WreckitWhippet

Pink is a cool colour

That is something you;d report to the RSPCA

My latest aquistion just arrived LOL I now have a cute black and hot pink rain coat

I'm a little more practical and don;t " dress-up" as such but my dogs all have a wardrobe that's bigger than my own and each season they all get new clothes. The Whippets especially

Hi Dore As others have kindly pointed out, the least amount of chemicals you can put on and into your puppy the better off it's going to be in the long run. If you are concerned about fleas and think that they may be in your home and yard, then you also need to treat the environment. I'm another who is reluctant to overload any dog or puppy with chemicals but if you do discover fleas ( it appears to be the year for infestations, where owners have previously had none ), you can treat the dog with Frontline and a basic all wormer tablet. Flea bomb the house and wash all bedding. Use lime on the gardens and lawns and water it in. A happy healthy puppy should not be itchy. Once you have ruled out fleas, I'd be looking very carefully into your pups diet, any chemcials you consider using in the future and which vaccination protocol you follow. There is a lot of information regarding raw feeding, choosing grain free diets, vaccination, avoiding the yearly heartworm injection on DOL and plenty of very experienced breeders and owners who can help you out. Speak to your breeder, they should also be able to help you out.

Dobe's is correct about a lot of the so called " premium foods " and checking the ingredients list is the key to finding a quality dry food. If the first ingredient listed is not meat, then you are wasting your money. Science Diet is one of them, why you'd want to keep a puppy on a diet that contains corn as the first ingredient and soy meal for 18 months is beyond me. People should really research what is in a product before they recommend it.

There are many breeds that don't fall into that category of keep them on a puppy food for extended periods. The "Toys" , the " Giants" and others that would benefit from a diet tailored to suit their breed. Some mature early, some need to be grown slowly and feeding the way you suggested may not only be a waste of money but could be detrimental to the dogs growth and development. Plenty of breeders successfully avoid feeding a puppy dry, as do many owners. I'm not against a breeder or owner choosing to feed dry, however what someone chooses to do should be the result or making an informed decision and in the best interests of their dog.

Staffordshire Bull Terriers are not a "large breed", you may not profit from any advice you hand out and there's certainly no benefit to the dogs remaining on a "puppy" formula.

More like take him along to challenge the Child Handlers, or the "you think your dog is nuts? Try this one" category! Could show people their dog really isn't that bad hahaha ;) ;) ;) He's an experienced child handlers dog . He's also a VERY quick learner as one handler discovered, when the judge repeated a request and then on the third lap around asked for something different. Fwarkie thought he was supposed to do what he'd done before and executed it beautifully , much to the horror of his handler He's challenged many a child to a victory they earned their placing with him :D

Good for you Megz and I'm sure your advice and various breed experiences will be invaluable to others. You can take Fwarkie along as your demo dog ( the how not to do it ) :D

it's worth a try but really your dog got out, there are penalities involved and you should pay up.

SBT's do need to to be fed a puppy dry for that amount of time. For someone starting out in the breed or not confident in feeding raw, feeding a balanced puppy dry for around 7-9 months is more than enough. The challenge is getting them through the major growth spurts and keeping the calcium/phosphorus ratios balanced, this is where feeding meat off the bone is importants ( unless you are using minced chicken frames ). For those who are confident in feeding raw or are happy to do so with their breeders guidance . SBT's typically do very well on an all raw diet and this can be done from the time of weaning or picking up your pup from the breeder. Hey ReadySetGo,usually the easiest way for a new owner is to use the puppy premium dry for a longer period of time although mixing with raw is definietly preferred. People find choosing a premium brand for longer period in large breeds is easier for them and healthier for the dog as these breeds keep growing past the first 12 months...using raw with kibble is highly preferred and raw doesnt have to be canned food . Minced meats are really good and alot of companies make them for dogs such as barf and peringa. I know of a SBT breeder( friends at work own 4 of her pups) feeds premium puppy kibble till 15 months.. Diets vary between breeders and owners and each have a different preference... Raw is NOT canned food. What do you do for a living again, because your advice regarding diet is worse than what you'd get from the 15 year olds at the big pet stores. This using " puppy premium dry " for extended periods, sounds very much like the "science diet" spiel. There's no benefit to the dog, but there's certainly a benefit to the vet/retailers pocket.

