Salukifan

The health risks of obesity are overwhelming to dogs. How many vets will tell a dog owner that their dog is too fat. I'll tell you it ain't many. You know what I think? I think a lot of vets would be advocating the injection because they weigh the risks of no coverage of heartworm against the risk of the jab and decide in favour of the jab. And if they assess a pet dog owner as being unlikely to ensure that their dogs get heartworm protection by any other means, then I agree with them. But for a dedicated dog owner who's prepared to avoid the injection and use a LOWER RISK option - why wouldn't you??

I don't care what the product is, if a person advocating its use profits from it, then I think an element of caution is called for.

Because I rate my dog's health above convenience and a lower cost to my wallet. I don't get my dogs vaccinated annually either. As for surburban vets being the be all and end all of health advice on your dog? Until very recently, many of them were adamant that annual vaccinations were the only way to go when titreing and longer periods between vaccinations had been published in veterinary journals and practiced by some vets for years. When a leading holistic vet, when asked about heartworm jabs ( I refuse to call them vaccinations when they aren't) simply said "don't" - that was an indicator to me that further homework was required. I've done it and have decided that a monthly tablet carries less risk, especially as mosquitos are not a problem 12 months of the year.

*cough* BRACCO!!! *cough* ;)

Option B is a dog door.

if I wanted a larger dog, it would be a Zoi or a Deerhound.. just lovely dogs. :)

Whippet :cool: Yeah have considered a whippet, but they aren't much different to iggies show wise. Really want something diffetent to what I have already. Different? I can do that. Irish Wolfhound Bullmastiff Bloodhound Old English Sheepdog ;)

Whippet :cool:

I have had a Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodles and Whippets. I won't be adding any new/different breeds. These are the dogs for me. I just madly encourage my friends to get them. :cool:

The cereal bulk does. FYI, when I fed a fully raw diet (including veggies) my Toy Poodle had quite a few anal gland issues. Since adding some kibble to her diet - issues no longer. :)

I know!! She's gorgeous, I want a ball bopping Whippet!! Even the ordinary Whippets are a lot of fun to own. :) Don't tempt me TW!! I have met quite a few Whippets lately and each one makes me want one more and more! Ah yes, "Tim Tam Syndrome" - a condition common to a lot of Whippeteers. ;)

BlackJaq: Substitute the word "dog" for "horse" and "backyard" for "paddock" and you've just described the lives of many of Australia's pet dogs. Not saying that's the case in this instance but its the reality for a lot of dogs with one often worse factor - they live alone.

I think issues with flood debris and the bogging potential will make it difficult to have the rings in any kind of fit state.. but await news from the Show Secretary. Yeah, its a bummer to lose entry money but I'd rather be out of pocket than see the Show's books in the red and potentially more dog sections cancelled. I spoke to the show secretary this morning. At this stage the show will be going ahead. Yippee Hope they've got a tractor to unbog us if we need it. :laugh:

I know!! She's gorgeous, I want a ball bopping Whippet!! Even the ordinary Whippets are a lot of fun to own. :)

I think issues with flood debris and the bogging potential will make it difficult to have the rings in any kind of fit state.. but await news from the Show Secretary. Yeah, its a bummer to lose entry money but I'd rather be out of pocket than see the Show's books in the red and potentially more dog sections cancelled.

I know this may sound a bit trite deghj but try not to take it personally. Of course your consideration of whether it will apply is qualified by your experience. Not every person who posts here has that kind of experience and plenty of members here can attest to scenarios where well intentioned advice given by forum members,dog park attendees and other dog owners has had very bad outcomes for owners who've taken it. I don't think its a bad thing to get a sense of what experience people have when they offer advice. If you assume the role of "trainer" with folk (which is effectively what you were doing), then give advice that some may question, then a person investigating the basis for your 'qualifications' is not necessarily that unusual. You didn't stray into the area where I've seen serious issues arise before (dog aggression management) but I think it pays to remember that there are folk who will try anything on their dogs when they don't genuinely understand what the issue is or how to actually implement the advice given. As you've found out in this thread, training is highly topical and often hotly debated area.. lots of opinions and some issues are too frequently diagnosed, especially in situations where the dog has not been observed in person. "Dominance" and "separation anxiety" are two such issues IMO. Truly dominant dogs are quite rare and pups aren't generally where you find it cropping up. Very often a "dominant" dog can be simply untrained or displaying behaviours that are poorly understood by the owner. If you have a genuine interest in helping dog owners, there are three volunteer dog clubs in the area who'd love to hear from you!!

I was going to suggest a muzzle also but of course that means he cant' be left alone wearing it.

Try hunger - don't feed anything for 24 hours then offer it. Otherwise, donate the bag to rescue and try something else. My dogs didn't like it either - reason I'd always recommend a sample or a smaller bag first.

Dog rings are a lot lower/closer to the river.

Why CC's don't have a downloadable Word or Excel doc that prints entry forms to size beats me.

Check out the awesome fencing too!! You see a lot of that black cyclone mesh in USA based shows with serious sighthound owners. I know a few here who have it too. ;)

Sorry, I missed this, First dog is a mix. Second dog is a lab. Not sure if it is purebread or not. I wonder if the lab is more people focussed and "needy" in their eyes.

Love the name!! :laugh:

I contacted the Main Show secretary on Monday who passed my questions along to the Dog show secretary. Apparently they are watching the grounds and are going to make (and widely publish) a decision on whether the dog section will go ahead later this week. Personally I'd not be getting my hopes up. I reckon the dog rings were probably under water at some stage, if not still. Wendy

Yikes - and folk think I'm tough!! Don't people think that the dog deserves to be in a home where people do more than tolerate it? Don't people think that a family that has adopted a dog deserve to get one that they can genuinely care for? The dog's at no risk here. Why on earth NOT rehome it if you can do so responsibly after figuring out what it is about this one that you can't warm to and avoid it next time. Anyone who suggests to me that sheer effort can make you bond with any dog simply needs to meet more dogs. Stanley Coren even wrote a book about it. 'A dog is for life" - yeah sure. But "life" shouldn't feel like a prison sentence.