WreckitWhippet

Yes, my chiro is the first port of call. He has looked after some of the best racehorses and Greys in the country and I trust him implicitly with my dogs. I see him the night after racing any dogs and with the show dogs they go every couple of months as a regular check up and at the first sign of injury or them not moving out correctly. If my chiro can't fix my dog, then I go to the vets. I've found by going to the vets first I end up with anti-inflams, a weeks rest and I'm still none the wiser

I had one like this in my study. Except he was a working security dog, so lived in a kennel when he wasn't working, training or running around in the paddocks during his exercise time. Nonetheless, he spent most of his time pacing in circles, switching to bouncing off the walls if something happened, barking and biting wire and his water bucket. He spent about an hour around lunch time napping and that was about the only time he was still in the 7 hours I was there every day. His handler said it was the breed and there was not much you could do about it. I was chatting to an ex-military dog trainer and asked if that was normal behaviour for them in their experience. I was told most of them are like that and really need to be worked for 4 hours a day to keep them sane. I had a second WL Mal and a show line Mal in my study as well, kept as pets, and they were completely different. Much more manageable dogs in general, a lot less highly strung. The WL one was not even in the same ballpark as the one I had already met. I guess particular lines matter. I don't doubt that lines matter but I also think people would be more likely to nip undesirable behaviour in the bud if they have to actually live with it, whereas in the kennel environment teaching the dog to switch off may not be a priority. Spot on, you might be able to ignore such behaviours in a kennel but in the house it's a whole different ball game.

i am not a judge and only a some times exibitor. i have chosen a breed that is not a *showy* breed. Years ago I asked the lovely and late John Cowdrey why it was that noone looks at the Maremma. He said that for him (and he only spoke for himself) it all boiled down to the fact that they fade into the background. Ok now I have some thing to work towards, if I wish, but at the time I was just very happy as that is what I want from a good Maremma. The working dog ring has some really nice and very showy breeds that are extreamly popular. When we have a few dogs that can beat the big winners then we are getting some where. Me ? I am very happy to produce good sound working dogs and just maybe the odd show dog. But are you really getting somewhere as a breed ? or will the breeders have managed to produce some "generic" show dogs ? It comes back to is the Maremma really suited to the show ring and is showing in the best interests of the breed?

This is pretty much the case and it is difficult to fight. First impressions tend to stick and a lot of judges have been shown shy dogs. It's easy to say it is correct for a Maremma or any other breed should behave like that. If you do not have anythingg else to go on them it's believable. There was a person showing who liked to tell people that the dog wa EXPECTED to bite anyone so much as touching that people. This is NOT I repeat NOT true. I'm not a judge but that's really all I've seen. I am yet to come across ( but I'm sure they exist ) a Maremma that is presented as and is a true show dog. Owners can't expect to win or do well in the working dog group, if they are not presenting a total package and this means a dog that has excellent conformation, is well presented and handled and has the "look at me" factor. There are so many WDs of other breeds that can and do pull it all together.

I make my calcium up with powdered milk ( if your dog can tolerate it ) an egg yolk and some nutrigel. I give them quite a few milk drinks a day and one with the egg yolk once a day for the first week.

She's a Bull Breed isn't she ? If so, I'd be giving her several doses a day for the first few days.

Or that finding out more about that dog and how it was campaigned might give you some ideas as to how to do it with a Maremma. There is also the unpalatable fact that some breeds are simply "showier" than others - they have presence, they show their arses off and they have a movement style and are presented in a way that makes them stand out in Group and Specials line ups. Or someone has imported and is now breeding dogs worthy of being recognised and awarded. If Maremma in this country are backing off from judges, being difficult to examine and aren't really fantastic specimens, then it's no wonder they have been over looked to a certain degree.

Calcium in the form of Troy syrup or Sandoz will be beneficial if she is panting and unsettled

If you aren't needing to show in a hurry, use Cetrigen spray, it works a treat, it does stain though. It's what we use for the Greyhounds who frequently cut their feet and pads. Depnding on the location of the cut, I'd clean it up and wrap it for a couple of days. With your wrap use a good padding of cotton and then tape with tensoplast

No longer, it's now a mix and contains chook

I have no idea, I buy premium dry and raw and they never go without be it food , vet care, toys, rugs etc. I don't bother to add it up anymore.

You don't need to discuss with a vet if your dog will benefit from a trip to the chiro. If he's never been to a chiro he's going to benefit anyway

Hello..... the voice of reason has arrived

Why? 'Cause you know better than a vet? For better or for worse, the pup is now apparently totally stressed out, poor thing. I think it's fair to prioritise reducing the pup's distress. I'm not going to pretend to know how safe valerian root is, but you can find plenty of information here: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-870-VALERIAN.aspx?activeIngredientId=870&activeIngredientName=VALERIAN and in veterinary science here: http://csuvets.colostate.edu/pain/articlespdf/valerian%20root.pdf And here's some information on dosage: http://www.vetguru.com/2012/06/21/dog-valium/. In the past when my vet has suggested an over-the-counter product for humans I have asked for a dosage and they'll work it out for me. But it usually goes by weight. If you don't have that information you can assume the dosage on the packet is for a 70kg adult human and go from there. I'm kind of bewildered why someone would call up a vet for advice and then ask on the internet for dosage advice for what the vet recommended. Ask the vet who recommended it, maybe? What the hell does anyone on an internet forum know? Perhaps a hell of a lot more about raising a happy well adjusted litter and what is a normal reaction in puppies that that just been separated from their little mates and mother, than both you and the vet in question does.

I've never heard of anyone drugging a puppy because it's struggling with the loss of it's litter mates and mother. I'd like to slap the vet that suggested it. You could run the puppy with it's mother or another adult that is known to tolerate puppies and is of a calm nature. Put the puppy back with the bitch and work on taking the puppy away for short durations to play, train and have one on one time with you. Increase the time away over the next few weeks. Then move the pup into a run with another dog beside it. Giving a puppy any form of sedation or calmative is in my opinion overkill. Start separating pups early on when you next have a litter and ensure they get plenty of one on one time, short amounts of time alone in a crate and driving in the car. You have to give them the tools and the life experience to cope with the big change.

I name all of the puppies, even if it's a pet name and hand them to the chipper one at a time, with the correct paper work.

Hey well done Reverend Jo Not many people on this forum could lay claim to something like that! REv Jo is a special one, she combines intellect with the ability to pull a rabbit out of her bottom

I've looked at this a couple of times and it all seems a little bit fiddly.

Sorry but that is not proof that a dog knows about or fears an impending death. I've had that very reaction from a dog that had been poked and prodded, xrayed, needled and all manner of things done to him in my presence at the vets. We went to give him an AB shot and he screamed and screamed and screamed, it went on for a couple of minutes before he eventually calmed down. Yes, it's very upsetting and not how you would want to remember your last seconds with your dog but it's certainly not a reaction bought about by a dogs sense ( or lack there of ) of it's impending death.

Fair enough for the major metro shows but for the country shows where people travel long distances I think they should stick to the current system. I could pretty much guarantee that any small country show that tried it, would not have an entry the following year

Hopefully she has now gone and chipped the dog

I'm confident that I have picked the right person to carry out my instructions, be it desex and rehome, rehome and co-own, keep themselves or euth. My Husband would keep a couple of my dogs, the rest will be dealt with by a person that I trust implicitly.

Clueless, useless, money driven and lost sight many moons ago "for all creatures".

Staffords do not require much fruit or veg in their diet