Oh I don't know about that! All of my Tzu's have loved lying around on their thrones being admired. None of mine would every get their tushies muddy - waaaay too precious. Give them an altar and a slave and they're set. ain't that the truth

SBT's do not need to to be fed a puppy dry for that amount of time. For someone starting out in the breed or not confident in feeding raw, feeding a balanced puppy dry for around 7-9 months is more than enough. The challenge is getting them through the major growth spurts and keeping the calcium/phosphorus ratios balanced, this is where feeding meat off the bone is importants ( unless you are using minced chicken frames ). For those who are confident in feeding raw or are happy to do so with their breeders guidance . SBT's typically do very well on an all raw diet and this can be done from the time of weaning or picking up your pup from the breeder.

Poor bugger indeed, his slave fluffed his pillow and catered for him... It's a hard life LOL

I want this one That spent most of the day with his head on his pillow, apart from the odd look up to see what was going on.

Nothing beats the "real thing" Stunning dogs and great temperaments. Buy from an ethical registered breeder, who can help you out with every aspect of the pup/dogs care and you can't go wrong.

Try Horse Supplies Direct They are stocking more and more. Many items that they already stock ( ACV, some supplements, liniments, first aid etc ) provide a very cheap alternative to purchasing at a vet or shop front. I've been using them for years and they have been very good to deal with, their orders are packed and sent out quickly.

Scream warning is right. It should be in BIG BOLD and RED. Of course the commercial breeders group would be happy with that. Their big sheds and kennel set up exist in many cases with their local councils blessing and they aren't about to be shut down any time soon, based on non compliance of planning.

I see many crosses each week and beg if you are going to get one make sure you get a pedigree dog from a reputable breeder. The twisted and deformed front ends and mouths that I;ve seen on just about all of the crosses make me want to cry. For some of them, even the simple task of stretching out a front leg to run the clippers down is painfull. Clyde's Gertie is an alright dog LOL I really don't like fluffies but she does zoomies.

I won't say ever but once the rest of the litter has left my pups are straight onto adult food and raw. Most beef and roo mince is minced without bone, so anyone feeding it does need to be aware that it is not balanced in terms of calcium/phos

The ranger could call one in but without an NOI, the breed assessment is not valid. The same stands that an owner of a dog that they ( the owner ) thinks might look a bit like a resticted breed, can't simply call a breed assessor to look at the dog. The only time a breed assessment is vaild is when it forms part of the NOI process and is the option that the owner chooses. Some may opt to go to court and challenge the NOI, most don't as they have not the money to do so and breed assessment often gives the dog a way out anyway. Something else you might find usefull is to go back and read are all of the DLG circulars, that pertain to BSL and the process. The DLG circulars to council are informative and interesting

Yep and I rehome them

I think you've mixed a few issues up together and the likes of the blue pup could have been produced by a breeder with one bitch or a breeder that owns 20. It's sounds all fine and dandy to hand out ID numbers for advertising, but how are those ID numbers going to be approved ? Some of the best breeders in this country, in terms of producing quality pups, that are sound in both mind and body would be wiped out by such legislation. If you think they have nothing to fear think again. The big kennels and sheds, the one's with the concrete floors, the drainage, located out of town etc, are the one's that are going to be approved or have already been approved by councils. It's the smaller breeders, the breeders who house their dogs in the private back yards, have them living in the house and whelp them in the loungeroom or the bedroom that will be knocked back. I for one have already decided to walk away. This nonsense legislation is speading rampantly around the country and rather than become a law breaker, for breeding and raising dogs in my own home ( where they should be ), I'm giving it up.

A breed assessment sougt by anyone other than the owner is NOT valid. For example if a dog is seized, the ranger cannot simply call in a breed assessor and have them look at the dog in question For a breed assessment to be valid, the dog must be issued with an NOI ( complete with chip details ) and then the OWNER gets to choose whoever they want from the list available. The breed assessor will then determine the breed or cross and within three days, the results are sent back to council. If the dog is determined not to be of a restricted breed or cross, the Companion Animals Register is updated with the breed details and the dog is home free. If the dog is determined to be an RB cross, the owner can then seek a temperament test, again anyone of their choice from the list ( they can travel if they like, to the one they choose or pay for them to come to them ) A ranger can "suspect" a dog to be of a restricted breed or cross, however they do not have the power under the act to be the judge and executioner all in one. That would be a conflict of interest. Rangers are not permitted to be breed assessors or temp testers either, for the purposes of BSL. ETA: when you choose your breed assessor, you can meet them anywhere in the state at an agreed time and date ( within the 28 days ). You could travel from Bourke to Sydney if you wanted to and the result would still be vaild, providing you stay within the 28 days. The same goes for the temp test. Breed assessments and TT's should be conducted on neutural territory.