general rule. Some parks area really good, and others go through periods of good and bad depending on the owners. As another suggestion - would about joining a dog club up there (obedience, agility etc) and meeting up with other dog owners whose dogs you know (or get to know) somewhere quiet or out of the way? Can be much more controlled than the free for all of a dog park

Sorry LB. It really is "how long is a piece of string" kind of question. Walking by itself may not be much. A walk can be as stimulating or as boring as you make it. It exercises the body somewhat, but it may not provide a lot of mental stimulation. Even if you walk the dog for an hour a day (say even half an hour in the morning and again in the evening) the dog is still at home for maybe 8 hours if you work full time. If there is nothing to keep the dog amused in this time, it can still do destructive behavour such as digging, barking etc.The dog still may need to have a job to do to be happy. It can also depend on how much time the family spends with the dog and the QUALTY of that time spent. It really comes down the lines and breeding of the animal. Some lines are much higher drive than others and will naturally require a lot more stimulation than a pup from quieter lines or breeding. Even within a litter, there will be the high drive pup and one that is not so high drive. Some individual temperaments will be naturally more placid. I had one border collie who if you showed her the couch she was happy. Leave her outside and she would bark the neighbours crazy. She was not a super huge active dog her self,but just required to be where the people were. She has produced two working farm dogs and two agility dogs. I had another BC that was not happy unless she had a job. She now lives in an agility home and is doing fine. I have a niece of hers, and despite living on acerage, I dare say she will be the same. Super high drive and just doesnt stop. All these dogs are from a similar bloodline. I have a half sister to the agilty dog above (same sire) and both are very active dogs. yet the bitch I have, is just as happy to be your constant shadow. Edit: if you are looking at a kelpie, try talking to some kelpie breeders whom you are possibly looking at getting a pup from. they would be able to first tell you if their stuff is suitable to your lifestyle and secondly give you a really good insight to the breed. Good breeders have no issue talking and giving the ins and out of their breed to newbies. they would rather you do it now, than make the mistake later of realising a kelpie or any other breed is not working

Really depends on the animal. No matter the breed. Any working dog (or any dog for that matter) left to their own devices in the back yard all day and/or night is going to turn destructive if not given enough mental stimulation. It also pays to research your breeder and what they are breeding for. Some who are breeding for high performance dogs may not be your first option if you are looking for a more placid type animal. Also, within each litter there will be those pups who are higher drive than some of its siblings. A good breeder would be able to assist in helping you choose a pup that would best suit your lifestyle and circumstances. A good breeder would also be honest and not sell you a puppy if they do not have something that would suit and possibly direct you to other good breeders who may have something more suitable.

Depends on which test you are requiring. There is GTG who are licenced to run certain tests. And Sydney University that does CL/TNS for border collies. ASAP is the lab - Orivet holds the database and manages the administration of tests - best way to describe it.

Crates should never be used as punishment. They can be used as down time ( as in the example above - puppy being destructive). However it's how the puppy is placed in the crate that is key. If the pup is put in the crate and given an acceptable thing to chew while in there - then falls asleep for a few hours.. No issue. Solves a number of issues in one. The crate is being used to stop the behaviour but it is being done with a positive attitude rather than negative.

How is it cruel? Crates are useful if you need to take your dog to the vet for surgery (eg desexing, injury or tick paralysis if you live in a tick area) - It will be in a crate all day/night with walks for toilet. I have had dogs have injuries and have needed crate rest for weeks - again not by choice. If she was not crate trained then that would have been a horrible experience. She had to have controlled walks for quite a long time after in injury. Those with entire bitches/dogs - crates are useful for keeping them separate. We also use crates while showing or competing at various dog sports. I have runs for my bitches for when they are in season - they are locked up for 4 weeks and given a decent run morning and night before being locked back up to ensure no accidental matings occur. If you are travelling with your pet - some establishments will only allow crated dogs within the accomodation. If you have a "mat" where for instance your dog will sleep at night - and no facility for it to go outside for toilet for what 6-8 hours. How different is this from a crate where they cannot leave to go outside? The crate needs to be a positive thing - it is not used as a punishment. Make the crate an enjoyable place to be, like anywhere else - the dog will like being there. The crate also needs to be a suitable size for the size of the dog. Of course - consideration needs to be given for allowing the dog to go to the toilet - just like locking a dog inside without the facility for it to go to the toilet while a person is at work. I have two crates at home that have the doors permanently open. All my dogs will happily take themselves to the crate when they want their own space or time. This is no different to a mat, or any other designated area for them. If I need to lock them inside for any reason, then they are just as happy to stay there.

Most of mine are ex car seat covers. Not as easy to keep clean as fleece. I wash mine in the sink with wool wash then place flat on an airier in the shade. I have another coloured one, some one on eBay sells them for about $65 plus I have seen them sold by some local dog business that does home treats, training aids and other bits n bobs.

I have two soft crates here in the lounge room and a dog sheepskin rug randomly placed on the floor. I have two dogs lying in crates and none on the sheepskin. Crate doors are open and neither dog was told to go into the crates. They went in on their own choice. Third dog is on the couch with my partner. Yep. Crates are most definitely cruel. Mine love theirs!

No problem with it here. I work 5 days a week for just as long and my dogs are left at home....I am a breeder. If you provide for the dogs - both adult and puppy with stimulation and activities to sustain it through the day then nothing wrong with leaving it at home all day. Even when people are home, work at home etc - we don't always dote on our dogs for a continual 7 hours. There are some people who are more organised than some others will ever be. Just like there are really crap parents and very good ones. Each case judged on its individual merit. Just because someone works full time should not automatically exclude them from owning a dog. There are some people who do work from home or part time I would not even give a flea off my dog to... There are others who are probably better "parents" than I am.

There are other options IF it is HD. they can take the femoral head off and then the joint is supported by scar tissue, ligament and muscle. No later arthritis. I suspect from reading through the posts it's just loose puppy joints. Even some medium dogs go through that sloppy joint phase and many pups will not rather than cannot sit straight and will sit like a frog. Mostly it is laziness. A four month old pup is an ungainly thing. Generally it is a stage they go through. Some dogs are worse than others. Like others have already said, if there is pain, limping etc. then see a vet. As for X-rays now. There is another post here about HD in a German shepherd. Not much you are really going to see at 4 months. You could get an idea of how the joint sits within a socket. Then some vets can be very quick to call HD when it's not. Look at doing muscle strengthening exercises. Stretches and swimming are both good and do not place excess strain on developing joints unlike running and long walks. Some could also be soft tissue injuries. He has strained something is typical goofy puppy play and he is tight somewhere causing some of the symptoms you are seeing.

Cannot see how this is very relevant to the issue at this point in time. It does not matter if the dog is from a large recognised kennel or small. Main register or limit. Or even byb. The fact is just simply the dog has been xrayed and one vet has indicated HD/ED. I think the fist point is to verify this initial diagnosis. I think it is important to let the breeder know - however I also think the best thing is to investigate the initial diagnosis and maybe present both sides to the breeder so they can work through it if it is verified. If it is nothing, then why bother the breeder in the first instance? The only difference between registered breeders is may be is getting some insight into any genetic issues within the line - registered vs unregistered. Just being registered does not mean a breeder is ethical or they will support the puppy buyer. Even good small breeders hip/Elbow score. Even dogs with perfect scores can produce HD puppies. HD/ED is also environment. There may be a genetic predisposition to the disorder and environmental factors can influence severity and when it shows.

one thing i have noticed in recent years, is an increase of many vets and even some so called specialists are very quickly jumping onto the bandwagon of XYZ dog has HD or ED because it is pedigree. I will certainly not dispute that it COULD be on an increase - especially in breeds with known issues. I have also seen quite a bit of soft tissue injury/strain due to the nature of play/environment (particularly in pups or young dogs) be mis diagnosed as HD or ED. When treated for the soft tissue injury, they have come good. It could be a strain/sprain of soft tissue somewhere caused by a puppy being a puppy. If you have not done so already - I would get a second opinion from a good vet Chiro, It may still be HD/ED, but if its not, you may save yourself thousands in vet bills and unnecessary surgery if its only soft tissue and not HD/ED. A couple of operations they can do is to toggle the ball joint to the hip - downside with this op is the toggle can break. The other main option is to remove the femur head altogether and allow the muscle, scar tissue and tendons support the joint. I have been through the second of the above options as one of my dogs jumped out of my husbands car while it was travelling about 60km/hr and badly dislocated her hip, smashing the bottom of the cup. 6 months after the operation, you would not know to see her that she has no joint on that side. Of course there are restrictions, but overall you could not tell. When we had the operation there was a lab in the surgery (old dog) who had both sides done due to HD. Apart from a waddle, again you could not overally tell it had not hip joints. You do need to keep the muscle tone up and weight off. Edit: I had one so called specialist here in Brisbane say a nine month BC had OCD of the shoulder. She had an injury to that shoulder by getting her foot caught between at the top of the gate and post on a 3 foot chainwire fence. She had damaged her ligaments in the front of the shoulder. Because she was pedigree and 9 months - this so called specialist claimed OCD and wanted to operate. Despite me telling them about the injury only a month before. Soft tissue injuries take a long time to heal. I saw a second vet/chiro specialist and he showed me on the same xrays taken at the previous specialist, where he had gotten it wrong. I later found out the original specialist was good at pushing the HD/ED/OCD in pedigree dogs... She was treated for the soft tissue injury. She is now 8 years old and going strong, no limp, no surgery, no OCD.